by Amanda Ashby
That had been half an hour ago. Now they were standing inside a rustic barn where huge wreaths of wildflowers hung from exposed posts, while vintage linen and mismatched silver cutlery shone from the nearby tables. To the left were groups of wedding-goers all talking and laughing, while the restless ring bearer darted around the feet of the waiters and waitresses who were sliding between the crowds with trays of drinks.
But despite the idyllic setting, Riley was already feeling like she’d just spent four hours in a boxing ring, and it wasn’t because of the unfamiliar dress or achingly high shoes that Italy had insisted she wear. Rather, it was because Will hadn’t been exaggerating just how intrusive his relatives could be. This was the fourth time she’d heard the story about Lisa rescuing a stray kitten, and she could tell by the stony expression on Will’s face that it was four times too many.
Her heart went out to him as he stood next to her, shifting from foot to foot, like he did when he was feeling penned in. Waves of restless energy radiated from him, but nothing could take away how handsome he looked in the navy suit that he and the other groomsmen were wearing. Tucker might have turned into a groomzilla, but at least he had great taste. Riley’s pulse fluttered as she drank in his smooth olive complexion and his blond hair that spiked out despite his best efforts to tame it. Perhaps it was a metaphor for Will himself? Beautiful but untamed?
“And do you remember that time Lisa took us all to lunch at that sweet little restaurant?” Great-Aunt Monica started to say, but before she could finish Riley crossed her fingers and let out a little gasp—she guessed that if Will had to hear one more Lisa story, he might crack.
“Oh my goodness. I’m so silly but I’ve completely forgotten where I put my hat. Would you mind if we went to look for it?”
“Of course not, dears,” Great-Aunt Monica assured them before scanning the crowd, no doubt in search of her next victim. Or maybe, Riley allowed, the hat. Without wasting a moment, Will’s fingers captured hers and they hurried out of the barn. Outside, they were greeted by the late-afternoon sun pouring down around them and caterers carrying trays of food from the nearby kitchen into the barn in preparation for the meal to come.
“Do you think she has any idea that you didn’t wear a hat?” Will gave her hand a grateful squeeze, which resulted in a series of shivers racing up her arm. Riley tried and failed to ignore it.
“I don’t know, but I didn’t want to risk what you might say if you had to listen to yet another Lisa story. How can your relatives not know it’s inappropriate to talk about her so much?” Riley wished that she were at home, curled up on her couch with Bingley chewing on her sock as she read a book. This was why she didn’t like to leave the house.
“No idea. But trust me, if you weren’t here it would be worse. So much worse.”
“Is that even possible?” Riley marveled, thinking of all the people who had demanded to know how he was coping, like he’d broken up with Lisa yesterday, not three years ago. Then there was the fact that they all thought Riley was his girlfriend, so what was with all the questioning? If wasn’t for the fact that she was only his fake girlfriend, she would almost be offended. Were they suggesting that he wasn’t happy with her?
And it also explained exactly why he’d wanted her along for moral support.
Not that she was sure she’d been much help, since it hadn’t stopped the intrusive questions.
Then she stiffened as she caught sight of Lisa looking over at them.
It was the first time Riley had seen her in real life, and it was a shock. While the photographs in the newspaper had made her out to be blond, tall and beautiful, they hadn’t been able to capture the dewy complexion, the slim long lines of her body or the way her full mouth fell down at the sides into a perfect pout. It all made her look like she’d stepped off a catwalk.
“What’s wrong?” Will asked. Then he followed her gaze over to where Lisa had turned her attention back to the man she was talking to. “Oh.”
Yes. Oh.
“At least she isn’t coming over.” Riley wasn’t sure she would’ve been up to shielding Will from that particular conversation. It was one thing to make small talk with his relatives, but it was another thing entirely to banter with his ex-fiancée-slash-stepmother.
“No, but my uncle Harold is, and unless you want to hear all about my misspent youth, we’d better pretend to be otherwise occupied.”
“What do you mean?” Out of the corner of her eye, Riley caught sight of an overweight guy with a shock of blond hair heading toward them. But the vision was lost as Will slid his arms around her waist. His fingers lingered on her hips, sending small shockwaves down her entire body. That’s what he meant. He gently tugged her toward him and dipped his head into the nape of her neck, no doubt to avoid eye contact with the unwanted relative. But it wasn’t that simple for her. As the length of his body pressed against hers, the air left her chest.
Apparently she had now forgotten how to breathe, the smell of Will invading her nostrils and sending her entire body into meltdown. His arms tightened around her and the world began to spin, like they were trapped in a bubble. Riley had no way of telling how long they were there for; it wasn’t until someone coughed that Will released his grip.
“Don’t let me interrupt you.” Tucker appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Riley blinked, as if the lights had just been turned on.
“Trust me, if there was a way to stop you, I’d be doing it,” Will said as he winked at Riley. Right. That hug might’ve turned her body to liquid fire, but for him it was just a distraction from unwanted conversations. Something she would do well to remember.
“When you two just got married, then you can call the shots. But right now this is my wedding and we’re about to go in and sit down,” Tucker retorted, gesturing to the trail of people making their way into the barn. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t room at the main table for you, Riley. But Danni’s put you next to some of her school friends, so hopefully you’ll still enjoy yourself.”
“Of course. And congratulations, Tucker. It was a beautiful ceremony.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Tucker grinned. Danni chose that moment to walk past him, blowing a kiss as she went. Tucker hurried after her, leaving Will and Riley to follow. Will’s hand slipped into hers.
“Sorry you couldn’t sit me with me. I hope it won’t be too painful, and don’t forget that I want the first dance after the meal is over.”
“Dance?” Riley gulped. Right now, with the electric feel of his skin on hers, she could hardly put one foot in front of the other. She was pretty sure that dancing would be far outside her skill range. Plus, it would probably involve more of the touching stuff and that seemed to be presenting a problem.
“Yes, dance,” Will said in a firm voice. Before Riley could reply, the rest of the groomsmen joined him and he was soon carried away to the long bridal table up on a rustic wooden stage, leaving Riley standing on her own.
It was something she was familiar with. It had been the same every time Jude had remarried and they’d moved. New town, new people, new rules. Ditto when she’d been sent to stay with Tom. It had been one of the things she’d hated most about her childhood, and now she could feel the familiar sensations swirling in her stomach. But before they could take root, Will turned back toward her and gave her one of his knee-knocking smiles, his eyes full of apology. It was like he knew how she’d been feeling and wanted to help her. It was such a Will thing to do.
Thank you, she mouthed at him, feeling braver. It gave her the boost she needed to edge her way through the crowds until she found her table. However, when she arrived, someone had clearly changed the names. Instead of one of Danni’s friends, she found herself sitting next to Will’s great-aunt Heather. Riley forced another smile onto her face as she reluctantly sat down.
Thankfully Heather was more laconic than the rest of Will’s family. Riley was grateful for the comfortabl
e blocks of silence that accompanied the delicious meal. It gave her time to regroup and catch her breath while the rest of the table chattered and laughed until the plates were cleared and the speeches began. Predictably, Tucker talked at length about love, and then Will stood up and gave a hilarious but heartfelt best-man speech that had Riley beaming with pride. But it wasn’t until the father of the bride finished speaking that Heather suddenly nudged her.
“You’re doing a good job, girl.”
“I am?” Riley wondered if she was referring to the large serving of cheesecake that she’d managed to eat. It had been too good to refuse.
“With Will,” Heather clarified. They both looked over to where he was sitting. He’d loosened his tie and was laughing at something Danni was saying, probably about the story her father was telling. The tension around his mouth had gone and his eyes were sparkling. “I haven’t seen him smile like that in quite some time.”
“Oh.” Riley blinked, reluctant to drag her gaze away. “I’m not sure that I can take credit for that.”
“I am,” Heather countered. “He was in a bad place after he ended his engagement. It was like his mother had died all over again. But there’s a lightness about him now, and it’s because of you.”
“Thank you.” Riley’s cheeks heated with pleasure despite the fact that she wasn’t really his girlfriend and therefore, despite what Heather seemed to think, she wasn’t responsible for anything.
“Don’t thank me. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I haven’t seen him like this since he was a little boy.”
“What was he like when he was younger?” Riley couldn’t resist asking.
Heather toyed with the handle of her coffee cup, as if considering the matter. “He was much like he is now. Passionate. Determined. Fair. He used to trot around after his mother asking all sorts of questions. Like, ‘Why don’t all the children at school have a driver to collect them?’ ‘Why is our house so big?’ Daphne used to be so proud of him. She called him her little activist. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what drives him now.”
Riley widened her eyes. Will never talked about his mother. The fact that the memories of her might be the thing that kept him out of the country for such long periods of time was new information to her.
“Goodness, I hope Heather hasn’t been telling you stories of my misspent youth.” Will suddenly appeared and bent over to give his great-aunt an affectionate kiss on the cheek while casually trailing an arm along Riley’s shoulder. It did wicked things to her pulse.
“I have better things to do than talk about the mischief you and your brother used to stir up,” Heather scolded, though her eyes were twinkling. “Now, what are you doing here? I’m guessing that it’s either to ask this delightful young woman to dance or to tell me that it’s time to take my tablets.”
“Actually, it’s both.” Will grinned as he put a pill jar onto the table and lifted up the cup in front of her. “Aunty Vanessa gave me these, with strict instructions not to let you have a second cup of coffee.”
“Pah,” Heather grumbled, but she obediently allowed Will to shake out a tablet and pass her a glass of water. Once it was done she gave Riley a gentle push. “Now go and dance, and thank you for keeping an old lady company.”
“It was my pleasure,” Riley said honestly as she squeezed Heather’s hand before slowly standing up.
“Congratulations. Not many people pass the Heather test,” Will said as he wove through the other guests who were starting to table swap now that the speeches had all been made. “And in case you haven’t guessed, she’s one of the saner members of the family.”
“I think she liked me because I was here with you, rather than anything I did,” Riley said, but Will shook his head.
“You’re too modest,” he said. They had finally reached the dance floor, and he pulled her toward him.
“I also have two left feet,” Riley said, trying to ignore the heat from his touch. It was getting ridiculous how sensitive she was becoming. She shifted, to lessen the impact of Will being so near. She failed. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Nonsense, you know that I only have good ideas,” he assured her. The band started to play and the dance floor filled. Will tightened his grip, and just like before Riley felt the bubble descend around them, cutting them from the outside world. “Like the time you didn’t want to go to see that zombie movie and you ended up loving it.”
“No I didn’t,” she said as Will’s hand dropped to rest at the base of her spine. “I was terrified and spent the entire movie with my eyes closed while you ate all of my popcorn.”
“Oh.” Will frowned before he laughed. “Now I remember. You also clutched at my arm so tightly I’m sure I still have bruises. Which was probably all part of my cunning plan to hold hands with a hot girl,” Will said and Riley’s mouth parted. Did he just call her hot? Was he flirting with her?
“Was this also part of your cunning plan?” Someone jostled them, pressing their bodies closer together. He let out a soft groan that sent a spiral of desire racing through her.
“Truthfully, I’m not sure what this is,” Will said. He pushed away a strand of her hair that had worked itself lose, while his other arm kept her trapped. A trail of heat ran through her as his eyes locked in on hers. “It’s like having my best friend with me, but also having—”
“Code red,” a voice said from somewhere behind them. Something jolted in Riley as one of the groomsmen appeared from between the sea of faces. “Alex has had a little bit too much cheer and you know what that means.”
Will let out a frustrated groan as he reluctantly loosened his grip around Riley’s waist.
“What’s a code red?” she said, wishing she didn’t feel so bereft without his touch. “Who’s Alex?”
“Alex is one of Tucker’s oldest friends. When he drinks too much, he loses his inhibitions, normally followed by losing his clothes. Tucker’s put us all on high alert.”
“And if we don’t move, he’ll have our hides,” the groomsmen retorted as he headed to the front of the barn. Will almost looked comical as he let out a strangled sigh.
“Talk about bad timing. It seems like all I’m doing is deserting you.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him. “Go and be a superhero. Stop this guy from taking his clothes off. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”
“That’s the best offer I’ve had all night,” he said, a lazy smile spreading out across his face. Then he frowned. “But remember, no more fake spider stories to anyone.”
“Man, you ruin all the fun.” Riley gave him a mock pout. She waited until he left before wrapping her hands around her own waist, as if trying to keep in her mounting excitement. Up until now she’d been thinking that what she was feeling was a one-way thing. But there was no misunderstanding the looks Will had been giving her. Or the way his fingers had been playing with the soft fabric of her dress, as if wishing it weren’t there. A smile tugged at her mouth as she made her way to an empty table and sat down to wait. The sooner Will came back, the better.
***
Will groaned as he searched one of the rose bushes for Alex’s cummerbund. The other groomsmen were covering their friend’s modesty with their suit jackets, so Will felt like he had the better deal. Apart from the fact that he’d much rather be back on the dance floor with Riley. Then again, he was guessing so would just about every guy there.
Because she looked amazing.
He stopped his search as he thought of the green dress.
The color sparked against her red hair, which instead of being dragged back into her usual braids was now shimmering around her shoulders like a fiery waterfall, while the knee-length dress hugged her small waist and gently flared out at the hips before showing the soft contours of her breasts. His plans to try to not notice were definitely suffering a major setback. And it had been made hard
er by how fiercely she’d protected him today.
It had been surprisingly sexy to see the way her spine had stiffened every time one of his relatives tried to ask him about Lisa or their eyes had started to fill with sympathy as if he had some kind of contagious disease. Then again, he was starting to discover that everything about Riley was sexy. From the way she chewed her lip when she was reading to how she talked to Bingley when she thought no one was listening. It all made him want to kiss her again.
They hadn’t discussed the kiss they’d shared at the rehearsal dinner, but it hadn’t been far from his mind. The only problem was that he was coming to the conclusion that the more he kissed Riley, the more in danger he was of ruining their friendship.
He caught sight of the cummerbund and fished it out of the bush, then headed back to help the other groomsmen get Alex clothed and escorted into one of the vineyard’s side rooms so that he could sleep it off. But before he could head back into the barn, where the party was in full swing, someone coughed. He turned around to see his father standing in the shadows.
“William, I was hoping we could talk.” His father’s tone was much the same as if he’d been searching for the cleaner to tell them that there weren’t enough towels. Will clenched his hands and tried to ignore the way his pulse was hammering in his body. He’d managed to avoid the old man for the entire day, thanks to Tucker’s thoughtful seating plan and Riley’s habit of dragging him away every time his father was in the vicinity. But it seemed like his luck had run out. Reluctantly, Will turned to him.
It had been three years since they’d spoken or even seen each other, but Evan Henderson hadn’t changed much. His dark hair was shot through with fine threads of silver; his unyielding mouth was surrounded by lines. Unfortunately, his pale eyes, so like Will’s own, were as cold as ever.
“I wasn’t,” Will retorted. He knew that he sounded petulant but wasn’t able to help himself.
“I know you’re still mad about what happened,” his father said in that same pragmatic voice.
