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Stratton slaps me on the back. “Everything happens for a reason. Just trust, you know?”

“Yeah, man. I’ll work on that.”

Stratton leaves and I settle on the couch to watch some news before heading to bed.

Hans curls up next to me, sniffing at something on the couch.

“Hey, buddy, where you been? You missed the poker game.”

He glances up at me with those big, brown eyes and licks his lips. He knows poker night means salty snacks.

“Need a little bedtime snack, bud?”

His ears perk up while I get up to give him a little extra kibble. I put it down and he glances up at me expectantly.

“Yea, yea, I know. Not interesting enough.” I grab a few pretzels out of the bag on the counter and throw them on top of the dog food.

He tears into it and I smile watching him. Sometimes I wish I was a dog, just laying on the couch and waiting for some yummy food and a tummy rub …

Chapter 12

Tess

I’ve never been on a private jet before, and I can’t believe how much nicer it is than flying commercial. The leather seats are butter soft and you practically sink into them. There are no lines for the restroom. And the pantry is stocked with any kind of snack or drink you can think of.

“What do you think?” Charlie asks, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“It’ll do,” I reply with a smirk.

We’re all settled in and about to take off for San Francisco. This weekend is Wedding #2. Sky and Jack. Jack is a fraternity brother of Charlie’s and, from what Charlie tells me, he’s quite the character. Charlie guesses Sky must be some kind of spectacular to get Jack to finally settle down.

I’m excited about spending the weekend with Charlie but I’m trying to play it cool. We haven’t seen each other since the last wedding. I wasn’t sure what to expect after our night together. There’s been texting back and forth but mainly just about this upcoming wedding. I have to admit I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more to it than that.

He’s been quite attentive so far today though, driving us to the airport, bringing along a bottle of expensive wine and somesalty snacks and now giving me a grand tour of this incredible jet.

“So, what’s the vibe of this wedding going to be like?” I ask as the jet finally gets to cruising altitude and levels out.

“My guess is it’s going to be pretty wild. Jack doesn’t do anything halfway. So unless Sky has throttled him, it’ll be drunken debauchery all weekend long.”

My stomach flips at the thought. I’m not sure what a weekend of heavy drinking means for me and Charlie. And, I’m not sure I want to think about it too much. I just want to go with the flow and see what happens. Not my usual MO but I’m willing to give it a shot.

“Do you think I’ll know anyone?” I ask, taking a sip of the wine he just poured for me.

“I don’t think so but you never know. Many of the guests will be Stanford grads I’m guessing. Jack is pretty heavy into the alumni group and I think Sky may have gone there as well, though she’s quite a few years younger than him.”

Part of me wishes Jane was going to be here but another part is happy she’s not. My feelings for Charlie are complicated right now and things could get really awkward having to be around Jane.

Charlie leans back in his seat, swirling the wine in his glass. "So, how's that wild stallion of yours? Still giving you trouble?"

I can't help but laugh. "Oliver? I love him so much and he’s also a huge pain in the ass. Just last week, he decided there was no way in hell he was going over this one fence. It must have taken me ten times to get him over. He just kept putting on the brakes. I can’t believe I didn’t fall off."

Charlie's eyes twinkle with amusement. "Sounds like you two are perfect for each other. Both headstrong and determined."

"Are you calling me stubborn, Charlie Astor?" I ask, feigning offense.

He grins, leaning in closer. "I wouldn't dare. I'm just saying, it takes a special kind of person to handle a horse like that."

The way he's looking at me makes my cheeks flush. I take another sip of wine to hide my reaction.