Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
He looked at his brother and shook his head then chuckled to himself. “Hale, you’ve always relentlessly gone after whatever you want. It’s easy to see why you’d want Rayne. She’s beautiful, clever, quick with a comeback, and able to laugh at herself in the best way.” He glanced at me and the room collectively held its breath. “All-in-all…” He smiled, our stares holding. “You’re the whole package, Meyers.” He cleared his throat and looked back at his brother. “When you told me you wanted to marry her, I knew it was a sure thing.”
The weight of Hale’s arm rested protectively over my shoulders. I looked up at him, but his stare was locked on his brother—his expression unreadable.
Barrett’s gaze returned to mine. “No one’s ever made my brother smile the way you do. You’ve given him more...” He hiccupped. “…for the rest of us to envy.”
The air thinned and tension tightened around us. I smiled nervously. Where was he going with this?
“Wrap it up, Barrett,” Hale said under his breath.
The ice clanked in Barrett’s glass as he lifted it high overhead. “Meyers, you have a way of making imperfection sexy as hell.” He grinned and winked at me. “Never change.” Tossing back the rest of his drink, he swallowed the last gulp. “To both of you.”
“Kiss!” someone yelled as silverware tapped crystal and there was an eruption of chimes and cheers.
Hale, with his hand on my back, bent down and kissed me sweetly. Then he shook his brother’s hand and lifted his own glass in salute.
“Rayne and I would like to thank all of you for traveling here to be a part of our special day. We did our best to plan an extraordinary week, and I hope you’re as happy as we are to finally be here. Tonight, I feel like a king—on top of the world.” He glanced at me and smiled. “And I’ve finally found my queen.”
“Here, here!”
Hale’s lips pressed to mine and my stomach cartwheeled. I might never get over the thrill of having the complete attention of such a potent man. As he pulled away, I caught a glimpse of Barrett staggering toward the bar.
The final courses were served and cleared, but liquor continued to pour and Barrett didn’t miss a drop. He finally slowed down when Elle and Paul left just before the coffee and desserts were served.
I thought I was done wondering what I had or hadn’t done to deserve her indifference. There wouldn’t be a redo on this milestone and Elle missed all of it. Physically she was here, but mentally and emotionally she abandoned me.
I wanted to be stronger. I didn’t want to chase people who didn’t want to love me. I had so much in front of me to celebrate, and that should be enough. But something still hurt when I thought about Elle. Maybe it always would.
So I sulked, ruining a perfectly fine slice of tiramisu.
“You okay?” Barrett slid into the vacant seat to my left.
“I’m fine.”
“When a woman says she’s fine she’s full of crap. You’re mutilating that cake.”
I set the fork down and pushed the plate away. “She hasn’t even congratulated me.”
“Are we talking about Elle and Bozo the Beefcake?”
“Yes. She’s showing up for the bare minimum and acting like a hero. But behind the scenes there’s this sense of animosity I can’t shake and no one seems to feel or see it but me.”
“Do you think she’s jealous?”
“Of me?” I laughed. “No. We’ve never been competitive with each other.”
“You’re not competitive, but that doesn’t mean she can claim the same. Maybe she always felt like she had her life more together and she can’t handle that things look different now. Things changed, Meyers. Look around.”
My brow pinched. “But I’m still me. This isn’t what my day-to-day life looks like.” Usually, it’s a dumpster fire racing downhill on wheels.
I sighed. It wasn’t even all Elle. It was Elle and my dad, the two of them teaching me a life lesson I didn’t want to learn right now.
Barrett bumped my shoulder. “Your life’s never going to go back to what it was. It won’t always be a wedding, but it will be other things. Hale’s a high-profile guy. You’re his person. Sorry to break it to you, but the fanfare doesn’t go away.” He sipped his drink. “It’s also annoying how easy Hale makes perfection seem.”
“Your brother’s far from perfect.”
“I know that, but the world doesn’t. After a while, even our closest friends fall for the charade and start to covet what’s ours.”
I thought of the droves of women who hit on Hale, especially since the wedding coverage. Females wanted what they couldn’t have, and they could not have Hale. He was mine.
Barrett was right. I reached for more champagne and confessed, “I hear what they say—in the lady’s room—when they don’t realize I’m listening.”