Page 55 of Don't Game Me
“You know what I meant.” Noah called out Jake’s name. Jake waved at a rapidly approaching Noah. Jake whispered, “We’re doing this.”
“We don’t work.”
“Not what I remember,” he shot back before Noah closed in.
“Need you for a minute, man. Excuse us, Becca.” Noah steered Jake into the arriving crowd, introducing him to a dozen people. Cousin this and Aunt so-and-so. An uncle started telling wedding jokes, which were so outrageously bad he found himself grinning like a fool. Noah looked more relaxed than he’d been minutes ago. Good.
Aunt so-and-so dragged Becca into the jokes. Becca also laughed hard and added her own couple of terrible jokes.
Surrounded by the Harrison family, his chest tingled with the familiar warmth he got whenever at their family functions. They enjoyed their togetherness. They laughed, they trash talked, and they competed. All good-naturedly.
Family.
The idea of a tribe and of belonging, as usual, opened a well of pain in his chest. He’d never had anything close to this cohesive familial bond. As the single child of a toxic marriage, he’d been on his own. He’d never had Fourth of July barbeques or Christmas dinners. Or big wedding events. He recalled one family event when they visited with his aunt from Florida in an abysmal weekend at Myrtle Beach, which ended in a dramatic fight with items thrown. His mother had dragged his father out of the rented beach house before anyone got hurt.
Someone yelled for Becca. She spun. His eyes dropped down the back of her dress, which plunged into a deep V. So low. Too much tempting smooth skin. He wanted his mouth there as he unzipped the mere few inches above what promised to be another sexy pair of panties. Was she even wearing a bra? Unlikely.
Once wasn’t enough with Becca. He’d speculated this before last night. It’s why he’d resisted dipping into the Becca Harrison sensuality well.
Noah clapped him on the shoulder. His eyes narrowed in warning. Caught gaping at Becca again. Shit.
Noah laughed in response to another very bad joke. His grin didn’t diminish as more people entered. More hands were shaken. Noah’s enthusiasm was infectious, and Jake found himself grinning, too, as he was introduced to yet another cousin.
He wondered about Noah’s impatience to get down the aisle, exchange rings, and get on with life. Kids, holidays…the whole shebang. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad future.
Oh, hell, no.
Wedding madness had infected his brain. He didn’t do this kind of forever shit, the kind Becca deserved and wanted.
A small voice nagged inside his head, asking, “Why not try?” He should talk to Becca. At least smooth things over a bit and see if she needed someone to talk to about her stressful job. Maybe all she needed was a push to quit the job.
There’d be no do-over of last night. He’d end up hurting her. Okay, already done that, at least emotionally this morning. Physically? He’d never touched a woman out of anger in his life. That’d been his father’s M.O. Heightened emotions led to crazy in his family. The only time he lost it, on his father, scared the hell out of him because it’d felt natural.
Becca stood by Michael, preparing to walk the aisle to the beat of the Pachelbel’s Canon in D played by a piano and cello duet. Her right middle toe burned with the development of a monster blister. This was what she got for going for beauty over comfort when selecting heels. Yet she smiled and disregarded her foot pain. No limping allowed, a dictate her mom laid down when she offhandedly mentioned to Emma her toes were killing her in these heels.
Michael whispered, “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks. You look pretty handsome yourself.”
He winked and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “I’m proud of Noah. He did well.”
“That he did.”
“You okay? You seem off. The whole catching the bouquet thing last year doesn’t mean anything.”
“I’m fine. It’s not such a bad thing to be unattached. Maybe I’ll start dating again soon. If I find someone, but we don’t get married right away that’s a loophole in the prophecy, isn’t it?”
“You think Mom won’t drive you nuts for a wedding too?”
“She might, but it’s not her decision. She just wants grandkids. She won’t care if we’ve got rings on fingers.” She raised her eyebrows meaningfully at her brother.
“Don’t be giving me that look. I’m not ready for kids. I just broke up with my girlfriend.” Michael shuddered.
She patted his hand. “I’m so sorry about all that. We’re up.”
Cameras clicked to the side of the church, at least two photographers were from big-name magazines, and there was the official photographer. Michael dropped her off on the bridesmaid side. She nodded thanks.
When she found her spot in the bridesmaid lineup, her glassy eyes met Jake’s for an instant. He smiled.
