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Chapter One
LILY
“What is it about weddings that make me feel so depressed?”
I glanced up to see Renee Sanders, one of my friends from high school, standing beside me and frowning out at the dance floor. My eyes followed her gaze, and I couldn’t help but smile. My cousin Rose was dancing with her new husband, Bryson, at their wedding reception. I’d never seen her look so happy or so beautiful. They met in Seattle a year ago at a party Bryson had at his place. He retired from the Seattle Mariners after injuring his pitching arm, and now he lives right outside of Hamilton in a house that Rose herself designed. They honestly were the cutest couple.
“Because you’re ready to be the bride?”
Renee shrugged. “Probably.”
“Rose looks beautiful,” I stated, my eyes sweeping over the rose-colored wedding gown that my other cousin Morgan designed. Morgan co-owned a boutique in downtown Hamilton with our cousin Blayze’s wife, Georgiana. They were known for their custom-designed wedding dresses and bridesmaids gowns.
In a twist that only Rose would do, she wanted a colored wedding dress, and her attendants wore white and cream. Morgan had been all over that idea and had designed the gown in record time.
“She does, indeed,” Renee replied as she sat beside me. “I especially love her hair.”
Laughing, I looked at her. “Is that because youdidher hair?”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “You have to admit, her hair looks stunning with those tiny roses in it.”
“You could make anyone’s hair look stunning, Renee.”
With a smile, she winked at me. “Hey, do you think Bryson could introduce me to a few of his former friends? Particularly that blond over there who keeps eye-fucking me.”
I followed her gaze and saw one of the guys who used to play with Bryson on the Mariners looking our way.
I let out a huff. “Excuse me, but how do you know he’s not eye-fuckingme?”
Renee laughed. “Do youwanthim to be looking at you?”
I shrugged. “I might want him to be looking at me.”
“Who?” Ben, my other best friend—and the guy I’ve been secretly in love with for as long as I could remember—asked as he sat down between me and Renee.
“The hot baseball player in the corner over there currently looking at either me or Lily, or possibly both of us. That might be kind of fun.”
I screwed up my face. “I didn’t need that visual, Renee.”
Ben laughed.
“You never did tell me why Abby didn’t come with you?” I asked Ben as he slid a glass of wine in front of me, then gave Renee his drink.
He shrugged. “She said she didn’t feel like coming.”
Renee lifted a brow as she took a sip of wine.
I let out a humorless laugh as I asked, “She didn’t give you a reason?”
Looking frustrated, Ben snapped, “No, Lily, she didn’t.”
I drew back. “Wow, okay. Don’t bite my head off. I was simply asking about her, that’s all.”
He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. “She thinks I’m spending too much time with you, now that you’re out of school. She accused me of not being able to let you go, said she doesn’t want us hanging out anymore. I told her that she was talking crazy. I’ve explained time and time again you’re like a sister to me, and I don’t have romantic feelings toward you.”
Ouch. Well, that was a dose of reality I probably needed.
Nodding, I took a sip of my wine.
