Page 50 of The Man She Loves to Hate

“Finally!” Ari raised her arms, bouquet and all.

“The truth is,” Rylee restarted. “Trick is good at making people fall in love with him. He is charming and fun, and he has a way of giving someone exactly what they need before they know they need it. Like peach Bellinis, charcuterie boards, a foot massage. Forks.” Her vision blurred with tears as she recalled the many, many gifts he’d given her in the last couple of days.

“Forks?”

“Uh, never mind. My point is, everyone falls for Trick. Including you and your husband. I can’t trust my feelings when I could very well be part of his shtick.” His great-in-bed, feed-her-chocolate, kiss-her-senseless-in-the-hotel-hallway shtick.

“I admit, Trick is likable. I never imagined inviting a wedding crasher to my wedding,” Ari said with a headshake.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested that.”

“Don’t be sorry. I was worried for months about nothing. He’s wonderful. That interview was from the heart. He can turn it on, for sure, but no matter how great Trick is at his job, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re wrong.”

Rylee’s head jerked on her neck. “I’m wrong? About what?”

“I was charmed by Trick. Ex was charmed by Trick. Dee and Tripp were charmed by Trick. Every one of our guests who spoke with him at the rehearsal cocktail dinner was charmed by Trick.” She poked Rylee in the arm as she made her point. “But not you. You were the one whofell in lovewith Trick.”

Rylee was silent for a beat. She’d been called out. Ari was right. Rylee had fallen in love with Trick. Which was insane, made no practical sense, and hadnotbeen on the agenda.

“I—That’s ridiculous. You can’t fall in love with someone in a few days,” Rylee argued. “Plus, he doesn’t want to talk about the future. I need to talk about the future. He wants to take it a day at a time, see where it goes. I need assurances that everything will go according to plan.”

Ari’s smile softened with knowing. “You mean the way everything in our wedding went according to plan? What about when our rehearsal dinner turned into a rehearsal cocktail party with an entirely new menu? Or the color-scheme change or the addition of last-minute guests? What about our ring bearer stealing the show when he became an amphibian?

“There is no way everything will go according to plan, even with a plan as rock-solid as Rylee Meadows’s plan. But look at Xavier and me. We’re married. As planned! Nothing changed that outcome.”

Rylee was beginning to see her friend’s point. No matter how firm the plans had been, many,manythings had changed during the course of planning this wedding. But in the end, it’d all worked out.

“Here you are, sweetheart.” Ex appeared with a water glass in hand.

“Thank you, darling.” Ari took a sip as the announcer spoke from the other room. “That’s us!”

“Meet you in there.” Rylee said, taking the glass from Ari, but her friend wasn’t done dispensing advice yet.

As Ex positioned himself beside his wife, she whispered, “Remember, Rylee, magical moments happen at weddings.”

“Everyone welcome the bride and groom!” the announcer said.

Rylee pulled open the door for them, and Ari’s words echoed through her mind. She’d used the wordmagical. The very word Rylee had used to describe Trick.

She silently closed the door on the couple as photos were snapped and flashes popped. Then she looped back to the corridor and slipped in through the front.

As she angled for her own chair, by itself in the rear of the room, her heart lifted. She half expected to find two chairs instead of one, and Trick waiting for her to arrive.

Instead, she’d found the table exactly as she’d left it. With her planner next to her own set of gold cutlery, and her place card on the center of the dinner plate.

Twenty-Three

The meal was exquisite. Each course came out on time, with every garnish in place. Not that Rylee had checked every plate personally, but as she was positioned near the kitchen, she’d peeked as the servers had whisked by. While she appreciated Colin Reynolds’s talent with food, her heart hadn’t been into enjoying it. As each course was served, her heart sank lower and lower. Trick hadn’t come.

She didn’t understand. He’d been at the wedding. He’d laughed. They’d locked eyes. Ariana had pointed out that Rylee had fallen in love, and then had practically promised her a happy ending tonight with that “magical” comment.

During the cake cutting and Xavier and Ariana’s first dance, Rylee kept watch for Trick. Ariana threw the bouquet directly to Dee, who caught it with a flourish. Rylee had smiled and clapped along with the other guests, hoping she’d effectively hidden her true emotions. She was a professional, here to serve the bride and groom. Today wasn’t about her happily ever after. No matter how badly she wanted one.

Ariana and Xavier were married and enjoying their reception. That had been the goal. Rylee’s work was technically done the moment that Dee caught the bouquet, but she couldn’t seem to make herself leave. Even as the band played a slow song and warm amber lights swirled on the dance floor.

She watched from afar as Ari and Ex’s friends paired up. She kept smiling despite her own empty arms. Her heart ached. Whether or not something magical happened to her tonight was of no consequence. Magic was all around her, and that was a enough reason to celebrate.

Even if Trick had left Royal, Texas, without telling her goodbye.

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