Seducing the Best Man (Wild Wedding Nights #1)

by Sasha Summers

  When he turned to Cady, she was staring blindly into the distance. He’d never seen her like that, thoughtful, still. She was normally in constant motion, twitching and tapping and scooching around in her chair. Now she was a statue. A statue that looked almost vulnerable. A statue he couldn’t figure out but was willing to spend hours trying to.

  Apparently, Bianca saw Cady’s change, too, and gripped her friend’s hand tightly. Cady seemed to snap out of it then, her body tightening, her fingers tucking that wayward strand of hair behind her ear. When she glanced his way, there was a reticence that hadn’t been there before. She nodded at him, a slight, jerky motion. But he knew what it meant. She was going to help him.

  Their dinner arrived, making small talk sparse. By the time conversation picked up again, Cady was back to her sassy self. Which made her even more of a mystery. He kept waiting for something to make her less intriguing, instead of more. He was fighting a losing battle.

  “Lots to be done.” Cady grinned. “I could really shake things up, take some time off.”

  Patton laughed at Bianca’s disbelieving expression. “Cady, you haven’t taken a vacation since you started working there.”

  “I did, that time in New York—”

  “You were there for a business trip. It turned into a long weekend,” Bianca argued.

  Cady frowned. “What about Jamaica?”

  “Another long weekend,” Bianca countered.

  “And the cruise we went on for my promotion?” Cady asked. “It lasted four days.”

  “Two years ago?” Bianca sat back, crossing her arms. “Four days is really still a long weekend.”

  “So long weekends don’t count?” Cady asked, looking at each of them.

  “For a vacation?” Zach clarified, shaking his head. “Not really.”

  Bianca smiled.

  “Of course, he’s going to say that. He’s sort of required to take your side from now on.” Cady laughed then looked at Patton and arched a brow. “What do you think, Patton?”

  Patton shrugged.

  “You can’t ask him,” Zach interrupted. “It’s been more than four years since he was on vacation. But I’m not sure Russ’s death counts as a vacation.”

  Patton’s hold on his beer bottle tightened, his jaw tightening. Someday it wouldn’t bother him to hear his little brother’s name. Someday, he’d think of him and not feel crushed by the weight of tangled emotions and regrets.

  “Oh.” Cady’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry.”

  Patton looked at her. Her brown eyes bore into his, the genuine sympathy on her face easing some of the tightness in his chest. He nodded, taking another long drink of his beer.

  “Sounds like we could both use a real vacation,” Cady offered.

  “See, it is a shame you two didn’t hit it off.” Bianca leaned into Zach. “You could have taken a trip together, somewhere way off the beaten path. A beach holiday—”

  “A naked beach holiday. Talk about a stress reliever.” Zach raised his beer. “Sounds like a damn fine idea for a honeymoon.”

  Patton tuned out for the rest of the conversation. He spent a few agonizing minutes thinking about the potential of a naked holiday with Cady. He suspected they’d both need a vacation to recover. He grinned.

  “Earth to Patton,” Zach said. “Get lost over the whole beach vacation?”

  Patton cleared his throat then shook his head.

  “Man of many words,” Cady teased.

  “Was he this chatty on your date?” Bianca asked.

  “Hey—” he held his hands up “—I’ve never said my dating etiquette is up to snuff.”

  The others laughed.

  “When was the last date you were on, besides your date with Cady?” Zach asked.

  Patton glared at his brother. “This is relevant to wedding planning?”

  “It’s not,” Zach agreed. “I’m just giving you shit because I’m your brother and it’s what brothers do.”

  Patton shook his head. “Lucky me.”

  Cady and Bianca laughed.

  By the time the meal was over, his patience was gone.

  Cady enjoyed another Whiskey Special with extra olives, tormenting him to the point of injury. He wanted her so much it hurt. When his brother was saying a rather passionate good-night to Bianca on the sidewalk, he gave in to the urge to touch Cady. All night long, he’d remembered the silk of her skin under his fingertips, the warmth of her body cradling him deep inside her, the rasp of her breath on his bare skin... And now, with her big brown eyes looking up at him, he let his fingers trail the length of her neck.

  Her shiver was the only response he needed.

  When she drove away, he went home to a long, cold shower and a restless night.

  7

  “PEACH, BIBI,” Cady argued, putting the hunter green back on the rack. “Your wedding, your color.”

  “Fine. Let’s start with these,” Bianca said, tugging the dressing-room curtain closed behind her. “No arguing with the bride.”

  Cady sighed, eyeing the two dresses with doubt. She tried the chiffon dress first. “What do you think?” She slipped out of the dressing room and stood on a dais in front of a three-way mirror. “It’s lovely, very traditional.” Not in the least her style, but she suspected Bianca would love it.

  “Ooh, it makes me think of big bands, moonlight dances and romance,” Bianca gushed.

  Cady smiled. “Well, that was easy.”

  Bianca stood, cocking her head. “It also looks like something you’ll never wear again.” She eyed the price tag. “If I’m going to make you pay for something, I’d like to think it’s something you actually like. So go try on the other one, please.”

  Cady put her hands on her hips. “Bibi, do you like this one?”

  “I do.” She put her hands on her hips, too. “But I might like the other one better.”

  Cady sashayed into the dressing room, asking the question she’d been dying to ask. “How are you feeling about Zach’s mom’s dress?” she called out while she changed. Mrs. Ryan had surprised Bibi, offering her wedding dress to her future daughter-in-law. “Guess it’s a little awkward.”

  “She doesn’t have a daughter. She’d mentioned her dress before. Apparently, Patton’s ex-fiancée was going to wear it. But that obviously didn’t happen.”

  Cady froze. “Patton was engaged?” She had a hard time imagining that.

  “Yes. Ellie? She was at the party.” Bianca answered.

  Ellie? The one Patton had danced with. Cady slid on the next dress. “The pretty blonde?” Her throat felt tight. Her thoughts bounced forward to Carolina. Blonde, tall... Like Ellie.

  “Yes. She’s supersweet,” Bianca answered. “It’s a shame it didn’t work out between them.”

  If it had worked out, they would never have happened. Would that have been better? Never knowing—experiencing—Patton? She cleared her throat. “Did he break it off?” She smoothed the fabric into place.

  “No,” Bianca paused. “Why are you so interested?”

  Because...if he’d been engaged, he was capable of real feelings. If he’d been engaged, he’d talked, laughed and enjoyed things with a woman. And if she’d broken it off, he might have had his heart broken. All information that conflicted with the way she pictured Patton. But it might help explain why he was so gun-shy about Bianca and Zach’s wedding. “I’m not,” she called out, pushing the curtain back. “Just making small talk.” She stepped up onto the dais.

  “That’s the dress.” Bianca walked around her. “It’s perfect. So...you.”

  Cady looked at her reflection in the mirror. No flounces or extra fabric. Clean lines and just the right hint of sparkle. It hugged her curves while remaining elegant. She loved it. “Are you sure?”

&nbs
p; Bianca nodded. “Yep. Perfect.”

  Cady stared at her reflection. She looked great. And about as opposite from Ellie as possible. Where did that come from?

  “We have the dress steamed and ready to try on,” the assistant appeared.

  “Just because you have Mrs. Ryan’s dress doesn’t mean you have to wear it,” Cady reminded her. “Where is the dress she originally picked out?” she asked the assistant.

  “I have it in the back,” the woman answered.

  “Oh, Cady,” Bianca sighed. “Let’s see what the seamstress can do with Mrs. Ryan’s first.”

  Once Bianca was back in Mrs. Ryan’s dress, Cady stepped back. The dress was gorgeous, there was no denying it. But it wasn’t Bianca’s style—Bianca was more princess.

  “You’d look great in this,” Bianca said, holding out the lace dress.

  Cady didn’t say anything—what could she say? Yes, it was the dreamiest wedding dress she’d ever seen. And, yes, she could only imagine how magical it would be to wear it... But she wasn’t the one getting married—thank God.

  The assistant walked around the dress. “Let me get our seamstress. I’m sure she’ll have some lovely ideas.”

  Cady sighed. “Bibi—”

  “I want to make Zach’s mom happy.”

  “And Zach wants you to be happy.” She paused. Wait, she was supposed to be trying to stop this wedding, not supporting it. What would cause the most friction? Buying a new dress she couldn’t afford? Or seriously altering her new mother-to-be’s wedding dress? She ignored the knot in her stomach.

  “It’s really that bad?” Bianca asked.

  She stood, circling her friend. “Let’s see what the seamstress says.” She snapped a few pictures on her phone. “In case you want to look at it later.”

  The seamstress had some great ideas. But the price for the alterations was almost as much as a new dress.

  Cady insisted she try on the other dress, for comparison’s sake. When Bianca emerged from the dressing room, Cady bit her lip. This is what Bibi should wear, from the glittering tiara and veil to the lit-up-from-the-inside blissful smile. A whirlwind of emotions hit hard, leaving Cady speechless. Of all the thoughts and feelings spinning in her head, she held on to doubt. Bianca deserved the real deal, not a barely reformed playboy who would destroy her heart again.

  “It’s a beautiful dress,” the assistant prompted. “And it fits perfectly, so no alterations are needed.”

  “It is,” Bianca agreed. “But I can’t really afford it.”

  “We have a payment plan,” the assistant offered.

  “The wedding is in five weeks,” Bianca argued.

  “Oh.” The assistant frowned. “I need to check with the seamstress to see if she can get the alterations on the other one done in that amount of time.” She hurried into the back.

  Cady snapped a few pictures of Bianca, the difference between the two obvious. But she kept quiet as she helped Bianca change out of the dress, unable to stop herself from checking the price. Cady frowned. As far as wedding dresses went, the dress was a steal. And yet, Bianca couldn’t afford it?

  Which made Cady worry. If she and Patton didn’t get to work soon, Bianca would be spending more money she didn’t have to spend. She needed to figure out who was paying for what so that, when this whole mess was over, Bianca wouldn’t be hurting financially as well as emotionally.

  While they were ordering her maid-of-honor dress, the assistant assured them that the alterations could be done in time. As long as the seamstress started no later than Tuesday. Bianca shot Cady a look. It made Cady’s stomach hurt to keep her mouth shut, but she managed it.

  “One thing down, ninety-nine to go.” Bianca laughed as they climbed into her Jeep. “Thanks for having us over for dinner tonight.”

  “You know me, a multitasker. But this is a working dinner, Bibi. I want us to go over Carolina’s list so I know who’s doing what, when things are due and what I can do.” Because she and Patton would need every piece of information to stop this wedding in its tracks.

  * * *

  PATTON DIDN’T KNOW what he’d expected from Cady’s apartment, but this wasn’t it. It was white, sleek and modern. He’d always thought a home reflected the people that lived there. But Cady wasn’t stark or impersonal. She was warm and expressive, a spectrum of color and emotions. Cady was passion.

  He glanced into the kitchen, watching Cady chop vegetables. She was in cutoff shorts and a gauzy top, bare feet flitting around the kitchen. He smiled.

  Zach sat at the bar with Bianca, talking about work and travel and honeymoon destinations.

  Patton sighed. Trailing his fingers down the keys of the shiny black upright piano that rested against the far wall of the open kitchen-living-room combo they were in.

  “Feel free to entertain us,” Zach said.

  “There’s music in the drawer.” Cady pointed to the black desk that sat against the window, overlooking the city of Lassiter below. Less than an hour north of Dallas, Lassiter was growing by leaps and bounds each year as more families sought to escape the big city. “Help yourself.”

  Patton almost turned her down. But then, he opened the drawer and flipped through the sheet music. Anything that might give him an insight about Cady. “You play?” he asked, pulling out several music books. Film scores. Beatles songs. Pink Floyd. Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

  “I do,” Cady answered.

  “She plays piano, guitar and violin,” Bianca answered.

  “Viola, not violin,” Cady corrected. “I like the deeper strings.”

  Patton closed the drawer and looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. He could imagine her caught up in the music, eyes closed, intent.

  Cady arched an eyebrow in return. “You do play piano, right?”

  He grinned. “Just piano... And it’s been a while.”

  “Mom tried to get all of us to play something. She wanted us to be the next Partridge family or something.” Zach shrugged.

  “Are your folks musical?” Cady asked.

  “No,” Zach admitted then laughed.

  “I was piano.” Patton smiled at Cady. “Spence plays guitar—”

  “Chicks dig guitar more than piano,” Zach interjected.

  “Russ played both. But somehow Zach got out of it.” Patton ignored his brother.

  “Maybe all the years of listening to you guys changed Mom’s mind?” Zach teased.

  “Maybe.” Patton leaned against the bar.

  “I have an idea,” Cady said suddenly.

  She walked around the counter, grabbing his hand and tugging him to the piano bench. He didn’t resist her. And when she sat on the bench, squishing close beside him, he didn’t mind. She smelled fantastic, sweet and clean and delicious—he could get drunk on the smell of her.

  “Chopsticks?” she asked.

  He drew in an unsteady breath and grinned. “I might actually remember how to play that one.”

  She smiled. By the time they’d played the song through, they were both smiling. But she kept going, making him play faster and faster until he threw up his hands in defeat.

  “You win.” He laughed, appreciating the flush of color on her cheeks.

  “Which was my plan all along,” she admitted, her gaze meeting his.

  He reached up, tucking the strand of blond hair behind her ear without thought. Her skin was silk.

  She blinked then jumped up and hurried back into the kitchen. “Now that you’re all warmed up, why don’t you play something?”

  He couldn’t look at Zach or Bianca. He knew they’d seen his moment of familiarity—and what it might mean. “Maybe after he leaves. He tends to heckle,” Patton said and then offered, “Can I help in the kitchen?”

  Cady smiled, but avoided his gaze. “No,
thank you.”

  Patton ignored the inquisitive expression on his brother’s face. Instead he poked around the living room and wandered, wishing there was more than five large black-and-white framed prints and a few glass bowls full of shells decorating the apartment. Either she wasn’t here very often or she’d just moved in. But Zach’s words reminded him he was there for reasons other than learning about Cady.

  “We’re using flowers from the Botanical Gardens, Creative Cakes for the cakes,” Zach sighed. “You’ve found your maid-of-honor dress.”

  “In peach,” Cady added.

  “Thanks, Cady.” Zach grabbed Cady’s hand. “I really appreciate your willingness to give Bianca what she wants.”

  Patton saw Cady’s smile dim, the way she glanced at him before she smiled. “What are best friends for?”

  He knew Cady was looking to him for cues, so he took a deep breath and jumped in. “Bianca’s grandmother changed her stance on an outdoor wedding?”

  “No, she hasn’t.” Bianca’s expression said it all.

  “She has the right to her own opinion.” Zach kissed her cheek as he took the bowl of salad and carried it to the table.

  “Not to be the voice of doom here, but how is that going to go over?” Patton asked. Zach scowled at him while Bianca blinked back tears. “Sore subject?” Patton asked, taking the large bowl of stir-fry from Cady. “I’ll get that.”

  “O-okay.” Cady was frowning, watching Bianca’s attempt to pull herself together.

  “Bianca wants the gardens.” Zach frowned. “The ruin is the only choice. It’s booked.”

  An awkward silence fell. Patton glanced at Cady. Cady was looking at Zach. Zach was watching Bianca. And Bianca was staring at her plate.