“He’ll get tired of me.”
“Stop it. Now you’re just being a pussy, and I don’t have time for this shit.”
My eyes go wide, and I raise my eyebrows. “How do you really feel?” I ask drily.
“Will is famous, Meg. None of us can change that, and I don’t think he wants to change that. He’s good at what he does.”
“Yes, he is,” I agree.
“There will always be groupies. He will always get recognized, especially around this town. Will’s never really cared about all that bullshit.” She shrugs. “It just goes with the job. But, Meg, if every time a woman tries to get his attention it makes you start to question his feelings for you, or whether you deserve him, you will never be able to make this relationship work.”
“What are you saying?” I ask her.
“If you aren’t in it for the long haul, willing to pull up your big-girl panties and deal with the bullshit that comes along with being famous, then cut your losses now rather than later.”
I don’t have any words. I just sit and stare at her, then look at the dress, and back to her.
“The thought of being without him kills me,” I whisper.
“Then trust him when he says he loves you. He means it. Enjoy him. Love him back.”
She looks so damn proud of herself.
And she’s right. He’s never given me a reason not to trust him.
“Okay. Thank you. For everything.”
“You’re welcome.” She pulls me into a tight hug and then walks me to her door. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
***
Just when I walk through my front door, my phone rings. Football Star reads on the display.
“Hey there,” I answer.
“Where are you?” God, he’s so grouchy.
“I’m at home. Just got here.”
“Why?”
“Because I just left your sister’s office, and I needed to come home for a while. I see you’re still as charming as you were this morning.”
He sighs. “Sorry. I slept too long.”
“Jules told me about the dress, Will.”
He swears under his breath. “Great, so now I guess you’ll bitch at me about spending too much money on that, too?”
“Actually, I was going—”
“Because I’m sick of trying to give you nice things and you telling me I shouldn’t,” he interrupts. “Do you have any idea how much money I make?”
“No, I don’t care—”
“I just signed a $100 million contract, Megan.”
Holy fuck.
“I can afford to buy you dresses and earrings and take you on trips.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes. I was going to thank you for the dress because I really love it, and I love that you picked it out. But clearly you’re still in jackass mode, so I’m going to let you go get over this fucking hangover that has you growling at me like a wounded bear and get some things done around my own house. I’ll see you later.”
I hang up before he can respond and toss my phone on the countertop in the kitchen.
I throw in a load of laundry, tidy my bathroom and clean out the fridge, swearing about grumpy football players who don’t know how to hold their liquor.
Jackass.
And then it occurs to me: I don’t think he’s eaten today, unless he ate while I was out. But Will requires a hell of a lot of food, and with that hangover, which he’s not used to, I’m quite sure he hasn’t eaten.
So I take quick stock of my freezer and pantry and send him a text.
Be at my place in an hour.
***
The lasagna is resting on the tabletop, and I’m just pulling the garlic bread out of the oven when Will rings the doorbell.
I open the door to find him standing there, freshly showered, with a dozen pink roses, and I melt just a little.
“I’m sorry I’m a jackass.”
“Come inside, jackass.” I let him in and push the buttons on the alarm like I’m supposed to when I open the door, earning a wide smile from Mr. Overprotective.
“You set the alarm.”
“I did.” I shrug like it’s no big deal. “You seem to like it when I do that.”
“I do.” He holds the flowers out to me. “These are for you.”
“Thank you.” I bury my nose in them and take a deep breath. “They smell wonderful.”
“Like you,” he whispers.
“Don’t think being cheeky will redeem you from your jackassery.”
“Jackassery?” he asks with a laugh. “Where do you come up with these words?” He follows me into the kitchen, where I put the flowers in water.
“Where did you get that lasagna?” he asks, his eyes wide and pinned to the pan of bubbly goodness on the table.
“I made it.”
“What?” His eyes dart to mine, and he pins me with a glare. “You made that?”
“Yeah.” I toss the bread in a basket and set it on the table, along with plates and silverware.
“You can cook?”
“Of course.”
“You’ve been holding out on me?” He crosses his arms over his chest and looks downright pissed off, which makes me laugh.
“Will, you never asked me if I could cook. You just assumed I couldn’t.” I smile softly at him. “Are you hungry, babe?”
“God, I’m fucking starving.” He sits at the table, but instead of letting me sit in my chair, he pulls me into his lap and kisses me hard. “I’m so damn sorry for today and for last night. Did I really flirt with another woman with you standing right there, or was that a nightmare?”
“You did.” I cup his cheek in my hand. “I’m okay.”
“I’m never drinking again. I swear.”
“I’m okay, Will. I trust you.” I smile at him as I pull my fingers down his sexy face. “I thought you were hungry.”
“God yes.” He pushes me out of his lap and digs into the lasagna. “And after I eat this, I’m hungry for you.” His blue eyes follow me as I sit in my chair and I take a bite of garlic bread.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was, perhaps, the most beautiful wedding I’d ever been to in my life. We’ve just left Jules and Nate’s wedding and are riding in a limo with Stacy and Isaac and their kids and Caleb and Matt to the reception site, a beautiful country club in Bellevue. Jules chose to play it safe, with it being fall, and is keeping the whole event indoors.
I lean on Will’s arm, link our fingers, and sigh happily.
“That was beautiful.”
“Jules looked really happy,” Stacy agrees.
“The twins were adorable flower girls,” I remark. Josie and Maddie wore fluffy, soft-pink dresses, their hair twisted up in sweet little updos.
“I think it was sweet of Jules to have Livie and Soph wear similar dresses, too,” Stacy says with a soft smile.
“Are we going to talk about dresses all day?” Caleb asks with a frown.
“Uh, Caleb, it’s a wedding,” I reply drily. “We’re going to talk dresses and shoes and flowers all day.”
“Shit,” he mutters and pulls on the collar of his white shirt.
“You look very nice,” I tell him with a sweet smile. And it’s true. He looks damn hot in a suit, all broad shoulders and tan skin. He grimaces.
“Thanks.”
“Are you flirting with my brothers again?” Will asks me with a grin.
“Yep. Get used to it.” I kiss his cheek. “But you’re my favorite.”
“Gee, glad to hear it, babe.”
“Here we are.” Isaac props little Liam on his shoulder, and we all follow him out of the limo. The other cars have pulled up around us, so all the family is arriving at the same time. The rest of the guests should already be inside.
I can hear the band playing inside. They sound good. I wonder who Luke got to play.
“Ready?” Will asks and holds his arm out for
me.
“Yes, let’s party!” I take his arm, and he escorts me inside along with everyone else, Jules and Nate bringing up the rear.
Once we’re all in, Jules’ dad takes a mic and announces the newly married couple.
“It is my great honor to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. McKenna!”
Applause erupts, and the happy couple enter the hall, smiling broadly, absolutely glowing.
If it wasn’t so fantastic, it would be disgusting.
Jules’ dress is just flat-out amazing, which doesn’t surprise me. It’s white, almost Grecian in style, flowing up one shoulder and gathered with rhinestones. Rhinestones cascade down the mostly open back, holding the dress together. It’s floor-length, and as she walks, Tiffany-blue shoes peek out. Her something blue.
I scan the elegant room, taking it all in. The guests are beautifully dressed, wandering around, chatting or finding their assigned seats at one of the many round tables set with soft-pink linens and large pink bouquets of flowers and tea-light candles.
The whole room glows. The band is playing out of my sight, in an adjoining room, where I’m assuming the stage and dance floor are. I can see French doors that open between the two rooms, so those seated at the tables can watch the band and the dancers. People are already wandering in to listen, and they seem to recognize the band.
“Come on, let’s mingle.” Will smiles down at me. “I want to show you off.”
“Right.” I smirk.
“You are gorgeous today. Well, every day, but I love this dress.” He brushes his hand down my naked back and settles it right above my ass. “I can see your dimples.”
I grin up at him, enjoying that lustful look in his eyes. “I did that on purpose.”
My dress is simple but pretty. It’s eggplant and floor-length. The bodice is V-shaped, ending right between my breasts with a tiny rhinestone broach. It’s sleeveless, the straps only about an inch wide, and there is no back to speak of.
“Yeah, I thought so.” He laughs.
He looks amazing in his dark suit. Like his brothers, he’s broad-shouldered and tall and just delicious.
I want to eat him up.
He grabs us each a glass of champagne, and we start to wander the room, chatting and laughing with the other guests. I’m introduced to friends of Nate’s from his fighting days, all of whom are funny and nice, and clearly uncomfortable in their suits. Finally, we make our way back to Nat and Luke.
“Who’s the guy with Luke?” I ask Will.
“Oh, you haven’t met Mark yet. That’s his brother. He’s usually in Alaska working.” He leads me to the threesome and introduces me to Luke’s handsome brother.
Holy shit, I didn’t think it was possible to be hotter than Luke Williams.
I was wrong.
What was up with the water these women drank when they were pregnant? Seriously, it’s crazy.
“Hi, Meg, nice to meet you.” Mark offers me a cocky grin as he shakes my hand. “Too bad Will’s already snatched you up.”
“Watch it, dude. You’ve been back all of two days. Don’t make me kill you,” Will growls good-naturedly.
Mark just grins at him. “You’d miss me.”
Suddenly, Jules is walking briskly to me, her eyes wide and worried. “Um, Meg, we need to talk.”
“Why?”
But before she can say anything, I hear it. Lonely Soul starts to play, the song I wrote with Leo.
And Leo is singing it.
“Luke, who did you hire for this?” I ask, my eyes pinned to Jules’. I already know.
“Nash,” he replies, his voice confused. “Why, you don’t like them?”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Holy fucking shit.
Natalie gasps, and Will wraps his fingers around my arm, pulling me around to face him. “What is it?”
“Meg, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Jules runs her hand down my back. “I really didn’t.”
This is Jules’ wedding. She’s one of my oldest and dearest friends. I will be fine. I will do what I need to do to get through tonight, and it will be fine.
I paste a smile on my face and hug her tightly. “It’s fine, sweetie.”
“What did I do wrong?” Luke asks.
“Nothing.” I shake my head and smile over at him. “Nash is a fantastic band.”
“What am I missing?” Will murmurs down to me. I sigh.
“Leo Nash is my Leo, Will.”
“What?” he asks, frowning.
Natalie curses under her breath. Jules is still worried, biting her lip.
“I’m fine.” I look around at the group of people who have come to mean so much to me. They have become like family to me. “Honestly, this is great. The guests will love them.”
Will is watching me closely, questions in his eyes, and I feel like shit for not telling him the whole story before. But it was too painful to admit to him that Leo left me here while he went and became a big rock star.
That he just forgot about me.
“Luke, how did you manage to get Nash?” Jules asks him.
Luke shrugs. “They’re doing the soundtrack for the new movie I’m producing. They just wrapped up a tour and are taking some time off, so I asked if they would do this event before their vacation, and they agreed.”
“You’re so sweet,” Nat murmurs and kisses him.
“Maybe I should have checked with you guys, though. I didn’t think you knew any rock stars.”
I shrug. “We used to.”
Everyone is watching me. “Stop. I’m fine. What’s next? Dinner? When do we get cake?”
“Yeah, when do we get cake?” Will asks, making us all laugh, but his eyes are still serious and pinned on me.
“After dinner,” Jules replies drily. “Which I think they’re about to serve.”
The band stops playing, and a DJ takes over while we have dinner and go through the motions of the cake-cutting and the toasts.
Natalie stands and takes the mic offered to her and smiles shyly to the room at large.
“My husband is usually the one to speak to large audiences, but I’m happy to talk to you all about my best friend.” She looks over at Jules and smiles widely.
“Are you going to embarrass me?” Jules asks.
“Maybe.” Nat winks. “See, she can never break up with me because I know too much.”
We all laugh, then Nat sobers.
“I don’t remember a time in my life that Jules and her family weren’t in it. You have shared everything that has ever mattered with me, even the birth of my baby. When Jules and Nate got together”—Natalie turns to the audience and smiles. Will takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles—“I was astonished to watch the change in her. Jules is a kick-ass girl. She’s not big on public displays of affection, which she reminds me of almost daily.”
“Seriously, you guys are gross.” Jules rolls her eyes, but I can see the tears threatening to spill over.
“But Nate brought out that soft side of her. He makes her better. And I think she does the same for him. I just couldn’t have found anyone more suited to you, my friend, if I tried.” Nat raises her glass, and we all follow suit.
“So, to my new brother-in-law, Nate, and my sister of the heart, his Julianne. May your love continue to grow every day.”
“To Jules and Nate!” The crowd cheers.
Even I wipe a little tear away from the corner of my eye and laugh when Will smirks at me. Gosh, I love those girls. I understand what it is to have a sibling of the heart. Mine is in the next room.
Holy shit.
“Are you nervous?” Will asks me, sensing my tension.
“To sing?”
“Yeah, are you okay?” He wraps his arm around me, resting it on the back of my chair.
I grin up at his handsome face. “I’m fine. I don’t usually get stage fright. And I’ve been practicing a lot.”
“I love the arrangement you’ve done with the song,” he murmurs and kisses my cheek. “You
’re going to knock them dead.”
I smile and lean into him. “Thank you. I hope so.”
“Are you okay with Leo being here?” he whispers.
The mention of Leo makes my heart stop. God, I’m going to have to talk to him. I don’t think he even knows I’m here.
What will he say? How will he react?
“I don’t know,” I whisper back.
“Hey”—he pulls my face up with his fingers so he can look into my eyes—“it’s going to be okay. I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”
I laugh and cup his cheek in my hand. “That’s okay. The time for that was about three years ago.” God, I love this man. He’s always so ready to protect me.
“I love you, sweetheart.”
I smile softly and kiss his lips, tenderly. “I know.”
“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” Jules’ dad, Steven, announces, “I am proud and pleased to introduce you to a very good friend of Jules, and the woman who seems to have snagged my son Will’s heart. Megan McBride is going to sing the song for the first dance. Meg? Where are you, honey?”
“Here goes nothing,” I murmur at Will, and he smiles widely and follows me, along with everyone else, into the ballroom.
And there by the stage is Leo, his mouth gaping open, watching me cross the dance floor toward him.
“Can I please borrow your guitar?” I ask, cutting to the chase.
“Meg-Pie,” he murmurs, shocked to see me.
The old nickname almost brings me to my knees. I lock them.
“Leo, I just need your guitar, please.”
He can’t move. He’s just staring at me. God, he looks good. He’s tall, about six feet. His light brown hair is cut short on the sides, a bit longer on top, styled into a fauxhawk. He has a small gauge in one ear with a hoop through it. His lip and eyebrow are pierced. He’s covered in tattoos.
And his sweet, soft, dark gray eyes are pinned to mine.
“Leo,” I say again, a bit stronger, and he blinks.
“Meg.” He clears his throat. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Same here,” I reply with a grin. “I need to borrow your guitar, please.”
“Oh, sure.” He holds it out to me and offers me a half smile. “You’ve played it often over the years.”
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