Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

“What the fuck was that?” Oliver spat blood on the floor of his ballroom. “I think you broke my fucking nose. For that!” He pointed in disgust at Bailey. “Over a fucking townie I screwed years ago.”

He lunged at him again and not only did Cooper have to hold him back but Jeff King was there, his arm locked around Vaughn’s chest.

“Calm down, Tremaine,” Jeff urged quietly in his ear. “If he presses charges, there isn’t anything I can do about it.”

Struggling for that calm, for control, Vaughn trembled, his voice thick with emotion as he stared in revulsion at Spence. “Get the hell out of my hotel.”

Oliver laughed bitterly. “This is what our friendship has come to? You’ve changed, Tremaine.” He wiped at his bleeding lip. “And not for the better.”

He sagged as his ex-friend shot him one last baleful look and let the embarrassed girls at his side lead him out. Murmurings grew louder and louder as they moved through the reception.

Vaughn stared at Bailey.

He shrugged out of Jeff and Cooper’s hold. “I’m okay.” He met C

ooper’s concerned gaze, and felt guilty for causing a scene at his wedding. “I’m sorry.”

Cooper shook his head. “No problem. But if I were you, I’d go see your girl.”

“I lost that battle, Lawson.”

“I . . . I don’t think so.”

At Cooper’s tone his attention jerked back to Bailey. His heart pounded even more wildly than it already was as he watched her approach him.

Cooper and Jeff seemed to melt away.

“So”—she crossed her arms over her chest defensively—“that was annoying.”

“I am so sorry.”

Confusion clouded her beautiful eyes. “Why?” She gestured to his hand. “Mister-I-would-never-do-anything-so-embarrassing-as-starting-a-fistfight-at-my-friend’s-wedding. That’s the second time you’ve punched a guy in the face for me.”

Realizing honesty was his only recourse, he replied, “No one disrespects you, princess. No one.”

Her gaze dropped to her feet. “You confuse me so much.”

In that moment, seeing a spark of hope, he made a decision he should have made a long time ago. “Then let me clear a few things up for you. I’ll tell you what you need to know about me.”

Her eyes flew to his. “For real?”

“If I don’t, I’m just going to lose my chance with you anyway, right? You think I’m just like him?” He gestured to where Oliver had departed.

“I don’t know anything anymore.”

“Take a walk with me?”

Bailey considered him for a moment, a moment that felt agonizingly long. Finally she exhaled and nodded.

Vaughn didn’t know whether to be elated or to give in to the sudden nausea he felt.

TWENTY-THREE

Bailey

There was one thing very clear to me: Vaughn Tremaine caused me emotional whiplash. I didn’t think there was a moment in my life where I’d felt so conflicted in one day. First I was determined to ignore him. Then the longing, smoldering thing that he did got under my skin. And then he was Oliver Spence’s friend. I’d really wanted nothing to do with him in that moment.

Until he smacked the guy.