“Andrew is her best friend,” Owen said, jumping to Josh’s defense. “He’s been taking care of her all their lives. At her father’s request, by the way. He knows her. He’s been there for her. And now he stood up in front of everyone, including his parents, and God, and said that he loved her and wanted to be with her. He called off his wedding for her.” Owen paused and looked up and down the bar. “Josh couldn’t just storm up the aisle and say ‘me too.’ That’s weak. He needs something better than that.”
Josh clapped his cousin on the back. “Thanks, man.”
Owen had summed it up pretty well. Actually, almost word for word what Josh had said to him when he’d slammed into the office, his tie hanging loose, his heart pounding, a tiny kitten tucked inside his suit jacket.
“I think you’re an idiot,” their grandmother informed Josh.
Josh had expected that reaction from her. But for just a second—and certainly not for the first time in his life—he wondered what it was like to have a sweet grandmother who baked cookies and knitted socks.
“I need something more. Something huge,” Josh said. He frowned at his family and friends. “Come on. You all are supposed to be the experts here. I need a plan. A good plan. A big plan.”
Could he have stomped up the aisle? Sure. Could he have shouted I love you, Tori from the back of the church? Of course. But…dammit…Andrew had done the in-front-of-God-and-everyone thing. Josh had to top that. He felt more for her than Andrew did. Josh was absolutely positive. So that meant that Josh had to do more to show her.
Yes, he’d left. He’d heard what Andrew said, saw Tori’s shocked expression, flashed back to her agreeing to go back to the plantation with Andrew rather than out with him, and he’d decided that he’d never wanted to one-up another man as much as he wanted to outdo Andrew.
Tori deserved to have two men fighting over her, trying to win her over, making asses of themselves.
Andrew had done his part.
Now it was Josh’s turn.
No pressure.
Thinking hard, Josh stroked the head of the kitten who, surprisingly, didn’t seem upset about being in a bar or surrounded by strangers. After taking a stool, Josh had pulled her out of his jacket, set her on top of the bar, Ellie had brought her some finely chopped fish, and the kitten settled right in. Now she was sleeping in the crook of Josh’s arm.
Taking a detour past the barn to get her had been purely spontaneous. But last night Tori had said they were definitely old enough to leave their mother and…hell, he’d wanted a souvenir, he supposed. And no, Mardi Gras beads or even her panties, which were still in the pocket of his jeans, weren’t enough. He’d needed something more. Something uniquely Tori. Something alive, warm, loving. Just like her.
God, he really needed to come up with a grand gesture and then fucking do it. He was tired of sitting around and being in love with Tori and not telling her. Not showing her. Not shouting it to the world.
But no, storming up the aisle at Andrew’s wedding was not how Josh’s gesture was going to go down.
Something had to happen here. This was all much less dramatic than he’d expected. He’d envisioned showing up in Autre, telling everyone what happened, and having them all pile into cars and head back to the plantation with him.
Of course, he had no idea what came after that.
That was why he was here, asking them for input.
But instead of storming the plantation or hiring a skywriting plane or heading to Iowa so they would all be there when she got home, he was sitting on a barstool, petting his new cat, and listening to his grandparents tell him he was an idiot.
“Look, you’re all into big gestures,” he finally said. “The girl you keep is the one you’re willing to make an ass out of yourself over, right? Well, Andrew made an ass of himself for her. Big-time. He risked everything. Now come on. Give me something good.”
“But you just left,” Ellie said again. “Good God. What do you think Tori’s thinking right now?”
“What was I supposed to do? You don’t warn people that you’re about to make a big gesture. That’s part of what makes it big,” Josh protested. The truth was, he’d acted on instinct. He’d seen what Andrew was doing, he’d thought, “oh hell no,” and he’d stormed out of the church, intent on sweeping Tori off her feet.
Eventually.
After he’d figured out how.
And hopefully before she decided that him leaving her at the church with Andrew was a sign he didn’t want her.
Fuck.
Okay, walking out had been stupid. He hadn’t thought about that until he’d passed the Welcome to Autre sign. His need to outdo Andrew had been all that had been driving him.
So, yes, he’d fucked up. But he’d hoped these people would help him fix it.
“I’m freaking out, okay?” he finally said. That was the bottom line. He’d never felt like this. Felt this much. He didn’t know how to express it in an appropriately huge way. “I was watching her walk down that aisle and thinking how much I loved her and how I couldn’t wait to tell her. Then Andrew stops everything and tells her he loves her. That’s a big deal. He knows about all her public spectacles over the years. He’s talked her out of some of them. So doing that, so publicly and humiliatingly, was a big deal for him. Stomping up that aisle, making a big deal out of it all in front of everyone is very much something I would do. But Andrew doing that? That was…something.”
From Andrew it meant more.
“That was Andrew’s big gesture. His big moment. I wasn’t going to…use that too,” Josh finished weakly. Because that really was weak now that he thought about it. What the hell? He wasn’t willing to tell her how he felt because Andrew told her first?
Ellie rolled her eyes so big he was afraid they might get stuck at the back of her head.
Cora, however, reached out and smacked Josh upside the back of his head. “It’s not a competition.”
“It’s not?” he asked, rubbing the spot. “Really? Two men love her and want her? How is that not a competition?”
“Because there’s only one real choice,” Cora said. “The one she loves.”
“This isn’t pie, boy,” Leo said. “You can’t love two people equally like you can love both pecan and rum raisin.”
“But you didn’t even tell her that you love her and want her,” Ellie said, giving him a harsh frown.
“She didn’t tell me that she loves me either,” Josh pointed out.
“And that’s the big gesture,” Ellie said, pointing her finger at his nose. “Taking the risk. Putting it all out there because of how you feel even if you’re not sure how she feels.”
That hit Josh right in the chest. Tori never shied away from defending her animals—or any animals—just because someone else might think it was weird or not understand or because the consequences might not go her way. She dove in, driven by her heart.
“Shit,” he said, blowing out a breath. “Why did I walk out of there? That was stupid.”
“Finally,” Ellie said.
“Thank God,” Cora agreed.
“So what’s the plan?” Leo asked.
Josh sighed. “That’s where you all come in.”
“What if she and Andrew got hitched?” Owen asked. “You might be too late.”
“No way would they get married like that,” Josh said. If he’d thought that was a risk, he wouldn’t have walked out. No, he hadn’t given that a conscious thought, but his gut—his heart—would have never let him walk away if he thought he couldn’t get her back. He just needed to do it right. “Her parents aren’t here. And those are all Paisley’s friends and family, really.” He shook his head with a little chuckle. “No way would Paisley have let them use her flowers and shit to get married.”
Ellie leaned in. “I have only one word for you.”
“Love?”
“Iowa.”
Iowa. Right. Iowa. He’d go to Iowa. That was a big gesture. That would show her how he felt. H
e’d find her farm and he’d…
He slid off the stool, still cradling his kitten. “Anyone know where I can get a cow? Preferably one with special needs?” Yes, he was going to give Tori a cow.
Everyone looked at one another, clearly confused.
“No, wait. A pig.” Hell, maybe he’d make her cupcakes too. Recreate that moment but this time with a much better ending.
“You want a pig?” Owen asked.
“Or a goat. That would probably work,” he said. At this point that wasn’t really the most important thing he supposed.
“Special needs?” Leo asked.
“Like missing a leg,” Josh said. “Or lactose intolerant or something.”
“Can cows be lactose intolerant?” Owen asked. He looked around. “I’m seriously asking. That’s really weird.”
“I know a guy who has peacocks,” Cora said.
Josh paused. “Really? Peacocks?”
“Yep. That’s kind of unusual, right?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Do they have any…phobias?”
“Do the peacocks have any phobias?” Cora asked.
“It’s a long story,” Josh told her.
“I have no idea.” She also glanced around. “Who would even know if they did?”
Josh smiled. “Someone very special would.” Hell, he’d gamble with the peacock. He’d take it to Tori and just hope it needed to be fed by hand or sung to at night or something.
“I’ll call the guy,” Cora said.
“Thanks.” Josh started for the door. He needed to pack. And get a…peacock carrier. Or…something.
He almost ran Kennedy over when he yanked the door open.
“There’s a girl here for you,” Kennedy told him.
Just the way she had the other day when Tori had shown up on the dock.
Josh’s heart thunked hard in his chest. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Kennedy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “And strangely she doesn’t look homicidal this time either. Even though you ran out of that wedding and left her there like a big jerk.”
Kennedy had taken Tori’s side immediately. Though she had paused for a second to be impressed with the photos he’d sent of Tori’s hair and makeup for the wedding.
Josh sucked in a deep breath. She’d come after him. Again. “Where is she?”
“The dock,” Kennedy said. “And you should know that Sawyer has now seen her breasts. Naked.”
Josh started to move past her but stopped at that. He looked at his sister. “Excuse me?”
Kennedy looked a little smug. “She came by Uber. And she marched down that dock to where Sawyer was tying up the boat. She tossed him a strand of beads, he turned, and she pulled her shirt up. For him and the entire boat of frat boys he’d just brought back from a tour.”
Josh’s eyes widened. “What?”
Kennedy frowned. “She thought he was you. She was making a big gesture, Josh. She took an Uber. She came after you. Again. And she said this whole thing about how Mardi Gras was the best day of her life and how she wants to make every day Mardi Gras, but she needs you for that…or something. She kind of cut off in the middle of it when she realized it was Sawyer bending over on the dock and not you.”
Josh felt his smile spreading. He was madly in love with that woman.
Who had just made a big gesture for him.
“Where is she now?”
“Main office.”
He started in that direction.
“Hey, we have a tour coming in!” Kennedy called. She’d need the office to process their payments.
“No we don’t,” he told her.
“Yes, we do!”
“Figure it out, Ken.”
“You have a house, you know. With a bedroom.”
“It’s three blocks away,” he called back as he crossed the road.
“Exactly! Only three blocks away!” Kennedy called.
“Too far!” He rounded the corner of the tour company’s building and yanked the door to the office open.
Tori was sitting on the stool behind the main counter.
“You have to stop mistaking other men for me,” he said, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it.
“Maybe you need to start being where I expect you to be when I come looking for you,” she said, giving him a smile that clearly said she was thrilled to see him and relieved. Relieved that he wanted to see her.
He was a dumbass. He never should have made her doubt that he wanted her. Not even for the two hours it had been since he’d left the church.
“Yeah, I do,” he said with a nod. “I need to be there for you. Every time. I’m sorry I left.”
“I am too. I made this whole big speech about being in love with you.”
Love rocked through him. “In front of everyone?”
“Yep. It’s on YouTube and Facebook if you want to see it.”
“I definitely want to see it.” He took a step toward her.
“My hair and makeup look amazing in it.”
He grinned. “I’ll bet.” He stepped up to the counter. “But I’d really rather hear it in person.”
“I’m in love with you, Josh. I want to be with you. And I know that’s crazy and it’s fast, but it’s true.”
“Even though I left? I walked out? I did it because I was hell-bent on upstaging Andrew’s big gesture and I came back here to get everyone in on it. But I shouldn’t have left.”
She blinked at him. “You did? You were planning a grand gesture?”
“Damn right I was. I was so wrapped up in making it huge and something people around here would call epic and making the story something everyone would tell over and over again that I just walked out and came straight down here.”
“You knew I’d still want to see it?” she asked.
“You would have definitely wanted to see it.” He gave her a grin. Hell, he still didn’t really know what it was going to be, but he would make it larger-than-life.
She smiled back. “But now you don’t have to do it. Because I did it.”
That made his chest ache. “You did. And then…” He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but this was a really important part of all of this. “Your big speech in the church, that gesture, it failed again. In front of everyone. But you still got in an Uber and came down here to try again. Even though I walked out and you didn’t know why.”
“I…” She seemed to be thinking about that. Then she shrugged. “Yeah I guess I did. I mean, if I’m willing to make an ass of myself over dogs and cows, I’m definitely willing to make an ass of myself, repeatedly, over you.”
Josh felt this throat tighten. He cleared his throat. “Thank God for that. Since I can’t seem to get my act together. Though it’s not because I don’t want to,” he added hurriedly.
She grinned at that. “Well, this was low risk.” She gave him a wink. “This is a safe place for me. I knew I could do it again if I did it here. In Autre. I feel good here. I know that you think this place is crazy and weird, but I fit here and I knew I could come do this and everyone would love it and be behind me. No one would think I was nuts. No one would make me apologize. No one would make me replace any prom dresses…so to speak.”
Everything in him ached then. She was amazing and she’d found her place. And it was here. With him. And his family.
He resisted the urge to grab her and pull her over the counter and into his arms. Barely. “Well, I know Sawyer loved this big grand gesture.”
She laughed. “That makes it an even better story, doesn’t it?”
It did. But he growled. “No. You being naked for any other man ever again for any reason? No.”
Her expression softened. “Thank you for wanting my crazy.”
He shook his head. “I’ll tell you who’s crazy—your dad and Andrew. The two men who didn’t let you be your amazing self, who didn’t see you, who didn’t want you to be exactly who you are.” He took advantage of her being speechless and leaned in. “I want ev
ery single bit of you. I’m in love with you too. I’ve never met anyone like you and I can’t imagine not being with you.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? You’re in love with me too?”
“Yes. Of course. Who wouldn’t be in love with you?” he asked with a little laugh. “I was waiting for the right gesture, the right chance to come along to really show you. But, I should have just said it.”
Her eyes got a little shiny and she sniffed. “I know that Landrys are big into grand gestures. But I don’t think you even realize the gestures you’ve made. There have been so many. And they add up. They really do. All the little things you’ve done all matter. The kittens, the makeup, the wanting to just know me. Accepting me just exactly the way I am. You don’t try to dial me back or make excuses for me. You just…” Her voice got softer. “You just love me. And that’s the greatest gesture of all.”
God, he needed her. In every way. Right now.
He started to lean in so he could kiss her for the next three days straight, but just then the kitten mewed. Tori’s eyes flew to the little ball of fur in the crook of his arm.
“Oh my God, is that the runt from the barn?”
She hadn’t even seen the kitten until now. She’d only seen him. That was when Josh knew, without a doubt, Victoria Kramer really did love him. He grinned and nodded, handing the kitten over. “I needed to bring something home that was…you.”
Tori cuddled the kitten up to her face, but her eyes were locked on his. “I have never wanted to tear your clothes off more.”
He laughed. His little nympho. “There’s nothing wrong with her though. No special needs. Sorry.”
Tori sniffed and slid off the stool. She came around the edge of the counter to stand directly in front of him.
He lifted a hand and cupped the side of her head.
“It’s okay that’s nothing’s wrong with her,” Tori said.
“I can get you some peacocks,” he said. “But I’m not sure there’s anything really wrong with them either.”
She laughed. “That’s okay too.” Her eyes twinkled a bit. “I would love some peacocks though. That’s really cool.”
“You don’t need crazy animals? I mean, we can move yours down here.” Of course they’d move hers down here.
My Best Friend’s Mardi Gras Wedding: Boys of the Bayou Page 25