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“I BET YOU’RE wondering the same thing I am.”
“I doubt that, Miss Lily.” Josh lowered his plastic pint glass from his lips, savoring the taste of the state’s leading microbrew, which Josie Fairmore—now Mrs. Josephine Tager—had declared the signature drink for her backyard wedding. “But if you’re mentally undressing other women at parties you should probably tell Dominic. Trust me, that is something your boyfriend would want to know.”
Lily Greene stepped in front of him. Long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, teasing the neckline of her strapless pink dress, but Josh didn’t give a damn about the curves beneath the bubble-gum colored fabric. She was blocking his view of the only woman he wanted to see naked.
Caroline.
“I’ve never seen Caroline in a dress,” Lily mused. “Where does she keep her gun under that outfit?”
“If I talk her out of it later, I’ll let you know.” He tried to step around Lily. He’d kept his distance from Caroline during the ceremony, but now that the reception was in full swing under the rented tent beside Noah’s old barn, he wanted to talk to the woman who’d walked in here looking like she’d borrowed a page from his fantasies.
Tight dress, high heels, no panties. . .
OK, he couldn’t say for sure she’d skipped the underwear from this vantage point. But he could see her pale green sundress. The top hugged her torso. He’d felt her full breasts when Caroline pressed up against him during the one and only time they’d kissed. And yeah, he’d been surprised by how much she’d been hiding behind those baggy shirts she wore to Big Buck’s.
She’d filled out since the first night he found her in the woods looking like she hadn’t eaten much while freaking walking from Northern California. But she was still petite, even in those high-heeled wedges strapped to her feet.
The bride of the hour had once described Caroline’s look as ‘wood nymph meets G.I. Jane’ when someone suggested they looked alike. And Josh had to agree. Josie and Caroline were roughly the same height, similar dark hair and pale skin, but the similarities stopped there. There was something about the way Caroline carried herself—a little wild and rough around the edges—that set her apart.
He cocked his head and studied Caroline’s slim ankles and muscular calves. How had he known
this woman for over a year and never seen her legs? And while he was asking questions, he couldn’t escape the one his brothers hurled at him over and over: how long did he plan to wait for her? As his big brother had kindly pointed out last week, Josh hadn’t slept with a woman since before he first met Caroline.
But he’d learned patience since his accident. Losing his short-term memory, spending months in rehab, working his ass off to reclaim his sense of self, he’d grown accustomed to waiting for what he wanted.
Still, he’d like to find out if Caroline had attended the wedding without her panties.
Lily reached out and took his free hand. “I think she needs a friend tonight. She’s still afraid of Ryan. And probably most of the other unfamiliar faces. There are a lot of cops here.”
“I know.” He pulled free from Lily’s hold and stepped around her. Then he walked around the wooden dance floor Noah had installed for the reception. He waved to friends and familiar faces that called his name, but he kept his gaze focused on Caroline. The closer he got the more the dress looked like a disguise—an attempt to soften her don’t-mess-with-me façade
She’d planted her high-heeled wedges hip’s distance apart. And her hands were clasped behind her back. Parade rest. He recognized the stance. It was as if her military training had seeped into her bones, becoming a permanent part of her. Caroline was a Marine.
A Marine driven into fucking hiding.
Not a lot pissed Josh off. He let go of most of the shit life hurled at him. He’d come too close to losing his chance to live to hold on tight to anger. But he wanted five minutes alone with the man who’d stolen away her future with the military. He wouldn’t bring a weapon, just his fists and his rage.
But Caroline didn’t need him to seek out vengeance on her behalf. She didn’t need a hero. Hell, she was a hero. Lily had nailed it—the fierce, frightened Marine needed a friend. Especially tonight.
He kept walking, setting his empty drink on the makeshift bar as he passed by. He grinned at Dominic Fairmore. “Might want to hand over your self-appointed role as master of the keg to someone else. Your girlfriend is mentally undressing other women.”
“What the—”
Josh just laughed and kept walking. His target had shifted back a step, or hell, ten. She looked as if she was on the verge of ditching the reception before they cut the cake. But then she resumed her go-to stance with her fingers touching the tent flaps.
If she wants to blend in, she needs to stop posing like she’s the freaking hired security, ready to kick some ass. . .
When Josh first heard her story, he’d wondered if he’d stumbled on the right Caroline in the woods. The woman he’d mistaken for a protesting environmentalist was a fighter. Sure, Noah had spent the past year reminding Josh that her shitastic history labeled her a ‘victim’ and Josh had pretended to listen. But he didn’t see it.
If he had to describe the woman trying to blend into the side of the white rental tent, he’d toss out strong, sexy, and likely to pull a gun on him.
And shit, it looked like he wasn’t the only one who thought so—about the gun part at least. The man who ran Forever’s police department when he wasn’t playing the part of father of the bride stood in front of Caroline. Josh could see the question in the police chief’s gaze from ten paces away and fought the urge to run to her side.
“There you are.” Caroline took his hand and pulled him to her. “You slipped away to grab drinks and came back empty-handed?”
“I ran into a few people.” He nodded to Chief Fairmore. “Congratulations. Your daughter was the happiest bride I’ve ever witnessed. And I’ve seen quite a few now that all my siblings are settling down.”
The police chief beamed. “I take it you’re next in line.”
