The bridesmaids shuddered.
“—who wants to look good at her daughter’s wedding. And if the world sees me as sexy, I’ll give it a little show.”
Lindsey sighed. “Please don’t do a show, Mom.”
“I’ve already been asked.”
“By who?”
Mom smiled. “It was supposed to be a surprise. But I’m going to sing Natural Woman at your party with the band, and I need to look the part.”
Lindsey stared at me like I agreed to play piano for her.
“Fix this,” she growled. “Now.”
I thought morning sickness made me uncomfortable. I was wrong.
This. This was uncomfortable.
“Mom, I think Lindsey wanted to hire a professional to sing,” I said.
“One song, baby.” Mom patted Lindsey’s cheek. “You know what it’s like to be desired—Bryce loves you. And I’m hot on the market.” She glanced at me. “Maybe you’ll understand one day, Mandy. Once your hair grows out. And you lose a little more weight. And maybe we can do something about your nose…”
And I was done.
If they only knew. I was desirable. Hell, Nate couldn’t stop touching me.
It just so happened he’d already touched everyone else too.
I stormed out of the boutique, cell in hand. I had no idea if it was right to be flattered by Nate’s constant chasing, or if it meant I didn’t give in as easily as the other girls.
All the other girls.
And nothing was wrong with my nose!
This was getting overwhelming. I needed some sort of insight about Nate. I knew the person I had to call, but Rick wasn’t going to like these questions.
I paced outside for a minute before building the courage to call him. Rick answered with a groggy profanity.
“Rise and shine,” I said.
Another profanity. “Is anyone bleeding?”
“Nope.”
“Heart attack?”
“Nope.”
“It’s my day off.” Rick grumbled. “Call back never.”
“I gotta talk to you.”
I permitted him a minute to complain, but Rick wouldn’t hang up on me. Once the telltale sputtering of his coffee pot hissed over the line, I knew I had him.
“Lindsey driving you crazy?” He yawned.
I took a breath. Now or never. “Not Lindsey.”
“Your mom?”
“Well, yeah. Pretty sure we’ll need the Jaws of Life to get her out of the dress she chose, but…it’s not her.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
Why was it so hard to say? My throat closed. I’d make it easy. Just start with the basics.
“I, uh…it’s Nate.”
Rick groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”
I quieted. He knew exactly what that meant.
“No! Mandy, why in God’s name would you sleep with Nate?”
Good question. I had no idea how to explain it.
“It was…something that happened.” And it happened more times than I could count thanks to the cabin and that night of mistaken pleasure. “I was lonely. And the wedding was getting nuts. And my parents were stressing me out. I needed something to take my mind off of it all.”
“Jesus, Mandy. Take a walk. A cold shower. Anything but Nate.”
“I know.”
“Especially since he’s slept with all the bridesmaids now. Christ, this wedding served him all the fresh meat he could want.”
“As I learned.” I sighed and stopped my pacing. At least the sun felt nice—warm…non-judgmental. “It’s just…I thought there might have been…”
“What?”
A spark? “Something else there.”
“Don’t.” Rick took on his older brother tone. “Don’t look for anything more with Nate. I know the guy. It was a one-night stand.”
“Except it wasn’t.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t…a one-off fuck.”
“Did you just use the word fuck?”
“Listen to me. It was more than once. And he’s been…pursuing me. Calling me, texting me. He wants to talk. He even apologized for the other girls before me.”
“Nate.”
“Yes.”
“Nate Kensington?”
“Yes, smart-ass.” I plunked down on the bench outside the boutique. “You’re his friend. What’s he doing? What am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t have the answers for you, but I know what I have to do.”
I was afraid to ask. “What?”
“Kick his fucking ass.”
“That’s not why I called you—”
“He knows better than to confuse you like this. You’re too damn inexperienced for him.”