Wendy’s hair was a pale blonde, almost white. There was a faint smattering of freckles across her nose and more on her bare shoulders. She was slender, but not overly thin—there was enough of her to hold onto. He could already imagine what it would feel like to hold her in his arms as he kissed her.
The accent was an added bonus. When he’d gone to college in Georgia, he’d grown accustomed to the way women sounded and he’d loved it. After moving back to Montana, the twang that most people spoke with didn’t hold much appeal.
Did it stop him from dating?
Of course not.
But maybe it was time to finally settle down. Maybe his cousins all had the right idea.
Tripp chuckled to himself and shook his head.
Nah.
He wasn’t old enough for that frame of thinking.
If Reese and his other cousins liked the idea of hitching themselves to one person, then so be it. Right now? Tripp just wanted to have fun.
And the shy woman in front of him would be a worthy distraction.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he stared into her large, jade eyes. They were just as amazing as the rest of her. “I’m thinking this is kismet. You and me? We’re inevitable. The universe put us in each other’s path and by the end of this, you’re going to be hooked.”
Was she listening? He couldn’t tell. Her eye-contact said she was, but usually that line got a reaction.
“What about you?”
Wendy blinked and one side of her mouth quirked higher than the other. “I think you’re too cocky for your own good.”
He laughed. “You speak your mind. I like that.”
“Are you suggesting that most women you interact with are less superior? Dumb little dolls who don’t have brains in their noggins?”
Tripp stalled for a bit. There was a bite to her tone—one he hadn’t been prepared for. But, that smile… she was confusing him. “I’m sorry, did I say something to offend you?”
She waved a dismissive hand in the air and a laugh that sounded more rehearsed than anything else spilled from her lips. “Of course not. To be offended, I’d have to care.”
Well, that stung.
He frowned then fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’d have to try another tactic to smooth everything over.
Gesturing toward her dress, he murmured, “That color looks good on you. It highlights your coloring.”
She arched a brow. “What are you?”
Another laugh ignited in his chest. “Sorry?”
Wendy flushed and her eyes narrowed. “Are you some kind of fashion designer?”
“What?” He cocked his head, smirking. “A man can’t appreciate fashion without making it a career?”
Her eyes slid down his frame and back to his face. “You’re the only one dressed like you were planning on getting married today. Not even the groom is as dressed up as you.”
“I feel like that wasn’t a compliment.”
“It wasn’t,” she muttered.
Tripp stepped closer to her, his voice lowering. “Maybe I was planning on impressing a certain someone who’s supposed tobe my date during this whole celebration. Maybe I thought I’d charm her, woo her, and in the end, she’d gift me with a kiss.”
She scoffed. “I’d rather kiss a toad.”
