“Peyton is in hair and makeup. Piper, Peter, and Annie agreed to help with setup. They’ll be leaving here any minute for hair and makeup. I have a long list of last-minute things that need to be done.”
“Tell me what to do.”
Campbell groaned. “Direct me somewhere to nap.”
“Baby,” Nora said affectionately.
I pointed Campbell in the direction of the offices. There was a couch that his long limbs wouldn’t fit on, but it would be better than nothing. Nora listed off everything that she wanted me to do, and I followed her through the barn, which was decorated beyond comprehension, and out back to where the ceremony was being held.
The chairs were in place, but much of the remaining decor hadn’t been put up yet. Except for a large wooden altar that was currently being installed. My eyes narrowed as I recognized the two figures in front of it.
“Is that Bradley?” I asked, grinding my teeth together.
“Yeah. He made the altar. He’d agreed to do it for Piper before they broke up. I’ve been the main contact though.”
“What is she doing over there?”
Nora huffed. “Flowers.”
Piper was attaching a cascade of flowers to the wooden archway. She and Bradley were talking, and she kept tilting her head back and laughing. They looked a little too comfy for my taste.
“I’m going to go say hi.”
“Hollin,” she said softly. “I have a lot of shit to do.”
“Then do it. I’ll be right back.”
“Try not to be an ass.”
“No promises.”
She rolled her eyes, but she was staring past me to where my girlfriend stood with her ex. She swallowed at the sight. Nothing was happening with Piper and Bradley, but it was reminiscent enough of August and Tamara. She quickly turned away.
I stomped down the aisle toward Piper. She had her back to me and was laughing at something Bradley had said. I grabbed her around the waist, and she shrieked in surprise. Then, my lips were on her. And, yeah, I was being an ass, but she was mine.
Piper pushed me away with a laugh. “Hollin, stop it.”
I arched an eyebrow. “No chance in hell.”
She shoved me again and lowered her voice. “Be nice.”
Nice? Yeah, no, I had no interest in nice. I wanted Bradley to know exactly where he stood right now. And that was not at Piper’s side. They’d dated on and off for years. Years. How was I to compete with that? She’d always ended up going back to him. Time and time again. Obviously, this time was different because we were together. But I didn’t want him to get any ideas.
“Hey, Hollin,” Bradley said, offering me his hand.
I stood taller and shook it—hard. “Bradley.”
“I was…just finishing up here.” He glanced at Piper, and something passed between them. She frowned. “Have fun at the wedding.”
He brushed past us and stormed away from the altar he’d built for the wedding.
“Hollin, Jesus,” Piper said with a huff.
“What?”
“You don’t have to be like that. You won. Isn’t that enough?”
I balked at her anger. “So, I’m supposed to stand around and let you two reconnect?”
She rolled her eyes. “We weren’t reconnecting. We’re friends. I have no interest in him, and you know that. You didn’t have to rub it in.”
“Why not? It’s fun.”
But she pulled away from me as I reached for her again. “I should go apologize. I don’t want him to think poorly of us. It’s mean.”
My eyes rounded. “You’re going to go apologize to him?”
“Yeah, I am. Just because he wasn’t right for me doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.” She pressed a kiss to my lips. Her expression softened. “You already have me. Isn’t that enough?”
I tugged her against me again and stole another kiss.
She laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
She slipped through my fingers and disappeared after her ex-boyfriend. I glowered at his back. It might have been mean, but I was unaware I was supposed to care about his feelings. I didn’t want to upset Piper, but she was mine to kiss whenever I wanted. Was it so bad to want Bradley to know it, too?
33
Piper
“Bradley, wait,” I called as I rushed off after him.
But he kept trudging across the open field, back to his truck. I jogged to keep up with him, glad that I hadn’t had hair or makeup done yet.
“Wait.”
He slowed to let me fall into step beside him. “What are you doing, Piper?”
“Trying to apologize.”
Bradley raised his eyebrow. “Why? You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?” he asked. He jerked his head again, facing forward. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not. I didn’t want to rub it in or anything. We’ve been friends a long time.”
“You’re not rubbing it in,” he ground out.
I shot him a look. “I know you’re pissed.”
Bradley stopped abruptly in the grass and faced me. “Fine. I’m pissed. Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear? Seeing you with him makes me want to set something on fire.”
I winced at the analogy. “I don’t joke about setting things on fire anymore.”
He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I hate what happened to the winery, but I hated even more that I couldn’t be there for you that day. And just…Hollin?” he asked in exasperation. “Hollin fucking Abbey, Piper?”
“I know. I didn’t think it’d ever be him either.”
“Did it start before or after we broke up?” Bradley demanded.
“After!” I said quickly. “Of course it was after. We didn’t even like each other.”
“You were wearing his shirt,” he reminded me.
“I swear, that was unrelated.”
Though…I had been attracted to him then. It had been the start of it all. Even if it hadn’t been the day that we hooked up. Not that I planned to tell Bradley that.
“I can’t believe you would pick him. You hated him for years. He’s a player, and you know it.”
I sighed. I was never going to be able to make this okay with Bradley. Maybe it was stupid to even try. “I don’t want to discuss Hollin. I came here to apologize. That’s it.”
“Whatever. If you want to date the guy that every other person in town has dated, then by all means,” he said, looking off in the distance, as if the thought pained him. “I didn’t take you as a girl who would enjoy being second or third or fourth choice. Hell, a hundredth choice. He literally picked every girl in town over you. And I…I picked you over everyone else.”
I wanted to respond, but what could I say? He wasn’t wrong. And it wouldn’t be enough either way.
Bradley realized I wasn’t going to say anything else, shook his head, and stomped the rest of the way to his truck. I didn’t follow him. I’d said what I had come to say. It was understandable that he was upset, but it didn’t change how I felt about Hollin.