Page 1 of Kiss the Bride

To The Rescue

Hunter

Olivia: I need you.

A simple request; loaded with a thousand reasons why it isn’t.

“Are you guys right if I head off and check on some things?” I ask the other groomsmen. We’ve spent the day in a hotel suite drinking, joking, and pretending to get ready for this afternoon's society wedding of the year when Mitchel Edmund Hazel becomes the luckiest bastard in the world by marrying the gorgeous Oliva Marie Woodgrove.

One of my best friends and my ex-girlfriend.

Honestly, it should be more awkward than it is. Olivia deserves a man who loves her beyond reason, but we were the right couple at the wrong time—or at least that’s what I toldmyself when I broke things off. Two years later, Mitch stepped in and swept Olivia off her feet, while I left the country after giving my blessing. Building my career on the other side of the world gave the happy couple space to fall in love. Each time I came back to catch up with our group of mutual friends, I tried to ignore the little voice in my head that insisted I made a mistake. It took watching her fall in love with another man for me to realize that breaking up with Olivia was by far the biggest mistake of my life. I've learned to accept that no matter how many women I date or sleep with, none of them can compete with the memory of my first love. It's not their fault, it's all on me.

Because it's my problem and no one else's, no one else knows. I'm the master of compartmentalizing emotions and as long as Mitch makes Olivia happy, I'm happy for them. Truly. They have nothing to fear from me taking up a position in my father's Sydney office as his heir. I'm here to offer friendship to the bride and best man duties to the groom. If I was Mitch, I wouldn't have been the first choice as his best friend or best man, but as one of his oldest friends, how could I say,no? Like I said, it should have been more awkward than it is.

“Problems? Are the flowers the wrong shade, or did someone chip a nail?” Caleb scoffs, peering up from behind his cards. I know his tells and Pete will double his money unless Caleb’s luck changes with the river card.

“Nah, just checking loose ends.” I don’t trust them not to mock Olivia if she’s having one of her perfectionist meltdowns. Soothing her through a meltdown has always been my specialty and I assume the bridesmaids are busy dealing with the mother of the bride or fighting for the photographer's attention. I do a mental count of groomsmen, all eight of us are present and accounted for. The only person missing is the groom. “Have you heard from Mitch?”

For some reason, Caleb keeps giving excuses for why the groom isn’t getting ready with us. Seriously, this has been like herding cats. Caleb shrugs and studies his cards. “Guess he’s putting out last-minute wedding fires.”

“Trying to separate ex-couples in the seating arrangements.” Pete laughs. “I should have told him Lina and I broke up.”

“She’s one of Olivia’s bridesmaids!” Olivia spent hours meticulously matching each of her eight bridesmaids with the perfect groomsman. Not that I care who she’s matched me with. My bed has been empty for over a year—ever since I received theSave the Datecard.

Tomorrow, she’ll be married. It’s time to get over her and move on, like she has.

“Not my decision.” Pete’s smile doesn’t hide the hurt in his eyes. “I tried to convince her to wait until after the wedding, but Lina had already packed her shit.”

“Does Olivia know?” If she does, no wonder she's melting down and reached out.

“If so, she’ll be asking you to fix it.” Caleb grins, flips the river card, and groans when Pete collects his chips. “I’ve never seen a guy do so much to make a wedding happen.”

I force the smile that’s closed million-dollar deals and say lightly, “Just being the best man I can be for my best friend.”

They don't need to know that Mitch went MIA when the wedding date got moved forward because one of the bridesmaids scored a gig on a reality TV show. Mitch asked me to give Olivia a hand, and I became her sounding board and spare pair of hands. Everything from sourcing new shoes for us groomsmen to finding a new photographer through my company's connections—even her wedding coordinator started sending me lists of things to do.

Still, I feel like the worst friend alive because I’ve been so focused on helping that I didn’t notice Pete and Lina had brokenup. Even if Pete didn’t say anything, looking at him now, the signs are all there—dark circles under his olive skin from lack of sleep, and his attitude at the card table has been more angry than his usual confident swagger.

“Sorry, bro,” I say, clapping Pete on the shoulder, words failing. I thought Pete and Lina would go the distance—we all did.That’s what they said about you and Olivia, and look what happened—you walked away and broke both of your hearts.

“It happened a week ago.” Pete shrugs. “I think she’s found someone else, but she won’t tell me because she knows punches will be thrown and noses broken.”

“Sorry, mate.” Josh and I offer, but while Josh and I share glances, Caleb looks away. Does he know the guy?

“I’m not.” Pete’s forced bravado is as fake as his smile. “Isn’t there a rule that no groomsman can go home alone after a wedding?”

My phone buzzes, again.

Olivia:Please

Olivia:It’s an emergency

“I gotta make a call,” I say, moving to the other room. “Hey, Livia. What’s up?” I close the door away from the noise.

“I don’t know what to say!” Her words tumble out in panic. I can almost imagine her standing in white lingerie, her hair and make-up done, surrounded by fussing bridesmaids. I hope someone is with Mrs. Woodgrove. Olivia’s mother has never gotten over her ex and being forced to share parent-of-the-bride responsibilities today with him and his wife has got to be harder than me watching Olivia walk down the aisle with someone other than me.

“How can I help.” Seriously? I’m offering to help the woman I love marry a man who’s not me.Consider it punishment, karma for breaking her heart.

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