Who am I kidding? Of course, I’d be Jack and Trace’s groomsman. The two of them, along with Rafe, Jude, Riker, and Maddox, are my best friends. We served on the same Navy SEAL team—there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for any of them. We’ve been through a lot of shit together. Standing with each of them as they marry their true love is an honor and a privilege.
Rafe, Trace, Jack, and Riker have all found love. Jude and Maddox are still looking. I’ve told them all about Hadley because we don’t keep secrets from each other—ever. I’d hoped to introduce her to them today, but I was wrong about how she felt about me. I still can’t believe she shot me down so quickly—she didn’t even give me a chance to ask why.
“There you are.” Rafe takes a seat at the table in the chair next to mine, followed by Trace, Jack, Riker, Jude, and Maddox. No sooner do I think about my friends than they all appear, somehow finding me at the farthest corner of the reception area. “Never expected you to back down from a challenge.”
“Here.” Riker sets a glass of whiskey on the table in front of me. “We thought you might need a drink.”
“Thanks.” I pick up the glass and take a long drink before setting it back down. “Why did I have to be paired with the only single bridesmaid?”
“Do you want to tell him or should I?” Riker raises an eyebrow at Trace and Jack.
“Fine. We went by height. Since Natalie is tall and wanted to wear four-inch-high heels, she wanted to make sure she was paired with a tall groomsman, and since you’re the tallest,” Trace trails off, taking a swig of his own drink.
“By half an inch, you dick.” I grab a napkin and toss it at Trace, feeling happier than I have all day, hanging out with my best friends.
It’s hard to believe we’re so close that we even shared that we are all still virgins in our early to mid-thirties. Or I guess we all were until Rafe, Trace, Jack, and Riker found their soulmates. Now it’s just me, Jude, and Maddox—the final three of the original virgin squad—a nickname we gave ourselves.
“In our defense, Hollander, we didn’t know about Hadley at the time of the pairing. By then, it was too late.” Jack adds, reminding me that Hadley turned me down.
“Jesus, Jack, did you have to bring up Hadley?” Jude slams his whiskey glass on the table. “Not all of us have found our happily ever after.” The cracks are starting to show in our relationship—we went from all being single virgins to more than half of us finding love and having sex daily, while the rest of us are miserably alone. “Maybe I should bed Natalie and get it over with.” He makes a move to get up, but I grab his arm, stopping him.
“You don’t mean that, Jude. You know you want to wait until you find the one, just like those assholes did.” I try to ease the tension, but it doesn’t help—Jude is still wound tight.
“How can you say that after being basically dumped by the first woman you’ve ever been attracted to?” The pain etching his face makes me realize I don’t have it as bad as Jude and Maddox—at least I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I couldn’t imagine still searching for the one.
“I guess because I’m not ready to give up on Hadley.” My realization doesn’t shock me as much as I thought it would. Now I just need to convince my Baby Girl she’s mine.
“And just what are you going to do to win her heart?” The normally quiet Maddox asks, his gaze holding mine as if I hold the key to love.
“I’m not sure yet. All I know is I’m not ready to give up on her.”
“Alright,” Rafe says, standing and patting my shoulder. “I wish you luck. And guys,” he looks from Jude to Maddox and back to me, “someday, after each of us has found love, we’ll look back on today and remember how strong we were while waiting for the love of our lives.” And just like that, Rafe defuses the tension at the table, proving once again why he was our team leader.
Now it’s up to me to prove to Hadley we’re meant to be together.
four
Hadley
“Itold you lastnight when you texted me, and I’m not saying it again. You and Hollander are a team now, whether you like it or not. Whatever conflict you two are having, figure it out and move on.” Vance stomps to his office, leaving me standing in the middle of the main area with all the bodyguards that are in today staring at me.
I knew the day would come when I’d have to reveal myself to my co-workers and stop hiding in my apartment. I’m just thankful Hollander isn’t here yet to see how much of a hot mess I really am. With my wild, curly brown hair, I can never seem to calm down, and my baggy pants and sweatshirt. At least I took the time to put in my contacts today.
My plan to show up at headquarters to speak with Vance in person has turned into a total disaster. Not only did he reprimand me in front of my coworkers, but he’s also refusing to give me a new partner.
With a sigh of defeat, I hoist my purse on my shoulder and head for the exit. “Hadley, wait a minute.” Spinning around to nearly crash into Evie as she rushes towards me. “I’m so glad you’re here. Senator Stinson called and requested a male and a female bodyguard to go undercover.”
“What does that have to do with me? I’m not a bodyguard,” I say, not following the conversation. When Evie hesitates, my anxiety gets the best of me, and I try to fill the silence with my odd sense of humor, speaking in my best Irish accent, which isn’t very good. “What I do have are a very particular set of skills.” When she continues to hesitate, I mumble, “Not a Liam Neeson fan, I take it.”
“Oh, I’m a Liam Neeson fan, but that’s the worst impersonation of him I’ve ever heard.” She laughs. “But enough of that. I need you to go undercover with Hollander, acting as the Senator’s girlfriend while Hollander plays the Senator’s stepsister’s boyfriend.”
“What?” My brain freezes as I try to follow the relationship. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Spaceballs—I am your father’s, brother’s, nephew’s, cousin’s, formerroommate.I giggle, thinking of the line in the movie, which is as ridiculous as me being a bodyguard and going undercover. When Evie raises an eyebrow at me, I cough, trying to cover my laughter. “Sorry. You were saying.”
With a roll of her eyes that looks suspiciously like my cats’, she continues. “You’ll have to sign the standard NDA forms, but I know I can trust you. It seems that since the Senator is young, handsome, and single, he’s become the target of a lot of unwanted attention.”
“He is hot. But why does he need a fake girlfriend?”
“Well, Hadley, it seems the Senator and his stepsister are madly in love with each other but want to wait until after next month’s election to go public. They don’t want to risk a scandal this close to the votes being cast.”
