Seducing the Best Man (Wild Wedding Nights #1)

by Sasha Summers

  “Patton—”

  “Give me a minute,” he bit out. The truck fell quiet while he processed this new information. Did Zach know about this? Or the DWI? “What about the DWI?” he asked.

  Cady turned in her seat. “How did you know about that? Oh, you...you did a background check on her?” Her voice was high and pinched. “Did Zach ask you to check up on her? Or did you take this on yourself?” She waited, but he didn’t say a thing. “How is that fair? We all have mistakes in our past, Patton. But not all of us have the resources to track it all down like you do.”

  He wasn’t about to apologize for protecting his family. “I’m guessing the DWI is why Bianca doesn’t drink?”

  But Cady wasn’t talking. And when he looked over at her, she was staring out the window—her arms crossed over her chest, red faced and breathing hard.

  “You can be pissed at me, Cady, I get it. But you need to understand this isn’t about attacking Bianca. I’m trying to stop this wedding, remember? The wedding we both disapprove of.” He breathed deeply, his stomach churning. “Does Zach know this? About the DWI? And the engagements?”

  “How can you say you’re not attacking Bianca? You want to use her past to make her...her unfit to marry your brother.” She shook her head, ignoring his questions. “Did he ask you to run the background check?”

  “What does it matter, Cady? It’s done.” He shook his head. “Clearly, they don’t know each other. They sure as hell shouldn’t be getting married.”

  “And the best way to stop them is tear Bianca apart? It will destroy her, Patton. No matter what you think of her, she’s a good person. Surely you can see that?” Her brown eyes were fixed on him, demanding some sort of concession. “She’s been through so much—”

  “We’re talking about facts, Cady.” He swallowed back the regret.

  Cady’s stare was hard, unblinking and cold. “Guess the cake and the stripper are overkill at this point, huh?”

  “Cady...” But what could he say.

  “What was I thinking? What were we doing?” She shook her head. “I’m such an idiot.”

  He heard the frustration in her voice and it tore at his chest. He was tempted to drive past Bianca’s shop, to try to talk through things. But there was nothing to say. As much as he cared about Cady, he had an obligation to his brother—his family.

  He pulled into the parking lot of Bianca’s Jardin and turned off the truck.

  “Do me one favor,” her voice was soft, thick.

  He didn’t look at her. “What?”

  “Don’t do this publicly,” she pleaded. “You don’t know what she’s been through. What her family has been through.”

  He glanced at her then, still reeling from everything he’d learned. “Cady, this is always what we’d planned on doing.”

  She shook her head. “Not like this.” Her eyes were huge in her pale face.

  “You really thought a cake mix-up and an ex-girlfriend would be enough?” he asked.

  Her anger roared to life. “I don’t know what I thought, Patton. I don’t have a vast experience with this sort of thing. Yes, I wanted to stop this—to prevent them from getting hurt. But you’re using information that’s private. Damn you, Patton, you’re making me betray Bianca.”

  “I’m making sure my brother knows the truth about the woman he’s engaged to.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “Facts that my brother needs to know.”

  “Was this your plan all along?” She choked out the words. “Get to know the best friend. Soften me up. Charm me into bed. Make me fall for you. So you can get all the inside trash on Bianca?”

  The ground seemed to fall away beneath him. His lungs emptied, and his heart shuddered to a stop. He stared at her. Make me fall for you. Her words sliced through his heart, making him realize he’d just lost everything he wanted. Cady. Loving him.

  “Well, here’s another fact for you. You are an asshole,” she snapped, pushing out of his truck and into the shop before he could put together a rational response.

  He stared after her, his heart thumping and his chest aching heavily. What was he supposed to do now? Ten seconds ago, it had been crystal clear. Now he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t want to lose Cady... He swallowed, staring blindly through the windshield.

  But he couldn’t keep this from Zach. Bianca was making life choices on the opinion of her grandmother and the old woman’s dreams—hardly a solid foundation for a long-term commitment. Marriage to someone with commitment issues, regardless of the circumstances, was a bad idea. He ran a hand over his face. What the hell would happen when the old woman dreamed Zach was no good? Would Bianca dump him? His brain was working overtime when Zach came striding out of the flower shop, heading straight to Patton’s window.

  He glanced at Patton through the glass, his face lined with concern. Patton rolled down the window. “Hey.”

  “Hey?” Zach asked, shaking his head. “Cady’s all bent out of shape.”

  “Get in,” Patton nodded at the passenger door.

  “We’re kind of in the middle of something. There’s not a lot of time to get things pulled together, you know.” Zach laughed. “You have a thing for Cady—we all know you two are hot for each other. But your timing sucks—”

  “Zach,” Patton cut him off. “Did you know Bianca’s been engaged before?”

  Zach frowned. His jaw tightened before he responded. “You were engaged before. Did you tell Cady? Don’t be a dick, Patton—”

  “Three times?” Patton finished.

  He wasn’t sure what was worse, the look on Zach’s face or the way his little brother gripped the truck for support. “Three?” He looked at his brother.

  “Can you get in the damn truck?” Patton asked again.

  “There’s more?” Zach was pale.

  “Just—”

  “No!” Zach yelled back. “I know what you’re trying to pull. You want me to call the wedding off? You want me to believe you, without talking to her? Without listening to her side of the story.”

  Patton’s own anger rose. Not at Zach necessarily—but for the whole situation. He didn’t want to be the bad guy. He wanted to be the voice of reason. Sometimes the truth hurt, but it didn’t change the fact that it was the truth. A truth that had cost him Cady. “Ask her why she broke off the engagements. Ask her about her DWI, too. What else don’t you know?” He paused. “I know you care about her, but you need to ask yourself if you know her the way you think you do. Maybe it’s better to consider postponing things until then.”

  Zach was staring at him with such hatred that Patton stopped talking. They’d been so loud that neither of them heard Bianca come out of the shop.

  “It’s all true.” Bianca stood, her hand braced on the handle of the shop door. “I was engaged th-three times. I should have told you. About everything. I’m sorry, Zach.” She looked at the ground.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Zach asked, his voice tight and unsteady. “A DWI?”

  Bianca shrugged. “I...I was embarrassed.” She spoke quickly, her words so soft and rushed it was hard to understand her. “It’s not something I’m proud of...something I’d planned. Patton’s right.”

  Zach was staring at her now. “About what?”

  Bianca looked at him, the pain in her eyes so intense Patton looked away. “We’re rushing this. I think maybe...” Her voice broke. “We need to...to break off our engagement.”

  Patton felt the weight of her words. His grip tightened on his steering wheel as he looked at his brother. Zach’s fists were clenched tightly, his posture so rigid he worried his little brother might just break.

  “Don’t you think we need to talk?” Zach bit out. “Just the two of us?”

  Bianca drew in a deep breath. “Yes... I guess... I don’t know, Zach.” She sniffed
, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Nothing I say can change my past...” She shook her head and wiped her tears away. “It’s the right thing to do. We both know it.” She cleared her throat, drawing Patton’s attention. “So, I’m going to go break the news to my family. You...you should get in touch with your mom before she gets here—so this doesn’t get...w-worse.”

  Zach almost went for her then. Hell, Patton was tempted, too. But she held her hand up, keeping him at a distance.

  “Bianca—” Zach’s voice was brittle.

  “Please, Zach.” Bianca shook her head. “We’re all adults here. This isn’t the end of the world. Just...us.” She disappeared inside her shop.

  Zach spun to face him. “I’m sorry your life is shit. But that doesn’t mean you need to spread it around.” He spun on his heel and walked to the shop. He paused at the door, breathing hard. He stared at the handle, then backed away and headed toward Patton’s truck. “I can’t deal with Mom right now, but I’m sure you can.”

  Patton sat there, watching his little brother’s truck disappear down the street. He took in a deep breath and picked up his phone.

  * * *

  “WHAT DO YOU NEED?” Cady asked Bianca for the hundredth time.

  Bianca shook her head, her nose swollen and her eyes red and bloodshot. “I can’t think. I know there are things that need to get done for work...but I can’t wrap my head around it.”

  Cady pulled her into her arms, her heart broken and aching for her best friend—for herself. “It can wait. Celeste can handle the shop—I can help if she needs anything. Besides, Landon knows what’s going on.” She pressed a kiss to Bianca’s temple.

  “I’m so sorry, Cady,” Bianca whispered, her voice shaking.

  “Why are you apologizing?” she asked. “I’m the one that should be sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Cady,” Bianca argued. “You fell in love, you confided, you let go.” She sniffed. “And now you’ve lost him. Like I’ve lost Zach.”

  She wanted to argue with Bianca, but there was no way to get the words past the lump in her throat. She hadn’t told Bianca about her feelings for Patton or what had happened. There was no need—Bibi knew. She forced herself to argue. “He was never mine, Bibi.” The words hurt. “I sure as hell don’t want him now.”

  Bianca pushed out of Cady’s hold. “Oh, Cady...” She shook her head. “If things had been reversed, you would have done exactly what Patton did. You would have protected me, no matter what.”

  Cady scowled at Bianca. Would she? Yes, her allegiance was to Bibi first but... “I would have talked to Zach first. I would have asked him to talk to you. Privately, respectfully—”

  “You’re you.” Bianca shook her head. “They’ve already lost their brother and their father. Patton’s so...guarded. Of course he is going to go straight to Zach.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Patton. Let’s focus on you and what will cheer you up.” Cady stood, collecting the used tissues that littered the coffee table. “First, I’m making coffee.”

  “Thank you,” Bianca answered. “I’m going to lie here and pull myself together.”

  Cady smiled at her best friend’s sad attempt at a joke. “I think you’re holding it together pretty damn well.” She paused. “And thank you for not being angry with me.”

  “I could never be angry with you, Cady. I love you too much,” Bianca said with a slow smile.

  Guilt hit Cady like a ton of bricks. Would Bibi still feel that way if she’d known about her and Patton’s plan? She hated what had happened today, hated the way it was handled. But today’s events had done exactly what she and Patton had wanted. It had ended the engagement—and crushed Bianca.

  She’d caught sight of Zach as he stood outside the shop, staring at the door handle. He looked as if he’d been punched—repeatedly—and he hadn’t been able to find his bearings. For a moment she hoped he’d come in and talk to Bianca. Anything to make this less horrible. Instead he climbed into his truck and peeled out of the parking lot. Cady was slammed with a wave of self-loathing. What had she been thinking? What right did she have to interfere with Bibi’s choice—and her heart?

  She’d glared at Patton through the shop window, knowing full well he couldn’t see her through the window tinting. It didn’t matter. It made her feel better. As much as she blamed herself, she blamed him more.

  She made coffee in Bianca’s tiny kitchen. The apartment over the shop was minuscule—three “comfy” rooms Bibi called home. It wasn’t much, but it was warm and inviting and full of love. Just like Bianca. Cady stared into the coffeepot, her eyes filling with tears.

  Today should never have happened. No matter what Bibi said, Cady knew the truth. It was all her fault. If she’d kept her mouth shut, kept Patton at arm’s length... She brushed her thoughts aside. What-ifs weren’t going to make Bibi feel better. Right now, that was all that mattered.

  When she returned with two steaming mugs, heavy on the cream and sugar, she found Bianca poring over a photo album.

  Cady sat beside her, smiling at the pictures. “Is that GG?”

  “And that handsome devil is my grandfather.” Bianca patted the picture. “GG said she still misses him. He’s been gone for almost sixteen years.”

  Cady stared at the picture. There was no denying the young couple in the photograph were deeply in love. “I guess that’s real love.”

  Bianca nodded. “I love how they met. Has GG ever told you the story?” Bianca waited for Cady to shake her head before going on. “They met on a Saturday night; they were both at the cinema with friends and felt that instant thing—you know, that spark? He asked her father for her hand on Wednesday and they were married the following Sunday.”

  “One week?” Cady was stunned. “And they knew?” She wanted to argue. But she couldn’t. She stared at Bianca looking through the album. Bianca had felt that spark with Zach. Cady remembered Bibi’s phone call, her friend going on about their instant connection. Cady had downplayed it... Because she hadn’t understood. Now, maybe, she did. Love wasn’t a choice. She wished she had some way of un-loving Patton, but she couldn’t. She hated him for what he did—but she loved him. “You should talk to him, Bibi,” Cady spoke, glancing at the phone Bianca had silenced.

  Bianca shook her head.

  “He’s called six times,” Cady pushed. “Please call him. Patton might have unloaded a bunch of...facts on him. But you know there’s more to the story.”

  Bianca shrugged. “He’ll think better of me if he knows? That he’ll still love me?”

  Cady nodded. “Of course he will.” She swallowed. She and Bibi had an unspoken promise never to mention her exes, but today she was going to make an exception. “Dan cheated on you so you broke off the engagement. Who wouldn’t? Francisco...his accident left you heartbroken. That was why you were driving drunk and got your DWI.”

  “And Marcus?” Bibi asked.

  “You broke it off with him because it didn’t feel right, Bibi.” Cady sighed. “That doesn’t make you a bad person. If anything, it makes you cautious—”

  “A cautious person that’s been engaged three—four now—times?” Bianca laughed then burst into tears.

  “Bibi—”

  “Oh.” Bianca jumped up, dialing a number. “Yes, yes...This is Bianca Garza...Yes, have you started the alterations on the wedding dress?”

  Cady’s heart sank lower.

  “Oh, good. That’s such good news.” Bianca paused. “No, no, I won’t be purchasing the other dress.” Bianca’s voice broke.

  Cady took the phone and finished the conversation. Bianca didn’t need to deal with any of this, not right now. She made arrangements to pick up the dress sometime next week and hung up. Zach tried to call again, but Bianca refused to take his call.

  “I want pizza,” Bianca said,
pulling a quilt over her lap. “And a movie—a comedy. I’d rather laugh than cry.”

  “Pizza is coming up.” Cady nodded. “Find us a movie while I order.” She pulled out her phone to order their meal—and tried not to be crushed by the fact that none of her missed calls were from Patton Ryan.

  12

  CADY SPENT MOST of the weekend at Bianca’s. She pulled Bibi out long enough to stock her refrigerator, but Bibi wasn’t up for much more. They binge-watched slapstick comedy and ate every variety of takeout. When Bianca needed a cry, Cady let her cry. She didn’t know what else to do.

  The only good thing that came from the weekend was a smooth program run. She had to login to work a few times to prevent lags, but it hadn’t been stressful. Not compared to the rest of the weekend—the rest of her life. Her mind wouldn’t stop working. Even when Bianca slept, Cady couldn’t. She was worried about Bibi, her family—the Ryans and Zach. Her heart ached for all of them.

  Especially Patton.

  Bianca’s defense had taken some of the bite out of her anger. She was still mad at him for the way he’d handled things, but... Bianca was right. She would have told Bibi if things had been reversed... Not that she was willing to forgive and forget. Not yet.

  It infuriated her that she was so angry—and yet, she missed him. But she did. She wanted to see him so she could yell at him. She wanted to fight with him until they’d made peace with what had happened and found a way to make it work. She wanted to touch him... To have him wrap her in his arms. Instead she needed to forget him.

  When Cady arrived for work Monday, she was an exhausted train wreck of emotions.

  Sadly, the Charles rumor hadn’t disappeared. Was he seriously getting her promotion? If she’d been in charge, Charles would have been fired. He was a nice guy, but he was out of his element. He should never—ever—be allowed to write code or touch their security database. Maybe that was his plan? To fail so epically that his father would send him back to the payroll department? Was it possible that—even after the hours of texts, phone calls and meetings, he really hadn’t learned a thing from her? When a new error popped up that afternoon, she gave up trying to figure out what he’d done wrong and focused on fixing it. She worked late then crashed on Bibi’s couch.