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“Good job there.” Gavin chuckles as he takes a bite of his biscuits and gravy.
“Your father-in-law hates me,” I say.
“He’s just reserved.” Gavin shrugs, then adds, “But yeah, you’re definitely on his shit list now.”
Once I’ve finished eating, Diesel and I go back to the cattle barn. Since Ethan and Harper’s wedding rehearsal’s tonight, my work day’s cut in half. Once we’re finished, I go home and change, then head to the church.
Ethan’s one of Kenzie’s cousins who runs the goat farm. I help him sometimes, and over the years, we’ve become friends. After they announced their engagement, I was kinda surprised when he asked me to be a groomsman. Even more so when I learned they coupled me with Kenzie, but I wasn’t complaining.
“You look pretty,” I whisper in Kenzie’s ear the first chance I get. We’re practicing walking down the aisle in order.
“Eat shit, Cowboy,” she murmurs without looking at me as Harper’s mom gives instructions.
I hold back my laughter as I stuff my hands in my pockets. “Pretty filthy mouth too.”
She faces me wearing her signature glare. “Don’t get any ideas. Just because I have to be paired with you doesn’t mean I want to be.”
“Why? You’d rather be sittin’ on my face? Because if so, that can be arranged.”
Without warning, she stomps her heel on my foot. “Fuck.” I hiss, trying to keep it together so I don’t cause a scene.
“Keep it up, dumbass, and you’ll also be sportin’ a black eye in the wedding photos,” she warns with fake politeness in her tone.
Goddamn, why does her feistiness turn me on even more? It’s a true sickness, something I can’t explain. She’s turned me down more times than I can count, yet I still can’t control myself around her. Ignoring the impulse to get under her skin as much as she gets under mine is impossible. Kenzie’s worked me up for so fucking long, I crave peeling back her layers and figuring out what her problem is with me.
“That wasn’t very ladylike,” I murmur when she’s forced to weave her arm through mine.
While brushing strands of bleach-blond hair from her face, she ignores me.
As we make our way toward the front, I lean in and ask softly, “You gonna finally tell me why you despise me so much?”
“You’re annoying.”
“And you’re a raging bitch most days, but that’s not an acceptable reason to be a jerk to you.”
She whips her head in my direction and scowls. Before she can retort, we’re separating and moving to our respective places. While standing next to the other groomsman, I glance at her. I should apologize, but honestly, she’s never given me the same courtesy for the harsh shit she says. However, I hadn’t meant it. I only wanted to provoke a reaction from her, but instead, I feel guilty as hell.
She’s gonna make me pay for that one. You’d think at twenty-seven years old, I would’ve learned how to keep my foot out of my mouth.
The following day, I’m up bright and early to get my chores done before I have to go to the church for the ceremony. I never spoke to Kenzie after the rehearsal because she avoided me at the dinner like usual.
“See ya guys there!” I wave to Diesel and Riley as I walk to my truck.
After a hot shower, I change into my suit and comb my hair before driving into town. When I arrive, Ethan’s parents and sister are in the groomsmen’s dressing room.
“Grayson, you clean up so nice,” his mother, Emily, says.
“Yeah, man. Lookin’ good.” Ethan smirks, patting my back.
“You gettin’ nervous yet?”
“Nah. Been ready to marry Harper since I was a teen.” He beams, and I’m happy for him. Ethan and Harper were childhood friends until last year when Harper asked him to pretend to be her fiancé. One thing led to another, and a couple of months later, they were actually engaged. Now she’s pregnant, and they’re due in the fall.
“Hey, can you give this letter to Harper for me?” Ethan asks his sister, Elle. “I want her to read it right away.”
“Sure thing, bro. I gotta wrangle the other bridesmaids anyway.”
At that, I go search for Kenzie first. The church isn’t that big, and since the bridal suite is at the opposite end of the hallway, it’s not hard to find her. Fortunately, she’s alone.
As soon as she sees me, she groans with an eye roll. “What do you want?”
I rake my gaze down her body, appreciating every inch of skin that’s peeking out of her dress. Wavy blond hair flows down her back, and I want to reach out and tug it. “Relax. Do you always come armed?”
“Around you, I do.”
“I was just comin’ to tell you how beautiful you look. Peach suits you.”
“It’s coral,” she corrects.
“Alright, well whatever color it is, it’s pretty on you.”
