She laughed. "No. One of my physical therapists in rehab was nuts for dental floss. She showed me all kinds of ways to use it. Cutting your food. Starting a fire. Removing old photographs that got stuck together."
"File this under Things I Never Knew."
She finished unwinding the floss and Casey's ring dropped from his finger. "Voilà," she said. "You're a free man."
"With a whole new respect for dental floss." He laughed, but it was a shaky sound full of nervousness.
Truth be told, she was shaky nervous too.
Chapter 13
Back inside the barn, everyone else had taken seats.
This time, Kaia and Ridge were the last to arrive.
"You go ahead," she told him. "So people won't know we were together."
He ironed his lips together in a firm line, nodded like he was fine with it, but there was disappointment in the way he pivoted and loped away.
Oh dear.
She was still sorting out her feelings, and she didn't want her family and friends weighing in on the relationship. Mainly because it wasn't a relationship and she was afraid they'd blow things out of proportion.
Following the excellent meal of tenderloin medallions, risotto, and haricots verts, the speeches began. Waiters dressed as cowboys moved around the tables passing out glasses of champagne and sparkling cider.
As best man, Ridge was up first, and when he stood, Kaia's eyes were instantly drawn to him. And she wasn't the only woman ogling him.
He glanced down the table and caught her staring at him. The covert smile he sent her landed in her stomach like a firebomb, scorching her from the inside out. He dipped an index finger in his champagne glass, moistening it. Anchored the base of the glass on the table with his other hand, circled his wet finger around the rim, and produced a high-pitched keening.
Everyone turned to stare at him.
"Now that I have your attention." He raised the champagne glass, glanced out at the crowd. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Ridge Lockhart. Archer and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. For those of you who do know me, well, I hope you don't hold our friendship against Archer."
That drew a collective laugh.
Ridge looked over at Archer, who sat to his left beside Casey. "We've had our share of adventures together, played sports, pulled pranks, chased girls, and suffered through our share of bratty little brothers and sisters tagging along after us."
With that, and it wasn't her imagination, Ridge gazed pointedly down the table toward her.
Kaia gulped, ducked her head, and stared at her peach cobbler.
"We vowed to be lifelong bachelors," Ridge went on, turning his attention back to Archer. "I kept up my end of the bargain, but then Casey came into his life and changed everything."
The crowd murmured a collective "aww." Kaia's heart went all mushy at the loving look her brother exchanged with his bride.
"Archer, I have a baffled respect for anyone who has the courage to ignore the high divorce rate and plunge headfirst into matrimony."
An awkward silence fell over the room. Archer shifted uncomfortably and Casey looked as if Ridge had gut-stabbed her. Kaia's mushy heart tripped into her stomach.
Gosh, Ridge sounded just like Hugh Grant's commitment phobic character in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Vivi was right. If she allowed it to happen, Ridge would break her heart.
So don't allow it to happen.
"But you guys aren't me. You clearly have what it takes to make it for the long haul," Ridge continued. "My hat is off to you. I know you'll have a long and happy marriage."
A tight smile stretched Archer's mouth and Casey wrapped her hands around her new husband's forearm and leaned into him.
Ridge raised his glass higher. "Let's all toast the happy couple and wish them well."
"To the happy couple!" the guests said in unison.
Numbly, Kaia parroted the phrase, downed half her champagne with one swallow. Reality check. Ridge was not the marrying kind. He'd just announced it. No matter what the Song of the Soul Mate might have hummed to her. He was not The One.
Never mind. It was okay. Forget the humming. She wasn't disappointed. Okay, maybe a little, but she'd get over it.
Ridge sat down, and Casey's dad started his speech. The rest of the speeches passed in a blur, and the next thing she knew the band was launching into the first song for the bride and groom to dance together. The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."
During the liveliest part of the song, Casey started bouncing up and down and waving people out onto the dance floor with them. Archer had a happily dopey expression on his face as he gazed adoringly at his bride, moving his feet in an I-can't-dance-but-I'm-giving-it-hell shuffle.