Page 43 of Yours to Keep

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m sitting up front. You’re with me.”

“I don’t think that’s how the seating for these things usually works.”

“It is today.”

I rolled my eyes but followed him anyway, letting him lead me to a pew right at the front. When we sat, our knees brushed, and we both shifted at the same time, then froze.

“Sorry,” we said together.

I glanced at him, feeling a smile I couldn’t hide appearing on my lips. “Wow. We really nailed that, huh?”

He glanced at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he nodded. “Are you nervous?”

I scoffed. “Please. Weddings could never make me nervous. I face down angry patients and malfunctioning IVs on a daily basis.”

“Don’t forget hospital owners with more ego than common sense.”

Blinking back my surprise, I chuckled. “Especially those.”

He leaned back slightly. “Okay, so weddings don’t make you nervous. What’s your official stance on them, then?”

“Weddings?” I asked, and when he dipped his chin in a nod, I considered the question. “I like the food. I tolerate the speeches. I judge the music harshly.”

“Harshly?”

“If I hear ‘Sweet Caroline,’ I leave.”

He laughed under his breath. “Duly noted. We need to take Neil Diamond off the playlist.”

I waved him off. “Nah, he can stay. It’s just that song.”

“It’s a beloved anthem.”

“It’s also usually played at the time of night when I should be heading home,” I said, then inclined my chin at him. “What about you? What’s your stance on weddings? Are you a big, squishy romantic at heart?”

“Absolutely not,” he said immediately, then paused for just a beat. “Unless it’s my sister. I’m invested when it’s her.”

“That makes sense. You guys seem pretty close.”

“We are.” Those blue eyes swept over me again. “You look nice, by the way.”

Blistering heat took over my entire face, but there was no hiding or avoiding it with him sitting right next to me, so I just smiled and gave a little shrug. “Thanks. My friends insisted we go shopping for the occasion.”

He smiled and our shoulders brushed again when he shifted, neither of us moving away this time. I felt the soft scrape of his jacket against my bare skin and my nerve endings suddenly went on high alert, but Sullivan was still just smiling like he wasn’t affected at all.

“So, why didn’t you bring anyone?” he asked. “You know my reasons now. I showed you mine, you show me yours?”

I laughed. “Weddings are dangerous territory.”

I didn’t add that the only men in my life were my father and my best friends’ husbands.

“Dangerous territory?” he echoed, eyebrows sweeping up as he held my gaze. “How so?”

“There’s too much cake, too much champagne, and too many feelings floating around.”

He gave me a sideways glance. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It depends on the cake, the champagne, and the feelings.”