Holiday Unscripted, page 21
The sound of my laughter echoes in the entranceway. “Good to know I have that to look forward to.”
He opens the door for me, holding out his hand for me to walk in front of him. I wait for him on the stoop to lock the door before I slide my hand in his and walk down the steps, watching my every step to gauge if it’s slippery. He walks to my side of the truck and opens it for me. I get on my tippy-toes and kiss the side of his jaw before I hold on to his hand and get in.
I watch him as he walks around the front of the truck, the lights from outside glowing around him. I can’t help but smile when he gets in. “What’s that look for?”
“Just thinking about what is going to happen when we get back home.” I say the words and then I want to correct myself. This isn’t home. It’s his home. I should have said your home.
He chuckles as he pulls out of the driveway and heads toward the reception area. The parking lot is full, of course, and we have to park almost at the entrance of the lot. He holds my hand as we walk up to the door and I have the need to pull it away from him, but I don’t want to. Even though if someone sees, they might be wondering why we are holding hands. Luckily for both of us, no one is outside.
He pulls the door open for me and I step in, seeing the crowd of people around the door. Joshua and Macy are right next to it, greeting their guests. “I’ve never seen a rehearsal dinner that has a hundred people,” I mumble to Nate, who now has his hand on my lower back.
“How are the two of you the last to arrive?” Joshua’s glare goes to me and then to Nate. “You’re the best man.”
“I don’t know if it matters,” I say, looking at them, “but the only ones who really have to be here are the two of you.” I point to them. “Unless someone is getting cold feet.” I look at Macy. “You need a place to escape, you can always come down under.”
Joshua pushes my shoulder. “Mom,” he throws over my shoulder, “she’s being mean to me and it’s my wedding day.”
“It’s not your wedding day,” I correct him, “it’s your pre-wedding day.” I look over at my mother, who comes to stand next to me and wrap an arm around my waist, smiling at me. “He’s becoming unbearable.”
Someone comes over with a headset on. “Okay, we can slowly get the show on the road.” She has short blonde hair that sits on her shoulders. “We can get everyone in place.”
“The last of them have arrived.” Joshua looks at us.
“Better late than never.” I look at the woman, who looks like I just kicked her.
“We don’t say anything negative,” she scolds, looking around. “We don’t put it in the universe.” She shakes her head and presses the side of her headpiece. “We have go time.”
“She sounds like she’s great under pressure,” I say, and my mother pinches my side. “Ouch.”
“Get into place,” she hisses at me, then looks at Nate. “You are so handsome, as always.”
“Okay, places, everyone,” the woman says, clapping her hands. “If you are part of the wedding party and are part of the bridal party, go over there.” She motions to the door. “If you are part of the groom’s, you go over there.” She points to the back.
“Here we go.” I look up at Nate, who smirks at me and slaps Joshua on the shoulder. “Let’s get you almost married.”
“Shit, the rings,” Joshua says, slapping his hand on his forehead. “I forgot them in the safe at my parents’ house.”
“I have them,” my mother assures. “Zack,” she calls for my father, who comes over holding a glass of scotch in his hand. “Are you drinking?”
“Say no,” I advise him. “Tell her you’re holding it for a friend.” My mother turns to me. “I’m just helping out.”
“Help out by getting yourself where you are supposed to be,” she hisses at me and I raise my eyebrows, walking over to the spot where all the bridesmaids are. They consist of all of Macy’s friends, and I think I was given the duty because she had to and not because she wanted to. I smile at the group of ladies who I’ve spent time with, but that was only because we were at all the events together.
“This is so exciting,” one of them chirps and I smile, holding my purse in my hand and then look over to see Evie sitting with my uncle Max, who has his arm around her.
“I’ll be back,” I tell them, rushing over to the two of them and handing her my purse.
“You know what would be fun?” I ask, handing her my purse and then kissing my uncle. “If you would take my place.”
“Are you crazy?” She tries not to laugh. “I think I’m good here with my favorite uncle.”
“I heard that,” Matthew interjects from behind her and she looks over her shoulder and smiles at him.
“I didn’t finish. I was saying my favorite uncle who is wearing blue. You’re my favorite uncle who is wearing black.”
“Good catch,” I tell her and then I hear someone call my name. “Save me,” I beg before heading back over. The woman with the headset, whose name is Doreen, gives us a rundown on what we are going to do.
“Any questions?” she asks us and I think about fucking with her and asking her a question, but Macy looks like she’s either going to throw up or cry at any minute.
The rehearsal takes over an hour as they make tweaks on who walks down the aisle when. After it’s over, the back of the room is opened and we see tables are set for our meal.
“Hey.” I look over at Nate, who has come from beside Joshua toward me. “That was fun, right?”
“So much fun I forgot where I was for a minute.” I look around. “I wish I had my phone to play a couple rounds of Candy Crush.” He shakes his head as we walk toward one of the tables. He points to a table on the side that has Jack and Evie sitting with my cousin Ariella and her fiancé, Jaxon.
“Oh my goodness,” she shouts. When she sees me getting close, she gets up, comes over to me, and we share a long hug. “I’m so happy to see you,” Ariella whispers and then I close my eyes. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in five years.”
“It’s been a bit under,” I counter. “I saw you two years ago when I came for the summer and you were visiting.” I let her go. “And now you have a baby.”
“Now I have a baby.” She smiles at Jaxon, who gets up and comes over to me. “This is Jaxon.”
“I think we’ve met,” I say as I give him a side hug and kiss his cheek. “He came to one of the summer vacations, for sure.”
“I did,” he confirms, then looks over to my side and holds out his hand to Nate. “What’s up?” he asks. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” They shake hands and give each other a side hug. “You look good, man.”
“Feel good,” Nate says, his hand going again to my lower back.
“If everyone can grab a seat so we can start the meal,” Doreen announces as we walk over to the table. Nate pulls out the chair for me. I smile up at him as I sit down, and he pulls out the chair beside me.
“What is up with you two?” Jack looks at us as he sits with his arm around Evie’s chair.
“What do you mean?” I ask him as Ariella sits beside me, and Jaxon sits in the empty chair between her and Jack.
“I mean, neither of you tried to kill each other and we’ve been here a solid hour, plus he just smiled at you.” My palms get sweaty as I think of an excuse to make as to why this is happening. I don’t even have time to come up with one because Nate is the one talking.
“We decided we’re calling a truce.” I laugh nervously at his excuse.
“Yes.” I nod my head and swallow. “During the snowstorm, being stuck with him for a day and a half. We decided for Joshua and Macy”—I look at my brother—“that we would be civil to each other for the wedding.” I look at Nate who grins, certain parts of me get flutters while other parts of me tingle, one part of me defiantly gets wet. “A truce.”
CHAPTER 28
Nate
O HOLY NIGHT
I thought we were going to be slick and get away with no one noticing we weren’t at each other’s throats. I was at least hopeful they would be too busy with the wedding to notice a shift in how we were acting toward each other. I was so wrong. I seemed to be wrong a lot these days. Like when I thought it was a good idea to kiss her in the bathroom. Then the good idea to sleep with her one more time. Then over and over again.
Now I don’t think I can walk into my kitchen and make coffee without looking over at her. Next week will be a whole different reality, and it’s not one I want to think about. She looks up at me and all I can do is grin at her. I know she’s nervously speaking right now and it’s so funny that Jack hasn’t picked up on it. When she’s nervous, she blinks more often than normal. “A truce.”
“I smell a rat,” Evie accuses, looking at us trying to see if we’ll give anything up. When the door opens, I hear a couple of gasps coming from the aunts’ tables in back.
“Is that?” Elizabeth asks, putting her hand on my arm. “Is that Lexi?” She mentions her cousin who, from what I gathered the last couple of months from conversations here and there, left her husband who was controlling her.
“It is,” Ariella confirms. “She was nervous about coming.”
“What?” Jack snaps out. “Why?”
“This is the first wedding she’s been to since she left her husband,” Ariella explains and I see her father, Viktor, walking over to her mother.
“Well, trouble just got here,” Elizabeth says, pushing away from the table, “Zara is here.”
“She’s the one with the cowboy husband?” Evie asks Jack, who nods his head.
“He’s the definition of save a horse and ride a cowboy,” Evie declares, earning a glare from Jack. “I mean he’s nothing compared to you, but….” She leans over to kiss him. “He’s high up on that list.”
“Good to know if I ever kick the bucket,” he hisses, “you’ll be okay to move on.”
She puts her hand on his cheek. “Never.”
“Gross.” Elizabeth fake vomits to the side as the waiter comes over and pours champagne in our glasses.
Everyone is now in their seats as they stopped on their way to the table, giving hugs and kisses on the way. I put my arm around Elizabeth’s chair, as if I’ve always done it, and she looks over at me. Someone hits their crystal glass and everyone goes quiet while Zack gets up to talk. “Speeches,” Elizabeth mumbles, coming to whisper in my ear, “shouldn’t we be saving this for tomorrow?”
“Shh.” My thumb rubs up and down her side arm as Zack gives a speech, welcoming Macy’s relatives into the family.
“Isn’t that bad luck?” Elizabeth leans in again. “Like she didn’t say I do, what if she has second thoughts?” I look down, trying not to burst out laughing. “What happens if she doesn’t show up? Will he give another speech?”
I look over at her, seeing the light in her eyes and wanting nothing more than to lean in and kiss her. I’m debating it all when I hear everyone else say, “Cheers.”
She breaks the eye contact to grab her glass and then waits for me to do the same before clinking it with mine. “To hoping she shows up,” Elizabeth toasts and Ariella chokes from beside us.
I shake my head, taking a long sip of the chilled champagne. The first dish comes out as we talk about everything. Zack and Denise get up from their chairs and head to the dance floor, followed by a few other couples. I put my napkin on the table at the same time Jack puts his. He pushes away from the table and holds out his hand to Evie, who takes it without a question. The two of them head to the dance floor.
I do the same and hold out my hand, Elizabeth just looks up at me. “Yes?” She smirks.
“Can I have this dance?” I ask her and she puts her own napkin beside her plate.
“I guess so, it will keep up the appearance that we’re making a truce.”
I hold her hand in mine as I lead her to the dance floor, my arm wrapping around her waist, and I bring the hand that holds hers, folding it up as I hold it on my chest. “Isn’t this better than the two of you at each’s other throat?” Zack says from beside us.
“The answer is yes, Elizabeth,” my mother hisses. “Now is when you both answer yes.”
“I didn’t start it,” Elizabeth tries to defend herself.
“Well, you didn’t not start it,” I correct her, and she tries to rip her hand out of mine, but I squeeze my hand to keep hers closer to mine.
“This is about to be the shortest truce in the history of all truces,” she hisses and stops when I wink at her. “Don’t you even with that.”
“Oh, look,” Jack says and points up. I look up to see a mistletoe above our heads. “It’s customary to kiss.”
“They aren’t going to kiss,” Zack states.
“I don’t know,” Evie adds, a sly grin on her face, “it’s customary to kiss.”
I look at her and bend my head, and I can see her eyes widen until I move my head to the side and kiss her cheek. “There, are you all happy?” she says. “Crisis averted. Nothing bad is going to happen. Well, unless Macy decides she doesn’t want to be part of this crazy and takes off.”
“Bite your tongue,” Zack hisses as he moves away from us.
“I thought you were really going to kiss me.” She moves her hand out of mine, wrapping both hands around my neck loosely. “That would have been one way to say the truce is real.”
I put my hands on her hips and pull her closer to me. “That would have opened a whole can of worms and a bigger discussion on what we’ve been doing at home.”
She shakes her head and looks down. The song finishes, and Zack comes over and grabs her while I dance with Denise, but it doesn’t last long. Jack comes by and we trade partners. By the end of the second song, I’ve danced with the majority of her aunts.
It’s almost eight thirty by the time we get up to leave. “Tomorrow,” Joshua reminds me, “you have to be at my parents’ house by nine a.m.”
“I know,” I reassure him. “I got the itinerary you sent last week, along with the daily reminders from my calendar.” I slap his chest. “I’ll be there as soon as I drop off your sister.” I motion with my head toward Elizabeth, who is giving Max a hug. “Text me tomorrow if you need anything.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be the most amazing day.”
“It is.” He smiles at me. “It fucking is.” He looks down. “I can’t wait to repay the favor and watch you get married.”
I don’t say anything to him as I look over at his sister and realize I’ve never fucking felt this way before. Not even close. Not even for one fucking day. “I look forward to it,” I reply before Elizabeth joins me.
“I’m ready,” she announces and I nods at her as I put my hand on her lower back and usher her out of the venue. She takes one step outside and shivers. “It’s colder than before.”
“The sun was out,” I remind her, shrugging off my jacket and putting it around her shoulders.
She uses two fingers to hold the jacket closed in front of her as I put a hand around her waist and walk to my truck. “Thank you,” she says when I open the door for her, and for the first time tonight, she leans up and kisses me. A soft kiss on the corner of my lips as she gets into the cab of the truck.
I wait for her to reach for her seat belt before I close the door and head over to the driver’s side. Sliding in, I start the car and turn on the heat right way, the cold air fills the cab as I look around, seeing it’s just the two of us. Turning to her, I see she’s watching me.
“What’s—” That is the last thing she says to me because I grab her face in my hands and turn my head to the side. My mouth craves hers. As soon as my lips touch hers, my tongue slides into her mouth. My body, which was tense and on edge the whole time we were in there from the fear I would touch her the wrong way in front of people, or by mistake just kiss her, and then I’d have to explain what the fuck I was doing, escapes me. All of the tension is in this kiss. One of her hands goes to my cheek while the other holds the wrist of my right hand.
“We should really get home,” she mentions breathlessly, “so you can do me against the door.” My forehead falls to hers as I burst out laughing.
“Yes,” I agree, trying not to harp on the fact the way that sentence hit me right in the middle of my chest.
I pull out of the parking lot, looking right and left, when I feel her reach over the center console and put her hand on my thigh. One of my hands automatically goes to hers as I link our fingers together.
The minute I turn off the truck in the driveway, I turn to her. “Wait for me,” I tell her as she proceeds to unbuckle her seat belt. I get out, walking over to her side of the truck, the cold night going straight through my white button-down shirt. I open her door and smile at her, holding out my hand. She puts her hand in mine as she takes one step down, her other hand holding the jacket closed in front of her so it doesn’t fall off her shoulders.
She steps out of the truck and I slam the door shut and then press her against it. “You look more beautiful now than you did before we left.” I push the hair back from the sides of her face so I can cup her face in my hands. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to be more beautiful as the days go by.” I rub my nose with hers softly, back and forth. “I was wrong.” My lips kiss hers gently. “So fucking wrong.” Her mouth opens to ask me a question but it just gives me the opportunity to slide my tongue into her mouth.
I use one of my arms to wrap around her waist and pick her up off her feet, walking toward the front door. She lets go of my lips to laugh out. “I can walk, you know.”
“You could,” I tell her, “but this is faster.” I walk up the steps and place her down right in front of the door. Her mouth sucks in my neck as I lift my hand to punch in the code. Her hand rubs my hard cock, squeezing it in her palm.
“If you don’t stop, I’m going to fuck you outside the door.”
