Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Music in the distance caught her attention and she found herself walking toward it without thinking.
It sounded like a bunch of people having fun. Laughing. Drinking. Probably dancing.
God. Had she ever been so carefree? Had she ever been able to laugh and dance without a worry?
Stopping in front of the house having the party, she stood and watched. She could see a bit of what was going on in the backyard from the street. Looked like there were a lot of people back there. Fairy lights. Tables. A bar.
A real party.
Longing filled her and she wished she could join them. Unable to tear herself away, she just stood there and daydreamed about a different life.
Suddenly, a man stepped out from the side of the house. Tension filled her.
Was it . . . no, it wasn’t possible, right?
No way that could be Tanner. She knew she was going to have to see him eventually. But not tonight, when her shields were so low. When there was no way that she could protect herself from pain.
So, she slid back into the shadows.
Lilac was good at doing that.
At being invisible.
Rushing away, she headed back to the RV and her friends. Tomorrow was a new day.
She just had to hope it was going to be better than today.
8
Tanner Malone watched all the happy couples on the dance floors.
“Assholes,” he muttered.
The baby lying on his chest shifted around before letting out a fart.
“Yep, exactly, Mitch. I knew you’d agree with me.” He glowered at them all as he lifted his drink and took a sip. It was just soda since he was on baby duty. Once someone else took over, he’d get something with more bite.
The one good thing about a wedding was the free booze.
That was pretty much the only good thing.
“Fucking Butch,” Raid muttered as he sat next to him. “The asshole is a fucking genius.”
“How do you figure that?”
“A birthday party that’s also a surprise wedding? With no engagement party necessary? That’s fucking genius. Do you know how many conversations I’ve had this week about what flowers should be in the centerpieces on the tables at our wedding reception?”
Tanner sighed but didn’t answer because he knew Raid was going to tell him anyway.
“About twelve,” Raid said. “That’s twelve too many. Who the fuck cares about flowers? Or centrepieces?”
“So, elope? Do what Butch did and just surprise everyone. How did you not know about this anyway given that it’s happening in your backyard?”
“All I said yes to was a birthday party. Apparently, Lara roped Hannah in and swore her to secrecy. Need to have a word with her about keeping secrets from me.”
A word, huh?
Tonight was meant to be Lara’s birthday celebration and instead it had turned into a surprise wedding.
It was damn . . . romantic.
Or at least that’s what he would have thought if he hadn’t hardened his heart to anything romantic. Tanner no longer cared about any of this shit.
Not since her . . .
“And I can’t elope!” Raid said. “Hannah loves this stuff. I’m not taking this away from her.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. For fuck’s sake. “So then stop complaining.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Maybe because I don’t want to hear it?”
“If I have to live it, then you have to hear me complain about it,” Raid grumbled.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is what it is,” Raid replied. “My girl wants the big, white wedding, so that’s what she gets. With all the hoo-ha that comes along with it.”
“Even if you don’t enjoy any of that?”
“What’s my enjoyment got to do with it?” Raid gave him a bewildered look.
“You’re ridiculous,” Tanner told him, shifting Mitch on his chest. The baby was handling all the noise like a pro.
He was a Malone, though.
Malones thrived on chaos.
“And you’re turning bitter and twisted,” Raid told him. “Never thought you’d end up grumpy and anti-social. You’re making West look good.”
“What are you talking about?” He was not grumpy and anti-social.
“You’re sitting here, scowling at anyone who looks like they’re having fun. You’re like the dark gloomy uncle, living under a thundercloud, sucking the fun out of everything.”
“Ouch.”
“Someone has to give it to you straight. Tanner, I know Lilac broke your heart—”
“She didn’t break my heart,” he interrupted Raid, turning to glare at him. “Shut the fuck up. You know nothing about it.”
“I know you fell in love and then she left. She didn’t tell you she was going. She never answered her phone or texted you. There were things she didn’t tell you. And now she’s gone, and you’ll likely never see her again. I get that fucked with your head, but you have to get over it. There are plenty more women out there.”
“Yeah? What would you say if I said that about Hannah, huh? If you lost her?”
Raid stood up slowly and glowered down at him. “If you weren’t holding my baby nephew . . .”