Page 130 of Just One of the Groomsmen
“I made my choice,” Ford shot back, and seriously, what the hell was going on?
ATwilight Zonesensation crept over her.
She’d love to determine if she was dreaming or not, but Tucker wasn’t next to her, so she could pinch him and he could tell her.
No, he was lifting his arm to the square and speaking into the microphone.
“I swear that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”
Easton stepped back and sat in one of the three chairs lined up beside him. Shep took the other one. A quick glance at Ford left her sure he was meant to be in the last one.
With all the weirdness going on, she was glad he’d stayed by her side. If she was the hand-holding type, she might’ve grabbed his, but she gave him a nod, and he returned it, and that said enough.
“These guys to my left are my character witnesses, should I need ’em,” Tucker said. “So let’s get started, shall we? Here’s a rough list of everything I’ve done wrong since arrivin’ in town…”
He cleared his throat, and the townspeople and groom’s side leaned in, practically salivating, while the bride’s side squirmed in their seats, clearly not sure they wanted to hear.
Addie wasn’t sure she did, either, but she leaned in all the same—must be something in the swampy lake water.
“Since moving back to Uncertainty,” he started, “I’ve stared at my best friend’s legs.A lot.Now the first time I didn’t exactly know they belonged to her, but if you’ve seen Addie’s legs, they certainly make an impression. She was underneath a car, trying to figure out what was wrong with it, which made the whole thing even hotter, let me tell you.”
Hot. Yep, with that statement in the air and people giving her sidelong glances, hotness was definitely happening—embarrassed heat with an edge of interest in what more he had to say.
“I went to a soccer game that she coached and checked her out again, and more than her legs this time. I vowed to chase off the other guy who’d been staring at her, and I did. I also stand by my claim that he never would’ve been able to handle her, and let’s remember I’m under oath.”
Two different kinds of anxiety went through her, about what he’d say next and if it’d wreck her, but intrigue and the tiniest pinch of flattery joined the tornado of emotions twisting up her insides.
And since she liked to be prepared, she contemplated the objects in the near vicinity, weighing which ones she should throw if he went too far and she needed to stop it or create a distraction, at the very least.
Candles would probably break, and she couldn’t destroy the fancy centerpieces before the wedding.
The metal napkin holders, maybe? Heavy enough to go far and do some damage.
Same went for the battery-powered tea lights.
“From there,” Tucker continued, “in spite of tellin’ myself numerous times to keep things strictly platonic, my thoughts constantly strayed to what it would be like to kiss her. In my defense, she’s funny and smart, and she does this unbelievable fake-out move on the field…”
“I can attest to that,” Shep said, standing and leaning over Tucker to speak into the mic. “It’s why I feed her the ball so much. You get her in hernatural habitat”—he grinned, obviously proud of himself for throwing that in there—“and there’s no stopping her.”
“You okay?” Ford whispered, and Lexi grabbed her hand, gripping hard enough to convey she planned on thwarting any attempts at leaving.
“I’m okay,” Addie whispered to both of them. She wasn’t precisely sure where this was going, or if she’d be okay afterward, but now that Tucker had started talking, she couldn’t not hear what else he was going to say.
Especially since his eyes locked on to hers, anchoring her to this spot, to him, to everything they’d been through the past two months.
Her heart picked up speed, revving to hummingbird levels and leaving her a tad dizzy.
Shep nudged Tucker with his elbow. “I believe you were listing the things you’ve done wrong.”
“Right.” Tucker ran his fingers through his hair, and that one rebellious wave stuck out even more. “I also started feelin’ super protective, somethin’ she hates, and she made sure I knew it.”
He flashed her a smile, and her heart went from beating too fast to forgetting how to function altogether.
“I took her out in gator-infested waters on a boat I hadn’t tested and thought some more about kissin’ her. I’m sure thoughts about her legs and the rest of her body were mixed in, especially since…well, let’s just say she loves my puppy as much as I do, and there was something about the way she picked him up and cuddled him that I’ll never forget.”
Addie’s fingers wrapped around the napkin holder, testing its weight. Yeah, if he went there, he’d have a black eye for pictures tomorrow.
Sorry, Lexie, but if he mentions the flashing incident, it’s happening.
