“Uncle Hayden!” Sierra squeals as she makes her way to us. “You look so good! I already saw Miranda’s dress, but she looks good too.”
I laugh, giving Miranda a shrug before turning my attention to Sierra. “You’re so generous with your compliments. And you look very pretty, yourself.”
“I’m just saying.” Sierra shrugs before wandering off into the small crowd of guests.
Placing my hand at the small of Miranda’s back, I lean in close and speak. “I can’t take my eyes off you. Can I have the first dance?”
Color rises to her cheeks as she gives me a small smile and nods. It’s as if we don’t need to speak. Or don’t want to speak with people around. Either way, I don’t complain as we stand just close enough for me to feel the warmth radiating from Miranda’s body. I’m glad we ended up together in the bridal party, because there’s no way I’d have been able to stay away from her. At least now I have an excuse.
For being put together quickly, I’m impressed with the way this wedding has turned out. Once the ceremony is over, we move over to the tent, where tables and chairs have been setup. The food is buffet style and mostly consists of finger foods, but there’s so much variety that no one should leave hungry.
I pick up the bottle of sparkling wine from our side of the table and pour some into mine and Miranda’s glasses. “Cheers.”
“What are we toasting to?” Miranda asks with a demure smile.
Glancing around, I find the rest of the bridal party lost in their own conversations. “To… us.”
Miranda’s eyes widen, but I just smile and raise my glass. I don’t want to pretend anymore. If she doesn’t want people to know, I can deal with that. But I refuse to hide my feelings from her. Life is too short. We clink glasses, and I can’t look away. Even when I take a sip and swallow the cool, bubbly liquid.
Her cheeks flush, and I can’t help but recall all the times she blushed that night. It’s only been a couple of weeks since I had her, but I’m desperate to have her again. Unfortunately, if she wants to keep this thing quiet, that doesn’t leave much opportunity for us to be alone together. Not with a teenager around. And I know if I push, that will only make her run. She doesn’t trust her heart with me, which is understandable. I kept pushing her away, and now that she’s determined to move on, I finally decided to stop fighting my feelings.
The emcee announces the first dance, and I don’t hesitate to take Miranda’s hand and lead her near the makeshiftdancefloor so we can join in when the bridal party and other guests are invited to join. Tate looks down at Joy like she’s the only person in the room. My thoughts go back to when they first met, and a smile tugs at my lips when I think about how out of his element he was. I gave him advice as if he’d never dated a woman before. And now, here he is, the perfect example of the way a loving and supportive partner should be.
We join the couple on the dancefloor, and my hands go straight to Miranda’s waist as I hold her close. Closing my eyes, I breathe in her scent and focus only on the way she feels in my arms. If this is all I can get right now, I won’t complain.
Chapter 34
Miranda
Hayden’s hands heat my skin through the thin fabric of my dress. We haven’t left the floor since the bridal party dance, and I’m not complaining. As each song plays, I find myself dreading the end of the night. While the other couples will go home together, I’ll be left to go home to an empty bed where I’ll pine over a man I can’t have.
“Hayden,” my mother’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I instinctively take a step back, as if we haven’t been on the dancefloor together the entire time.
“Did you want to cut in?” Hayden teases.
My mom laughs and shakes her head. “No. Just wondered if we can steal Sierra for the night. You all look like you’re having a good time, so I didn’t mean to interrupt. I have some time tomorrow and thought it would be fun to have a girls’ day. Figured it would be easier to do a sleepover than have you bring her over early in the morning.”
I narrow my eyes at my mother. She smiles sweetly as she awaits Hayden’s response, but I don’t trust it. An impromptu sleepover? Sierra isn’t a toddler. Who the hell is having an impromptu sleepover as a teenager, when it doesn’t involve their friends?
“I’m fine with getting out of here if she’s ready to go,” Hayden says after a glance in my direction. “And I don’t mind getting her to you in the morning if there’s something you want to do with her.”
Hayden keeps a hand on my lower back as he leads us from the dance floor. My mother continues to wave him off even after we’re off to the side. All I can pay attention to is his hand as it heats my back.
“Hayden, don’t be silly. It doesn’t make sense for you to rush home only to turn around first thing in the morning to drive her to our house. Not when it’s just as easy for her to just come with us. She can sleep in Miranda’s old room. And if you’re worried about it, she can sleep at Miranda’s and then walk over.”
I hate that my mother’s suggestion makes sense. My first thought when she mentioned the sleepover was that maybe I wouldn’t have to spend a long, depressing night alone after all. I’m usually fine being by myself. It’s never bothered me, but there’s something about weddings that makes being single feel extremely depressing. Technically, I’m not sure I shouldconsider myself single, but if I have to go home alone to an empty bed, I might as well be. I can’t say anything to Hayden about it with my mother here, so I clamp my teeth down on my bottom lip and look anywhere but at him.
“If Sierra wants to stay over, I’m okay with it. I trust you all more than I even trust myself. At least you know how to keep a kid alive; I’m out here winging it.”
My mother claps her hands and thanks Hayden as if they aren’t the ones taking on a teenager for the night. When she turns to walk away, she winks at me. My blood goes cold. She knows. She has to know. Why else would she wink at me before walking away? I’m left staring after her as I wonder if she staged that entire thing to give Hayden and me some time alone. There’s no way. That would be too weird…
“You alright?” Hayden asks from beside me.
“I think she knows about us,” I say quietly.
I wait for him to panic. For a look of fear to cross his expression. But instead, he smiles and leads me back to the dance floor. “Stay with me tonight?”
“Are you crazy?” I ask above the music, but I’m careful to keep from drawing attention to us. “I tell you my mom knows, and your response is to invite me over?”
