Page 73 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
“Hey, yourself.” I swallow hard.
Brady’s eyes dart down to the sash. “Kasey and Beau should be here any minute.”
“She just texted me.” I bob my head. All normal. Everything’s good. Nothing to see here. “She said they love their rings.”
“Good,” he mumbles. Or maybe it only seems like a mumble because the music makes it hard to hear.
“I know we’re sharing space tonight.” I raise the volume of my voice. “So we should probably divide the room up. Bridesmaids on one side, groomsmen on the other.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Good.”
I glance down at my beach bag and the duffle on the table. “I guess I already picked our side.” I lift my chin and try on a half smile, while Brady stands there shuffling his feet. Ugh. This is awkward. He’s probably feeling bad about Molly. I’m definitely feeling bad about Grant. And neither of us needs to feel bad. I just want to let us both off the hook.
“It’s okay that you came here with Molly,” I begin. “And as for Grant, I—”
“Bringing Molly wasn’t my idea.” He frowns. “It was all Kasey.”
“I realize that.” My mouth goes crooked. “But the fact that your sister is dying for you to be with someone other than me doesn’t feel… awesome.”
“Yeah.” His mouth slips sideways too. “Neither does the fact that your mom keeps setting you up with every other guy in town.”
A laugh puffs out of me. “They both mean well.”
“Yeah, they do.”
“I’ve already told my mom she’s wasting her time.”
He hikes up one of his brows. “You did?”
“A lot.” I chuckle under my breath. “But that doesn’t seem to stop her. She’ll still be trying when I’m on the plane to LAX.” My breath hitches at the thought of flying across the country again. I reach out to steady myself on the table. This is the part of my move I’ve managed to bury. One of the parts. The other is leaving the man in front of me.
Brady’s brow furrows. “You okay?”
I nod, gathering my bottom lip between my teeth. “It’s just… flying.”
“Yeah.” His eyes dip to my mouth. “I remember.”
Out of nowhere, Olivia converges on us, draping an arm over both our shoulders. “I came over so I could get my tiara and boa.” She’s out of breath, and her eyes twinkle. “But now that I’m here, I think you two need to go somewhere to make out. Just get it over with already.”
Brady ducks out from under Olivia’s arm, while I glance around to see if anybody else heard her. “What are you talking about?” I sputter, possibly the lamest protest in the history of protests.
“Come on!” Olivia squawks. “Everyone else in this town might be totally blind, but I see right through you two. I have from the minute you showed up at Buttons and Bows together. The chemistry was… palpable.”
When Brady scoffs, Olivia rounds on him, laying her palms on either side of his face. “Oh, my dear, smooshy cousin. Your feelings for Natalie are so obvious!” She squeezes his cheeks until he frowns. When he just stays frozen, not saying anything, I decide to step in.
“This week is about Kasey and Beau,” I say. This is not a denial or an admission. I just want to be sure the focus stays where it should be tonight. Squarely on the bride and groom.
“I know.” Olivia drops her arms and turns to me. “But that doesn’t mean you two don’t deserve a little fun too. Look at me and Hawk. We’ve been having a great time together, and it’s not hurting Kasey or Beau.”
“Liv.” Brady runs a hand along the back of his neck. “You do realize you can’t expect a future with that guy, right?”
“And that’s why he’s the perfect choice!” Olivia beams at us. “Drake Hawkins is a globetrotting photographer. I’m an ambassador in Breckenridge. But rightnow, we’re both in Abieville, so we might as well have a good time while we can. It’s just a little harmless flirtation. You two remember flirting, don’t you?” A crease forms in the middle of her forehead. “On second thought, maybe neither one of you is big on flirting. But either way, Hawk has some entertaining stories to tell. So do I, if I can say that about myself. Hawk knows nothing can actually happen between us in the long run, so there’s no risk of hurt feelings. No commitment. And since those are pretty much my two life goals, it’s a win-win for me.” She pauses for a breath. Then she shrugs. “Anyway, whether you two decide to kiss or not, this princess needs her crown.”
She spins around to dig in the duffle bag, and I slowly turn toward Brady. The music overhead shifts from country line dancing to seventies disco. When his gaze meets mine, his eyes roam my face. It’s like he’s finding answers to all the world’s mysteries. I suck in a breath, and the muscles along his neck tic, then—
“All right!” Olivia turns back to us, feathers flying. “I’m going to set up Pin the Heart on Nicolas Cage.” She places her tiara on, askew. “Once Kasey gets here, we can gather the bridesmaids andreallyget this party started.” Olivia wags her eyebrows. “Until then, good luck, you two.”
As the ambassador of Breckenridge floats away, the feather boa trailing behind her, Brady’s eyes lock on mine again. My pulse picks up, and his lips part.
