“I know.”
That’s what makes things different with Jordan. He takes me seriously.
Standing here next to him, close enough to smell his woodsy cologne, is dangerous. I’ve been spending so much time chasing an idea of what I want, only for it to walk into my life and stand right in front of me in a tan suit jacket, still just barely out of reach. I want something real. Something honest. It’s hard notto see the promise of those things in his eyes. Jordan could be all of that and so much more for some incredibly lucky someone. Just not me. I need to accept that.
Our bodies have been edging closer, and he’s only a few inches away when we both turn toward the water to watch the setting sun. The reception will be wrapping up soon. It’s windy, and I brush a few strands of hair out of my face as a chill runs through me. This sleeveless dress was perfect earlier in the day, but the temperature is dropping quickly.
“Here. It’s getting chilly.” He takes off his suit jacket and wraps it around my shoulders. I try not to make it obvious I’m inhaling long whiffs of his scent on the fabric. It smells like cedar, night air, and something uniquely Jordan.
“What are your plans for tonight? Do you want to come back to my place after things wrap up here?” he asks, then quickly adds, “You could invite your sisters.”
I’m tempted to take him up on it and not tell Mads and Mandy about the offer, but I know I’ll never hear the end of it if they find out I went home with our brother’s best man. “I think my family was planning to keep the party going back at the hotel. You could join us there.” I smile and he returns one of his own, friendly and disarming.
“Yeah? Maybe I will.”
“Good. Hope I see you in a little while, then.” I shrug out of the jacket so I can hand it back to him.
He shakes his head. “You keep that. It’s cold. I’ll get it from you later.”
“You sure?”
“Definitely.” He takes the coat and gently places it back over my shoulders, and I duck my head to hide my blushing cheeks. I can still feel his eyes on me as I walk back to our table, where my parents are already hugging people goodbye.
Chapter 8
Jordan
It’s late when I pull up to the Marnock Hotel, where the Miller family is staying, so I shoot off a quick text asking Shelley if I should still come up.
Me:I swiped a bottle of sparkling cider and some leftover crab cakes during the clean-up effort. You still awake?
I wince and run a hand over my beard as I realize the message I just sent looks suspiciously like I’m trying to get into her pants. It’s not what I meant, but I may as well have said, “You up?”
Shelley:Yep. Room 206.
As I walk down the long hallway toward her room, I wonder again if I should be here. Mike trusts me, and here I am, walking toward his little sister’s hotel room after dark like some scumbag.
Shelley and I are just friends. But I know how this looks, and I wouldn’t blame anyone who saw me right now in my rumpled dress shirt and suit pants for jumping to the wrong conclusion. Although, she did say her whole family would be here.
The door to her room opens just before I reach it, like she was watching through the peep hole. Shelley leans against the frame, wearing a loose tank top and plaid pajama pants. Her face is pink from scrubbing her makeup away, and her long hair is pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. She looked prettyat the wedding in that tight, fitted dress, but now she looks peaceful and cozy. I think I like this better. It feels like a window into what it looks like when the mask she wears for the rest of the world is stripped away, and all that’s left is what’s real. Behind her, I can see my suit jacket hanging on a wall hook.
I hold up the bottle and the take-out container. “I hope you like heartburn and late-night cable.”
“Sounds perfect, actually. Come on in. My sisters decided to meet up with some of our cousins down in their room, but I told them I wanted to turn in early. It’s been a long day, and I’ve had enough peopling. I know I promised a party, but it’s just me in here. You can join everyone else downstairs, if you want. Or you and I can hang out.”
“Seems like that’s becoming a regular thing for us.” I’m not complaining. “But are you sure you want company? If you’re tired, I can go.”
“I’m not actually tired. A lot of people and noise at once can be too much for me, but one-on-one is nice.”
She holds the door open and steps aside, inviting me into her space. Her suitcase is open on the floor, and discarded clothes are spilling out of it. I step around her belongings and scan the small room. Shelley takes the bottle of cider from me. There are no chairs because the room isn’t big enough, and since I’m not about to invite myself into her bed, I stand awkwardly, still holding the foam container filled with mini crab cakes.
“You can sit,” Shelley tells me, climbing onto the king-sized bed and patting the space next to her.
She untwists the cap and takes a long swig straight from the bottle in her hand. The carbonation must hit her immediately, because she lets out a loud burp. She looks at me with wide eyes as if she’s as surprised as I am by the noise that just came out of her. I have to laugh.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry.”
“Is it safe to sit here?” I tease, nudging her slightly as I sit beside her.
