Chapter 8
8
HUNTER
“ I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Those words continued to echo in my mind a good half hour later as the bride and groom cut into their cake. I wanted to be next to Joely, but she was standing with Cassady on the other side of the happy couple. In front of us was a small group of Mallorie and Memphis’s family and friends, including some guys from the logging crew.
Husband and wife. I never thought I’d long to hear those words said about me and a woman. But right now, watching Joely laugh as Memphis smashed cake into Mallorie’s face, a peace settled over me.
This was what I wanted. I wanted Joely to be my wife.
“Okay, everyone, grab a slice of cake!”
Joely and Cassady took over the responsibility of cutting the cake while Dane and I poured champagne into plastic cups for everyone. That kept us separated even longer. The whole day had been like this.
We’d woken up and made love one last time before she snuck off to her room to shower and get dressed for the small ceremony. From there, we’d been separated until she followed Cassady up the aisle and stood to the right of the preacher—or left if you were seated in the audience.
She didn’t even make eye contact with me. In fact, I couldn’t remember a single glance she’d cast in my direction since leaving my room this morning.
I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
“You okay, man?”
Dane was checking in on me. He stood next to me, both of us having finished pouring. Guests were starting to grab cups and stand awkwardly, holding a plate in one hand and a plastic wine glass in the other. They were obviously not sure how they were supposed to eat with their hands full.
“Fine,” I said. “It’s just been a long day.”
It wasn’t even noon yet. But yeah, it felt like it had been a lifetime since Joely woke me up with a blowjob—the best way to wake up, as far as I was concerned.
The bride and groom were leaving on their honeymoon immediately after this, and we’d be free to go. I was already trying to figure out a way to keep Joely in my life a little longer, though.
“It’s time for the toast,” I said when Dane continued to stare at me.
That seemed to get his attention. He turned to face the group gathered in front of us, holding his plastic cup of champagne.
“I work side by side with Memphis every day,” he said. “You’ll never find a better man. And now he’s found his perfect woman. Here’s to years of happiness and never going to bed angry.”
“To never going to bed angry!” the crowd called out.
It wasn’t the most poetic toast in the history of weddings, but for a small ceremony, it would definitely do. The bride and groom seemed happy, although the bride was still wiping icing off her face. My gaze drifted past her to Joely.
She was looking at me now. Our eyes met, and I felt it in that one look. She hadn’t dismissed me outright, but there was something there. Something different from what I’d seen last night. And it would bug me until I got to the heart of what was going on with her.
Finally, I found a way to talk to Joely alone. She was still cutting the cake while Cassady was talking to one of the guests.
“Hey,” I said.
She didn’t look up from what she was doing. That told me she’d known I was approaching.
“Hey.”
She sounded distracted. She continued cutting. Slice. Scoop. Plop onto a plate. Move the plate over to join the rest.
“Great ceremony, huh?” I asked.
“It was.”
She still didn’t look at me. Slice. Scoop. Plop. Move the plate. Slice. Scoop. Plop. Move the plate.
I watched that for a few seconds, hoping she’d say something. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked. “Was it something I did?”
She looked up at me then, light green eyes landing on my face. I saw compassion there. Was she feeling sorry for me? Guilty about what she was about to say?
I braced my heart for impact. This was not going to be easy.
I’d fight for her. Unless she was about to tell me she wasn’t interested in me at all, I’d do whatever it took to win her over.
“I’m leaving,” she said.
I frowned. Yes, we discussed that last night, after our first round of lovemaking in an actual bed. She had to be back in Nashville by Monday morning. It was Saturday morning. That gave us at least twenty-four hours before she had to make the drive home. There was a lot we could do in twenty-four hours.
I nodded. “I get that. I thought I’d take you on a real date tonight before you left in the morning.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I’m leaving today. Right after the bride and groom.”
I thought I’d braced my heart for impact, but it turned out I was wrong. I wasn’t prepared for this at all.
“I totally forgot,” she said. “It’s my roommate’s birthday, and the friend who was supposed to take her out bailed. I can’t—well, you understand, I’m sure.”
I didn’t want to believe she’d make it up. And as I looked at her, I couldn’t believe she had. No, she was telling the truth. The sadness in her eyes told me she’d been hit with the reality of our situation. She wasn’t wrong. I might be in denial about it all.
“I wish I could just escape here and never go back,” she said. “But I have a job, friends, a lease. Obligations.”
I got it. I came from the military. Nobody understood fulfilling duties like a soldier. I wanted to say something here that would convince her to forget all that. To give it all up for me. I wanted to fight for her—I just didn’t know what words to say.
I didn’t want her to walk out of my life without her knowing that I was falling for her. But if I told her that and she still walked out, it would hurt even more.
No, I had to do what I could to protect myself. It was exactly why I’d moved to Seduction Summit in the first place. I didn’t want to go through the pain of losing someone again. Not after all the things I saw while deployed. Not after also losing my best buddy in a helicopter accident long after we’d returned from overseas.
“Well, if you ever change your mind, this town is waiting for you,” I said. “We’d love to have you back.”
What the fuck? Was I the welcoming committee? That definitely took the personal out of it. And the worst part of it all was the slight flicker of hurt I saw in her eyes. Or maybe it was confusion.
She nodded, though, and gave me a half-hearted smile. “I’ll be back. Definitely.”
But her smile got even sadder just before she turned and walked away. I had to force myself not to watch her. It hurt too much. Instead, I focused on celebrating the happy couple as they finished up the reception and hopped in Memphis’s truck to leave.
As soon as they were gone, I turned and headed back into the building. I could not bear to stand by as Joely drove away. I’d go back to my lonely life and try to forget that, for a brief time, I’d had a glimpse of what my future could have been…if only things had been different.