“What—”
“Oh, you’re here!” her sister’s voice met her ears as the front door opened. “I need a Sissy Cocktail, though don’t tell Freeman!”
Shaun laughed, stepping forward through the open door, letting her gaze slide over to Kasey’s for just a heartbeat before linking her arm with Jodi’s. “Well, we can’t let the bride go thirsty. Let’s go get you a drink.”
Shaun let Jodi lead her through the house and into the kitchen, where a vast selection of beverages had been arranged, along with several trays of charcuterie that were ready to be set out when the guests arrived. Stepping toward the drinks, Shaun first poured Jodi a cocktail, then mixed one for herself.
Levi Kendall, their father, walked into the room wearing his usual jeans and a clean white dress shirt. His collar had been left unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled to his forearms. He lumbered toward the two of them, his cowboy boots clicking on the tile floor. His hair was dark, sprinkled with white strands at his temples, and his dark, full beard had more white than it had just a few years ago, but Shaun had always thought her dad was one of the most handsome men she’d known. He was six foot four and solidly built.
“Heya, girls,” he rumbled as he stopped next to them. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks, and Shaun inhaled the familiar mix of cedar, pine, and musk that clung to him. Reaching for two highball glasses, he poured several fingers of bourbon into them. “You both look beautiful.”
Jodi smiled and Shaun shrugged, though they both said, “Thank you.” Jodi fixed one side of his collar and said, “You look very handsome, Dad. Did Mom pick this out?”
Levi grumbled and took a sip from one of the glasses in his hands. “At least she didn’t make me wear a tie.”
“I had one laid out, and he refused to put it on,” Serenity Kendall muttered as she entered the kitchen and Shaun laughed. Her mother looked beautiful in a simple, flowy dress that hit just below her calves, the material light and fluttery as she moved. The v neckline dipped to the middle of her chest, the sleeves flowy to where they buttoned at her wrists. Her dark, wavy hair had been secured into a loose French twist at the back of her head, several tendrils slipping out to frame her face.
“Oh, Jodi, you look gorgeous!” Seren said and beamed. Her sister had chosen a white lace maxi dress that was a little whimsical and slightly bohemian in style, and her long curly hair had been swept into a loose Dutch braid that fell over one shoulder. “Shaun, you look stunning!”
Levi took another drink of his bourbon as the doorbell rang, to which Seren disappeared out of the kitchen to answer.
Levi bobbed his eyebrows at the two of them before sidling back out the door. Jodi and Shaun followed. Levi exited the house to the expansive back patio, where a smattering of handcrafted Adirondack chairs dotted the porch. A fire had been built in the large fire pit in the middle of the yard, and Shaun could just make out the shapes of several bodies in the growing dusk.
“I should have just worn boots,” Shaun grumbled, stepping out onto the porch. “I’m going to break my neck walking around in the dark in heels.”
“You’ll be fine,” Jodi said, waving her hand.
“Says the woman in sensible flats,” Shaun muttered, and Jodi laughed.
“Guilty,” Jodi chuckled. “I also didn’t expect it to be warm enough to have a fire outside. It’s a pleasant surprise.”
A smattering of people had already gathered around the roaring bonfire set in a giant fire-ring of masonry blocks. At least a dozen handcrafted Adirondack chairs circled the fire, some empty, some taken. In the golden glow of the fire, she could make out the faces of those surrounding it. 90’s country drifted over the yard from the hidden surround sound from the back porch.
Shaun saw Jodi’s two best friends and fellow bridesmaids, Tessa and Kit, who sat in chairs side by side to the right of the fire, clear plastic cups in their hands filled with cocktails. Tessa’s wavy blonde hair shone brightly in the firelight, and shehad on her classic red lipstick. She took a drink from her cup and pushed her red-rimmed glasses up with one finger. Kit sat with one leg crossed over the other, leaning back in her chair, her honey brown hair piled high on top of her head and a comfortable looking sweater wrapped around her curvy frame. The woman wasvoluptuousin all the right places.
Levi had walked up to Free, handing over one of the highballs of bourbon. Freeman stood facing the fire, wearing a black Carhartt vest that had been left unzipped over a black button-down shirt. The cuffs were buttoned at his wrists, and a black ball cap covered his dark brown hair, though the brim had been turned backward. The lower portion of his face was shadowed with a dark beard as usual, but it was trimmed short and well-groomed. Well-worn, well-fitted jeans encased his legs down to the black cowboy boots on his feet.
Shaun recognized Roxsanna Roberts’ vibrant red hair where she stood next to Freeman, her backside close to the fire, and she was bundled up in what looked like several layers of jackets. Roxy was one of Free’s best friends and was standing with Free as a ‘grooms-maid’ in their wedding in December.
Shaun stumbled slightly when she realized the man standing next to Roxy was Kasey, his back to the fire, facing Free. His back was to her and Jodi as they approached, and she took just a moment to admire the way the dark jeans he wore fit his long thighs and cupped his ass. His black leather jacket covered his back, but made his broad, hard shoulders look even broader. He turned his head slightly, and she watched him in profile as he took a drink from a clear plastic cup in one of his hands. His fingers were long and held the cup loosely. She swallowed hard and hated that she started to imagine what those fingers could do to her, how they would feel against her skin, fisting in her hair—
Shaun skidded to a halt, snapping to herself,dammit woman, pull yourself together! Just because you haven’t gotten any action in seven months doesn’t mean you need to jump on that bandwagon!
Jodi stumbled to a stop, too, her arm still linked with Shaun’s. She saw Jodi glance up at her before twisting her head back to where Kasey stood.
“Are you going to be okay?” Jodi asked.
Taking a drink of her cocktail, she nodded. “Yep.”
“There’s my beautiful bride,” Free said then, and Shaun’s throat closed at the apparent adoration in his voice. Roxy and Kasey turned, and though she steeled herself, she was not fully prepared for when Kasey’s eyes met hers from across the flames. The temperature had dropped into the mid-sixties as the sun went down, and although she only had on jeans and a sweater, she suddenly felt like it was ninety degrees inside her clothing. Jodi disengaged her arm from Shaun’s and walked around the fire to her fiancé, who held out one arm to let her slide beneath it. Free leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Jodi’s head.
A light breeze rustled her hair, and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear. She watched as Kasey lifted his cup to his lips again, his eyes never leaving hers. Pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket when she felt it vibrate, she sighed heavily and let her shoulders drop. It was a text from Zoey, apologizing that she and her husband Chase wouldn’t be able to make it to the party after all, as their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter had developed a fever. She tucked the phone back into her pocket and lifted her eyes to the crowd once more.
Roxy waved from across the fire and Shaun lifted her free hand to wave back. “Hiya, Shaun,” the redhead said, coming around the fire to stand next to her. Roxy was tall, but still stood several inches shorter than her. Kasey’s eyes never left her as Roxy made her way toward her.
“Hey,” Shaun said, lifting her glass to her lips again, willing the alcohol to calm her frazzled nerves.Why did he have to affect her so!Turning to look at Roxy, she asked, “How was your flight?”
“It was fine,” she said, her Texas accent heavy as she spoke. “Layover in Chicago wasn’t too long, thankfully. And the little puddle jumper flight to Traverse City was a breeze.”
