Chapter One
Owen
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for another official first! Please turn your attention to the center of the room, as Captain and Mrs. Max Remington take the spotlight for their first dance as a married couple.”
“Oh, my God, how romantic isthis!” The bridesmaid, who had been inching her chair closer to mine since all of the wedding party had been seated at the head table, gripped my arm, her unnaturally long nails digging into my wrist. “They aresoadorable together. And this song ... it’s perfect. Oh, I want to cry.”
I stiffened in my uncomfortable wooden folding chair and prayed to whatever deity might be listening that this chick did not burst into tears. If there was one thing I couldn’t take, it was sobbing women. My eyes darted around the tent, looking for someone who might come save me, but all the attention was riveted on the bride and groom, as it should have been.
“Don’t worry.” Samantha’s cousin Ellen, who was at least five years older than me and married, was seated on my other side. She leaned close to murmur in my ear, “Sam told me they’re not doing a wedding party dance. No one’s going to force you into three minutes of hell with an overeager bridesmaid.”
I shot her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’m just not much of a dancer.”
“My husband isn’t, either. That’s how I recognized the look of panic on your face.”
“Ha.” Grimacing, I managed a weak chuckle. “Didn’t know it showed.”
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” She pushed back her chair and rose to her feet, patting the other bridesmaid on the shoulder. “Lonnie, I’m making a trip to the restroom. Care to join me? You might want to, uh, powder your nose before they do the bouquet toss.”
Lonnie frowned. “Powder my nose?”
The other woman sighed, her patience clearly getting thin. “You’ll want to pee before you have to make a dive for the flowers, okay? Got it?”
“Oh!” Lonnie brightened. “Good idea.” She transferred her grip on my body from my arm to my neck. I cringed as her nails skimmed under my ear. “Now, don’t you go anywhere, you hear? I’ll be right back. I think we need to have a dance!”
Luckily for both of us, she flounced away before I figured out how to respond, because I had a feeling neither of us would’ve been too happy with what I had to say. Once they were out of sight, I stood up, too, and eased away from the table, stepping cautiously around the prissy little chairs.
The music got louder as it morphed from the slow number to something with a faster beat. It seemed like just about everyone in the tent was on the dance floor. I moved stealthily around the tables with their pristine white covers, hoping no one would notice the groomsman who was sneaking away from the reception.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like a good time, and I was sure as hell happy for Max and Samantha. Those two fit together like they’d been made from complementary molds, which I guessed was kind of weird, considering how different they’d seemed at first. Samantha was a politically-liberal woman who was passionate about causes, never hesitating to march or picket when she saw injustice. Max was the straightest of arrows, the latest in a long line of Army officers in his family. When they’d begun dating, I’d privately had my doubts.
But somehow, they made it work. Max had relaxed a little, and Samantha had softened, too. They hadn’t changed, exactly, but incredibly, they’d both become better versions of themselves. I’d had to admit that this was one pair who could probably make it for the long haul.
I ducked under the opening in the tent and stood just outside, looking in at the party. The music slowed, and I watched different couples find each other and meld together. There were the bride and groom, of course. And near them, pressed together, with eyes only for each other, were Kade Braggs and his wife, Leah. They didn’t get very many nights away from their baby daughter, and it looked like they were making the most of it now.
My eyes roved over the others, too: Jake and Harper, who was the maid of honor, were laughing as he twirled her around. I remembered the night those two had met at a bar. I’d been a witness to that particular hook-up—or at least the beginning of it—and no one was more amazed than me that Jake and Harper seemed so devoted to each other now.
Shaw was holding his girl Delia tight. Those two had just gotten engaged two weeks ago. The danger ranger had definitely met his match in the feisty schoolteacher. As I watched them, he rubbed her back and whispered something in her ear that had her giggling. Next to them, Derek was dancing with Tasha, the general’s daughter he’d fallen hard for when she’d been his physical therapist. Derek reached around the small redhead to poke Shaw in the back, and Tasha grabbed his hand. Even from here, I could see she was scolding him, but he only laughed.
Yeah, love was in the air. Only, it seemed I was immune to this particular strain of the ailment. Of all the company commanders in the battalion, I was the lone single guy. The sole bachelor. The last man standing.
Not that I was complaining. I’d never met a woman who was worth the ups and downs I’d seen my buddies navigate over the last year or so. My life was my own, and I liked it that way, thanks.
I moved away from the tent, taking a deep breath as the music faded behind me. Samantha and Max had chosen a perfect setting for their big day, I had to admit. The plantation had been around for fifty years before the Civil War, but it had aged well. The ceremony itself had been held inside the huge open foyer of the stately home; now, the tent that housed the reception was set up on the expansive lawn. A few yards away from where I’d paused was a large tree with wide branches that rustled in the cooling summer air. I meandered over there, and leaning against the sturdy trunk, I closed my eyes and let my shoulders droop.
“Are you hiding?”
The unexpected question startled me, and I opened my eyes to see a woman regarding me with a tilted head. My first thought was that she was gorgeous. Her long hair was chestnut blonde, and her eyes were huge and brown, surrounded by a fringe of lashes. The flowered dress she wore was short, showing off miles of tanned leg. The neckline wasn’t too low, but the material clung to a pair of tits that made my mouth water.
Damn.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. “Don’t you like weddings?”
“Um ...” I cleared my throat. “Yeah, they’re okay, I guess. I just needed a little air.” I pushed against the tree to stand up. “Plus, the music was really loud. Also, there was a bridesmaid who was determined to corral me into a dance. So maybe Iamhiding.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “I needed a little escape, too. So many people.” She shrugged, and then from behind her back, she produced a bottle of wine. “I just happen to have liberated some provisions when I ran away. If I were willing to share my wine, could I share your hiding spot?” She smiled, and suddenly, my body went onto full alert, every nerve ending singing hallelujah and screamingYES.
“Uh.” I swallowed, cursing my temporary inability to form a coherent word. “Sure. I think we can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
