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Chapter Nine
Luke posed for a few photos with the servers cleaning up Jake and Cassie’s banquet room. It was a quarter past midnight and although he’d wanted to leave the reception much earlier, he was glad Abbey insisted they stay.
Maybe he was sentimental or some shit, but Luke had enjoyed watching Cassie miss Jake’s mouth with his piece of wedding cake. Jake had been a good sport about it and had carefully fed Cassie her piece, but then she ended up playfully biting his thumb. It was sweet and Luke couldn’t be happier for his big brother.
The cake was delicious. Luke had gobbled up a huge piece himself. Moist yellow cake filled with real strawberry filling and rich buttercream frosting. Abbey was around here somewhere with a huge chunk of it in a to-go container. He had plans for that cake once they got back to his hotel room.
“How fun! You caught the garter,” the sweet brunette server told Luke as she double-checked the selfies they’d just taken.
“Go figure. I guess I can catch too, huh,” Luke answered her with a smile. He was wearing the white lacy garter with a blue satin ribbon on his left arm. The silver charm with Jake’s and Cassie’s names and wedding date sparkled from the overhead lighting.
“Oh right, because you’re a pitcher. Thanks for the pictures, Luke. I appreciate it. I better
finish up so I can head home. Bye.” She put some dirty glasses in a plastic container on top of a wheeled cart and rolled it to the kitchen.
Luke exited the banquet room doors and met up with Rocco and Jake. Jake looked as happy as he had the minute he’d married Cassie earlier that afternoon. Cassie was pregnant but Jake was nearly glowing himself.
Rocco clapped Jake on the shoulder. “The gifts are loaded up and we’ll drop them off at your condo. Your folks have the wedding card box.”
“Thanks, man. We’ll see you at brunch around noon then?”
Rocco gave Jake a curt nod. “I’ll be there.”
Luke had been amused, watching Rocco and Hannah circle each other all evening. Both of them reluctant to fully relax and enjoy each other’s company, It was obvious there was something going on between the cute event planner and the Italian.
Luke hadn’t missed that Rocco seemed disappointed when Hannah hadn’t caught the bouquet. Hannah hadn’t intended on joining the single ladies in the tradition at first, but Abbey and Leah had dragged her out on to the dance floor. Leah had made an aggressive play and caught it. Although the big Italian Marine had put in a good effort, Luke had easily snagged the garter nearly out of Rocco’s hands.
He couldn’t resist teasing the man. “So, after Jake and Cass come back from their honeymoon, are you going to bring Hannah to their place for the wedding gift reveal party?”
Rocco didn’t respond.
“Did you ask her, at least?” Jake asked.
Rocco ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. “I asked her, what’s the big deal?”
Thank God for small miracles. “The big deal is you’re both obviously interested but holding back for no good reason.” Luke blew out a frustrated breath. Why was Rocco being so difficult about this? Hannah Hailey was a terrific woman. Pretty, smart, hardworking—Rocco could do a hell of a lot worse.
“Did she agree to come with you?” Jake asked.
Rocco nodded sadly but from Luke’s perspective, he should have been happy. “Yes.”
Jake’s smile beamed. “All right then, that’s great news. I like her, Cassie does too. This is a good thing, Roc. Relax and go with it.”
Rocco took a deep breath and shrugged again. He seemed unsure. “We’ll see. I better get going. See you at brunch.” Rocco man-hugged Jake and turned to Luke.
“Your shoulder holding up okay?”
Earlier in the evening Luke, Hannah, and Rocco has used Carlo Antonetti’s office to quickly reapply the emu oil cream to Luke’s sore shoulder. Carlo had helped Rocco re-secure his shoulder support and Luke had taken another couple of pain pills.
Luke rolled his shoulder, feeling only a dull ache. He would be fine. He wasn’t about to let a little shoulder soreness keep him from getting his hands on Abbey and fucking her until she begged him to stop. Not that he would.
“Yeah, man. I’m fine,” he told Rocco.
Rocco nodded and left, leaving Luke and Jake in the hallway alone. “Heath gone?”
“Leah dragged him out of here a little while ago.” Jake thought a moment. “He wasn’t resisting too much.”
Luke chuckled. Leah was determined, he’d give her that. He only hoped she didn’t live to regret it. “You think those two will be all right?” Luke wasn’t sure what Heath’s issue was with getting together with Leah, but he didn’t want to see either of them get hurt. Leah had been like a kid sister to Luke all these years and Heath his other big brother. Things could get complicated. He didn’t want to have to take sides if things went south.
