She grabbed a stack of linens and started to arrange them over the tables. I followed her, catching the other end of the tablecloth with my hands. I helped her direct it over the table and make sure that the sides were even inlength.
“Are you okay?” I asked lowly, my eyes drinking in the sight of her, searching for an answer as we went about our task. We’d managed to cloth three tables before I could no longer hold back the flood of questions Ihad.
“I’m fine,” Becky responded, her gaze traveling across the room, noting where everyone was in relation to where we were. She shifted from foot to foot, her cheeks flushingprettily.
“Good, good,” I grinned. “Tomorrow’s the big day,huh?”
“Yep,” Becky said, her lips popping on the ‘p’. She continued to avoid my gaze, moving on to the nexttable.
“Come home with me after?” I said with a wink and a smile that was far toohopeful.
She swallowed hard, finally dragging her eyes back to mine. The fury that swirled within her irises took me by surprise. “What, lose interest in your blonde friend so soon?” she demandedhotly.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused. She cast a nervous glance to where her brother stood with his bride-to-be.
“This is exactly why I called things off,” she muttered, shaking her head at me in disappointment before she turned on her heel and stomped off to help Elle with the centerpieces. I gaped after her, completely at aloss.
I wanted to follow her, beg her to talk to me and let me know what I did to piss her off so much, but I knew that would only aggravate her more, so I backed off and focused on doing my part. I continued to spread the tablecloths and set out thecenterpieces.
Sue Thompson put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. “Alright folks! Pastor Bruce is here. It’s time to do that trial run!” she called out, her voice projecting easily across the gleaming dance floor. We all shuffled outside to the field where we’d set up for theceremony.
Gordon’s father and two brothers had set up the white chairs and the aisle while we’d set up the reception tent, and it lookedgreat.
I had been to a lot of completely over the top weddings—celebrities with millions of dollars to spare had no qualms with spending a sickening amount of money. None of those weddings would hold a candle to the set up at the Armstrong farm fortomorrow.
Gordon and Tommy had created a wedding arbor made from thick birch branches which sat almost twenty feet away from the bush. It was minimalistic and somehow, completely perfect…completely Tessa andBrock.
It was beautiful, but all I could focus on was Becky’s hostility and her remarks. “Who’s my blonde friend?” I whispered while we waited for our turn to take a spin down theaisle.
“Like you don’t know,” she whispered back angrily. She wouldn’t look atme.
“I don’t, actually. Care to enlightenme?”
“We are not talking about this right now,” Beckyhissed.
Pastor Bruce motioned us to move forward. Taking her arm, I escorted her down the aisle, my mind still whirling with the accusations she’d tossed at me. Becky didn’t look too pleased either. “Don’t forget to smile! This is a joyous day,” Pastor Bruce said, and both Becky and I forcedsmiles.
I had done something to disappoint her, that much was clear. But as I racked my brain, I couldn’t figure outwhy. I’d given her space because she said she wasbusy.
I released her arm and went to stand with Brock and Braden, my throat constricting as I watched Becky take her place beside Elle near the arbor. A few years ago, commitment and marriage weren’t even on my radar, and suddenly it was all I could think of and the person who’d finally sparked that interest and possibility seemed hell-bent on running every chance shegot.
At the rehearsal dinner, Becky made sure to sit as far away from me as she possibly could, focusing all of her attention on literally everybody else butme.
I sat on the opposite side of the table, between Gordon and his cousin Cheyenne. Cheyenne was a slight little thing, long fair hair, delicate features, big green eyes and a dusting of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks. We’d met a few times before, when she’d come to Parry Sound for a summer visit, but I’d never paid much attention to herbefore.
“I hope you don’t mind me sitting here,” she breathed, blinking up at meflirtatiously.
“It’s all good,” I shrugged. I could feel Becky’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. Turning, I caught her watching. She looked away the moment we locked gazes, but I’d seen the hurt in the depths of those cobalt blueeyes.
The evening was full of toasts and boisterous celebrating, but I couldn’t really get into it. I was happy as all hell for Brock and Tessa, but at a complete and total loss for how to handle the precarious situation withBecky.
My phone vibrated in my jeans. I pulled it out of my pocket, noticing I had a text message from Katie. All it contained was a link to an article on a celebrity gossip website. I clicked it, seeing several blurry pictures of me in Nashville. Then I read theheadline;
Notorious playboy country singer Travis Channing was spotted back in Nashville earlier this week with a blondebeauty.
I snorted, shaking my head and sliding the phone back into my pocket. I looked up, catching Becky’s eye, and shook my head slightly. I was equal parts amused and pissedoff.
Of course she’d seen the article and would have taken it the wrong way, but it stung that she’d sooner throw up walls than talk to me aboutit.
