AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dinner had been cleared away, the speeches were done and in a few minutes, the music would start. The bride was posing for pictures with some girlfriends, and the new groom was shaking hands. Congratulations no doubt.
Tucker toyed with his half-full wine glass but didn’t answer his brother. Instead he shrugged, his eyes still on Abby.
“So tell me again how you and this woman are just friends?”
Tucker shot a dark look at Beau. Guess the jig was up there.
“Because right now brother, you look jealous as hell.”
“Yeah?” Tucker muttered.
“Yeah,” Beau replied. “Looks to me like Cooper’s got a bull’s eye pinned to the back of his head with your name on it. So maybe you need to figure out what’s going on before things get out of hand.” Beau leaned forward. “Because a family wedding isn’t exactly the time or place for the kind of shit that I know is brewing in that head of yours.”
A muscle worked its way across Tucker’s cheek as he clamped down hard. He wanted nothing more than to plant his fist into Cooper’s nose. He was wound so tight his shoulders ached. Hell, even his teeth hurt from clenching his jaw.
He knew he’d get grief if he started something with his cousin, but right now it was the only thing that would make him feel better.
Fuck.
He needed to get Abby alone. He needed to tell her some things. The fact that he wasn’t exactly sure what those things were didn’t really matter. He’d figure it out.
His eyes narrowed as Cooper leaned in close and whispered something into her ear. Again. Something t
hat made her smile. Something that had her looking up into his cousin’s eyes as if…
Tucker was out of his chair so fast he nearly spilled his wine. He didn’t bother looking back at Beau as he strode through the crowd. If he’d have taken a moment, he might have realized he was playing out the exact same scenario that had occurred the night before.
The one that had led to a kiss. A kiss that had pretty much kept him up for most of the night.
It was that kiss that he needed to talk about.
So he stayed focused and didn’t look to the right, even though he knew his mother was trying to get his attention. He ignored his Aunt Virginia, which was a small miracle because the woman was wearing a bright orange dress and waved her arms madly. He ignored his brother Jack’s girlfriend, and the knowing smile that curved Betty Jo’s mouth.
Hell, he didn’t even say a word to his baby sister, Grace, when she managed to come up for air after making out with her new boy-toy—and that had been bugging him since he’d first met the guy.
Tucker ignored it all, because he was done.
Done thinking about that kiss. Done remembering what it felt like to hold Abby in his arms and breathe her in. He was done wondering, and he was done sulking in the corner like a goddamn schoolboy.
Beau wanted to know what the hell was going on? Well so did Tucker.
And it was about time he found out.
He reached Abby and Cooper just as the DJ called the bride and groom up to the dance floor.
“We need to talk,” he said trying to keep his cool and doing a crap job of it. He knew this because Abby took a step back, a wary look in her eyes.
“Tucker,” Abby said haltingly. “I don’t think this is the place—“
“I don’t care what you think; we need to talk.” Christ, he was blowing this. He took a moment—exhaled—and tried for a bit of calm. “Please,” he entreated. “Can you just come with me?”
“Tucker doesn’t say please very often, Abigail. This must be important,” Cooper said. He leaned into her and Tucker’s fists clenched when Cooper murmured. “Save me a dance?” His cousin turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, milling near the edge of the dance floor.
Beau was right. If Tucker’s hands were filled with darts every single one of them would be buried in the back of Cooper’s head. Screw darts. He’d be using arrows for fuck sake.
“Are you all right?” Abby asked softly.
“No.” There was no hesitation. He was so far from all right at the moment that he wouldn’t know what all right looked like if it kicked him in the ass.
