She’d been hugging him, putting her arm around him, leaning against him for years. Her body against his was as familiar as the pillow he put his head on at night.
And yet…
He ran his hand down her back and cupped her ass, bringing her closer.
She gave a surprised little squeak and looked up with wide eyes.
“I can do that now. Finally,” he told her.
Her smile was quick, and a little mischievous. “Finally, huh?”
“I’ve been trying not to look at your ass for years.”
“How many?”
He thought about it. “Senior year of high school.”
She lifted a brow. “Huh, I’ve been admiring your ass and abs and arms since at least sophomore year.”
He gave a surprised laugh. “What?”
“I could hardly help it. All of the girls I hung out with—well, not Charlie and Kennedy of course,” she said, naming his cousins. “But everyone else would never shut up about how hot you were. Especially when you had your shirt off working outside, or swimming, or on the boats.”
“Huh.” He flexed and she laughed.
“But the guys didn’t comment on me, huh?” She seemed to ponder that. “I guess I was such a tomboy they didn’t think about me that way. I didn’t really fill out until junior year.”
“I’m pretty sure they noticed you,” Fletcher said dryly. “But they also knew I’d kill them if they said anything. At least to me. Made it easier to not look and pretend you hadn’t suddenly gotten hips and breasts.”
She pressed one of those breasts against one of his biceps she said she liked so much. “Well, you don’t have to look away and pretend anymore.”
His body heated several degrees instantly.
That was definitely going to be a change.
But a welcome one.
He gave her butt a squeeze—also something he was sure he was going to get used to quickly. “You have to behave. We have to cut the cake and probably do some toasts, dance a bit. You know they’re not letting us out of here without a proper reception.”
Her smile was full of happiness and contentment and Fletcher felt like a king.
“Yeah. I know. But I don’t have to totally behave. You’re my husband now. And they all know it.”
Before Fletcher knew what was happening, she turned, put her hand on the back of his neck, pulled him down, and kissed him.
In the midst of all their family and friends.
A cheer went up around them and Fletcher felt her smile against his mouth.
Fueled with a sense of fuck yes, he cupped the back of her head with one hand, splayed one on her lower back, dipped her back slightly, and deepened the kiss.
If it was weird for any of them to see him kissing her, they were going to have to get over it. Right now.
He righted her after several long, wonderful moments.
She looked slightly dazed but happy. He looked around to find dozens of stupid, happy, goofy grins. His mother and Molly were both wiping their eyes. Leo had Owen and another cousin, Sawyer, popping the corks on several bottles of champagne. And Ellie was helping Cora shoo Zeke and Zander away from the food table.
It was all absolutely perfect.
“Okay already, cut the freaking cake!” Zeke called.
Jordan laughed but started for the table.
Fletcher was right behind her.
And he definitely took the opportunity to look at her ass.
8
Two hours later, the cake was mostly gone, the food looked like a swarm of locusts had descended, they were down to the last bottle of champagne and Fletcher and Jordan had barely sat down because of all the people who wanted to hug them and dance with them.
He hadn’t been within ten feet of his new wife for almost an hour. They’d had their first dance—Zeke had started a Jason Young song for it, then had needed to hold up his hands to keep from getting hit in the face with boudin balls, baby carrots, and wadded up napkins as he laughingly insisted he’d been kidding. They’d danced to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” instead and shared another long kiss at the end while everyone whistled, whooped, and clapped.
Fletcher was now at a back table with his brothers and cousin, Mitch. The table they had occupied for family dinners for years.
The Landrys all gathered for dinner at Ellie’s most nights. Not everyone made it every night, of course, but there was always a group of some size. Mostly it was the grandkids, many of whom were bachelors who simply didn’t want to cook for themselves. But as those grandkids had fallen in love, the group around the big back tables had grown. And at least once a week, you could find Ellie and Leo’s own children in the building for a meal. Ellie and Cora loved it. It was their way of keeping up with everyone and taking care of them.
None of the family ever paid for any food inside Ellie’s. Instead, they paid in repairs, errands, and other tasks that helped keep Ellie’s running. Alternately, Ellie and Cora had never paid a bill for plumbing or electric work, to put in a new appliance, to replace a roof, or anything else related to the general upkeep of the restaurant and bar.
“So, big night ahead,” Zeke said, sitting back in his chair, cradling his beer bottle on his flat stomach.
Fletcher had his chair tipped back on two legs, leaning against the wall behind him. It was the perfect position to watch Jordan. She was seated at the end of the bar with his cousin Kennedy and Tori, Maddie, and Juliet, the women who had somehow been talked into marrying his cousins Josh, Owen, and Sawyer.
“What are you talkin’ about?” Zander asked his twin. “What’s goin’ on?” He was the town cop and always wanted to know what kind of “big night” might be happening in or around Autre. He glanced at the clock over the bar. “It’s past eleven. What’s ahead?”
“I mean for Fletcher,” Zeke said.
Fletcher rolled his head to look at his youngest—by two minutes—brother. “What?”
“Your first night with Jordan. Ever. And it’s your wedding night. I mean…no pressure.” Zeke chuckled.
“Good thing Fletcher is so hot and so sweet and so charming and so funny,” Zander said, his voice changing to a falsetto as he repeated what they’d heard so many women say over the years.
Mitch just chuckled and lifted his beer bottle, clearly choosing not to comment.
Zeke laughed outright. “Sure, except this is Jordan. She knows him well enough to know what’s bullshit and what’s not.”
His younger brother studied him. “I wonder what it’s like to seduce your best friend,” Zeke said, obviously choosing to wonder out loud. “I mean, you always want it to be good, but with her you’ll want it to be really good.”
Fletcher felt his gut tighten. Of course he wanted it to be good. Why wouldn’t it be good?
“But he knows her really well,” Mitch said. “That’s an advantage. He’ll be able to read her. Tell what she likes, what she doesn’t, what she’s into. Being really in tune with someone makes the intimacy so much better.”
Spoken like a man in love, Fletcher thought. God, he was happy for his cousin. Paige was amazing and they were fantastic together.
“Well, sure,” Zeke went on.