Page 25 of Best Man
He smiled. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Nah, but I wouldn’t feel right drinking in front of you.” She paused. “So you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but”—she tilted her head, gesturing at the restaurant—“is it hard to be around everyone when they’re partying like that?”
“Not really,” he said with a sigh that betrayed him. “I guess it can get a little lonely sometimes, you know?”
“I’m sure,” she said. She cared. It was obvious. The note of genuine sympathy in her voice not only surprised him, it almost scared him, too.
“Enough about me. How isyournight going, Paulina?” he asked, bumping his shoulder against hers. He knew he shouldn’t touch her at all—the way his heart skipped a beat afterward proved it—but he couldn’t help himself. He felt a connection with her. It seemed wrong not to touch her.
“It’s going well,” she said with a brightness that warmed him. “Iama little eager to get back home, though, to be honest.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, we’ve got this ladies’ night, slumber party type thing planned for all the bridesmaids—you know, we’ll do face and hair masks, maybe put on a cheesy romance movie or two. That kind of thing.”
“I’m sorry I’ll miss it,” Niko teased dryly.
She snickered. “It’ll be fun, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll have to sneak away as soon as I can.”
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh yeah? Why?”
“It’s just that we’ve beensobusy, planning the wedding for so long—every day has been jam-packed. The past few months have been like one big, crazy blur. Weddings are so much work and there’s still so much more to do—”
“But you did a great job. The barn looks incredible. And you have a wonderful home, by the way.”
“Thanks! It’s not really my home, but yeah, it is wonderful, isn’t it?”
Niko cocked his head. “What do you mean, not your home? I thought you were living in it?”
“Mom and Dad moved in, yeah. I’m still living at my old place, though.”
Niko remembered those strange looking buildings with the tent roof—yurts, Jax called them—and wondered why she’d ever willingly chooseto live there when Jax and Piper had built such a beautiful home for them to stay in.
She must be crazy,he thought with an admiring grin.
“Yeah, the house they built is beautiful,” she said, “but I don’t know. I don’t want to get too comfortable in there, because it’s notmyhouse. And the guest house is only really big enough for my parents, so I don’t want to get too comfy there, either—because that’s where Mom and Dad will live once Piper and Jax move into the house permanently.” She shrugged. “Besides, I like my little place. It’s not much, but it’s what I’m used to, you know?” She softly laughed. “I don’t want to get toospoiled with all the modern conveniences if I’m just going to end up back at my yurt in a few years, anyway.”
“Wow. Most girls I know would be clawing at the doors to get inside that home.”
She snickered. “I don’t know what to tell ya. I guess I’m not most girls?”
“No, I guess not,” Niko said.
He couldn’t stop stealing looks at her features, especially the gentle curve of her lip, which looked so supple and soft. It was really too bad he could never kiss her, because those lips were simplydyingto be kissed. But oh well. He’d made a promise to Jax. Hell, Jax would want to kill him if he knew the thought had even crossed his mind.
Her nose wrinkled. “Anyway—what were we talking about again?”
“Oh, uh,” he stammered, trying to jog his own memory, “you were saying there’s still a lot of work to do.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” She let out a tired sigh. “Can I vent for a moment? Can I say something a little twisted?”
He grinned mischievously. “Ilovetwisted.”
“Me, too.” She laughed. “Okay, fine. Here goes: I’msoexcited for this wedding to be over.” Her shoulders suddenly dropped, as if she’d just shirked a heavy weight she’d been carrying. Still, a guilt lingered in her eyes. “Does that make me sound like a terrible sister? I’m supposed to be the maid of honor, after all, and here I am—”
Niko shook his head. “Not at all. It’s a lot of work. A lot of stress, too, I’m sure.”
“Somuch stress,” she said. “I’ll tell you this much—after seeing how much work goes into a wedding, I never want to get married.”
