“He’s not here…” Lottie’s amused voice came from behind me. “Yet, that is.”
“Who?” I played dumb, looking over my shoulder at her as she popped her ruby-red lips in the mirror before dabbing off any excess lipstick.
“My brother,” Leighton annoyingly interjected. “He just texted to say he’s running a little late.”
It was meant to be a rhetorical question. One I was hoping neither of my so-called “friends” would call me out on.
“What makes you think I’m looking for your brother?” I closed the door to the bridal suite, turning my back to it, crossing my arms.
“Because you’ve been looking over your shoulder for him since the moment you crossed into Billingsley city limits.”
“I have not.”
They gave each other a knowing look, neither of them buying my lies.
“What happened between you two anyway?” Leighton asked, turning her intrusive eyes back to me.
“He didn’t tell you?” I was a little shocked and relieved at the thought.
She shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head. “No. Every time I ask he dodges my questions, changing the subject or just telling me what he does with women he dates is none of my business.”
Women he dates. Ha. We hadn’t dated. A disastrous one-night stand? Sure. Dating? We didn’t even get close to that. Not that we ever would’ve, even without what went down that morning. We lived on opposite sides of the country. Thank. God.
“Sounds familiar,” Lottie snorted a small laugh.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“So, what happened?” Leighton pried again when I didn’t volunteer any information.
I looked between the curious bride and nosey bridesmaid standing in front of me, knowing there was no way I was having this conversation at this moment. Or maybe ever, if I could help it. Lottie was my best friend and Leighton had become a close second. But there were some things a woman preferred to keep to herself. And this was one of those things.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” they said in unison, equal disbelief in their tones and expressions.
“Yes. Nothing we need to talk about minutes before my best friend is about to walk down that aisle and marry the love of her life. Today is not about me.”
Lottie smiled at the mention of her and Tucker’s wedding day, and Leighton was equally distracted as she grinned, looking over at Lottie in her wedding dress. I gave myself a mental high-five at how I’d navigated out of that little inquisition.
“She’s right,” Leighton agreed, hugging Lottie to her. “I’m so happy you and Tucker are finally getting hitched. You’re the best damn love story this town has ever seen.”
“Amen!” I hollered, pouring us each a small glass of champagne for a little pre-game celebration.
We clinked our glasses together, taking a few sips seconds before hearing a knock on the door. It cracked open slightly and Tucker’s grandma slipped into the room.
“It’s time, ladies,” she smiled brightly, tears already welling in her eyes as she peered over at Lottie.
“Looking good, city.” Wes grinned, straightening the lapels of his tuxedo jacket as he took his place beside me, both of us waiting for our cue to walk down the aisle.
It figures I’d get stuck with him as my damn escort. I ignored him, like I’d been doing since our first meeting at the airport.
“Why thank you, Wes!” He mocked me in a high-pitched voice. “You look sexy as hell yourself. So sexy in fact, I’d love to put my mouth on that giant co—”
“Seriously!” I whispered-yelled. “What are you, twelve?”
He chuckled beside me. His grams slapped him on the back of the head.
“Shit, Grams.” He rubbed a hand where she’d nailed him good.
I knew I loved that woman.
“Use that language in the Lord’s house again and you’ll be feeling more pain than that,” she threatened from behind us.
I bit down on my lips, suppressing my own laughter.
He bumped my shoulder with his, nearly knocking me out of my heels. I glared at him once again.
Leaning to the side, he dropped his voice to whisper in my ear, “It got you to talk to me, didn’t it?”
“Hardly.”
Perfectly timed, we were given the signal to follow in step behind Leighton and Derek, Tucker’s best friend. Wes held out his arm, and I begrudgingly linked mine through his.
“Smile, city. It’ll help distract everyone from those wrinkles you have.”
That son of a… “I do not have—” I stopped short with his wink and annoying grin as he tugged me forward.
I snapped my focus back in front of me, outwardly smiling, inwardly fuming. I kept my eyes straight ahead, focusing on a proud and beaming Tucker, until they were instinctively drawn to the man sitting on the end of one of the front pews. I could feel the heat of his stare as his eyes watched me, causing me to stumble a bit in my heels. Had it not been for Wes’s arm holding me up, I would’ve face planted in front of the entire congregation.
“Careful, city,” Wes whispered from the side of his mouth as he helped me steady myself once again. “Those level floors can be a bit tricky to walk on.”
“Shut it, asshole,” I gritted through my smile.
He smiled wider, barely holding in his laughter as we parted ways, taking our positions on our respective sides. He winked again at me from Tucker’s side as he straightened his shoulders and jacket.
Seriously. He needed to get that looked at.
I ignored him, sneaking another glance at Billy, my chest tightening when I realized his eyes were still on me.
The music changed.
In my heart.
In the room.
The whole church stood, and everyone turned their attention to the bride, except Billy and me, our gazes still lingering on each other. I straightened my shoulders, hardened my resolve, then tore my eyes from his to watch my friend. Grams smiled proud as a peacock while escorting Lottie down the aisle to marry her favorite grandson. At least if I were her, hands down Tucker would be my favorite.
For the rest of the ceremony I fought the urge to look at him again.
By some crazy stroke of luck, I’d managed to avoid Billy most of the night. Unluckily, Wes was like an ingrown hair I couldn’t seem to pluck from my body. It was as if he thought it was his duty as best man to constantly annoy the maid of honor, me. The only time he wasn’t pestering me was when he was swinging a different woman around on the dance floor. He was a shameless flirt. That much was obvious.
“Come on, city. Let’s dance.” Wes snatched my hand, pulling me from my spot in line at the bar. Granted, I was at the end of the line, but I was still furious about losing my place.
I yanked my hand away ready to let him have it, now that liquor flowed freely in my veins—not that I needed much assistance to give him a piece of my mind—but my mouth snapped shut when my eyes caught sight of Billy Miller walking toward me, looking tall, dark, and sexy in his suit with a bouncy, pretty brunette suctioned to his side.
Wes glanced over his shoulder at the couple before turning back to me, his eyebrow arching upward, a knowing smirk on his smug face.