explanation for this morning. You’re not supposed to care, remember? You told him you weren’t interested in him at all.
Frustration made Tori feel sick. Jed was supposed to be pining over her rejection, not bedding his cheating ex-fiancé in the space of five hours.
It had taken every scrap of pride Tori could piece together to come here today, to pretend everything was fine and to focus on the wedding rehearsal.
She made it a point to flirt with Gabe, especially when she knew Jed was watching. Gabe was to the side of the altar, too, standing next to Jed. She risked a glance, carefully avoiding Jed’s eyes, and gave Gabe a suggestive wink.
That would teach him.
Oh, yes, Tori. Because you winking at Gabe is exactly the same as Jed sleeping with Evelyn.
Gabe spoke up. “Father John, would it be okay if I walked down the aisle with Tori, rather than waiting up here?”
The preacher furrowed his brow. “Traditionally, the maid of honor walks alone.”
“Ah, but we’re not a traditional family,” said Gabe. He turned to Edward. “Is it okay with you, Dad?”
“If it’s all right with Bonnie.”
Gabe walked to Tori and offered his arm, whispering in her ear, “Hey there, beautiful.”
She smiled, extremely grateful to have someone else in front of the firing squad with her. She could see Jed shifting his weight out of the corner of his eye, and she tightened her grip on Gabe’s arm.
“Thanks,” she whispered to him.
“You got it.”
They reached the flower-covered arbor and split apart. Tori closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. The hard part was done. Gabe walking her down the aisle was just icing on the cake.
When she opened her eyes, her mother was walking down the aisle with a single red rose, her face aglow with obvious happiness.
Tori felt herself instantly choke up. She was glad her mother had found love again. In that moment, she could feel her father’s spirit, just as pleased as she was. Tori’s eyes were drawn to the sky, and she smiled, whispering, “I love you, Dad.”
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, blah blah blah, blah blah blah,” said the preacher, and everyone laughed. “Tomorrow we’ll do the real thing. Who will have the rings?”
“I will,” said Jed.
The sound of his voice went through her like a warm breeze. Why did he continue to affect her this way? He was not the man for her, she was certain. And if she was hurt by him sleeping with Evelyn, it was only her surprise at the speed with which he switched direction, not because he had betrayed her.
How could you betray someone you weren’t seeing in the first place?
~~~
“What can I get for you?” asked the bartender.
Tori leaned over to be heard above the crowd. “Two shots of whiskey and a white wine spritzer.”
Someone pressed behind her and she cursed the crowded bar Bonnie and Edward had chosen to go to after the rehearsal dinner. Tori had a little too much wine with dinner, which made it seem like a terrific idea to continue the revelry. Only once they were away from the confines of the table, Jed had become more difficult to elude.
The bartender brought her drinks and she threw money on the bar, then turned around, directly into Jed’s chest.
“How long did you think you could avoid me?” he asked.
“Not long enough, apparently.” Lifting her arms, she moved sideways through the crowd, forcing him to follow her or leave her alone. She wasn’t surprised when he followed.
Tori made her way back to Bonnie and Edward’s table, passing out the whiskeys and taking a fortifying sip of her spritzer.
Jed leaned in to speak into her ear. “I want to talk to you.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Just hear me out.”
“Where’s your fiancé?”
“She’s not my fiancé anymore.”
“That’s true. Hey,” she said, hitching her elbow onto his arm, “Maybe she’s with Gabe. We should go see. Gabe!” she yelled, pretending to look around.
Frustration made Tori feel sick. Jed was supposed to be pining over her rejection, not bedding his cheating ex-fiancé in the space of five hours.
It had taken every scrap of pride Tori could piece together to come here today, to pretend everything was fine and to focus on the wedding rehearsal.
She made it a point to flirt with Gabe, especially when she knew Jed was watching. Gabe was to the side of the altar, too, standing next to Jed. She risked a glance, carefully avoiding Jed’s eyes, and gave Gabe a suggestive wink.
That would teach him.
Oh, yes, Tori. Because you winking at Gabe is exactly the same as Jed sleeping with Evelyn.
Gabe spoke up. “Father John, would it be okay if I walked down the aisle with Tori, rather than waiting up here?”
The preacher furrowed his brow. “Traditionally, the maid of honor walks alone.”
“Ah, but we’re not a traditional family,” said Gabe. He turned to Edward. “Is it okay with you, Dad?”
“If it’s all right with Bonnie.”
Gabe walked to Tori and offered his arm, whispering in her ear, “Hey there, beautiful.”
She smiled, extremely grateful to have someone else in front of the firing squad with her. She could see Jed shifting his weight out of the corner of his eye, and she tightened her grip on Gabe’s arm.
“Thanks,” she whispered to him.
“You got it.”
They reached the flower-covered arbor and split apart. Tori closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. The hard part was done. Gabe walking her down the aisle was just icing on the cake.
When she opened her eyes, her mother was walking down the aisle with a single red rose, her face aglow with obvious happiness.
Tori felt herself instantly choke up. She was glad her mother had found love again. In that moment, she could feel her father’s spirit, just as pleased as she was. Tori’s eyes were drawn to the sky, and she smiled, whispering, “I love you, Dad.”
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, blah blah blah, blah blah blah,” said the preacher, and everyone laughed. “Tomorrow we’ll do the real thing. Who will have the rings?”
“I will,” said Jed.
The sound of his voice went through her like a warm breeze. Why did he continue to affect her this way? He was not the man for her, she was certain. And if she was hurt by him sleeping with Evelyn, it was only her surprise at the speed with which he switched direction, not because he had betrayed her.
How could you betray someone you weren’t seeing in the first place?
~~~
“What can I get for you?” asked the bartender.
Tori leaned over to be heard above the crowd. “Two shots of whiskey and a white wine spritzer.”
Someone pressed behind her and she cursed the crowded bar Bonnie and Edward had chosen to go to after the rehearsal dinner. Tori had a little too much wine with dinner, which made it seem like a terrific idea to continue the revelry. Only once they were away from the confines of the table, Jed had become more difficult to elude.
The bartender brought her drinks and she threw money on the bar, then turned around, directly into Jed’s chest.
“How long did you think you could avoid me?” he asked.
“Not long enough, apparently.” Lifting her arms, she moved sideways through the crowd, forcing him to follow her or leave her alone. She wasn’t surprised when he followed.
Tori made her way back to Bonnie and Edward’s table, passing out the whiskeys and taking a fortifying sip of her spritzer.
Jed leaned in to speak into her ear. “I want to talk to you.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Just hear me out.”
“Where’s your fiancé?”
“She’s not my fiancé anymore.”
“That’s true. Hey,” she said, hitching her elbow onto his arm, “Maybe she’s with Gabe. We should go see. Gabe!” she yelled, pretending to look around.
Similar Books
