Healing Beau (The Brothers of Beauford Bend Book 6) by Alicia Hunter Pace Page B

minutes, can’t you?”
    He dropped a kiss on her temple. “I will survive.”
    Christian would have argued that she could find her way, but that would take time, and she needed to get away from that front door before Beau came through it. Surely Noel wouldn’t try to have a heart-to-heart in this crush of people. There didn’t seem to be a free square foot of space. People were everywhere—quilt makers, hockey players, townspeople, Noel’s family from Louisville. And Beaufords—Beaufords everywhere. “Oh, look!” Noel said. “There’s Bryant!” as if Christian knew who Bryant was.
    Though, clearly he was one of Nickolai’s teammates. He had that hockey player look about him. She couldn’t quite define it, but it had something to do with swagger and agility. And cockiness. Yeah. There was definitely some of that running around on that face.
    “This is just what you need to help you move on,” Noel whispered as she steered her across the room.
    Perfect. Evidently Noel had not believed Christian had no feelings for Beau and now she had decided that a hockey player was just the balm for Christian’s broken heart.
    “I don’t need—” Christian didn’t get a chance to finish, because they were standing in front of this Bryant person, and Noel was speaking again.
    “Bryant, you remember Christian from the wedding. She was one of my bridesmaids.”
    His eyes went blank, but he smiled. “Of course, I remember Christine.”
    “Christian,” Noel practically hissed. Great. Noel was matchmaking—or trying. She was also trying to be clever and casual—and she wasn’t good at it. “
Christian.
”
    “Christian,” Bryant corrected himself. “Sorry. That’s what I meant to say.”
    There had probably never been a more scintillating discussion of her name, maybe of anyone’s name. For certain, her name had never been uttered so many times is such a short space of time—not even at her baptism.
    Noel looked at Christian. “Bryant is from Minnesota. He played for Boston College before coming to the Sound. He plays defense and shoots right.”
    Clearly, she had memorized all that for this very purpose. “Really?” Christian asked. “How many penalty minutes?”
    “I, uh …” Noel looked confused.
    “Career or this season?” Bryant asked.
    Christian shook her head and laughed. This was like an alternate universe reality show. Bryant joined in the laughter.
    Noel looked confused, but she laughed, too. Then she looked at her wrist, though she wasn’t wearing a watch. “Oh, dear. I just remembered something I have to do. Bryant, would you show Christian where the food and drinks are?”
    As if Christian hadn’t been in this house eighty-two times from the time Noel first looked at it until a week ago. As if they hadn’t talked this party to death and she didn’t know the drinks were on the antique sideboard, the food was on the dining table, and the plates, flatware, and napkins were on the small server.
    “I think she wants me to show you where the food is, which I assume is in the dining room, wherever that is.” Bryant smiled and raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t flirting, thank God—just indicating that he knew they were both onto Noel.
    “I think what she really wants is for us get married, buy the house next door, and start producing little hockey players.”
    “I’m emotionally unavailable,” Bryant said. “Seven good women and a puppy dog told me so.”
    “Really? You speak dog? I’m impressed.”
    “Not exactly. He bit me. That was a pretty clear message—even for a dumb hockey player.”
    Christian laughed. “Just so you know, I’m emotionally unavailable, too. And I didn’t know what Noel was up to.”
    “Never thought you did. You know, Noel really is smart. She’s just too honest to pull something like that off.”
    “I do know. Noel’s one of my best friends. Bridesmaid, remember?”
    “You have to be a best friend to be a bridesmaid?”
    “What did you think? That