by Abbi Glines
“And you.” He nudged Woods. “Dude, you’re so completely owned.” Laughter rang out, and Della leaned into her husband, holding his arm tightly.
“Once you asked me to hold her because you couldn’t. You didn’t want her to be alone. But what I understood then, which you hadn’t quite figured out yet, was that you’re the only one who can hold her, man. Your arms are her home.”
Tripp looked back out at the crowd and held up his champagne glass. “I’d wish you all the happiness in the world, but you’ve both already got that. Congratulations, you two. Cheers.”
I took a sip of my champagne and watched as Della stood up and threw her arms around Tripp, happy tears shining in her eyes. Woods stood up and casually took his wife’s arm and made a show of bringing her possessively to his side. Then he shook Tripp’s hand and thanked him before leaning in and saying something in his ear and slapping him on the back.
Grinning, both men sat down.
“I would hate to be Braden and have to follow that up. He was fantastic,” Blaire whispered.
I completely agreed with her.
Thad was a good dance partner, but his eyes were on a pretty server who also had her eyes on him. As soon as the dance was finished, I leaned in close to his ear. “Make sure you don’t get caught. She’ll probably get fired,” I warned him.
He winked at me. “I’m always careful.”
I laughed and walked back to our table. Dean was sitting there with Nate, and they had taken the spoons from the table and were using them as drumsticks. Nate was listening carefully to his grandfather’s explanations about how to keep the beat.
Rush and Blaire were still on the dance floor. I watched Della as she danced with her father. A man she had never known existed until two years ago. When Della had first come to Rosemary Beach, she had no family, just her best friend, Braden, and a lot of screwed-up shit in her past.
“I pway the dwums, An Betty,” Nate informed me loudly over the music.
“I see that. You sound great!” I assured him.
He beamed the charming little smile he’d inherited from his father at me. Then he went back to beating on the table with his spoons. Surprisingly in rhythm to the music. Maybe the kid had gotten his grandfather’s musical talent.
“Dance with me?” Tripp asked just before he stepped in front of me.
It was ridiculously unfair for this man to be in a tuxedo. There had to be a law against it. All six-foot-five of him looked more like the wealthy, elite man he could have been instead of the rebel on a bike he’d become.
He had been entertaining Braden’s cousin all evening. I had forbidden myself to look over at them after my stomach got knotted up so badly I could hardly eat. I wasn’t going to do this to myself. “Don’t you need to dance with your date?” I asked, unable to keep the cattiness from my voice. It wasn’t his fault Della had brought him a wedding date. I would not think about the wedding sex I was sure the woman was expecting.
“I’ve already danced with her. Now I want to dance with you.”
And I wasn’t sure I could keep from pawing at him in his damn suit if he put his arms around me. Why did this man have to look like this? Why couldn’t he have gotten ugly with age?
“Please, Bethy.” His voice had lowered.
Like I could tell him no. I slipped my hand into his outstretched one and stood up.
“Smart girl,” Dean said.
I swung my gaze over to him. He winked at me and gave Tripp a thumbs-up before going back to the drum lesson with Nate.
“It’s OK. It’s just a dance,” Tripp said, pulling my hand until I was close to him and farther away from the table.
Dean’s comments weren’t why I couldn’t relax. It was the idea of being in Tripp’s arms.
We walked out onto the floor just as the music slowed and James Morrison began singing “I Won’t Let You Go.”
One of Tripp’s hands found my lower back as he put gentle pressure on me to move closer while his other hand rested on my hip. I was thankful I had on six-inch stilettos so I could rest my hands on his shoulders.
“You can do better than that,” Tripp whispered in my ear. My traitorous body shivered.
“What?” I asked.
His hands left me and reached up to take mine and place them around his neck before going back to my lower back and hip. “Much better,” he said as our bodies brushed against each other.
This was close. Too close.
“You smell incredible,” he whispered, pressing me even closer.
OK, too much. The warmth of his body was surrounding me, and I was getting light-headed. Maybe because I was forgetting to breathe. When I breathed in, the clean scent of his soap washed over me. He rarely wore cologne. He either smelled like the sea breeze from riding his bike or like this. Either way, I used to love pulling him close and inhaling.
“You look beautiful tonight. I almost felt sorry for the other bridesmaids having to wear the same dress as you.”
If anyone else had said that, I would have laughed and rolled my eyes. Blaire Finlay was the closest thing I had seen to perfection in my life. And Harlow Carter had the classic kind of beauty you don’t see often. But hearing Tripp say it, I believed him.
I touched the collar of his tux and rubbed the expensive fabric between my fingers. This wasn’t a rented tux. It was probably Armani. None of these guys needed a rented tux. It had been a part of their wardrobe since they were kids. Their lifestyles often required a tuxedo.
“You do tuxes well. I’ve never seen you in one,” I replied finally. It was the closest thing I could say to the truth. Telling him it made my heart race in my chest was a bad idea.
He chuckled. “Thanks. I’m not a fan. It’s been a while since I’ve had to wear one. This one is new. I figured if I was staying in Rosemary Beach, I’d need to add a few pieces to my wardrobe.”
He was staying in Rosemary Beach? Why? Because he wanted to be home? “You won’t miss the open road and being able to pick up and take off whenever you want?” I asked, thinking about what I knew of his life since he’d left.
The next song began, and he pulled me closer. “I’m done running, and there’s nothing for me out there. What I want is in Rosemary Beach.”
He didn’t mean me. Not me. I didn’t want him to mean me. The romantic world we were wrapped in on this island was fleeting. Tomorrow we faced reality again. And, with it, the past.
I didn’t respond to him. Those weren’t words I wanted to say out loud right now. I wanted this fantasy for tonight. The fairy tale that I could be here, wrapped up in Tripp’s arms forever. We could dance like this, and I could feel his heartbeat and watch the pulse beating at the base of his throat. The warmth of his embrace was mine to keep. In this moment, I could pretend.
Tripp
I wasn’t being careful. Having her in my arms was making shit come out of my mouth that was going to fuck up the progress we’d made. I clenched my jaw tightly to keep from telling her how good she felt—and exactly what I wanted to do to her while she wore nothing but those sexy-ass heels.
I bent my head and inhaled deeply. If I could just press my lips to that curve in her neck. Maybe take a soft taste of her skin with the flick of my tongue. She used to make the sweetest sounds when I did that. Her body wasn’t tensed up anymore. She had her arms wrapped around me and her chest pressed against mine. The feeling of her leaning into me was heady.
Lifting my eyes from the soft skin so close to my mouth, I saw Woods glaring at me. What was his deal? He needed to dance with his wife and let me have this. He nodded his head to the left, and I looked over to see Charity sitting at the table alone. Oh, hell no. He wasn’t going to make me feel bad about that. Shit. Shit!
I looked back at him, and he gave another sharp nod of his head. I saw Della walking over to her. Well, fuck. Della wasn’t enjoying her own party because she was worrying about Charity. This seriously sucked. I was going to have to go over there so Della could go back to enjoying
herself.
Where was Braden? It was her cousin, dammit. Why wasn’t she entertaining her cousin? I didn’t ask for a damn date. If I’d wanted a date, I’d have brought one.
Bethy’s fingers slipped into the hair at the back of my neck. Oh, fuck. I closed my eyes as she began running her nails up my neck softly. How was I supposed to walk away from this? God, I was in heaven.
My hand slipped lower down her back until the curve of her ass was under my fingertips. She didn’t move away, and I wasn’t breathing anymore. Tearing my eyes open before I completely lost myself, I saw that Woods was now walking toward me. He looked determined.
I was ready to plead with him to leave me the hell alone. Let me have this. He had no idea what eight years felt like. He’d had to go without Della for only two damn weeks before. He needed to try eight motherfucking years.
Thad walked by, and Woods grabbed his arm and said something to him. Thad’s gaze swung to me. He looked apologetic as he nodded his head. Woods was sending him over to cut in so I’d have to let her go.
Bethy chose that moment to run her nails down the front of my chest and stare up at me with those big brown eyes. I had to say something. Explain or apologize. Even though this shit was not my fault.
“Hey, dude. Share. You’ve had her for like the last five songs. My turn,” Thad said in a teasing tone that didn’t meet his eyes. He was watching me like I might take a swing at him.
Bethy blinked and seemed a little dazed and confused before she looked over at Thad, but her hands remained fixed on my body, and she didn’t move back. I was real damn close to pounding my chest in a very caveman move.
“Seriously, Bethy. Dance with me. Tripp needs to give a little attention to his, uh . . . well, the lady sitting beside him.”
“Oh,” Bethy said as awareness of what was happening dawned on her. She looked at her hands, still on me, then dropped them quickly and stepped back. “Right,” she said, glancing around nervously. “I’m sorry.”
I’d go dance with the woman to make Woods happy, but I wasn’t letting Bethy apologize. Fuck that. I grabbed her hand and tugged her back against me. “Do not apologize. Not for that,” I said, and then I placed her hand in Thad’s. “Careful,” I warned under my voice as I walked past him.
I turned all my frustration toward Woods, who was watching. He at least looked somewhat sorry.
Walking up to the table, I heard Charity trying to get Della to go dance with her husband and not to worry about her. Why couldn’t Thad have danced with her? Why did it have to be me? I shoved away the guilt that was trying to force its way through and put on a fake smile.
“Hey, Della, aren’t you supposed to be dancing? It’s your wedding,” I reminded her.
Della looked up at me with relief in her eyes. “Oh, yes, I was just visiting with Charity. Braden wasn’t feeling well. She’s been on her feet too long today. This second pregnancy is kicking her butt.”
Great. That answered my question from earlier. “I’ll visit with Charity. You go dance with your husband. He looks lonely,” I told her.
She smiled at me and nodded, then said good-bye to Charity before hurrying back to Woods. This was their night. I would do this for them. This once. But never again. And for no one else.
“You seemed very taken with the other dance partner you had. Did someone take her away from you?” Charity asked. I didn’t miss the annoyed tone in her voice.
I had the warmth of Bethy still in my arms. I wasn’t ready to have someone else replace that. I took a seat beside Charity instead of asking her to dance. “You enjoying yourself?” I asked, completely ignoring her comment.
She raised her eyebrows as if she was surprised I cared.
I was purposely not looking at Bethy in Thad’s arms. I couldn’t be sure I wouldn’t storm back there and take her away from him.
“My date has been very wrapped up with another woman for the past half hour. What do you think?” Her retort was sharp this time.
I leaned forward and started to inform her that she wasn’t my fucking date. She was here because Della invited her, not because I asked her. All I wanted right now was to go back out there and hold Bethy the only way she would let me. But I caught myself. I wasn’t cruel. Charity was a scorned woman who had been burned by her husband. She was at a wedding with a bunch of happily married people. She was hurting. And I, as one of the few bachelors here, was an easy target. I got that. “I’m in love with her,” I said. Charity needed to know that my attention was never going to be turned her way.
Charity rolled her eyes. “Sure you are. Big boobs and all those curves. I’m sure it’s love, all right.”
Reminding myself once again that Charity was going through a tough time was hard. “Yes, she’s beautiful, but it’s deeper than that,” I said, unable to hide that she’d pissed me off.
“Men. You see something you think is easy, and you’re all like panting dogs. News flash: tonight I was going to be easy.”
My hands fisted as I leveled my furious glare on her. She’d stepped over the line. No one, fucking no one, referred to Bethy as easy. Leaning forward, I clenched my teeth so tightly my jaw popped.
Charity sat back as her eyes went wide with fear.
I didn’t lose my shit often, but this woman was pushing me. “When I was eighteen years old, I fell in love. Not the first love kind of love but the big kind. The one-and-only kind of love. But because of parents who wanted to turn me into someone I wasn’t, I had to run to save myself. She was only sixteen and I couldn’t take her with me. When I ran, I did it for us, so I could come back for her when she was old enough.” The hard edge to my voice made her shoulders jerk and her face pale, but she was listening.
“But that didn’t happen. While I was running, she was facing something terrifying without me. I wasn’t there to stand by her and hold her. Because of that, I lost her. Years later, she fell in love again. With my cousin. And he was the better man.
“When I finally came home to face my demons, she was happy. More than anything on this earth, I wanted her happy. But again, tragedy hit us. A riptide pulled my cousin under the water while he was trying to save her life, and we both lost him.
“For eighteen months, I’ve had to watch as the woman I love walked through life lost. Hollow from her loss. She wouldn’t let me near her, because all I did was remind her of everything she’d lost. She yelled at me and said things that sliced me open in ways I don’t think I’ll ever recover from. But still, I follow her and watch over her every day. Because she’s alone. And I have to know she’s safe. It’s the only thing that keeps me going.” The angry tone in my voice was gone. I sounded as desperate as I felt.
Charity’s expression softened, and the shock in her eyes was replaced with sympathy. I looked out onto the dance floor as Dean Finlay, who had taken over for Thad, twirled Bethy around, making her smile.
“Tonight, for the first time in eight very long years, she let me hold her. She didn’t yell at me. She didn’t push me away. My cousin’s best friend got married tonight, and instead of my cousin standing up there as his best man, I had to take his place. But even with that reminder hovering over the night, she let me hold her.”
Charity followed my gaze and then made a soft “oh” sound.
I wasn’t sure why I told her everything. I wanted her to understand that I knew all about pain. She wasn’t the only one with shit in her past. I also wanted her to get that I would not be sleeping with her tonight.
“That’s her, then,” Charity said, watching Bethy laugh at Dean’s antics.
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“She’s beautiful,” Charity said in a whisper.
“The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. When I looked back at her, she smiled. “That’s a heartbreaking story. But it makes me believe there’s more out there for me. What I had was never that kind of love. I thought that kind of love was only in the movies. Seeing your face wh
en you talk about her, that’s what I want.” She stood up, and her smile brightened. “Thank you. For telling me all that. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I’ll admit, I was angry at you for not giving me any attention. But after hearing that and watching Della and Woods together, I know that Braden and Adam aren’t one of a kind. There really is someone out there for everyone. I’ve got that big love out there somewhere. I just haven’t found it yet.”
I nodded and stood up. “Let’s put it behind us. Want to dance?” I asked, holding out my hand in a gesture of friendship.
She let out a laugh and shook her head no. “No way. Go out there and dance with her. I’m waiting for a happily-ever-after here.”
I smiled gratefully. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dean walk Bethy over to their table. “You won’t get the ending tonight. We have so much to overcome,” I said, wishing it was that easy.
“I imagine so. But at least, if I’m going to be left with a cliffhanger, make it a good one,” Charity said with a teasing grin.
I wanted nothing more than for tonight to end as amazingly as it had started. “Wish me luck,” I said, shooting her one last smile before heading across the room to get Bethy.
“Her name is Bethy, right?” Charity asked.
I looked back at her. “Yeah.”
“Then I am totally Team Trethy.”
What the hell was she talking about? I didn’t ask, because I didn’t want to waste any more time.
Bethy
Dean was a good distraction. Thad had said Della needed Tripp to entertain Charity. Braden wasn’t feeling well, and Charity didn’t know anyone else. I understood that and should have been completely fine with it. I should have been relieved, actually. I’d been all over Tripp when Thad snapped me out of it. At some point, the feel of him and his breath against my neck had altered my common sense.
