Just One Wish (The Kingston Family 4.50)

A while later, the room began to spin, and Tara stopped drinking. She’d already fended off one or two men who wanted to buy her more alcohol, and she pulled out her phone since she hadn’t checked it all evening. Her texts and emails were empty, and she started thinking about Axel.

She’d done her best to put him out of her mind because they were so mismatched. But sitting at a table alone, Amy and her friends dancing on the small designated area, she couldn’t help but pull up his number.

The desire to text him was strong, and a war began to wage inside her mind.

Angel Tara: Don’t do it, you’re drunk.

Devil Tara: He asked you out. He’d love to hear from you.

Angel Tara: Getting further involved with him can only lead to hurt and trouble.

Devil Tara: Don’t be a baby.

Tara didn’t miss the irony of that particular word. It had gotten her drunk and to this point in the night, phone in hand. And if they hadn’t broken up all those years ago, maybe she’d be married with his baby, and she wouldn’t have been the subject of her aunt and mother’s pushing and prodding.

Devil Tara spoke up again: Do it. Do it. Do it.

Angel Tara was suspiciously silent.

She glanced at the screen, waiting for the blurriness to subside. How many shots had she had, anyway?

She pulled up Axel’s name and typed.

Tara: Where are you?

Her cell buzzed immediately.

Axel: At Xander’s.

Tara: With the babies?

She blinked, some rational part of her brain telling her she’d regret this tomorrow, but drunk as she was, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Axel: What babies and where are you???

Tara: The kids we would’ve had if we’d stayed together.

She thought she’d misspelled a few words but couldn’t be sure. She hit send anyway.

Axel: WHERE ARE YOU? Did your dick of a date get you drunk?

Tara: Yep, I’m drunk. The phone’s spinning. What date?

Axel: TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE?

Tara: Amy’s bachelorette party.

Axel: WHERE???

Tara leaned over in her seat and nearly toppled onto the floor. Amy, who’d just walked over, flung herself into a chair. “Why’s the ceiling going in circles?”

“Ames, where are we?” Tara asked, glancing up at the direction her sister had pointed, narrowing her gaze to see if she could see circles, too.

“We’re at Shenannananigans,” Amy said.

Tara did her best to spell that for Axel and sent him the name of the bar.

“Amy!” Her fiancé, Kenneth, strode up to her. “Honey, are you okay?”

Tara glanced over to see her sister still staring at the ceiling. “She’s drunk,” Tara told him.

“So is you,” Amy said.

“Yep.”

Kenneth shook his head and gestured for a server to come over. “Can I get two glasses of water for the women?” he asked.

“Coming right up,” the familiar redhead said.

“No water. My bladder’s full.” Amy clutched her stomach.

“Let’s go to the ladies’ room,” Tara said, grabbing Amy’s hand and pulling her up.

“Come right back here,” Kenneth ordered. “No more alcohol.”

Amy bobbed her head in response, then closed her eyes. “Bad idea.”

A few minutes later, Tara had gone with her sister to the bathroom. With her bladder empty, she would be able to drink the water Kenneth had ordered. She knew she’d appreciate that tomorrow. Right now? She was still feeling beyond buzzed. In fact, she was drunk enough to know she would be hurting tomorrow.

With Amy’s hand in hers, Tara attempted to walk a straight line back to Kenneth and not bump into anyone in the process. At least her future brother-in-law would take her home, because she knew enough to realize she didn’t want to take an Uber alone in her drunken state.

She plopped back into the chair, Amy settled on Kenneth’s lap, and he slid a glass of water toward her.

“Drink this,” he said to Tara before turning to his fiancée and handing her the water, helping her drink it without spilling.

Tara downed the water and wiped her wet mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. When she looked up, it was into familiar jade-green eyes staring at her, a combination of concern and amusement visible in the depths. Along with a sexy-as-hell smile on his oh-so-kissable lips.

“Axel!” She jumped up from her seat. Happy to see him, she threw her arms around his neck. “Why are you here?”

He pried her off him but kept her hands clasped in his. “I realize drunk texting an ex is a thing, but you scared me. I thought you were on a date and something was wrong.” He frowned at her, releasing his grip.

She shook her head. “No date! I’m at a bachelorette party and everyone was talking about babies. Babies made me drink. They also made me think of you.” Suddenly exhausted, she fell against him.

Strong arms wrapped around her, and she knew she no longer had to worry about anything. She closed her eyes and sighed because she felt safe.