“So you’re basically dateless and sexless?”
“Jeez, way to make a girl feel better.” But my friend had a point. I’d said I wanted to date more. So why had I told Will he could be a good friend?
“Do you want me to set you up with someone?” Luna asked.
“Umm... no thanks.”
I still had scars from the last time Luna had tried that. My friend meant well, but... “good intentioned” was the best I could come up with to describe that fiasco.
“Well, have fun at the wedding.”
“I will.”
After disconnecting the call, I assessed my work. Makeup was decent. My hair was up in an elegant bun. The dress was perfect. I paired it with black flats and a small black clutch bag. I wanted to knock Will’s socks off. Because I was too nervous to wait inside, I headed outside, waiting for Will in the shade of a large tree in the inner courtyard. A black car pulled in a few minutes later, and Will climbed out from the passenger seat.
My mouth watered as I took him in. Today he was dressed to the nines. Charcoal suit and tie, white shirt.
“How long have you been waiting? I would have picked you up from your door.”
“Not long. I just wanted some fresh air. How come you’re not driving?”
“Lori insisted on arranging transportation for everyone so we wouldn’t have to worry about drinking and driving.”
He opened the car door for me. I was surprised at the pang of disappointment when Will didn’t check me out. He kept his gaze firmly on my face.
“Great day for a wedding,” I said once we were in the back of the car. It was sunny, even if a little too hot for my liking.
“It’s gonna be great. We’re going directly to the church. We’re meeting everyone there.”
“Sounds good. Do you like the guy? Does he have the family’s stamp of approval? Come on, give me some dirt.”
“We like the guy. He’s great to my sister and her son.”
“But?”
“I didn’t say but.”
“It’s in your tone.”
“You’re very curious.”
I leaned in closer, whispering, “And you’re hiding something.”
“Not hiding anything. Just adjusting to the new dynamics. I used to do a lot of activities with my nephew before, even attended school events.”
Whatever I had expected him to say, it wasn’t this.
“How come?”
“His biological dad was a scumbag. Took off before he was born, so he didn’t have a father figure. I tried to fill in that role, so to speak. I spent a lot of time with him.”
Will Connor had many layers, and I wanted to discover every single one of them. We made small talk until we entered Pasadena, and the car dropped us off right in front of the church.
There was a crowd gathered already, and someone was handing out corsages. Will and I each took one, and he pulled me a little away from the entrance.
He took care of me first, pinning it on my left side, just under my shoulder. Was it just me, or was his hand lingering longer than needed? His thumb feathered just above my clavicle, where it had no business being. Despite the burning sun, a shiver slithered down my spine. I was dying to know... was I here just as a friend? Or perhaps a date? Sure, I’d been the one to bring up the word friend first, but Will hadn’t corrected me. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted this to be. Well, I knew what I wanted, I just wasn’t sure if it was wise.
When my turn came to pin the corsage to his lapel, I took an inordinate amount of time. I was using the opportunity to study him up close. He must have shaved this morning because I smelled the clean scent of aftershave on him. His cheek looked so smooth that I barely refrained from touching it. As I finished securing the corsage, I had no reason to linger... but I didn’t want to step away either.