Page 27 of Kiss the Bride

His advice seems easy enough—I refuse to be defined by what happened yesterday. I choose to live.

Moody Blues

Hunter

I can’t keep upwith Olivia and her bloody moods.

One minute, I think she’s getting over the guy, after all, what other evidence does she need before kicking him to the curb? I can even get past her flirting with the fucking pilot because it’s part of her moving on. The next minute, she’s rushing past me to find the ladies’ restroom, in tears.

“Mate, let me give you a hand,” Rod says, taking one of the suitcases off the trolley while I wait. I don’t need a hand—his or anyone else’s.

“I’m right.”

“She gonna be your woman?” He poses the question as if he’s asking if I want steak and chips for dinner.

“She was. Now we’re good friends.” I can do without the judgment. Although, I’ll face worse when we get home.

“You’re not looking at her as a friend.”

“What’s it to you? Unless you’re about to offer her a free flight again.” I snap, my anger simmering at his cocky attitude. The guy oozes confidence that could overwhelm vulnerable women, like Liv, into doing something stupid. The Liv I know wouldn’t fall for the random pick-up line, but still. Who exactly is the asshole here?

“She’s not the first dumped bride to end up here solo.”

“You make a habit of picking them up?”

“I make a habit of giving advice to the friends or family who come with them. She’s hurting and it’ll feel worse here.”

“Why?” As much as I don’t like the way he flirted with Liv, I’ll take any advice if it will help her.

“Because for months, maybe years, she’s been dreaming about her wedding and honeymoon. The couples’ massages she probably has prebooked and prepaid—she was expecting them to lead to some wild-ass sex. The cabana on the beach and romantic picnic hampers—she picked this location because it oozes romance and now she’s here alone. This isn’t any normal holiday destination. It was supposed to be the beginning of the rest of her life.”

Which I paid for. But his words hit home—Liv didn’t just lose her dream wedding; she lost the dream start to the rest of her life.

“It will be,” I promise, “just not with him.”

“You stepping up?”

“I never stepped off.”

“History?”

“Our families are friends and expected us to get married.”

“You bolted?”

“Something like that. Except I did it the right way. Broke up with her before I started acting single.”

“Got the single life out of your system?”

“I enjoyed it, but it’s not what I want.” I quickly tired of women wanting my credit card or last name. Hollow, empty sex lost meaning years ago. No other woman has compared to Olivia, no matter how hard they tried.

“When I say she’s not the first solo bride here, what I didn’t say is she doesn’t look as shattered as she should be.” He checks me up and down with the same sort of judgment as I’m expecting from her father. “You’re not looking at her like a friend and she isn’t looking at you as a friend.”

“I’m going to give her time, as long as cheeky-ass pilots don’t get in my way.” I can’t make my warning more obvious.

“Don’t worry,” Rod laughs, unfazed. “She shot me down. But she was looking at you when she did it, not the finger missing an engagement ring.”

Fuck.

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