Wedding Date (Dating Series Book 6)

by Monica Murphy

  Gossip travels fast in our family.

  “Yeah,” I admit, not wanting to have this conversation.

  “And you told him to go fuck himself, am I right?” Mason’s brows shoot up.

  “I told him I’d—think about it.”

  They all gape at me like I’ve straight lost my mind. Max is the first one to recover. “You’re going to think about it? What’s there to think about?”

  “Your answer should’ve been ‘hey, shove it up your ass, Craig’.” Mason shakes his head, his expression full of disgust.

  “You also should’ve kicked him out of your office.” This comes from Dad.

  They all three make a valid point. I appreciate how defensive they are of me. I also miss Cam. He’d probably be on my side with this.

  I know he would be.

  “Where is Cam anyway?” I ask. “Mom mentioned he’s working.”

  “That’s what he told us,” Dad says, cracking open the barbecue lid to check yet again on his sizzling steaks. “Hope your girlfriend isn’t a vegetarian.”

  “She’s not,” I tell him.

  “Thank God. These steaks are going to be a masterpiece,” Dad says reverently, making the rest of us crack up.

  “What is Cam doing that’s so important he skips a family get-together?” I ask, ignoring the disappointment I feel at my brother not being here. I wanted him to meet Kelsey. He wouldn’t turn it into a bro moment. He would’ve been polite and asked her questions. Would’ve maybe dug some information out of her, possibly more than I ever could.

  That’s one thing I don’t get about Kelsey. She’s warm and fun and sweet and funny. A little sarcastic at times, but never cruel. But she’s got a wall erected so high, I can’t climb it. She never mentions her family. Ever. I have no idea where she grew up. Hell, I don’t know where she lives currently, since she doesn’t let me come over.

  She’s a mystery. One I’ve been wanting to figure out. Now even more so.

  “He’s got some sort of meeting in San Francisco this weekend,” Dad says, grabbing his tongs and flipping the steaks over yet again. He turns the barbecue off before he shuts the lid. “Didn’t say what it was about, though.”

  I turn to Max and Mason. “Did he mention anything to you?”

  They both shake their heads, wearing equally confused expressions. The twins are fraternal, and you can definitely tell them apart. But their gestures, and the way they move and speak, are very similar. It’s obvious they’re twins.

  My three brothers run a barbecue food truck together, and while I’ve invested in it as well, I’m the background guy, running the financials. They get their love of barbecue from my father. Cam started it up first with a couple of college buddies at the time, but his friends found different careers after graduating, while Cam wanted to keep running the truck. He recruited the twins to help him about five years ago, and now they have a pretty popular business. He’s talked of expanding, and I agree it’s the right move.

  So what the hell is he doing, meeting with someone and not telling us about it?

  “I wondered why he wasn’t here, showing you how to do this.” I wave my hand at the barbecue.

  Dad thrusts a giant fork at me, a grim look on his face. “Those are fighting words, son.”

  We all laugh, the four of us turning when we hear the door open and the three women come back outside, each of them holding a giant plate of food.

  “Mom’s trying to fatten us up,” Mason says with a sigh.

  “No way.” I pat my flat stomach. “I’ve been working out constantly. Eating right.” Most of the time. Those burger lunches aren’t so good for me. “I refuse to let her tempt me.”

  “Trying to look good for your new girl?” Mason teases.

  I started working out for myself. I was feeling like shit after the breakup, all depressed and woe is me. Stood on the bathroom scale Jessica left behind after she took all her stuff, and got the shock of my life.

  I was the heaviest I’d ever been.

  I threw out all the junk food, from pantry to fridge, and started going to the gym again. I wasn’t fat, but I was soft. Pudgy. I hated it.

  I hated myself.

  Now I feel on top of my game. With everything.

  Except for Kelsey. She fills me with a shit ton of doubt. I have no idea where our relationship stands.

  Or what we’re going to do about it when the wedding is over. Pretend we never did any of this and go back to our old ways? I’ll stand by and eventually watch her date some loser while I remember how good the sex was between us?

  That sounds pathetic.

  But hey. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

  Twelve

  Kelsey

  “Oh my gosh, I can’t eat another bite,” I say with a groan as I lean back in my chair, as if creating distance between me and my plate will make me stop.

  “There’s still dessert,” Patti chirps, and the entire table groans.

  “We all don’t have your metabolism, Mom,” Ali says, making Patti frown. “She can eat whatever she wants and it never seems to affect her,” Ali tells me.

  “That’s not true,” Patti says.

  Ali rolls her eyes and giggles. “It’s so true. And so frustrating. I look at that chocolate cake sitting on the kitchen counter and gain five pounds.”

  “Oh no, chocolate cake is my weakness,” I say with a little moan.

  Theo’s brothers stare at me with open mouths. Theo clears his throat. “Good to know,” he says, his gaze all for me.

  My cheeks go hot. Did I sound sexual with that moan? I was only thinking of food. Chocolate cake really is a weakness of mine.

  Men. They make everything about their dicks, I swear.

  “Perverts,” Ali mutters, making me burst out laughing.

  We chatted continuously throughout the meal. Theo’s little sister—she’s only twenty-one and quietly confessed to me she just dropped out of college—is very talkative, which I appreciate, since that means I didn’t have to reveal much, while she’s an open book. Every question I asked, she gave a long answer, and I let her talk. It was perfect.

  Every once in a while, Theo would shoot me a look, as if he was trying to figure me out, and I just smiled. Let him think I’m a mystery—let his entire family think so. Actually, let’s hope none of them notice that I’m not talking. That’s preferable.

  “Hey, serious question right now,” Patti says, her attention turning to Theo. And me. “Are you two going to the wedding?”

  “What wedding?” Theo asks innocently.

  Mason and Max both crack up while their mother takes her napkin, wads it up into a ball and throws it at Theo, making direct contact with his cheek.

  “You know what wedding I’m talking about. Your cousin’s,” she says.

  “And Jessica’s?” Theo raises a brow, his expression downright defiant.

  I rest my hand on his thigh, trying to tell him he should stop acting like this and just answer the question. The situation is awkward enough.

  “Yes,” Patti says on a sigh. “And Jessica’s.”

  “Are you going?” Theo asks pointedly, his gaze surveying the table.

  “We were invited,” Max says.

  “Every single one of you?” Theo seems surprised.

  “We’re family,” Mason reminds him. “We grew up together. So yeah. All of us were invited.”

  “And we’re all going,” Ali adds, her expression vaguely guilty. “Though it was wrong, what Craig did to you.”

  I can feel the muscles in Theo’s thigh grow rigid. Clearly, this isn’t a comfortable topic of conversation, and they know it.

  “We’re going too.” Theo glances in my direction, his hand reaching for mine, which is still resting on his thigh. “I need to RSVP.”

  The table goes silent. In the distance, I hear one of the horses neigh. A breeze blows through the trees, making the leaves gently rattle. It’s a peaceful, sunny Saturday late afternoon, yet you could probably cut
the rising tension at this table with a knife.

  Such a cliché, but it’s true.

  “Did Craig really ask you to be a groomsman?” Ali asks.

  “Alice,” Patti snaps, and I startle. That’s the angriest I’ve heard her sound, and while shocking, it still wasn’t even that bad.

  “It’s okay,” Theo says gently, squeezing my hand. Is he talking to me or his sister and mom? I’m not sure. “Yes, Ali, Craig asked me to be one of his groomsmen. He showed up at my office out of nowhere Friday afternoon and asked me to be a replacement.”

  “A replacement?” Patti asks with a frown.

  “I guess one of his friends got sentenced to jail time?” Theo shrugs.

  Patti gasps, resting her hand on her chest. “Craig did hang around a dark crowd when he was younger.”

  “The nerve of that guy, asking you to stand beside him while he marries your ex,” Max mutters, shaking his head.

  “He’s got balls,” Mason adds.

  Ali titters nervously. Both Patti and Jim send their kids looks that are meant to silence them, but I don’t know how effective they are. Everyone in this family has strong opinions, and they’re not afraid to voice them.

  “Whatever. He’s ridiculous, always has been. But don’t worry about it. I’ll just—turn him down and we’ll attend the wedding. No big deal,” Theo says, linking his fingers with mine. His touch is an assurance, and I glance down, watching his long fingers curl around mine, wondering if this is all fake. The way he looks at me, how he touches me.

  Of course it is. This was our plan all along. The sex thing? That was repressed need exploding all over each other—quite literally. We both haven’t had sex in so long, it was bound to happen. No big deal.

  We’ll go back to normal once this evening is over. We might mess around one more time, possibly even the day of the wedding, but that’s it.

  Maybe? I don’t know. Everything that’s happened between us is so confusing.

  The wedding might be so stressful, though, that Theo won’t be into it. Into me. I can’t imagine what he’s dealing with, or how he feels about everything. He’s told me some of his worries and concerns, but we don’t dwell on Jessica and what she did because it hurts him.

  Maybe those feelings are still repressed too. Maybe…

  He’s still in love with her and this marriage is slowly killing him.

  “I don’t think Theo should turn him down,” I say, surprised by my own declaration.

  So is the rest of the table. They’re all staring at me as if I dropped a bomb in the middle of dinner. Which I sort of did.

  “What do you mean?” Patti asks carefully.

  “Yeah.” I glance over to find Theo contemplating me. “What exactly do you mean, Kels?”

  He knows what I mean, but I guess he’s going to make me explain myself in front of his family. Maybe so he can get their opinion? I can tell they’re all very close. And they genuinely love each other. Seeing them almost makes me wish I came from a bigger family.

  I release his hand and start talking. And gesturing. A habit of mine when I’m nervous. “Craig sounds—clueless. Like he has no idea how badly his betrayal hurt his cousin and his family. Maybe if Theo agrees to being one of his groomsmen, it’s a way for all three of them to come to terms with what happened.”

  “Come to terms with Craig screwing his fiancée behind Theo’s back? Why is that even necessary?” Mason asks, sounding like a defensive little brother. This warms my heart, especially since I thought he was a complete douche when I first met him.

  “It can also show Jessica that Theo is completely over her,” I point out, my gaze meeting Theo’s. I want to drive home that point. I want him over Jessica. Once and for all. “What guy would agree to something like that if he was still in love with her?”

  Right?

  They all start murmuring. Theo studies me as if I’ve grown two heads, and worry immediately fills me.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” I confess, my voice low and just for him.

  He smiles, though it’s strained. “You keep pushing for me to be in their wedding.”

  Pushing? I’m almost offended by his word choice, but I choose to ignore it. Instead, I lift my chin, going for indignant. “I think it’s the right move.”

  “I don’t know.” His voice is full of doubt. “It might not be.”

  “But it could be.” Reaching out, I gently nudge his hand where it rests on the table. “Come on. Just do it. Let’s show Jessica you’re completely over her.”

  He nods. Looks away. And again, I’m filled with worry.

  My suspicions might be correct. He could still be madly in love with her. I suppose I can’t blame him. He was with her for years. He was going to marry her. That’s a major declaration of love, and I have no idea what that feels like. To be so in love with someone, you can imagine spending the rest of your life together. I usually can’t see beyond next week with a guy. Well, I can with Theo. As his friend. His secret hookup.

  “It’s not a bad idea.” This comes from Max.

  Theo turns his attention onto his little brother. “What do you mean?”

  “Being a groomsman. Showing Jessica you’re over her. She’s a complete bitch for what she did to you.”

  “Maxwell,” Patti breathes, but Max only rolls his eyes.

  “Mom, it’s true and you know it. I’m sure you think Jessica is a total bitch for cheating on your son,” Max says irritably.

  “Of course I’m disgusted by her behavior, and Craig’s especially. I just don’t call them names out loud,” Patti says with a little sniff.

  Jim reaches out and gives her shoulder a squeeze. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’re all defensive of Theo, and we’re allowed to insult Jessica on occasion. And Craig as well. I still can’t believe what he did to my son. I held a real grudge against him there for a while, but I think I’m over it. Not so sure about Theo, though.”

  I almost want to laugh, but damn, it’s true. Jessica deserves their hatred. Despite being a relative, so does Craig. Truthfully, maybe they should be madder at him. Yet these people are nice enough to go to the wedding anyway because they’re family of the groom.

  “I say go for it. You should agree to be a groomsman,” Max continues. “It’ll probably drive her crazy that you’re in her wedding. Go ahead and torture her on her special day. She deserves more. It’s the least you can do.”

  Thank you, Max, for agreeing with me, I think with a small smile.

  Conversation switches to a different subject, but Jessica and Craig’s upcoming wedding is forefront in my mind for the rest of the time we’re there. We all help clear the table and bring everything into the kitchen. Patti serves chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream and I beg off, knowing that’ll all go straight to my thighs. Theo spoon-feeds me a couple of bites, though, which is a small, sexy moment we share.

  Wild. Who knew I’d share sexy moments with Theo?

  We leave soon after dessert, Theo and I both claiming that we’re tired when they all protest. The skeptical looks his entire family sends our way makes me think they don’t believe us, which is fine. Maybe we look like we want to escape so we can have a little private time on a Saturday night.

  Perfect.

  Once we’re in his car, headed back into town, Theo finally says something about…us. “I think they bought it.”

  “Are you referring to your family?”

  He nods.

  “Buying us being in a relationship?”

  He nods again.

  “Great. That was our plan,” I say, sending him a meaningful look.

  Not that he’s actually looking at me. He’s concentrating on the road. “My mom cornered me when you went to the bathroom.”

  Unease slips down my spine. “Oh?” My voice is chill. I am chill.

  Not really. Inside, I’m quaking. I don’t know if I want to hear what his mom had to say about me.

  “She likes you.” He hesitates for a moment. “A lot.”<
br />
  “I like her too,” I admit, savoring the relief that floods me. I’m not the woman who meets mothers. I usually don’t make it that far in a relationship.

  “I feel like shit because I’m lying to her,” Theo says.

  His words make me feel like shit too. Like we’re lying to each other. I know I can’t be in a relationship with Theo. Eventually I’ll break his heart. And he’s had it broken one too many times already, and in the most spectacular way. I refuse to do that to him. I care about him too much.

  As a friend, though. Just as a friend.

  “You want to come back to my place?” he asks after a long minutes of uncomfortable silence.

  Yes. The word is on the tip of my tongue, but I pause. Maybe it’s a bad idea. Okay, there’s no maybe involved. It’s a really bad idea. I can’t hook up with Theo again. Sex might get tangled up in real emotions, and we’ll end up hurting each other.

  We are a disaster waiting to happen.

  “I get it if you don’t want to. Or can’t.” He flashes me a friendly, normal Theo smile, and it eases my worry a bit. “You’ve given me enough of your time today, coming to my parents’ house like you just did.”

  “I didn’t mind, Theo,” I tell him softly. “I had fun. Your family is nice.”

  He makes a dismissive noise. “They can be a pain in the ass.”

  “Not really.” I shake my head. “I liked them a lot, even Mason.”

  Theo laughs.

  “And your mom is so sweet. So is your sister. I wish I could’ve met Cam, though.”

  “I wish he’d been there too. Maybe we could get together with him for dinner one night this week.” Theo presses his lips together, like he realized too late he shouldn’t have made that offer. And I suppose he shouldn’t have. We really don’t need to make more plans together with his family until the day of the wedding, right?

  “That sounds nice,” I finally say.

  “Yeah.” He sounds distracted. I am too. I don’t think I should go back to his place, though I’ve never been there. It’ll be very…lonely if I go back to my shitty apartment by myself. But it’ll be a mistake if I go home with Theo. We know what’s going to happen if I do.