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“You look uncomfortable,” she teases, coming up to me with a conspiratorial grin on her perfect lips.
“I want to finish what we started before Karen came knocking.”
She trails one finger over her collarbone and I wish I was the one touching her. “We will.”
“This wedding is never going to end.”
“It’s only the rehearsal.”
“My point exactly.”
She threads her arm through the crook of mine and snuggles close. “I really missed you, you know?”
“It took five years for you to figure that out?”
“No.” Her posture stiffens. “No, I knew that from the moment I let you go. I just didn’t see how it could work.”
I laugh. “I’m not sure how it’s going to work now.”
“Well, one night is a lot different from forever.”
Everything in me comes to a halt. That’s right. This isn’t me getting her back forever. This is us helping her live out her fantasy. Closure. A solid goodbye.
“Yeah. It’s going to be a hell of a good time.” I swallow past the lump in my throat and lean down, whispering in her ear. “You’re never going to forget it, bunny.”
“Well, you two seem cozy,” Georgia says as she approaches. The woman is wearing a white dress that hits her mid-thigh and her shoulders are bare to the setting sun. She’s pretty, but she doesn’t hold a candle to my Chloe.
“We always come back to each other.” I slide my hand over Chloe’s waist until she’s molded to my side. “It just took us a while this time.”
Georgia’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Ohmigod, are you two back together?”
“Just making the most of our weekend.” I offer the words, hating how lighthearted they are. I want to say yes. I want to tell Georgia I’m never letting her cousin go again. But I can’t. Five years has changed everything.
“Where’s Colt?” Chloe asks, her question hitting me like ice water. That’s right. Colt is part of this equation, and if I don’t keep that in mind, I’m in for another heartbreak.
“Not sure. I haven’t seen him since…earlier.”
Her cheeks go red and Georgia doesn’t miss that. She cocks a brow. “What’s going on between you three?”
“We’re just being friendly. You sandwiched her between us, you can’t expect us not to spend time embarrassing the shit out of her.”
“Oh, look, there’s Colt.” Chloe nearly rips herself from my arms and dashes for her hero. Colt’s got his black stetson on his head. Paired with a dark blazer, a fucking rodeo belt buckle, dark wranglers and a pair of matching black boots, he’s playing up the cowboy tonight, and I know why. Chloe is a sucker for that very thing. She can’t resist a man who knows how to ride, rope, and run a ranch. At least, that’s what she told me when we were together.
“Giddy up, Chloe,” Georgia murmurs. Then she casts me a pitying glance. “Sorry, Sean. Maybe you should’ve worn your hat?”
“I’m good. Not worried about him at all.”
Colt doesn’t hide his affection one bit. When Chloe reaches him, he takes her in his arms and drops a kiss on her lips right here in front of God and everybody.
“Wow, if that’s how Colt shows his friendship, I see why Porter kept me away from him all this time.”
I fight the urge to ball my hands into fists. I’ll get my turn with her, but now I can’t do it in front of everyone. The last thing Chloe needs is for her family to think she’s being shared by two men. That’s for us to know in private.
“Excuse me, Georgia. I need to have a conversation with my bridesmaid.” I’m striding toward them with my heart pumping hard. I need to get this damn rehearsal over with so I can finally have Chloe all to myself. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ll be sharing her, but something tells me seeing her between us both with be a sight I’ll never forget.
Colt has her against him, a sly grin on his lips when I approach. “Nice of you to show up, Colt.”
“I had a few things to see to before this rehearsal gets going.”
