Page 59 of Say Yes to the Hot Mess

Dex and I meander slowly, and I look over at him. “I thought holding your hand would feel weirder,” I say, giving our hands a little shake.

He looks down at me—because he’s freakishly tall—and a tiny little smile curls his lips. “Did you?” he says.

“Yeah. I thought it would be awkward or something. But it’s not, is it?”

For a second he just looks at me. “No,” he finally says. “It’s not.” He looks disconcerted by this, his eyes darting away from mine as a little frown creases his brow.

His expression clears, though, before I can figure out what he’s thinking. His eyes fix on someone making their way toward us, a good-looking guy with an infectious smile.

“Hey,” the man says, and he and Dex hug briefly, doing that manly back-thump thing. Then Dex turns to me.

“Maya, this is my brother, Jude. Jude, Maya.”

Jude is a major cutie. He exudes energy and a sort of boyish charm that makes me smile. He’s probably about my age, with blond hair and mischievous brown eyes that trail over me.

“Nice to meet you, Maya,” he says, shaking my hand. Then he claps Dex on the shoulder. “You werenotkidding.”

Dex shoots him a look.

“Kidding about what?” I say, interested.

Dex sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Nothing—”

“He told me you were gorgeous,” Jude says, barrelling right on through. “And he was right. Do you have any friends who are as lovely as you?”

I laugh at his outrageous flirting, even as my cheeks heat. Did Dex really say that? “I have a friend, yes,” I tell him. “A perfectly wonderful woman with red hair and a great smile.”

But Jude’s face falls. “Eh,” he says, looking…what? Troubled? “No redheads for me.”

I raise one brow at him. “You shouldn’t judge a woman by her hair color.”

“Redheads and I have a past,” he says, shooting me a blinding smile that still doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “But I’m sure your friend is lovely.” Then he turns to Dex. “I’m gonna go say hi to Corbin. You two kids have fun,” he says, and just like that, he’s gone—a whirlwind in, a whirlwind out.

“Jude was engaged once,” Dex says in a low voice, watching his brother go. “She had red hair. And he won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure he’s still in love with her.”

My mind stops for a second as several possibilities fall into place. I remember Scarlett’s too-casual tone when she asked if it was Dex’s brother’s wedding; I remember her relief when I said no.

But come on. There’s no wayScarlettandJude…

I want to pry—I’mdyingto ask more questions. But if Scarlett hasn’t told me about it herself, I probably shouldn’t ask someone else about it. It’s her story to tell me, when she’s ready.

So instead I ask, “What makes you think that?”

Dex’s eyes are serious as he watches Jude. “Because she’s the only thing he doesn’t like talking about, and the only thing he’ll never joke about.”

“That’s sad,” I say, looking at Jude with new eyes. He’s got one arm thrown over the groom’s shoulder, a boisterous smile on his face, but now I wonder if it isn’t all just a little too much.Toohappy,tooenergetic,toosmiley—because he’s pretending. That makes it even sadder, somehow. Especially if Scarlett is the woman who got away.

We finish our slow migration to the large table set up seemingly in the middle of the room, though I think it’s probably two or even three tables put together. The large windows display the setting sun, throwing shafts of golden light over our surroundings. It makes this whole place feel more magical, even if the decor is fancier than I would normally choose.

Once again, just like at brunch, Dex pulls my chair out for me and allows me to sit before he chooses the seat to my left. There’s a jumble of motion and voices as everyone settles in, and even more so once everyone is seated. For all Nancy Anthony’s stuffiness, the rest of them seem more down to earth. The woman I’ve pegged as Dex’s aunt, simply because she looks so much like his cousin Corbin, is directly across from us, with teenage boys on either side of her. Judging by their shared features and coloring, I’m guessing these are two sons and members of the wedding party.

I’m just looking at the menu—since when did spinach artichoke dip need to be that expensive?—when Dex leans over, wrapping one arm around my waist.

“All right, it’s time to act chummy,” he whispers in my ear, though to anyone else it probably just looks like he’s nuzzling me or maybe smelling my hair. “Help me sell this. Especially in front of Val and my mother.”

I look at the table around us; Valencia and Nancy are just a few seats down from Dex’s aunt. Definitely close enough to see us, and they’re definitely paying attention.

I turn into him so that I can respond, my lips brushing his ear and making him shudder. My pulse trips a little at his reaction, but I ignore it. “Remember no kissing, fake boyfriend,” I whisper back.

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