Page 9 of Worth the Risk

I look up at her as I try to untie the bow. “I would much prefer you get a dress from a real wedding dress designer, and I can focus on what you wear on the honeymoon.”

“Nothing. I’ll wear nothing,” she informs me one-toned.

“Fair point.” I get the bow off and peek inside the tissue paper to see a small statue. A glass figurine of a lobster, dancing or in an odd pose. “What’s this?” I’m puzzled.

“Thought my maid of honor would need something ridiculous for her design table, and I saw it at the market last weekend and thought of your umbrella.”

“I’m maid of honor now?” I ask, half-surprised. She nods. “I guess if someone has to do it.” I pretend like she’s twisting my arm to help her out.

April shakes her head ruefully. “Funny. Okay, so I can check that off the list.”

“You can. I accept my responsibility and will place this freaky statue somewhere,” I confidently inform her.

“Great. We definitely should insist on weekly coffee meetings to go over all the wedding stuff and for me to hear if there is any chance of mystery guy making an appearance.”

I roll my eyes. “Go. Go harass your other guests.”

“I will.” She grins. “I need to find my uncle anyway; I asked him to walk me down the aisle at the wedding.”

“Oh yeah?” I was wondering who would do the job. April doesn’t know who her father is because her mom did insemination with an anonymous donor.

“You’ve never met my Uncle Bay.”

“Nope. You talked about him a few times.”

April grabs my hand. “Well, then you should meet. It’s only fitting since he’s walking me down the aisle and you are walking ahead of me down the aisle. He’s my godfather too.”

“Sounds like he’s the perfect man for the job then.” I smile, happy for her.

She guides me through the crowd to a pair of men in dark jeans and blazers, with one visible to us and the other who has his back to us. They seem to be laughing about something, but when one man sees us approaching, he touches the other man’s shoulder and leaves.

“Uncle Bay, I want you to meet my maid of honor,” April announces as we circle around the man.

The moment my eyes draw a line up and land on the man in front of me, my entire body stills.

Those familiar strong hands are currently gripping a fine scotch. His jaw is cut sharp, yet experience makes me know that his nuzzling skills are excellent. I know there is a simple tattoo of an arrow on his shoulder underneath his shirt. Those blue eyes pierce me with surprise, plus something so tense… recognition. That mouth of his twitches barely, but I notice.

“Hudson?” I nearly squeak.

April immediately looks at me, confused.

“This is Ginger?” Hudson asks April, clearly also baffled by what’s happening, yet I can’t help but notice that he seems unnervingly calm, while internally my stomach just did a flip, and I may be pressing my thighs together in reaction to being in his presence, but whatever.

Looking between us, April smiles like we’re crazy. “I mean, yes, this is Ginger. I call her that because her name is Piper, well, Piper Dapper, and she says her name reminds her of gingerbread people.”

Now I see the corner of Hudson’s mouth begin to hitch up because he knows that reference far too well.

April looks at me again, then touches her forehead like she forgot something. “I guess you recognize my uncle.”

“Your Uncle Bay?” I look wide-eyed at April.

She nods her head. “I mean, well, his name is Hudson, but when I was seven, we were learning about the Hudson Bay in school, and since then I’ve called him that.”

Oh my God, no wonder I never knew she had an Uncle Hudson.

“She’s one for nicknames, this one,” Hudson mentions. He doesn’t take his eyes off of me, and I’m still not sure if my mouth is closed because my jaw dropped open somewhere in the last twenty seconds.

“I guess I only ever talk about my uncle who works in sports, never mentioned he was Hudson Arrows. That’s how you recognize him, right?” April touches my arm as she enquires.

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