When Mama Beach told the gathered crowd they could be seated, Gray didn’t hold her hand again. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her, leaving it to rest on the chair back. After a bit, his thumb brushed against the bare skin of her shoulder.
A thought she’d never expected flew through her head.
What if they had a room at the hotel tonight?
Or went back to the farmhouse and a shared bedroom?
A shared bed?
Where they shared... more?
With the medication she still took and the intense pain moving still caused more often than not, it wasn’t really an option, but what if?
Tessa didn’t let herself focus on the what ifs, but did acknowledge it would be nice not to drive back to the farmhouse.
Before she knew it, the ceremony was over. Though they were released by rows, everyone stood long before it was their turn. That gave Tessa a chance to work her way to the end of the chair then propel herself into a standing position.
Gray made sure she wasn’t jostled as they worked their way out of one ballroom and into another. The receiving line wouldn’t be until later.
Unfortunately, cocktail hour included precious few chairs, and they’d already been commandeered by elderly relatives and clueless others.
“I’ll be right back.” Gray left her standing with Lani and Harrison.
“Where’s he going?” Lani asked, puzzled. “Did he see someone?”
Harrison put his hand on Lani’s back. “I’d guess he’s being a gentleman and finding his wife a seat since there are so few, and she’s in need of one.”
Lani covered her heart with one hand. “Aw! My little brother so grown up and chivalrous.”
Tessa smirked at her. “I think he’s always been that way. I don’t think it has anything to do with being married.”
“True. I don’t know where he gets it from though. We all know Dad wouldn’t do that.”
“Sean would. He would always do stuff like that for Heidi.” Tessa had seen it.
Lani leaned in. “I thought for sure I saw him here with someone, but I’m not sure who it was. Do you know?”
Tessa shook her head. “As far as I know, he’s not dating anyone, though he did bring my cousin to the barbecue. Could that be who he was with?”
“Maybe? Are they a thing?”
Before they could answer, Gray reappeared with a member of the staff carrying a chair for Tessa.
“Thank you,” she told both of them gratefully as she sank down onto it. The heels were a mistake, but she didn’t plan to tell Gray that again. As long as she was sitting down, they were fine.
Weren’t most shoes that way, though?
“Actually, can you excuse me again?” Gray left before Tessa could answer. That bothered her more than him leaving did, but it wasn’t usual for him, so she tried to let it roll off her back.
“What’s up with him this time?” Lani muttered.
“Give him the benefit of the doubt,” Harrison encouraged them. “I’m sure he has a valid reason.”
Some people Tessa knew wandered over, ostensibly to offer congratulations to Lani and Tessa, but she suspected it was just to meet Prince Harrison. At least, they said precious little to Tessa once the introductions were made and perfunctory well wishes offered.
Because she was seated, it was much easier for Tessa to be excluded from the conversations, though Lani and Harrison both attempted to include her. When the group increased in size and pushed her in-laws away from her, the crowd came between her and the conversation.
She needed to not feel too badly about it, but she couldn’t help it. It probably wasn’t intentional. It was just the novelty of being able to talk to a real prince, not a slight at her. Most of them weren’t people she would have said more than a few words to anyway.
Tessa closed her eyes and tried not to focus on feeling left out. She wasn’t.
But being left by herself for several days while Gray went to Spring Meadow had made her more susceptible to feeling alone than she normally would be. Usually, she’d jump right into the conversation and be a part of the laughter taking place around her.
Being seated didn’t help, but Tessa suspected that she’d keep more to herself even if the circle included her.
“What’s going on here?”
She turned to see Gray crouched next to her. “I think they’re enamored with our local royalty,” she told him quietly.
“Here.” He held out a plate and a drink. “I thought you’d want something.”
So that’s where he’d been. It seemed to have taken a long time, though.
“I also made a couple of other stops. The gift shop and front desk.”
Her stomach constricted as she swallowed one of the appetizers. “Why did you do that?”
“I thought you might want to change, so I found you some sweats and a t-shirt and socks. I had them sent to our room.”
Tessa blinked at him. “To our what?”
He leaned closer. “To our room. I got us a room for the night.”
She didn’t know exactly what to think about that, but before either one of them could say anything else, the circle seemed to open back up to include them.
Or at least to include Gray.
Would they even notice if she’d left? She didn’t think so.
15
The last thing Gray wanted to do was make Tessa uncomfortable, but his pronouncement that they had a hotel room for the evening seemed to do just that. She’d seemed so tired, and he just thought she would prefer not to drive all the way back to Trumanville.
The group surrounding Lani and Harrison had become less closed off, being sure to include Gray, but not necessarily Tessa. That bothered him. He didn’t think anyone was excluding her on purpose, but these weren’t people she would have carried on long conversations with either.
Lani wouldn’t have exchanged more than the most innocuous pleasantries with them if she hadn’t recently married into the Cordovan Dynasty. He wondered how she felt knowing that. Did she feel used? Or did she feel like she was one of the cool kids and basking in it?
He noticed Lani glancing at Tessa and knew she realized Tessa likely felt left out. Lani likely didn’t know what to do any more than he did.
Before he could ponder it too much further, an announcement was made that they could begin moving back into the ballroom for dinner. That would help. At least the table couldn’t be too closed off. Plus, they were sitting with friends and family.
The room was virtually empty when Tessa stood. He hadn’t seen her attempt it very often, and the process fascinated him. As much as he wanted to be able to help, every offer had been turned down so far, so he stood close by, ready to help if she needed it.
Once she was on her feet, he offered his arm. An unusual warmth filled Gray as she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
“A little more worn out than I would have expected but all right.”
He let her set the pace as they walked toward the ball room, bringing up the tail end of the crowd. “That’s why I got the room. I thought a commute upstairs would be a lot easier than driving home.”
Tessa almost sagged against him, in relief he supposed. “Thank you.”
He covered her hand with his other one. “There’s no pressure for anything, Tess. That’s not what this is about.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I should have known that. On one level, I did, but we haven’t talked about...”
“I know. And nothing will happen until we do. When we’re both ready for it.”
Tessa didn’t respond, but that could have been for any number of reasons. They’d reached the end of the line of people slowly moving in to the ballroom so someone might overhear. Or maybe she wasn’t certain that was a thing she’d ever be interested in.
Gray tried not to over-analyze it. They found their seats with some of his family. Mia and Eli were at the head table. Lani and Harriso
n were with Gray and Tessa, along with Sean and his plus one, Tessa’s cousin Alexis. Madi was there with a friend of hers, but Gray couldn’t remember his name. He didn’t think they were dating, but that he was someone she brought as her plus one.
“Sorry about that.” Lani leaned across Gray to talk to Tessa. “I know they were cutting you out, but I don’t think it was on purpose.”
“I know.” That was Tessa’s best smile. The one that said she was trying not to feel hurt or upset, but she was and didn’t want anyone else to notice.
But Gray did, because he was her best friend and had been for forever.
“It’s fine, Lani.” Tessa reached out and squeezed his sister’s arm. “They wanted to talk to you, congratulate you on your marriage. That’s not a surprise to anyone.”
“You recently married, too, though.”
Tessa winked at Lani, another sign she was covering. “But while I might have married my Prince Charming, you married an actual prince. It’s fine. I’m fine. Promise. I’m not a ton of fun to be around right now anyway because of the injury. Just sitting quietly was good for me.”
Lani started to say something else, but waiters appeared with their salads, cutting off whatever it might have been.
Dinner conversation stayed light, whether by intention or otherwise. No one wanted to ask Sean and Lexi if they were on a date or not. Heidi hadn’t been gone that long. If it was a date, they were moving quickly. If not, then their heads were awfully close together as they talked quietly during part of the meal.
Tessa just gave a slight lift of one shoulder when he caught her eye.
After dinner, dancing started. The first few dances were for Brittany and Cole, their families, and the bridal party, but the rest were open to anyone.
That’s when Gray and Tessa were left alone at the table.
“Does that answer the questions about my brother and sister?” Gray asked her, his arm along the back of her chair as he stretched his legs out in front of him.
“You mean, are they dating or do they have dates for a wedding?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked toward the dance floor where a line dance was in progress. “This isn’t exactly Bryan Adams.”
“Good point.” He let his thumb brush against the back of her shoulder. “Are you bummed I haven’t asked you to dance?”
“You know I can’t, so I wouldn’t expect you to ask. It would be nice if I was able to dance, but given how my back is feeling, it’s best that I just sit.”
“It’s got to be exhausting to just sit there, all day, every day.” He used his thumb to brush against her shoulder again, though he wasn’t quite sure why. “I can’t imagine how hard it is to not be able to do anything.”
“It’s not my favorite thing ever,” she admitted. “I’m feeling somewhat better, though. Enough I can be up and around a little bit but not back to normal or even close.”
Gray leaned over and kissed the side of her head. “Well, until you are back to normal, just tell me what you need, and I’m there for you. That’s what I’m here for.”
He found himself wanting to just be closer to her. He didn’t know quite what that meant for them, for their future, but he was going to have to find a way to tell her.
And soon.
The attentive way Gray took care of her went straight to Tessa’s heart. It was new, in a way. He’d always been considerate, but he’d never been overly affectionate in public.
Or private for that matter, though they would sit close to each other often.
She didn’t know if his feelings had changed toward her. If they had, how did she feel about that? Tessa wasn’t sure.
Or it could be something else altogether. Maybe he just thought this was how he was supposed to act since they were married.
“How is Brittany’s daughter handling all of this?” Gray spoke quietly.
“She loves Cole. She’s never had a father, so she’s kind of looking forward to it. At least that’s what I’ve gathered. She’s close to heading off for college, so it won’t affect her like it would if she was younger, but mostly, she just wants her mom to be happy.”
Gray nodded toward the newlyweds. “All you have to do is look at them to know they’re perfect together.”
Tessa studied her former teacher and new husband. The music had changed to a much slower tempo. Their heads were tucked close together. She could tell they were talking, but couldn’t read their lips. They shared a few soft kisses as they moved to the music.
“When you’re ready to head upstairs and change into something more comfortable, let me know.”
Gray’s breath whispered against her ear, sending an unexpected thrill through her.
“I will,” Tessa assured him, but it wasn’t like she’d be able to truly relax upstairs. The upright chair was the best place for her to sit anyway. Kicking back wouldn’t happen, but at least if they were upstairs, she wouldn’t feel like people were giving her the side eye.
Several people she’d gone to school with had done that. So had some people who, presumably, were Cole’s acquaintances. Older, clearly wealthy and not from a small town in Missouri, they’d given her glares when Gray brought her a chair during cocktail hour and continued to do so now that most of the guests were on the dance floor.
On most levels, she didn’t care. She couldn’t dance even if she wanted to, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
“I think I’m ready,” she said suddenly. “Changing into a pair of sweats sounds like a great idea.”
He pushed back from the table and stood. “Can I help you up at all?”
Tessa shook her head and slowly turned sideways so she could position herself to stand. It took a minute, but she managed.
Once again, Gray offered his arm, and she took it, grateful for the support.
In the elevator, she leaned on Gray as she slipped her feet out of one shoe then the other. He bent over to pick them up for her, letting the heels dangle from his fingers.
Their room was just a few steps from the elevator. Tessa wondered if Gray requested it so she wouldn’t have to walk as far.
He used the keycard to open the door and stood back to let her go in first.
She flipped the light on and stopped in surprise.
“What?” Gray squeezed next to her and let the door close behind him.
“You got two beds?” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“Of course. We don’t share at home, and you’re in pain. The last thing I’d want to do is share then hurt you.”
“I don’t have any medicine with me.” She hadn’t thought that far ahead.
He held up a bottle between his thumb and forefinger. “I thought tonight might be a bit much for you, so I made sure to grab it.”
Tessa let her shoulders sag in relief. “I think I’m going to take it then change and try to get comfortable.”
“Let me know if you need any help.” He tossed the medicine bottle on the closest bed then walked to the far side of the other bed before pausing. “Unless you want this side? Closer to the air conditioner.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. You like it colder at night than I do anyway.” They’d had that argument many times, though they’d never slept under the same roof as adults until the farm.
Two pairs of sweatpants, two t-shirts, and two pairs of warm socks were folded neatly on the dresser. Tessa picked up the smaller of the two stacks and headed into the bathroom, where she found herself with the opposite problem from earlier. She tried a couple of times to get to the zipper, but couldn’t quite reach.
“Gray?”
“Everything all right?”
She opened the door. “I hate to ask, but I can’t reach the zipper.”
He twirled his finger for her to turn around. “That’s what I’m here for.”
This time, he barely brushed her skin, just once, to the point Tessa suspected he tried not to.
She couldn’t see him in the mirror, though. If she could, maybe she’d know
what was running through his head. Instead, she could feel his warm breath playing with wisps of hair as he stood closer than he probably needed to.
Maybe she needed to get away from him before her mind started going places it shouldn’t quite yet. “Just halfway. I can get it from there.”
Was that an exhale of relief? “There you go.”
Tessa turned and looked up to see an expression on Gray’s face that she’d never seen before.
Was it...
Could it be...
Desire?
The look disappeared as soon as he realized she peered up at him, replaced by his happy-go-lucky grin. He bowed at the waist. “Thank you for allowing me to assist you, milady.”
The comment did its job of breaking any serious moment the two of them might be having.
He turned and started to walk away.
“Thank you, Gray,” she called to his back.
This time when he turned to look at her, he winked. “My pleasure. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Tessa managed to change into the new clothes and padded barefoot into the room. She sat on the bed, holding the socks in her hand.
Gray knelt in front of her, taking the socks without being asked and gently put them on for her.
In that moment, Tessa knew.
She’d married a keeper.
Someday, she’d figure out how to tell him.
16
Something had shifted between Gray and Tessa at the wedding - and the night after.
Though nothing happened in the hotel room, he knew that she appreciated that he looked out for her - first finding a chair then arranging it so they didn’t have to go home, right down to the sweats and t-shirt from the resort gift shop and separate beds.
He found himself more aware of her movements, the slight brushes as they passed the creamer or something at the table, things like that.
One thing that hadn’t changed was how much he hated leaving her at home alone when he had to go to work. It had been nearly a month since she fell, but it was still difficult for her to get around. She tried driving and decided she wasn’t comfortable with it yet, though she probably could. Especially if there wasn’t an emergency.
Small Town Girls Don't Marry Their Best Friends: Contemporary Christian Romance (Beaches of Trumanville Book 3) Page 11