She chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t make a move on him.” She paused, her gaze roaming Jesse. “Although—hot damn—I’mverytempted.”
I shifted my bouquet from palm to palm as we walked up to the wooden doors and the men turned to greet us. I fought the urge to look at Jesse and gauge his approval of me. But after fifteen seconds or so, I lost the battle with my will.
He was watching me with a soft smile on his face.
“Hey, Jesse.” I said.
“Hollie.” He leaned back, making no attempt to hide his perusal. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you.” I smoothed the front of my tea-length pink dress. “You clean up pretty good yourself.”
“Looks like you’re getting around fine.”
“Yeah, my ankle feels perfect.” I looked up at him. “How are you?”
“Better today.”
I smiled. “That’s the power of a good night’s sleep.”
He drew a breath through his teeth. “Well, actually, that’s not it. I slept terrible.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“You should be. It was your fault, after all.”
I froze, my gaze scanning his expression to find his meaning. Despite my attempts to keep the past in the past, words that had found a permanent home in my heart rolled to the surface of my consciousness.
“This is your fault, Hollie.”
For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say or do. I’d been at the ranch less than twenty-four hours and I’d already screwed up? I thought Jesse and I had good rapport. Bile swam up my esophagus.
But a smile toyed at Jesse’s lips, waiting for release.
I groped for words. “What do you mean?”
Finally, his smile freed and his eyes lit with a deep sparkle. “You hugged me.”
My eyes snapped open wide, sweeping over the wedding party. “Wait. What?”
He lowered his voice, leaning toward me just a little. “That hug you gave me on the front porch last night? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
He was upset about that?
Come on, Hollie.Of course he was upset. I’d thrown myself at him. I hadn’t meant to do that, but it had been ages since a man even looked in my direction. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt like anything other than leftovers molding in the back of the fridge, just waiting for trash pick-up day. Now, all of my thoughts of Jesse felt so juvenile, sosillythat I wanted to melt into the grass.
“Jesse, I didn’t mean—” I floundered. “I’m sorry. That never should’ve happened. I?—”
“Hey.” His fingers tapped the back of my elbow, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “I’m teasing you, Hollie. You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”
“I do though. I wasn’t thinking. That was?—”
“Thebesthug I’ve had in a long time.”
“But I didn’t mean to keep you awake.”
He huffed in disbelief. “I know that.”
My entire face grew hot enough to start a fire and my hands shook. “Then why bring it up?”
