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Colton looks at me, then at Wade. “We’ll see you guys later.”
We part ways with the couple, and I breathe a sigh of relief. A few minutes later, Roxy calls everyone over for the bouquet toss. As an engaged woman, I’m obviously sitting this one out.
A dozen girls gather behind Roxy, and the pretty brunette I recognize as the maid of honor catches the bouquet. It seemed like it was aimed right for her.
“Lina,” Roxy squeals, turning around with a beaming smile. “So glad you caught it.”
“Uh-oh,” comes the voice of a tall guy with cobalt blue eyes who’s standing next to us.
Lina saunters toward him with a giddy smile. “Well, what do you have to say about that, Jude?”
He scratches his dark hair. “Do I have to get on one knee now? What’s the protocol?” he jokes, turning to Colton, who raises his hands up.
“Don’t look at me, mate! I know nothing about this.”
That makes everybody listening laugh while I just swoon in silence. This accent has to go, ASAP!
Jude takes Lina’s hand and whispers something in her ear, and she jumps into his arms.
“Well, if it isn’t Colton Green, in the flesh and engaged,” the best man booms, slapping Colton on the back and bringing my focus back to him.
“Andrew,” Colton says, giving him a tight hug. “Hi, Piper,” he says to the brunette in a floral dress next to him. “This is my fiancée, Jane.”
“Nice to meet you,” they both say, perfectly in sync.
“I would say I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Andrew says. “But given where we’re standing today, I’m starting to think anything’s possible.”
“Right,” Colton says with a chuckle. “Your brother said the same thing, more or less. Where are the kids?”
“The little monsters are around here somewhere,” Piper says, looking around. “At least, they’re supposed to be. Hang on a minute. I’ll check on them.”
Andrew draws closer to Colton. “It’s crazy being back here, isn’t it?” he says, looking around and scratching his beard.
“You haven’t been back either?” Colton asks, still sporting that dreamy accent.
“No. We mostly stay in London. I guess out of all of the places we’ve been, this was the most decent. The one we stayed at longest and had the best memories. It’s probably why he chose this town in the first place.”
“Yeah,” Colton says, swallowing hard. “It definitely was for me, but it’s bittersweet.”
“I know, mate.” Andrew shoves his hands into his pockets. “Well, I’ll go check on Piper. The kids are probably driving her crazy. See you guys later.”
Once Andrew walks away, Colton turns to me. “So, that’s it. You just met all my friends.” He lets out a light chuckle.
“That’s more than I have. They seem nice. It’s a shame you don’t live closer to them.”
“Yeah,” he says, running a hand along his jaw. “I’ve given that a lot of thought, moving the company’s headquarters to the UK. But Wade is an athlete with a strict schedule, and Andrew is an active soldier, so he’s almost never here. Even if I moved back, I’d still be alone.”
“Well, now you have me.”
“Yes, I suppose I do,” he says, his deep gaze boring into me. He leans toward me, and for a second, I think he’s going to kiss me. There’s nowhere to run. Just when I begin to close my eyes, his hand gently brushes against my wavy locks. “You had a leaf in your hair,” he says, throwing it away.
He stays there, close to me, and my whole body feels like it was lit on fire.
“Thanks,” I whisper. Spotting a waiter passing by, I clear my throat. “Oh, champagne. Do you want some?” I blurt.
Colton
Jane has been acting weird all day. She keeps disappearing on me every chance she gets, and she barely said a word during dinner. The speeches are now over, and she still hasn’t come back from the restrooms. She had quite a lot to drink during dinner. I’m starting to worry. I’m about to excuse myself from our table to go find her when she returns.
