Momma hummed. “He may not have said the words, but it certainly wasn’t allergies makin’ his eyes wet.”
“She’s right, you know,” Gran said. “The fool doesn’t know how to tell y’all how much he loves you, but he does.”
I couldn’t attest to that. And I certainly wouldn’t hold my breath to hear it from the man, since I never had in all mytwenty-six years. Probably some daddy issues to work through there, but my docket was already full to bursting, so I’d have to save it for another time.
I stripped down and tossed my shorts and tank into my oversized purse before slipping into my bridesmaid’s dress. “See? I’m ready, and y’all are still gettin’ Will situated.”
“Thanks for your help, by the way,” Mac said with an eye roll.
“Before we go out there,” Avery said, fixing Will’s veil, “I just wanna thank you for makin’ me maid of honor so I can walk down the aisle with Drew. I truly appreciate it.”
Will laughed. “You and I both know it’s not Finn’s twin your eye’s gonna be on.”
“Oh,really,” I asked. “And who might this other guy be?”
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”
“Mhmm, sure you don’t,” Will said wryly before turning around to face us.
Momma pressed a hand to her mouth and shook her head. “You look so beautiful, sweetheart.”
Everyone else murmured their agreement as we stood around the bride. Will’s dress was off the shoulder with a sweetheart neckline, a fairy princess gown made of all tulle. Lace roses trailed down the skirt, petals scattered about.
I stepped in front of my sister and handed her the bridal bouquet. “You ready to do this?”
Will accepted the flowers with a smile. “Been ready for years.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
NAT
At Asher’sand my wedding, things had been awkward. Not only had it all been sprung on us, but we’d also been dancing around each other, trying to balance the public persona of being in love, all while having experienced the mind-blowing kiss that morning in our bedroom.
Today couldn’t have been more different. While our paths hadn’t crossed much thanks to my bridesmaid and sisterly responsibilities, I’d felt his eyes on me all day. When Will and Finn had said their vows, I’d made the mistake of seeking him out.
He’d sat sandwiched between my momma, who had June in her lap, playing with her pearl necklace, and Gran, always the baby hog, entertaining Owen. And despite getting slapped in the face by a wayward baby fist, Asher hadn’t looked away from me.
I’d felt this overwhelming tug to go to him. Which was stupid for so many reasons. I hadn’t ever been controlled by my emotions. And besides, the emotions I was feeling now were just residual from the day’s festivities and my concern over the outcome of the custody hearing coming up.
It hadn’t mattered how much I’d wanted to go to him anyway, because my task list was full. First, there were the groupphotos with the definitely-not-as-good-as-me photographer. Then, I’d been pulled into a hundred different conversations with Havenbrook townsfolk, all of whom acted like they hadn’t just talked to me a couple weeks prior at my own wedding. And, of course, I’d had to make sure Will had been well fed and had plenty of water throughout the day, especially now knowing she was pregnant.
Watching the bride and groom had made me ache in a way I wasn’t at all familiar with. How Finn had looked at Will, how he’d held her—like she was precious. I’d snapped a photo of them when they no doubt thought no one was watching. They’d been off in a corner, Finn’s arms surrounding her, his hand resting on her belly, lips pressed to her temple. It was love captured in a single moment.
I had no idea why seeing them like that had me missing Asher. All day, we’d been like ships passing in the night. We hadn’t managed anything more than a quick kiss as we traded places, Asher passing the kids off to me as he grabbed his guitar and prepared to play for Will and Finn’s first dance.
All I could say was thank God for my nieces, because Ava and Ella were laughing and playing with June, keeping her occupied while I focused on Owen. He was contentedly sucking down a bottle in my arms, which meant I could focus on the man who’d taken the stage.
Asher wore what he’d worn to our wedding, and the sight stirred something deep inside me, a wave of possessiveness enveloping me, especially when his ring caught my eye.
He sat in the lone chair onstage, his guitar in his lap, and ran a hand through his hair before adjusting the mic. “How y’all doin’ tonight?”
The murmur of the crowd lowered until a hush fell over the room, everyone no doubt as mesmerized by his presence as I was. He’d always been magnetic on a stage—didn’t matter if hewas the solo performer in a dive bar or if he was playing in a band with the lights of an arena on him.
“No, you didn’t get lost and end up at an open mic night,” he said, one side of his mouth kicking up in response to the crowd’s laughter. “Will asked me to come play for y’all tonight. So how about we get the bride and groom out here for their first dance?”
Finn led Will onto the dance floor, spinning her out and away from him before pulling her in close. My sister laughed as she crashed into Finn’s chest, the two of them looking at each other like they were the only people in the room. And that damn ache settled in my chest again. Reflexively, my fingers twitched to capture the moment with my camera, but my hands were a little full.
It didn’t matter anyway, because my attention was snagged by the man strumming his guitar.
