Page 54 of More Than an Ex-Girlfriend

Leaning close, I whisper, “Please change before you go. I don’t want anything happening to that suit.”

“Like it, do you?”

I like who’s in it. “I do. A lot.”

His smile has my insides all aflutter.

After drinking my water, I touch his arm. “Let me say goodbye to Nico and Layla; then we can go.”

“I’ll walk over with you.” His hand touches my back as soon as we stand. And this time all those callused fingers are touching skin.

I weave my way through the crowd, with Archer by my side. And Layla grins as we approach.

“Everything was perfect.” I give her a hug. “Archer and I are going to head out. He has to take care of a few things before the ranch gets pummeled.”

“I’m upset with the meteorologists. The rain wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow.”

Archer says, “I thought rain on a wedding day was good luck or something.”

Layla wraps her arm around Nico’s when he eases up beside her. “I don’t need luck. I have this guy.”

Nico shakes Archer’s hand. “Thanks for celebrating with us. And I hope for y’all’s sake that it’s a quiet night. Steady rain but nothing more.”

“That would be great. We can use the rain. The rest, not so much.” Archer tucks an arm around my waist. “Have a great night.”

Layla grins. “We will.”

Archer leads me out to the truck.

When he opens my door, I rest a hand on his chest before climbing in. “Tonight has been amazing.”

“Yeah.” His gaze drops to my lips, then snaps back up. “I’m glad I came.”

“Me too.” I hold his hand and settle into my seat.

There is an air of anticipation between us, and I’m a bit miffed at the storm that I have to wait even longer to tell him.

On the drive home, we chat about the evening. When lightning streaks across the sky, his grasp on the steering wheel tightens. Since losing his parents, storms always make him nervous. He was eleven when high winds knocked a tree into a power line, which started a fire. His dad got Archer out of the house first then went back in for his wife. Neither of Archer’s parents survived.

I’m impressed that he can shove it aside and work on the ranch with the lightning and thunder constantly reminding him of that awful night.

“I admire that you aren’t locking yourself at home right now.”

He shoots me a side glance. “Fear won’t bring them back. I try not to think about it and just do what needs doing.”

“You’re brave, Archer.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He pulls up in front of the house. “I’ll get out of this suit you like so much, then drive over. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

I slide out and catch Archer’s hand as we walk to the porch. “Please be careful.”

“Always.” Outside my front door, he wraps me in a hug. His breath tickles my neck when he whispers, “I like this dress.” He trails a finger along the space under the bow. “A lot.”

I press a quick kiss to his cheek, and it’s all I can do not to continue dotting kisses on his face until I get to his mouth. “Thank you. But you need to go.”

He nods, then walks to his door. “See you in a bit.”

How am I going to contain myself until he gets back? This feels like a big deal, like a pivot point for us.

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