AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nodded his farewell at the others, then headed toward the door. Just as he reached the door, however, it swung open and a man in a custom suit strode in. He glanced dismissively through Declan, then focused on the women. "April. My darling. So sorry I'm late."
Wendall?
Curious now, Declan turned to watch as Wendall strode up to the trio, then Declan saw Wendall's gaze sweep down Piper's body with an entitlement that made Declan's alarms go off.
"Piper, so great to see you." Wendall kissed the back of Piper's hand, lingering ever so slightly before turning back to his bride.
Son of a bitch. Declan would wager a month's salary that Wendall was cheating on April.
He'd been around enough scumbags in his life that he knew the details to look for, the giveaways they couldn't hide.
Declan ground his jaw. What the fuck? Piper needed this wedding to work. But if this guy was a jerk, April needed to know.
Declan's gaze shot back to Piper. She was fully immersed in the moment, laughing and coaxing smiles out of her clients. She was electric with her energy, he could practically feel them falling under her spell.
No wonder brides wanted to hire her. Piper's passion and zeal were infectious, and she was so capable that she dissolved tension and difficulty before it could even take root, navigating disagreements between the bride and the others with practiced ease.
Piper cared, he realized. She truly cared about what she did. It wasn't simply about the money or the fashion. Her heart was all in. She literally created joy. That was her job.
It was perfect for her.
Then Wendall laughed, a grating, annoying, much-too-bold laugh, drawing Declan's attention back to him. Declan didn't want to be right about him. Maybe Declan was just too damned cynical about this high-class world. Maybe he was looking for trouble.Just because he didn't like the guy didn't mean he was cheating on April.
His gaze went back to Piper. Maybe he was simply jealous that another man had touched her.
Oh…hell.
Was that it?
It might be.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"You having second thoughts?"
Declan didn't look over at Aiden Black, the owner of the Night Owl Pub, as he executed a perfect pour of a local beer. "About what?"
"Going back to being a cop. About your interview on Friday. I know you've been trying to pass that physical for a long time, but you're not dancing around here with joy like I thought you'd be. So, yeah, second thoughts?"
Declan set the beer on the bar and took the credit card from the customer. "No."
"Then what's the mood for? I haven't seen you this tense since you first walked in three years ago wanting enough alcohol to kill yourself."
Declan turned to face his boss. Aiden was only a few years older than he was, but had just as much crap in his past as Declan did. Different crap, but still a lot. That's why they got along. Because they both knew how to keep going when they had to. "I didn't want to kill myself."
"I know. But you were in bad shape."
The bar was quiet, as it often was on Monday nights. A few folks were playing darts. One of the pool tables had a game. Andthere were about five tables that had ordered some appetizers with their drinks. Not much, which was too bad, because Declan wanted to be distracted tonight. "I'm not in that kind of shape."
Aiden leaned on the bar and folded his arms across his chest. Aiden had been a boxer for a brief time in his youth, and he still had the muscles from it. He didn't employ bouncers, because he could take care of anyone who caused trouble. "You're off your game tonight. What's going on?"
Declan ran his hand through his hair. "I made a deal with the woman who lives in my guest house. She's driving me a little nuts."
Aiden's brows went up. "Alittle?A lot, you mean. What kind of deal?"
"Fake engagement."
Aiden stared at him in surprise, and then burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right?"
