“What do we have left?” Shaun asked, leaning over to read the list of ‘to-dos’ of wedding projects. Jodi and Free had decided on a small, intimate destination wedding at a secluded resort in the mountains of Colorado, so fortunately the on-site wedding coordinator was taking care of the majority of the planning, but Jodi had insisted on doing some of it herself, recruiting Shaun’s help when necessary. Roxy had volunteered to help, so the three of them had made the plan to meet for wine. Pointing to one item on the list, Shaun said, “How about we package and seal all the sparklers for the send-off?”
“Perfect,” Jodi said, setting the notebook down and rising from the couch, disappearing down the hall into the extrabedroom. She came back a minute later with a box laden with sparklers and little cardboard tabs that she had had designed to match their New Year’s Eve wedding theme. Setting out the sparklers, the cardboard tabs that they would need to attach to each sparkler, and an extra box to put the finished products, they got started. “I can’t wait to see the fireworks over the mountain at midnight.”
“It’s going to be great,” Shaun agreed, taking a break to take a sip of her wine, which was very nearly empty. A brief wave of sadness washed over her, realizing that she and Tommy had never even made it this far in the planning of their own wedding before she’d called it off. But then the realization dawned that she wasn’t necessarily sad about not getting married to Tommy, but more so she missed the friendship they’d had. Standing, she excused herself to the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine, then leaned her hips back against the counter as she took a sip.
Roxy came around the corner into the kitchen, smiling as she reached for the almost empty bottle of wine, topping off her glass and reaching for a second bottle that was on the counter, waiting to be opened. Shaun handed her a corkscrew bottle opener, and after the cork had been pulled from the mouth of the bottle, Roxy set it aside to let the bottle breathe for a few minutes.
Leaning back against the counter across from Shaun, Roxy took a sip of her wine, then used her glass to motion toward her as she said, “Kasey isn’t as bad as you might think, you know.”
Shaun sighed, rolling her shoulders as tension filled them. “I’m sure he’s not… but he makes me literally insane, Roxy. From the moment we met at Shane and Cassie’s wedding… It’s been volatile.”
“Kasey has a very strong personality,” Roxy admitted, her heavy Texas twang making Shaun smile. “He doesn’t half-ass anything. I have the feeling you’re the same way.”
Shaun shrugged, taking a drink of her wine. “I’m just not the kind to be pushed around, and all Kasey seems to do is push my damn buttons all the time. I know what I won’t settle for.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but can I ask why you were with your ex?” Roxy asked, crossing one arm over her middle, setting the wine glass on the counter beside her. Shaun’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the boldness. “You say you know what youwon’tsettle for, but it just seems out of character for someone so strong willed as you to… I don’t know…settlefor something that wasn’t wholly fulfilling.”
Taken aback, Shaun could only stare at the woman for a long heartbeat before blinking several times. “Who ever said it wasn’t fulfilling?”
Roxy gave her a dubious look over her wineglass as she took another drink. “Intuition.” Raising one crimson brow over her hazel eyes, she asked dryly, “Can you tell me that it was fulfilling, Shaun?”
“We were best friends,” Shaun said defensively.
“Were you?” she asked. She pointed to the living room, where they could hear Jodi and Free murmuring to each other. “That man in there has been my best friend for years. But our friendship is child’s play compared to what those two share. What you and your ex had was the same as that?”
“Well, no—”
“He was your best friend, or were you just dating your best friend’s brother?” Roxy asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
“You’re kind of a pain in the ass,” Shaun grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Did it just make sense?” Roxy pressed, and Shaun sighed, rolling her eyes.
“I guess you could say that,” Shaun said sharply, glancing around the kitchen to avoid the other woman’s knowing eyes.
“Was the sex good?” Roxy asked, and Shaun raised her eyes to the other woman’s, her mouth dropping open, before glancing at the entrance to the living room. Roxy waved her hand and said, “They can’t hear us. Well? Was it?”
“Tommy was the only one I’ve been with,” Shaun said quietly. “It wasn’tbad.”
“Did he make you come?”
“Jesus, Roxy,” Shaun huffed out a breath, hating the blush that crept up her cheeks. “What does that matter?”
“Oh, trust me, it matters,” Roxy laughed, taking a drink of her wine. “And that’s probably why you’re wound so tight around Kasey.”
“For fucks sake,” Shaun snapped, pushing away from the counter. “Did he put you up to this? Poking more fun at me?”
“Poking fun at you?” Roxy asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “That doesn’t sound like Kasey. He doesn’t joke about orgasms.”
Shaun thought her eyeballs were going to explode out of her head as she stared at the redhead. “Did you and Kasey…?”
“Oh, fuck no,” Roxy laughed gustily. “Kasey is like my third cousin twice removed or something, that’s just nasty. I might have slept with Free a million years ago, but no, I didn’t make a habit of sleeping around with all my guy friends.” Still chuckling, she shook her head and that knot seemed to loosen in Shaun’s stomach. Is this what Jodi had felt when she found out the gorgeous redhead had slept with Freeman prior to the start of their relationship?Ugh, what an awful feeling,Shaun thought as Roxy continued. “Kasey is brutally honest, always has been. He doesn’t have it in him to beat around the bush, and as much of an ass as he can be, he doesn’t have a deceptive bone in his body. So if he’s pushing you, it’s because he sees something worth pushingfor.”
TWELVE
“Where is your tux?”
Kasey notched his chin toward the front door and said, “Already hanging up in the car. I didn’t forget it, Roxy.” In the six weeks since the engagement party, she had sent him weekly reminders to pick up his tux.
