Fool for You (Southern Bride 7)

Landon slipped his T-shirt over his head and walked over to the pantry. When I turned around, I got a better look at him.

No, no, no! He was barefoot.

Spinning away, I clutched the counter and drew in a few deep breaths. Why was a barefoot Landon the sexiest thing I had ever seen before?

“Hey, are you okay, Emme?”

“Yep. Fine. I’m good. So good. Like, better than good.”

He placed his hands on my arms and gently turned me around. With his finger under my chin, he lifted my head so that our eyes met. “What’s going on?”

My mouth suddenly felt dry, and I forgot how to form words. Why was Landon’s touch sending little jolts of electricity through my entire body? Why did I want to reach up and kiss him, and why did he have to look so damn good with his stupid, wet, messy hair and soft, plump lips?

It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it. Once upon a time I imagined that Landon and I might end up together. But that was years ago, back in middle school and the beginning of high school. Hell, every day I used to pretend what it would be like to be kissed by him. Then we got older, Landon and I started dating other people, and I pushed those feelings for him so far down inside that I had forgotten what it felt like to captivated by Landon. To…to want him.

Was it the auction? The idea that I, of all people, pushed him into a place where women would bid on a date with him? When I blurted out his name, I never thought about the end result. But now, good Lord. Now it was all I could think about. Did my stupid lapse of judgment and all this sudden jealousy pull those feelings back up from the abyss?

I closed my eyes and shook the wandering thoughts away before I focused on that caring gaze of his. “A client of mine has a problem that I’m not sure how to fix.”

He frowned. “Is it anything I can help you figure out?”

I chewed on my lip. “No, I think it’s something she’s going to have to figure out on her own.”

“I’m sorry, Emme. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

Staring up into his blue-gray eyes, I slowly let out a breath. “Me too, Landon.”

The last two weeks had dragged by as I waited for the day of the charity ball to finally arrive. I had avoided Landon like the plague. It hadn’t been hard, really. He’d been so busy with the shop that we’d missed Monday movie night last week, and he wasn’t in town last Sunday for family dinner night because he’d flown to Vegas to do a guest commentary for a NASCAR race. I knew he hated being thrown back into the limelight, but the pay was good and he was a huge part of our fathers’ NASCAR team, as well as being part owner of his own car.

The time away from him was good. At least, that’s what I told myself when I wasn’t searching the Internet for any bit of news on him. Or texting him to see how his day was. Or nearly killing myself listening to his special ringtone every time he returned a text.

To put it plainly, I had been a mess the last two weeks. The longer I stayed away from Landon, the more desperate I was to see him.

As I stared at my gown I had just put on for the charity ball, my phone buzzed, and I looked to see that it was Hailey calling. “Hello?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you planned Francesca Hamilton’s wedding?” she asked.

“Hello to you, too, Hail. Is Mike back in town for the event tonight?”

“Yes and don’t avoid my question! You planned the wedding of one of Hollywood’s most sought-out actresses!”

I grinned as I walked into the living room. “I know. She actually got my name from Landon’s manager after she read the interview in People where he mentioned me. She’s originally from Waco, you know. She wanted her wedding here in Texas, and wanted a local planner.”

“Um, yes, I know! Did you know her wedding is featured in People magazine this week, and she named you as the wedding planner?! They have your Instagram listed!”

I felt my mouth fall open. “Shut up!”

“I’m dead serious. Girl, have you not opened your Insta? Your followers are climbing!”

I quickly put her on speaker and opened my Instagram—and nearly fell over at the number of followers I had picked up. “Holy shit.”

“I know! I mean, you had an impressive following before, but I think that was because you were Landon Lewis’s best friend and all. Now you’re Francesca’s famed wedding planner. By the way, that rehearsal dinner was stunning. I can’t believe you did that last minute after the restaurant flooded.”