Page 12 of Aisle Be The Groom (Bristlecone Springs #1)

OZZIE

O h crap, I should have thought twice before sitting so close to the window. I had never expected my sensible pros and cons list would have ended up with me in tears. But what else could I do? The number of items on the cons side was longer than the pros. I should pack my bags and get on the next plane home.

Why don’t you?

I wiped my cheek discreetly and raised my head. My heart leaped in my throat. Gray was staring back at me. My cheeks grew hot. Oh god, no . After what had happened this morning, he would think I was crying because of him instead of my turmoil over whether I was doing the right thing marrying Carter.

And yeah, maybe a little about him too because everything was so confusing.

I’d thought I’d figured out what my next step in my life would be. I’d quit my job at the hair salon, dammit. My boss had made it clear he couldn’t grant me a full two weeks off for my honeymoon, so Carter had encouraged me to walk away. I’d felt so empowered when he’d said, “Fuck that asshole. What do you need him for anyway when you’ve got me?”

But where was he?

This was supposed to be the new chapter in my and Carter’s life. I hadn’t expected a plot twist of me kissing his dad.

Gray had a determined look on his face. I used the backs of my hands to wipe my cheeks. All traces of my tears were gone—at least I hoped so—by the time he sat across from me.

“You’re crying.”

I raised my chin defiantly. “I most certainly am not.”

“Ozzie, I know what I saw.” His voice was gentle.

“Well, can you unsee it? In case it’s not obvious, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, you’re upset. I get it, but I swear I can explain.”

He could explain why he’d kissed me this morning? Why couldn’t I get the feel of his mouth on my cock out of my head? Was it because he made me feel beautiful for the first time in a long while? I’d been doubting myself so much lately. That must be it. I knew there was a rational explanation for my fixation on this man. It was all a fluke. Had anyone else—say, Hudson—shown me the same consideration, I might have kissed them too.

“You don’t have to explain anything.” I shrugged. “I get it. It’s better for me to go and everybody’s life can return to normal.”

“Wait, what?” He laid his hand over mine. “You can’t leave.”

I stared at his hand, surprised there was no smoke where we touched. My skin was on fire under his palm, a searing heat that raced through me.

Who was I kidding? It wasn’t just anyone. This specific man—my fiancé’s father—was the one I felt attracted to. Not Hudson, not Matty. Not even the cute barista, Cole, who’d been so friendly to me. He hadn’t charged me for the coffee.

“Why should I stay?”

“But—you—I.” He shook his head firmly. “You can’t leave. You came here to marry my son. I promised to throw you a big wedding, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. I’ll speak to Matty, get him to adjust his attitude, and treat you better. Ozzie, I’m sorry.”

That damn apology. Had Carter told him that would work on me? I’d accepted so much of his crap because he always apologized after.

“For what?” I asked.

“For making things complicated for you. I swear it won’t happen again.” When my gaze dropped to his hand still on mine, he pulled back his. His cheeks turned red, and he glanced away. “What I mean is that I’ve been a terrible host. When you arrived, I promised you that you would be treated well, but you haven’t been, and for that, I am sorry. Please give me a chance to make it up to you. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, buy you anything you choose.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I gulped down air. What was he saying? Did he mean…?

“Just please marry my son.”

His son! Carter. Of course that was what he meant. What else? The reason I was here was to marry Carter, not engage in an illicit affair with the last man I should feel anything for.

I licked my dry lips and lowered my gaze. My pros and cons list was right in front of me. There were so many cons already, and I hadn’t even jotted down the ones related to Gray. Like the way I noticed the crow’s feet at the corner of his eyes and the worry lines that popped up on his forehead whenever he talked about Carter. Or that he smelled completely earthly—maybe a little too earthly—but all I wanted to do was bury my face into his armpit so his scent would live with me forever.

Oh god, I was in big trouble.

“I’m not sure if I’m making the right decision.”

I clamped my hand over my mouth and sat back in my chair. Why had I admitted that?

He cursed and leaned forward. “Are you second-guessing yourself because of what happened? Because you shouldn’t be. What occurred in the barn was a fluke. Don’t let it destroy what you have with my son. You love him. You were so excited to get married to him.”

“But you said you—”

“I know what I said, but that doesn’t matter either. You’re my son’s fiancé. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can happen between us.”

A calm settled over me. He was right again. Even if I called off my wedding to Carter, so what? That didn’t mean ending up with Gray. I ripped the pros and cons list from the book, balled it up, and stuffed it into my pocket.

I forced a smile. “I guess I have a wedding to plan.”

“Good.” A look of relief crossed his face. His shoulders sagged, and he rocked back in his chair with a small smile. “Now let’s visit that wedding planner.”

I pulled a face. The wedding planner looked amazing, but he reminded me of everything I wasn’t. Of secret longings that would go unfulfilled. Like his kick-ass nails and the finger tattoos. I had one, but Carter didn’t like tattoos, so I hadn’t gotten any more ink. “Think I’ll take a pass on the wedding planner. I should be able to handle the preparation on my own. If you’re serious about helping me, that is.”

“I am. You won’t have a repeat of today, I promise.”

“All right, then.”

“But we should probably still listen to what the wedding planner has to say just so you have an option. Then you can decide if you want to truly do this alone.”

“But I’ll have to pay for the consultation, even if I don’t use his service.”

“ I’ll be paying for everything, remember? And I refuse to let you worry about a thing. Whatever you want, it’s yours. Just say the word.”

He was saying all the things I wanted to hear. How did they sound so right and yet wrong at the same time?

You need to stop twisting everything he says. He already told you he wants you to marry his son.

“Okay, then. Let’s go. I’ve already wasted half an hour of the time.”

“Rowan seems like a nice guy. He won’t mind.”

Rowan? I swallowed to clear the knot that appeared out of nowhere in my throat. Was Gray pushing me to keep my appointment with the wedding planner so he had an excuse to see him too? Of course. Now it all made sense. This morning, he’d said he was attracted to me, but now came along the beautiful twink with his bubbling personality. No wonder he insisted on me marrying Carter. He’d lost interest.

I forced a smile. “Let’s go, then.”

This was really for the best. I would marry my fiancé as intended, and Gray could have fun with the new guy.

Why did I feel so miserable about it?

Side by side, we walked back to the studio. The door to the wedding planner’s office was wide open. Rowan sat in a sea of swatches, ribbons, and flowers. God, he was so fucking beautiful. I should hate him, but the way he got so excited to see us, shooting up on the tips of his toes and waving us over, made me grin.

“You made up!” he cried. “Does this mean the wedding’s still on?”

“Yes, it is,” I replied. “But I have to warn you I’m thinking of handling the entire event by myself. I’d still like to honor our consultation, though, and pay you for your time.”

Gray nodded at me with a smile of approval.

“Oh, honey, why would you want to do that to yourself?” Rowan asked. “All the work that goes into planning for a wedding is exhausting. Wouldn’t you rather spend that time with your man rehearsing for the honeymoon?”

“Umm, I’ve been planning this day for as long as I can remember. I think I can handle it.”

“All right, honey, but if you change your mind, Rowan’s here to make your special day fabulous. Sit, sit, and let’s talk about your plans.”

“Okay.” I turned to Gray. “Did you want to do something else, and I can meet you after?”

“Nope. I told you I’d be here for you, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

As good as that sounded, all he did was remind me that this was his son’s responsibility that he was assuming. He was only making Carter look pathetic.

I chewed on my bottom lip as we sat on a loveseat. With Gray’s size and my weight, there was not an inch of space between us. With every move I made, I rubbed against him.

“Sorry about the lack of furniture. I’ve ordered some that should have arrived today. I guess it wasn’t wise to get rid of my aunt’s stuff before the new ones arrived, but anywho, you guys, relax. It’s so nice to have both partners make the time to plan their wedding together. It really shows you are committed to each other. If you don’t mind me being nosy, what’s the age gap?”

Huh? Wait a minute…did he think Gray and I were the grooms? Oh my god.

“Actually, Gray’s not—”

“Twenty-four years,” Gray answered.

I stared at him. What the hell was he doing? Why wasn’t he correcting Rowan?

“But you see, we’re not—”

Gray picked up my hand and casually kissed my fingertips. I couldn’t have been more confused. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “Please play along.” He sat back and smiled. “Age is just a number, right?”

Rowan took up a folder from his desk and fanned himself. “Who gives a damn about age when you have this much chemistry? So, how did you two meet?”

I nudged Gray in the side. He wanted to pretend, then let him come up with the answers. “Go ahead, sweetheart . Please tell him how we met.”

“But you tell the story so much better, sugar pie.”

Sugar pie? Oh shit. Why did I think I could win at whatever game he was playing?

“You sure you want me to tell the story?” I raised my brow, challenging him.

“Uh, umm, we met through one of my sons,” Gray said.

Well, if that wasn’t the truth.

“Ah, best friend’s dad. How lovely. So tell me about your plans. Have you selected a venue yet, and how many people are we talking?”

“So originally I wanted a beach wedding, but since I’ve seen the ranch, I think it’ll be romantic…”

I delved into the plans I’d come up with for the wedding while Gray held my hand and, for some unfathomable reason, acted like a loving fiancé. He rubbed his thumb against my knuckles, which distracted me to no end. If Rowan heard me stutter, he pretended he didn’t notice. His playful manner aside, once we started talking business, he listened in a professional manner.

I chatted about the color palette, guest list, the type of flowers, centerpieces, and the rustic theme that would fit in beautifully with the ranch. I went on about the food, the music, and even described my outfit choice.

“You’d like to get married in a wedding dress?” Rowan crowed with delight. “I loooooove it. I always say that femme and fabulous is a plus, and I can see you rocking a wedding dress.”

My face flamed, and I kept my head still, though I wanted to peek at Gray to see his reaction. I’d gotten so into the discussion that I’d slipped and told him my fantasy attire instead of the real one. The wedding dress wasn’t for the entire ceremony. Just for walking down the aisle. I always loved seeing a bride glide down the aisle, wearing a fabulous white dress, and I wanted that. But for the reception, I would change into a tux.

“I-I-I-”

“I think you’ll look amazing in a dress, sweetheart,” Gray said. He rubbed my nails between his fingertips. “What about your nails? They’d look lovely, similar in style to Rowan’s. What do you think, Rowan? Doesn’t my love have the most beautiful hands?”

Me? Beautiful hands? Was he making fun of me because of what I’d said about the dress? I tried to tug my hand away, but he held on to me tightly.

“I didn’t mean it about the dress,” I said. “No need to make fun of me wearing nails.” No matter how much I liked them. When Carter wasn’t around, I wore press-on ones, so they were easy to remove, and he would never know.

“Well, I’m serious about both,” Gray said. “You heard what Rowan said. You’d look lovely wearing a dress, and I mean that.”

I braved looking at him. Despite the whole ruse of him pretending we were engaged, he seemed serious. His gaze was soft and warm.

“You’re a lucky guy to have someone like Gray who accepts your desires, Ozzie,” Rowan said. “If you want to wear a dress, I say wear a dress. Life’s too short to live uncomfortably in someone else’s skin. The only life you can live is yours.”

I nodded, too stunned at the turn of the conversation to say anything.

“What do you think of the plans?” Gray asked Rowan.

“I must admit Ozzie has definitely done his research, and he knows his stuff. I don’t see why he shouldn’t be able to pull this off. Would I advise it? Definitely not, but take a shot at it, and I’m always here if you decide to let someone else handle it for you.”

“Thank you. It means so much to me to hear you say that.”

“And I mean every word of it too.” He rose, and Gray did as well. “I’ll send you an invoice and even give you a discount for being my first client.”

Gray reached out a hand and helped me to my feet. I couldn’t shake his hand off without it looking suspicious after I went along with his lie, so I stopped resisting. Rowan walked us to the front door.

“I’m new to town and don’t know many people yet. Thank you for my first session. Even if you aren’t using my service, I hope we can be friends.” He winked at me. “And for my sake, I hope that there are more studly men in this town, like your Gray.”

“Of course.” I flashed him a smile. Oh boy, how would he feel when he found out we had lied to him? Better to set this nonsense straight now. “Actually, Rowan, there’s something—”

Gray lowered his head and pressed his lips against mine. I stood frozen, my heart clenching. He held me against his large body, his hand on my lower back, and gently applied pressure until I succumbed and moaned around the tongue he slipped into my mouth. I closed my eyes, but just as I did, Gray ended the kiss.

Rowan chuckled, his amusement clear. “It’s so great to see couples in love. And, Ozzie, when you get back from your honeymoon, if you’re not working, maybe you can help me here. You have a great eye for details, and I could work with that.”

“We’ll have to get back to you on that,” Gray said. “After our honeymoon, I plan to keep my sugar pie very occupied.”

“Okay, you two. Now I’m getting jealous, so I’ll go back to my office and give my nonexistent ovaries time to stop quivering. Tootles!”

He blew us a kiss and disappeared back inside. “Ah, shit,” Gray groaned.

“What?” I squeaked. He nodded toward Miss Jessamine, who was staring at us with a white face and a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, do you think she saw you kiss me?”

“Almost sure she did.”

“Will she tell anyone?”

“I hope not.”

Why didn’t he seem more concerned? I stomped my feet and placed my hands on my hips, glaring. “You go right inside that office and confess we’re not a couple, Gray Magnuson.”

“Fuck. You look so hot when you’re angry,” he whispered, and the way he was looking at me sent a stream of molten lava pooling inside my gut.

You will not pop a chub on the street, Ozzie!

“I’m serious, Gray. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but this is not cool. Why would you pretend we were a couple? He is going to find out you lied to him.”

“Why did you go along with it?”

“That’s not an answer! I foolishly thought you actually had a reason, so I went along with it.” I stormed off, but he came after me and caught my arm. Oh my god, more people were looking at us. We were going to be the next hot topic of conversation at the local coffee shop.

“Hey, when you went along with it, I thought it was fine.”

“You…you kissed me.”

“Because if we’d explained after the charade, we would have made him feel bad. But if you’re really worried about it, I’ll go in and explain everything to him.”

“Tell me why you did it first.”

He heaved a sigh. “It was a stupid way of stopping him from asking me out. Given some…comments he made earlier, I knew he would if he found out I was single.”

“And? You’re…in an open marriage, and he’s single—I assume. Shouldn’t you be happy? He’s so beautiful and seems like a genuinely nice guy.”

“Yeah, but I have no interest in him. I was trying not to have to turn him down, and he’d already mistaken us for a couple when I first talked to him, so I went along with it.”

The intensity of his gaze stole my breath and left me speechless. A good thing too because the question echoing in my head didn’t leave my lips.

Who do you have an interest in?

If the way he was looking at me was any indication, I might like his answer too much.