Page 52 of One Wild Wedding Weekend

Jared nodded. “Nice to meet you, Tristan. I’m going to grab a couple of champagne flutes before the crowd gets here.”

Suddenly, Tristan stood alone. In moments, this room would be packed with people who knew and loved John and Tabby. People here to celebrate their marriage and congratulate them on achieving that most elusive of life’s goals—finding a soulmate.

Tristan felt out of place and grumpy. The woman he wanted had brought another man to dance with, have dinner with, possibly go home with. But even as those negative thoughts stole his pleasure in the evening, he wondered.

Was Daley genuinely interested in Jared Perlman, or was she fighting the current that dragged her ever closer to Tristan and he to her?

He understood running scared. He’d known the first time he met her many months ago that she was a woman who could change his life. So he had kept his distance.

His life was great. No need for a change.

That didn’t explain what happened during the wedding weekend and in the weeks since.

What if Daley was the one? Did he even believe in the one?

All the same problems remained. John and Tabby possibly getting dragged into the dangerous rapids of a volatile relationship between Tristan and Daley. Daley’s new position at Lieberman and Dunn. The fact that Harold was bowing out and would no longer be a layer of separation between them.

Maybe Tristan should take this as a sign from the universe. Daley had a great guy in her life. A guy probably more suited to hearth and home than Tristan.

Perhaps he should let her go.

Daley finished her last bite of wedding cake and smiled. Tabby and John sure knew how to throw a party. The dinner was a smashing success. Laughter and conversation filled the large room.

Moments later, she and Jared joined the throng making its way into the adjoining ballroom for dancing. An eight-member band led by a female vocalist warmed up with a medley of familiar tunes.

Jared steered her to a quiet pocket near a crystal punch bowl. “How are you holding up, Ms. Martin? Your Tristan has been giving me dirty looks all evening.”

“No, he hasn’t,” she muttered. “I think you’re exaggerating.”

Jared curled an arm around her shoulders. “Pretty sure I’m not. You wanna dance? I learned most of my moves from TikTok, but my niece says I’m not half bad.”

Daley managed a smile. “Sure,” she said. “That sounds like fun.”

The dance floor was crowded already. Jared carved out a place for the two of them and slipped easily into the music. Daley did her best, but the upbeat tempo only made her feel sad. She wanted to go home, get into her pajamas and pretend she didn’t know the tall, gorgeous, irritating Tristan Hamilton.

Why hadn’t he brought a date tonight? According to John, Tristan knew any number of women willing to do his bidding. Surely one of them should be here pandering to his considerable ego.

Her petulant inner monologue embarrassed even her. Tristan wasn’t so bad. Not at all. Why had she gone to such convoluted lengths to make him think she didn’t want to spend time with him?

The truth was humiliating.

She was scared. Scared to be vulnerable. Scared of getting hurt.

When the dance ended, Jared took her hand and led her off the floor. “May I make a suggestion, Daley?”

“Of course.”

He grimaced. “Why don’t I leave so you can patch things up with your brooding boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. And why would you leave?”

“Because I think you made a mistake. You and Tristan should probably be here together. Any man who makes you so hot and bothered is worth your time. I like him, Daley. Why don’t you give him a chance?”

She was torn between yearning and dread. “I don’t know that he wants to spend the evening with me.”

Jared kissed her cheek and squeezed both her hands. “Surely, you’re not that blind. The man has tracked our movements the entire evening. And he doesn’t look happy. Despite this festive occasion.”

Daley took a deep breath. “I would feel bad ditching you.” Already, her subconscious had embraced his suggestion.

---