Earlier, Corie had discussed the relationship between her husband and Caden. Her cousin harbored ill feelings toward Caden for not attending the wedding and for the raunchy bachelor party he threw for Hawk. “But your friends, frat brothers or even your family members?”
Caden shrugged his shoulders. “I prefer to say goodbye to my friends, seeing them off with a bang. Not being caught up in some suit, sweating and saying goodbye to their single life.”
“So this ultimate playboy persona is real?”
His head dipped low, but his eyes turned up to meet hers. “I don’t want to go into details.”
“Thank you,” Maggie interjected quickly.
And without an ounce of shame, Caden offered her a cocky lopsided grin. “But my bachelor parties are epic.”
“So I’ve heard,” Maggie said with a hum. “Naked girls recently. Michele informed me while she was fussing at Kofi at your mom’s retirement announcement.”
“Yeah, well.” Caden stumbled to find the words. He at least had the decency to blush.
She nodded and reached for the bread. “Sure. I’ve partaken in some of that kind of art before.”
Eyes focused on her, Caden’s shoulders straightened. “As a model or a participant?”
“Be serious,” Maggie laughed. “I’d be all over the news. “‘The Scandalous Socialite.’ I can see it now.” They both shared a laugh over the title. “Why don’t you attend weddings, Caden? Really.”
“Honestly speaking?”
Maggie sat back in her, seat preparing to hear whatever it was that prevented him from attending. This honest speaking was for the birds. How was she supposed to sit here while Caden poured his heart out to her and she kept her own secret? Her father had reminded her about her trust fund deadline and making wiser choices.
“I have a fear of them,” Caden announced.
This big, strong, strapping man in front of her, who excluded masculinity with his defined muscles, square jaw and powerful hands, was scared of...weddings? Maggie narrowed her eyes on him. His sensual mouth remained a flat line. His eyes didn’t water or twitch with the threat of laughter. She failed at her attempt to not laugh.
“You think I’m playing?” he asked her.
“Of course not.” Maggie heard her voice start to quiver with a giggle. “I need you to explain to me how this is possible.”
“You mean besides all the tension people work themselves into for months at a time for it to last all of like five minutes? When I was twelve, I attended my uncle Samuel’s third wedding. My brothers and I sneaked off into the kitchen for a cookie or something sweet, and we had to hide under the table when the bride and her mother walked in. Her mother had to stop her from abandoning her wedding day and leaving Uncle Samuel at the altar.”
“Wedding jitters,” Maggie explained, resting her elbows on the table. “Are they still married?”
“Hell no,” Caden exclaimed. “Uncle Samuel made it to wife number five before he decided marriage wasn’t his thing.”
Maggie moved her hand to her mouth to suppress the shock and giggle.
“Let’s not forget about how everyone is all made up and they don’t look like themselves.” Caden’s shoulders shook with a shiver.
“You brought a bridesmaid home, didn’t you?”
“When I was eighteen,” Caden admitted. “A cousin tied the knot, and his fiancée insisted on this giant wedding party. This bridesmaid totally hit on me—sorry, is this too much information?”
“No,” Maggie said while shaking her head. “I need to hear how this ends. Continue.”
“So she’s hitting on me, and at eighteen, what’s a guy to do?”
“Of course,” she agreed.
Caden paused for a moment. “You get a woman home looking one way and then...you wake up next to a stranger.”
“Instead of banning weddings,” Maggie provided, “I make it a rule not to date the groomsmen or the best man.”
“Sure, but then I attended a wedding of Kit’s friend. I was accosted by all these women who kept throwing their daughters at me.”