“And you’ve cried almost every day since I got to town,” Viv added.
“Because you’re my sister and I missed you!”
Nessa handed Clarke the glass of water. “When was your last period?”
Clarke stared at the glass like it might bite her. “I, um . . . I don’t know. Things have been so busy with the wedding that I haven’t exactly been tracking it. But I have an IUD.”
Dani set Bailey down in her portable crib. “Honey, you need to take a test. Before the ceremony. Otherwise, you’ll spend the whole day wondering. Trust me.”
Clarke looked like she might cry again. Happy tears. “I could be pregnant.”
“You might not be,” June jumped in. “But you need to know.”
Clarke nodded, shaky. “You’re right.”
I stepped forward. “I’ll go. There’s a drugstore five minutes away. I’ll be back before your hair’s done.”
Clarke grabbed my hand. “Thank you. Andplease, don’t say anything to Bennett. I don’t want it to get back to Soren until I know what’s really going on.”
“Promise,” I said.
I slipped out, heart pounding for a completely different reason now. From the looks of things, today was going to be unforgettable in more ways than one.
Bennett
The reception at Bed of Roses was exactly what Clarke and Soren had envisioned—vintage charm wrapped in quiet, unpretentious elegance.
June’s trailer resort barely resembled itself. String lights had been draped between the trailers in soft, glowing arcs, turning the whole place into something out of a dream. Long farmhouse tables stretched across the gravel, dressed in mismatched flatware, linen runners, and small jars of wildflowers that looked like they’d been picked that morning.
Even the trailers themselves—all of which had been named for famous Roses—had been dressed up, doors flung open to reveal cozy interiors where guests could sneak away for a breather. Or a steamy make-out session. Roman had commandeered one with his date within minutes after the ceremony.
That’s fifty bucks I’ll never see again.
He wasn’t the only one with sex on the brain, though. The dance floor was packed with bumping and grinding, left and right.
We’d waited until after dark to break out the dirty dancing, though, not wanting to scandalize the older relatives or the kids still running around. Viv and Ellie had retired early with their toddler, disappearing into one of the trailers with sleepy goodnights and promises to be back for brunch tomorrow.
Dani and Coach Ward had left the girls with Carolina’s mom for the night so they could enjoy the party, too. The two of themwere currently in the middle of the floor, swaying slowly to a popular Usher song, even though the beat called for something faster. Tucker had one arm around Brock’s waist, the other hand cradling his face as he whispered something that made him laugh and swat at his chest. Pink spun Nessa under his arm, both laughing too hard to keep time with the music.
And then there was the bride and groom.
They weren’t trying to steal the attention, but somehow they still drew it. Clarke’s dress caught the light every time she moved, lace and silk soft against her skin, her honey-blonde curls loosened from the ceremony and tumbling freely down her back.
Soren had long since discarded his jacket and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. I had never seen my teammate look happier or more himself. The tension he carried during the season, the quiet pressure he put on his own shoulders, today, all of it was gone. He moved with her like he’d been doing it his whole life, forehead pressed to hers.
Standing there under the string lights, music humming through the warm night air, I realized that Clarke and Soren hadn’t just thrown a beautiful wedding.
They’d set the bar.
I stood at the edge of the floor, nursing a beer, taking it all in.
My eyes kept drifting back to Bella.
She’d walked down the aisle earlier in a rose-gold satin bridesmaid dress that flowed over her curves like liquid metal. The neckline dipped low, the fabric clinging to her breasts, waist, and hips, then flaring into a soft skirt that moved with every step.
Sexy didn’t begin to cover it. She’d looked like a fucking goddess, soft and radiant. I’d nearly swallowed my tongue when she’d caught my eye halfway down the aisle and smiled. Just for me.
Now she was on the dance floor, heels long abandoned, laughing with Nessa and June, arms raised above her head as she swayed to the beat. My cock was hard enough to cut glass.
