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This time he wouldn’t leave anything up to assumptions. He was going to lay it all on the line. He was going to tell Avery he wanted to be with her no matter what her future held. And then he was going to find out if she felt the same way about him.
That was the scary part of the plan.
She’d never exactly admitted to loving him. And he’d only been in Riverbend for a few weeks. He’d been gone almost twice that long. They’d only kissed the one time, and she hadn’t contacted him since he’d left—other than the one time he’d texted her. It really wasn’t much to go on.
Was he about to make a royal fool of himself?
The question flashed like a neon sign in his brain a fewminutes later when he pulled in to the venue’s lot and parked. As he exited the car, music drifted from the open doors, and that’s when it occurred to him: What if she’d come with a date?
He stopped in his tracks, rearing his head back. It was a wedding—of course she would come with a date.
He was an idiot. Why hadn’t he thought this through? He stared at the barn, gleaming white in the moonlight. A few children wearing dress clothes scampered around the porch, playing chase under the glow of lanterns.
He thought of Avery, somewhere inside that building. Date or no, he was going to tell her how he felt tonight. He hadn’t come this far for nothing.
He pressed on. The steps between the lot and barn stretched ahead like a football field. Still, he kept going. For the first time in months he would follow a path he chose for himself. Whether Avery wanted to walk it with him or not, he didn’t know. But he was going to find out.
He marched on, up the pavers and through the open doorway. He stopped at the back of the room, his gaze sweeping the space. A handful of people sat at tables, but most of them gathered on the dance floor, moving to the melody of a slow song.
It didn’t take long to spot Avery—swaying in the arms of an all-too-familiar man.
Chapter41
In her beautiful green dress, hair falling over her bare shoulders, Avery looked even more gorgeous than Wes remembered. She spoke animatedly with Rick, then listened as he replied. As she tossed her head back in a laugh, Wes swore he could hear the melodious sound over the music.
He scowled as he raked his gaze over Romeo’s white shirt and fitted dress pants. Wes glanced down at his own attire, only now aware that he stood out like a sore thumb in his jeans and button-down.
He watched the chatty couple on the dance floor, his chest tightening, his breath hitching at the sight of them together. Avery seemed so happy. Had he made a terrible mistake in coming here? Had she moved on since he’d left? Was she with this guy now?
But even while his heart ached at the sight of them, at the possibility of losing her . . . he couldn’t let this moment pass. He’d come all this way to tell her he loved her and that’s what he’d do.It would be up to her what, if anything, would come of his declaration.
He forced his feet into motion. The dance floor grew closer with alarming speed, his heart measuring the distance in beats. Before he knew it, he was at Avery’s side, a trembling mass of terror.
Rick saw him first. The smile slipped from the man’s face and his broad shoulders stiffened.
Avery must’ve noticed too because she glanced over her shoulder, doing a double take at the sight of Wes. She froze in place. Her lips parted and her eyes widened. Those beautiful eyes. Oh, how he’d missed having them trained on him.
“Wes.”
The rich melody swelled in the awkward gap between them. Tension flared.
Wes cut his gaze to Rick and he forced an even tone. “May I cut in?”
Rick’s gaze darted between the two of them. “Uh, sure.”
Now that Wes had her full attention, he was barely aware of the other man slipping away. He took a step closer, trying to figure out what to make of her wide eyes and tentative smile. Was she glad to see him? She was impossible to read.
He took a deep breath and set his hands on her waist. Eons passed before she slid her hands up to his shoulders. Then they began swaying in time to the music.
***
Avery stared at Wes, her pulse racing. Was he really here in Riverbend? In her arms? With her own future so up in the air, she didn’t dare hope...
“Sorry to crash your date,” he said finally.
“What are you doing here, Wes? Why aren’t you in Albany?”With Lillian.She managed to suppress the name but not the pang of jealousy.
He opened his mouth. Closed it again. His gaze flittered over her face.
