Page 17 of I Could Be Yours

I shrug. “I’m turning over a new leaf. No more looking for the one.” Especially not in the wrong guy. I have the worst habit of falling for guys who will never give as much as they take. Moving back to Ontario got me out of another bad relationship, but I fell into the same trap a month later. He was attracted to the shell. He wanted arm candy, not someone to contribute to discussions. I’m tired of men who can’t see past the surface. So I went on a self-imposed dating hiatus so I could focus on my best friend and her wedding. Between my job and organizing events for Rix and Tristan, I haven’t had time for dating, which means my plan is working.

My gaze catches on Nate and Flip, who are wheeling something into the yard. Nate cut it close—the photo of the finished product came in at two a.m.—but it does look like the real deal.

I squint. “What is that?”

“I think it’s one of those carnival things where you hit the target and try to ring the bell,” Rix says.

I frown and consult my games spreadsheet. “That wasn’t on the list.”

“Bea, baby?” Tristan strides across the lawn. “Hey, Ess, sorryto interrupt, but do you want to check out the appetizer plates before we bring them to the food tent? And yes, we have cooling plates so no one has to worry about food poisoning.”

“And it’s all set up in the shady tent?” Rix clarifies.

“Yup.” Tristan nods.

“I love you so much.” She wraps her arms around his waist and tips her chin up.

He gently curves his hand around her throat, drops his head, and brushes his nose against hers. “I love you, too. I’ll show you later how much.”

“I’m going to check out what’s happening over there.” I leave them to their foreplay, my smile fading as I spot yet another game that wasn’t added to the spreadsheet.

I surreptitiously check to make sure my makeup is on point and my hair isn’t doing anything wonky before I head for Nate. My pink, jewel-encrusted flip-flops kick sand up the back of my legs as I hit the beach. Nate is wearing a pair of board shorts, a Terror T-shirt, and sandals. My eyeballs appreciate him more than I would like.

Which, of course, makes me snippy. “Where did this come from?” I motion to the paddleboards and modified paddles. “Whatis this?”

“It’s paddleboard jousting,” Nate explains.

“But, but…it wasn’t on the list.” I hold up my tablet. “All the donated prizes have been allocated.” I was meticulous in my planning, and I won’t have Nate, of all people, messing it up for me with last-minute additions.

“I scored a few donations of my own, so I added extra games. We didn’t even have a pie-throwing contest, Essie.” He says this like it’s the most heinous crime.

“Who the hell wants to get pie in their face?” I spent half an hour perfecting my makeup this morning and setting it so it doesn’t melt off my face in the summer sun.

“It’s all in fun, and so is the paddleboard jousting. The guys will love it.” His smile widens, and he leans in closer. “Youdidn’t honestly think I would let you take over the entire event, did you, Ess?”

I narrow my eyes as heat travels down my spine. “Are you trying to one-up me?”

His voice is whisper quiet. “I know you’re used to being the center of attention, Ess, and I’m sure it burns your ass to share the limelight. But I’m happy to knock you off a paddleboard later to cool you down.”

I’ve been planning this for months, and he’s pulling stuff out of his ass in the eleventh hour. “I see your competitive edge has finally kicked in.” I pat his chest, shoving my irritation aside while trying not to appreciate how solid he is. “It’s on, Nathan. May the best woman win.” I wink and spin around, walking away before he can get the last word.

CHAPTER 6

ESSIE

Half an hour later, the food is set out and Rix and Tristan’s friends and family start to arrive. My younger sister, Cammie, rolls in with Tally, Fee, and her boyfriend, Chase. He plays hockey for their university team, the Tilton Blaze. It’s hilariously ironic, because until they started dating, Cammie had never even watched a game.

“Oh my gosh! This is so cool!” Cammie hugs me. “Well done, sis. When I get married, you’re planning all the things.”

“You mean whenweget married,” Chase says.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.” Cammie pushes up on her toes and kisses him.

“We’re going to have the best time tonight!” Tally steps in to hug me, too.

“I wish I was nineteen,” Fee mutters.

“I promise it’ll still be fun,” I assure her. “Your group are in yurts eighteen and nineteen, and I swear that was just a coincidence.”

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