AllFreeNovel
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“That it is. It’s a beautiful day outside, too, perfect for an outdoor wedding,” Syd says excitedly, clapping her hands. She tilts her head forward, looking up. “And not a cloud in the sky.” I breathe a sigh of relief. My anxiety is at maximum high right now. I know something is going to go wrong. It wouldn’t be normal for me if it didn’t. My ankle only hurts when I overdo it, but I’m not using crutches and I can wear heels…at least walking down the aisle.
I drive around the circular drive and put the car in park. A man in a valet uniform smiles as he approaches my door. I glance at Syd, surprised.
“Valet?” she says, shaking her head. “The guys went all out.” She laughs as she gets out of the car.
“Miss Mason?” the valet asks.
I giggle, thinking it’s funny having a valet at someone’s house. I certainly wasn’t raised with the rich and famous. “Yep, that’s me.”
“Mr. Owen will be right out to let you know where to go.” He holds his hand out, and I drop the key into his palm.
“I have to get my stuff out first,” I say, walking to the trunk.
“That’s okay. One of my staff will grab everything and bring it up to you.” Staff? How many people does it take to park cars?
“Thanks,” I say, walking past the trunk to Syd.
“Fancy.” Syd giggles. She hooks her arm in mine, and we walk up the stairs to the front porch. The front door opens and Max strides out before we make it to the top step.
“Ladies,” he says. “Glad to see y’all made it okay.”
When I walk up to him, I slap him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you lived in a mansion? Holy shit, Max, this is huge! And beautiful!” His laugh booms and ricochets throughout the porch. “And a staff of valets? Please tell me that’s not normal.” I turn and point to Aiden’s car being driven away.
“I do have a staff, but the valets aren’t normally here. I don’t have a place to park a lot of cars without walking across a field.” He lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “I figured people probably wouldn’t want to do that.”
“Well, I’m impressed,” I say and give him a hug. “Thank you.”
“You know I would do anything for you and Aiden.” With his arm around my shoulder, he glances at Syd and smiles. “Hey, Tink.” This never gets any less awkward for me. It pisses me off because they act like nothing ever happened between them. If they don’t feel weird, why should I?
“Hey, Max,” she replies. “Nice place you have here.”
Max stands a little taller and smirks. “Thanks. This used to be my dad’s house. Everything has been remodeled, though,” he says proudly. “It was a little dated when I got it.”
“It’s gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the rest of it,” I say.
“Then, let’s go,” Max says, directing us into the house. “The women will be upstairs and the guys are in the guesthouse.”
I stop dead in the doorway and spin around to Max. He puts his hands on the doorjamb to stop himself from running into me. “What in the hell do you need a guesthouse for?” I muse. “It’s not like you don’t have room in here for guests.”
He chuckles. “My dad didn’t like visitors too much, so they got their own space.” He twirls his finger in the air, gesturing for me to turn around.
“I’m going,” I murmur. When I spin around, the beautiful grand entryway greets me. The floors are a honey-colored wood that has a rustic feel, but the rest of the house is decorated with more of a simplistic style. Looking straight ahead, I can see the sparkling pool through the French doors. The stunning spiral staircase runs along a white wall with colorful, abstract artwork. The reds, oranges, and blues stand out against the stark white walls, but it’s like they bring life to the place. It surprises me to see them. I turn my head and look at Max. “I’m assuming those were your mom’s?” I ask, pointing to the pictures.
He crosses his arms and smirks. “No, I bought those.” My brows lift. He laughs at my obvious state of surprise. “I have a friend who painted them,” he responds, looking at them.
“They’re beautiful. I’d love to have one of her pieces in my home,” I say, looking back at them.
“I’ll try and make that happen. Now get upstairs before I carry you. I have stuff I need to do.”
“I’m going,” I say. “It’s not my fault this is the first time I’m seeing your house and now that I see it, I’m intrigued.”
“Well, start yourself a list of questions and I’ll answer them later.” He groans and pushes me toward the stairs. Right as my foot hits the first step, the front door opens and in walks Bryn and Harper.
“Holy shit, Max, do you live here?” Harper says, putting her suitcase down and looking around. Max rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling.
I giggle. “That’s exactly what I said! Who knew?” I throw my arms out.
Max shakes his head. “Yes, women. I live here. Any other questions?”
