15. Bex
Chapter 15
Bex
I zoned out while the preacher went over the basics of tomorrow’s ceremony. The entire wedding party, including a wiggling Aubree and Barrett, was standing on opposite sides of the wooden arbor that would be covered in flowers come morning.
My mind couldn’t stop replaying the events of last night and wondering what might’ve happened if I hadn’t been wearing that stupid ring. Without it weighing me down, I felt so light it was a wonder my feet remained on solid ground.
The best damn decision of my life was cutting ties with Aaron. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking even accepting his proposal in the first place. Looking back on it now, I could see how mixing business with pleasure—not that there’d been much of that to be found—was a terrible idea. It ensured I didn’t have a life outside of the office. Aaron talked about work non-stop, and I fell into the same habit. There was no separate home life when you were dating someone you worked with. It was crazy how it had only taken a little time away to gain that much-needed perspective.
A nudge from my right had my head snapping up. “What? ”
Penny jerked her chin toward the arbor. “You’re up.”
“Up?” I had no idea what she was talking about.
A smile tugged onto her lips. “Rehearsal’s over.”
“Oh!” I realized with a start that I’d missed the whole thing while lost in thought.
Spinning around, I began to walk up the aisle marked by string affixed to stakes in the ground as a guide of where to place the chairs tomorrow, but a cleared throat stopped me.
“Forgetting something?” That smooth voice rolled over me like honey.
Swallowing, I dared to peek over my shoulder to find Tucker standing behind me, his dazzling smile making my heart flutter.
I was frozen to the spot, mouth gone dry at how handsome he looked in a button-down tucked into slacks. If anything, the new and improved older version of this man was even more attractive than his younger counterpart, and the teenage girl inside me was screaming to run into his arms. It was the only place I’d ever felt like I truly belonged.
Every day spent without him had been like trying to breathe underwater.
When he offered his arm for me to take, my lungs expanded with fresh air for the first time in a decade. His shuddering exhale as I slipped my hand through the crook of his elbow betrayed that he was experiencing a similar reaction.
Without words, he gently led me up the aisle. I fought the urge to lean into his side, to sink into the comfort he provided, knowing he’d never let me fall. My grip tightened on his arm, worried that if I loosened it, he would disappear. His resulting contented hum indicated that he didn’t mind.
While we walked, his free hand came up to clasp over mine, a thumb rubbing absentmindedly over my bare ring finger .
Heat flooded my face, and my eyes dropped to the ground. “He left this morning after I ended things.”
Tucker’s hum was the only response to my confession, and it drove me insane, wondering what he might be thinking.
Did he care? Did my newfound single status change anything in his mind? Was that almost kiss last night playing on repeat in his mind like it was in mine?
Then, there was the biggest question of all: Did he still love me the way I loved him?
I would never dare to ask, my fragile heart unable to take another blow if the answer happened to be no.
When we reached the end of the outlined aisle, Aspen clapped her hands. “Drinks, then dinner?”
Mac looped his arms around her waist from behind, and placed a kiss to the side of her neck, before not-so-quietly saying, “I’d rather skip straight to dessert.” His gaze lifted toward where Tucker and I stood, and he waggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”
From behind us, Colt grumbled, “We all know what you mean. Keep it in your pants for a couple of hours.”
“But it’s so much more fun when I take it out.” A cheeky grin split Mac’s face as Aspen peeled his arms away and swatted at him playfully.
I couldn’t help but smile. When we’d been fresh-faced teenagers, my plans for the future had been centered around a man while Aspen’s revolved around a career. Tucker and I never left her out of any activity that didn’t include getting frisky in the back of his pickup, and she’d never once complained about being the third wheel.
Now, she was the one head over heels in love with a man who completely adored her, and I was her single friend, watching on from the sidelines .
The role reversal was strange but not unwelcome. My best friend’s happiness became mine. I wanted all the best things this world had to offer for her with Mac as her chosen partner, fully prepared for him to replace me as her number-one confidante after tomorrow—if he hadn’t already.
“They’re obnoxiously cute together, aren’t they?” Tucker whispered in my ear.
I let out a wistful sigh. “Yeah, they really are.”
“Need a drink? I’m buying.”
Laughter fell from my lips. “That so?”
It was no secret that Mac was footing the bill for the entire wedding. He had more money than he could spend in a lifetime due to his family’s booming hotel business, and though the Sullivans did well for themselves, he didn’t want to burden them with the expense. I’d heard from Aspen that it had taken quite a bit of coaxing to get Jett to agree—he was a proud man, like most in Rust Canyon—but eventually, they’d settled on taking the funds he’d earmarked for his only daughter’s wedding and funneling them into the town’s charitable pursuits. That was a win-win for everyone since Mac and Aspen were big on giving back, and Jett could still feel like he was contributing in a meaningful way.
Tucker flashed me a charming grin, and I fought hard not to swoon. Then I about damn near jumped out of my skin when he shouted across the lawn, “Hey, Mac!”
Even though he was in the middle of a conversation, Mac stopped everything to turn around. “What’s up?”
“I’d like to buy the prettiest girl at this party a drink.”
Why was I blushing like a teenager at hearing him call me pretty in front of so many people?
Mac’s brown eyes sparkled. “If you’ll follow me.” Like we were patrons in a restaurant, Mac led us to where a makeshift bar had been set up .
Once we were settled, he nudged the waiting bartender out of the way. “These are VIPs; I’ve got it.” The poor guy looked confused as hell but moved aside to let Mac take his spot.
Placing a hand to his chest, Mac began, “Welcome to Sullivan Ranch. I’m Mac, and I’ll be serving you this evening. Everything we have to offer is top shelf. What can I get for you?”
It was impossible not to giggle over his sudden switch from groom to bartender. Aspen’s life would never be dull married to such a goofball. I loved that for her, knowing her days would be full of laughter.
Tucker leaned an elbow on the edge of the bar. “I’ll take a Macallan if you have it.”
“Dude, that was slick.” Mac reached a fist across the counter for Tucker to bump.
Tucker humored him, pressing his knuckles to his best friend’s. “So, do you have it or not?”
Mac’s eyes went wide when he realized he’d broken character. “Oh, yes, of course. Excellent choice, if I may say so, sir.” He poured the scotch into a glass and handed it over. “And for you, miss?”
The options were endless, but I wouldn’t put him on the spot to make me a cocktail. “Think you can handle a vodka cranberry?”
He stumbled back a step with a hand pressed to his chest. “You wound me.”
My mouth dropped open when I watched him pour almost an entire glass of vodka before throwing in a splash of cranberry juice.
“Umm . . .” I eyed the drink that would likely have me on my ass before dinner was even served.
Tucker set his scotch down, curling his fingers in a gimme motion for Mac to hand him my beverage. Curious, I remained silent, watching as he brought the glass to his lips, drained half of the liquid, and then handed it back to Mac.
“Fill the rest with cranberry.”
Mac realized his mistake, nodding. “You know what? That’s on me. My apologies.” He topped my drink up with more juice to cut the alcohol.
When I accepted it, taking a tentative sip to check the mixture, Tucker watched my reaction carefully. Licking my lips, I said, “It’s good.”
“Enjoy your evening, you two.” Mac winked as he shooed us away.
Tucker’s chest rumbled as he led me away. Under his breath, he muttered, “Oughta wring his neck. Tryin’ to get my date drunk.”
“Oh, I’m your date, am I?”
The man by my side halted when he realized I’d overheard his quiet rant. His drink-free hand cupped my elbow. “I don’t have a plus-one for this wedding, do you?”
My head moved from side to side slowly as I lifted my eyes to meet his warm blue gaze.
“Then that settles it. You’re my date.”
“Just like that?” I challenged.
“Unless that’s a problem?” He arched an eyebrow.
Was it?
I’d broken off an engagement not even twelve hours ago. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to get swept up in the idea of rekindling a lost love. Not when I was set to leave in two days.
This wouldn’t be my final visit to Oklahoma; I’d already decided that. The pull was too strong to ignore, my roots deeper than I realized, and the reason for my self-imposed exile no longer existed.
I couldn’t help but feel like this was the start of a new chapter in the same book I’d set aside years ago. The story may have veered off course for a bit, with disposable side characters stealing the attention of the heroine for a time, but all the while, the hero remained steadfast, waiting for her to return—to find her way back home and into his arms.
Allowing him to hold me in this place that contained all of our shared memories awakened feelings I’d shoved down deep for fear that letting them free would destroy me. Was it so wrong to want to recapture what we’d lost through no fault of our own?
The next two days could be deemed a trial run. To see if that spark would set the world on fire around us, to see if we could rise from the ashes stronger than ever.
I had nothing left to lose and everything to gain.
“Bex?” Tucker said my name with a note of uncertainty. The pain of impending rejection written in his eyes was what tipped the scale on my decision.
Here goes nothing.
“I’ll be your date.”
Tucker plucked a bloom from the arrangement at the center of the table while we waited for dinner to be served. When I cocked my head in question, he only offered me a smile.
His fingers ghosted over my cheek, and my sigh at his touch was automatic. With practiced ease, he tucked the loose strands of my hair behind one ear before slipping the stem of the blush pink rose over the shell, tucking it into place.
“Beautiful.” His eyes practically glowed in the dim light now that the sun had set .
The gesture was romantic, intimate even, and butterflies flapped wildly in my stomach, knowing he meant me, not the flower.
I hadn’t truly been living during the time we’d spent apart. Nothing compared to having Tucker Grant looking at me like I was the center of his universe. His undisguised affection brought my dull life into color, making everything seem so vibrant that it was almost overwhelming.
How could I go back to working my life away in the city when this was an option?
Having grown up a lot in the past ten years, I wasn’t na?ve enough to believe that every day would be like this. But if we could string enough of these ones together—ones that felt like a damn miracle after a decade of prayers to wash away the pain of the past—it might just be enough to sustain me through the not-so-great ones in between.
Bolstered by that hope, I leaned in to speak softly in his ear. “Never took you for a thief.” My fingers floated over the buttery-soft rose petals.
“Normally, I wouldn’t be, but I tend to lose my mind when you’re around.” The deep timber of his voice settled right between my thighs.
It had never taken much for this man to turn me on. And we’d never even fucked. Damn travesty if you asked me. Especially when I’d been forced to endure more than my fair share of mediocre sex.
The chemistry we’d once shared still swirled in the charged air surrounding us. If it was half as explosive as it had been back then—we might not have sealed the deal but had done pretty much everything else—I was in for a rare treat.
That thought stopped me in my tracks.
Was I seriously considering sleeping with Tucker in the next forty-eight hours before I hopped a plane back to Chicago?
Yes. The answer was a resounding yes .
I couldn’t spend the rest of my life not knowing what it was like to connect with my soulmate on that level. Even if it only happened once.
“Does anyone have a permanent marker I could borrow?” Tucker called out as the night began winding down, our dessert plates sitting empty before us.
From the next table over, Daisy replied, “I’ve got one in the kitchen.”
Tripp hopped up from his seat. “I’ll grab it.”
Tucker’s smile reached his eyes, the skin around them crinkling. “I knew I liked him.”
My head tilted to the side. “Why do you need a marker?”
“You’ll see.”
Suspicion tickled the back of my brain, and I wagged a finger at him. “You’re up to something.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Tripp bounded down the porch steps and jogged to where we sat, dropping the marker into Tucker’s waiting palm.
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime.” Tripp gave a tip of his hat.
“Give me your hand,” Tucker commanded softly. When I extended my left hand, he shook his head. “The other one.”
The other one? I knew he hadn’t forgotten it was covered in a thick plaster cast.
“Come on,” he urged, sensing my hesitation .
My eyes darted across the table to gauge if Aspen knew what was going on, but she simply shrugged. Mac, on the other hand, looked like he was fit to burst, bouncing in his seat.
Curiosity won out, and I lifted my right hand from my lap, allowing Tucker to take it into his hold.
He turned it over, resting the length of my cast along the table. His teeth clamped down on the cap of the black marker to remove it.
A lightbulb went off in my head, and I realized his intent.
With the marker perched between his fingertips, he didn’t simply sign his name on my cast. No, he wrote out our initials—B.C. and T.G.—before drawing a heart around them.
When he was done, he peeked at me shyly, nervous to discover my reaction to such a bold claim.
I loved this man so much my chest ached. Even in my dreams, I hadn’t allowed myself to imagine that he might ever be mine again. Yet here he was, waiting for me to meet him halfway on our second chance.
The weight of the expectant stares from the rest of those gathered settled over me, and my throat began to close up.
Without conscious thought, I shoved out of my seat and took off running toward the barn. Behind me came Tucker’s cries of my name as he followed, hot on my heels.