Chapter 3
I sit tapping my fingers against the table, waiting for her to arrive and wondering how the fuck I’m gonna start this conversation.
Leia Walker has always looked at me as a friend, nothing more.
But me, I’ve known ever since she pushed me up against the wall when she was thirteen that she was the only girl for me.
Now, I’m sitting here risking the ruin of our friendship so I can tell her that.
The door opens and she steps through it looking all flustered.
Leia always looks pretty when she’s agitated.
She also looks pretty when she’s sad, and when she’s happy…
come to think about it, there ain’t a time when she don’t look pretty.
There’s no one who compares to her. Trust me, I’ve tried finding someone who does.
Her lips raise into a smile when she spots me and as she heads over, the nerves in my stomach knot tighter.
“God I need this. If it ain’t my mom going on about the wedding, it’s my sister complaining about the color of her dress.
” She smacks a kiss onto my cheek and immediately picks up the beer I have waiting for her on the table.
“You know, I had to lie to my mom earlier and say I was coming to help Maisie just so I could get out of the house. Tonight, I need my friend Wade Carson.” She screws her cute little nose up at me.
“I wanna laugh ‘til my sides ache and not give a toss who’s having the venison or the duck. I don’t want to think about seating plans, or how many shades of fucking pink there are.
The W word is forbidden.” She stops to take a breath and leaves me speechless.
I can see how stressed she is. As much as I wanna tell her to screw the wedding plans and not get married at all, I decide, like always, that I’m gonna be the guy she needs tonight.
“You wanna kick my ass at pool?” I ask.
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” She smiles back before her hot, little ass slides off the stool and heads over to the table.
“So, why did you drag me all the way out here? We’re like an hour away from town,” she asks when I start racking ‘em up.
“Maybe I wanted to get you all to myself.” I pass it off as a joke but I mean every word. I had no intention of declaring my love for her in the middle of Cahoots where the whole damn town could witness my rejection.
“Well, I’m glad you did. If one person asks how the plans for the wed—” I raise my finger to cover over her lips, and when her gloss sticks to my skin, I get the predatory urge to devour her mouth.
“Careful, you're about to break your own rule,” I remind her, slowly pulling away and focusing on something that won’t make me wanna grab her and claim her right here and right fuckin’ now on this table.
“Sorry, I’m being a shit friend. Making it all about me, the way I always do.” She grabs a cue from the wall and starts chalking it up.
“Hey, can we get two shots of tequila over here?” I call to the waitress when she passes.
“What are you doin’? We both gotta drive home,” Leia points out, staring at me suspiciously.
“I just decided we’re both gonna get good and drunk.
We’ll get a cab back to Fork River. Tonight, Leia Walker, we are gonna laugh,” I grab her by the waist and drag her onto my body.
“We’re gonna dance…” I roll my hips against hers.
“And I’m gonna finally beat your ass at pool.
” I wait for her to argue, to tell me she has to get back, but when the waitress comes over and places two tequila shots on the edge of the table, Leia proves that she can still shock me, even after all these years.
“Better bring over that bottle, honey.” She picks up her glass, clinking it against mine, before tipping back her head and swallowing.
* * *
It’s getting late and both of us are wasted. Turns out, I never kicked Leia’s ass at pool. I let her win, the way I always do. I held her in my arms and danced with her like she was mine. We joined in with some line dancers and got the moves all wrong, and we drank all the tequila in that bottle.
“My mom’s gonna kill me, you know that, right?” Leia leans on me as we head back toward the bar from the dance floor.
“You’re a grown-assed woman now, about to become a wife, she can’t say shit,” I remind her, staring at her and wondering how her hair would feel between my fingers.
“Apparently, my husband can. I’m just gonna go from being controlled by them, to being controlled by him.” Leia leans over the bar lazily, holding out her hand to get some attention.
“Leia, you can’t let that happen. I tol—” This time it’s her finger that presses over my mouth.
“Sssshhhh, we aren’t talking about that shit tonight.” She slurs a little and I hate that all the fun has disappeared from her face.
“Come on, I’ll call us a cab.” I take out my cell and when I go to dial I realize how late it is.
It’s something that always happens when I’m with Leia, time passes too fast. The music’s too loud for me to hear jack shit, so I head outside to speak to the dispatcher.
She tells me it’s gonna be at least an hour and a half wait, and as Leia stumbles out the door and wraps her arms around my waist, I take comfort in the way her cheek presses against my back.
“An hour and a half? That's crazy, the bar closes in half an hour!” I’m feeling a little stumbly myself now I’m out in the fresh air. We’ve both had far too much to drink, and I can’t see Cole or Garrett being happy with me calling them and asking for a pick up.
“That’s ridiculous.” Leia snatches the phone outta my hand and places it against her own ear, “Cancel that.” She hangs up.
“Come on, I’ve got a better idea.” Managing to find the pocket in my jacket, she tucks my phone away before taking my hand and rushing me across the street toward the cheap motel.
“Leia, what are ya doin’?” I laugh, letting her drag me.
“I’m booking us into this fine establishment, so we can sleep it off and drive home in the morning.” The neon lights from the sign illuminate her perfect face and even in my drunken haze, I know this is a bad idea.
“Leia, I’ll just call Garrett, he can pick us up.”
“Come on, I don’t want the night to end yet, and besides, I’ve never stayed in a motel before.” She looks back at me as if she’s embarrassed by the fact.
“What?” I choke out a laugh.
“Cross my heart.” She draws a cross over her chest. “I don’t think I’ll be staying in any either, not once I become Mrs. Mason.” Her sarcastic tone and the reminder of what’s looming has the smile dropping off my face. I hope she’s too drunk to notice.
“You don’t wanna crush all my dreams, do ya?” she giggles, and when I take her hand in mine again, I almost tell her that I wanna be the one who makes sure all her dreams come true.
“I’ll go check us in.” I smile back at her, heading into the brightly lit reception to pay fifty dollars and get us a room.