Kate resisted the urge to groan. This was Lucy and Noah’s day. She shouldn’t be so grouchy, but smiling and posing and pretending to be in a good mood was not working for her. All she could think of was Gray: what they’d done, what she had missed from him that led up to that moment, how he’d react seeing her again.
Kate lifted the long skirt of her dress and stepped off the stage. A hand slid over her elbow.
“Wait a second,” Tara said.
Turning her attention to her friend, Kate dropped her dress and clutched the bouquet. “What’s up?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
Tara’s questioning gaze held Kate in place. “I’m just going to hop on the shuttle to take me to the reception so I can get some food. I’m starving.”
Rolling her eyes, Tara stepped closer. “You’ve been acting weird all day. What happened from last night to this morning?”
What happened? Oh, just a quickie on the bar top at Gallagher’s, third stool from the left. Well, Gray had shoved the stool out of the way when he’d climbed up to her, but still. She’d never be able to look at that space again without bursting into internal flames. Her panties would probably melt right off.
“I just had a late night.” Kate opted to go with some form of the truth. “Gray and I left the rehearsal and headed back to the bar so he could pull more champagne and wine from the back stock. I just didn’t get much sleep before we had to be up and ready.”
Tara’s bright blue eyes studied Kate a moment longer than she was comfortable with. Gathering her skirt in her hand once again, Kate forced a smile.
“C’mon,” she said, nodding toward the front of the church. “Let’s go get on the shuttle so they can take us over to the food and dancing. I’m ready to get rid of these heels.”
Tara nodded. “Will you get some pictures of me dancing with Marley?”
Marley, Tara’s five-year-old daughter. She shared custody with her ex, Sam Bailey. Sam had brought Marley to the wedding since this was his weekend to have her. Tara had been surprised that Sam had taken Marley to get her hair done and her nails painted.
Kate knew Sam had some issues several months ago, but she saw the man was trying. Okay, using the word “issues” was really sugarcoating things. But addiction was such a delicate topic and Kate still wasn’t sure how to approach it with Tara.
But Kate saw Sam fighting to get his family back. The man had gone to rehab, he’d gotten a new job, he’d gone to counseling. There was a determination in him now that Kate hadn’t seen before. Tara wasn’t ready to see it and Kate worried irreparable damage had been done and their marriage was over for good.
None of that was Kate’s business and she had her own issues to worry about right now. Like seeing Gray at the reception. She didn’t like the silence that had settled between them this morning. That wasn’t like them. They were always bantering or arguing or joking about something. It was their thing. They lived to annoy the hell out of each other and for some strange reason, it worked for them.
Damn it. She knew sleeping with him would change things, but she’d been unable to prevent herself from giving in. One second they were friends, and the next he’d kissed her against his truck and made her want things she never realized she was missing.
Well, she had to just suck it up and get over this awkward hurdle. She wanted her friend back and she wasn’t going to let great sex stand in their way.
Gray checked on the status of the bottles, confident they’d be just fine with the extras he’d brought. He asked around with his staff to see if they were doing okay or if anyone needed a break. None of them took him up on his offer.
He had such amazing, loyal employees at his bar who would work any venue when he asked. Honestly, they could run the whole place themselves and probably didn’t even need him around.
Damn it. He was out of things to do other than watch Bryan try to hit on Kate again. Didn’t the guy take the not-so-subtle hint from the rehearsal dinner?
Gray had been jealous last night, but seeing him make a play again tonight had him feeling all sorts of rage. Which was absurd. Kate was a grown woman and they were just friends. They’d slept together and now he was letting that incident cloud his judgment.
Actually, he didn’t care. Kate was better than Bryan and Gray didn’t like the way the guy kept looking at her.
Gray walked around the perimeter of the country club dining area and glared at Bryan as he stepped in behind Kate on the dance floor. What the hell was wrong with that guy?
Kate turned and glanced at Bryan, then shook her head and held up her hands as if to ward him off. Bryan smiled and reached out to touch her bare shoulder. Seeing that man’s hand against Kate’s creamy skin had Gray making his way across the floor.
The jerk stepped into her when a slow song started and the tension on Kate’s face made Gray’s anger skyrocket. He was sure his face showed his every emotion but right now he didn’t give a damn who saw him or what others thought. He was putting a stop to this now.
“Go have another drink, Bryan. This dance is mine.”
Gray instantly wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist and took her hand in his. From the corner of his eye, Gray saw Bryan still standing there. Spinning Kate in a circle, Gray stepped on Bryan’s foot and was rewarded with a grunt.
“Still there?” Gray asked over his shoulder.
The guy finally disappeared through the crowd of dancers.
Kate’s eyes were wide, but Gray would rather she be uncomfortable with him than with some idiot who didn’t know what a treasure Kate was.
“He’s harmless.”
Gray narrowed his gaze. “And I’m not?”
She merely tipped her chin in defiance. “I could’ve handled it myself.”
Gray offered her a smile. “You always say that.”
“Because I can.”
“I’m aware.” He spun her around again, keeping his firm hold on her. His Kate was extra prickly today. “But we haven’t danced yet and I had a few minutes to spare.”
Her eyes continued to hold his. “And what were you doing those few minutes you were glaring this way?”
Damn if she wasn’t adorable when she was fired up. “Some people take a smoke break. I don’t smoke, so I take a glare break.”
Kate stared for another moment before she finally shook her head and let out a soft laugh. “You’re incorrigible. You know that, right?”
A bit of tension eased from his chest at her sweet laugh. “It’s only because I care and Bryan is not the guy for you. Not even as a dance partner. Hell, he’s not even your drink provider.”
Kate arched a brow. “So now you’re screening my guys?”
Screening them? Hell, if that was a possibility he damn well would be first in line to sign up for that job. If he hadn’t been overseas during her ill-fated engagement, perhaps he could’ve prevented her heartache. But Gray hadn’t even met the ex because he’d come and gone while Gray had been serving. So, yeah, perhaps he was looking out for her. Isn’t that what friends did?
“Maybe dancing with a guy like Bryan made my list.”
Here she went with that damn list again. He’d like to see exactly what was on that thing.
“Tell me more about this infamous