by Jaci Burton
"Got it. I'll be right down."
"Sure." Aubry's lips lifted. "You might tell Nathan the guys were looking for him, too."
Mia looked over her shoulder to see Nathan sitting up in her bed. And obviously Aubry had spotted him, too.
Well, shit.
"Will do. And, Aubry? Try not to spread that around."
"Hey, I've been where you are. Trust me, I saw nothing."
"Thanks. I'll see you shortly."
She shut the door and leaned against it, then looked over at Nathan. His hair was tousled from sleep, the sheet barely covering his best parts. She wanted to climb back in bed and sex him up again. And again.
He dragged his fingers through his hair and smiled at her. "Who was that?"
"Aubry. It's time to get ready for the wedding rehearsal."
"Oh. Yeah. I'd better get out of your way and let you handle that."
He slid out of bed and grabbed his clothes, coming toward the door.
"You're going to get dressed, right?"
"Why? My room is right across from yours. And my clothes are dirty."
She shook her head. "Hang on."
She popped the door open a crack and took a peek outside. No one was in the hall. "Okay, go."
He leaned over and kissed her. "See you later."
"Okay."
He dashed across the hall and opened the door, then quickly shut it. She wondered what was going to happen if Leo was in there.
That was his problem to explain, she supposed.
She went into the bathroom and looked at her hair. Since she'd fallen asleep with it damp, it was a hot mess. At least she didn't have super-long hair anymore, so she rinsed it in the sink, dried it and flat ironed it into submission.
Much better now. Then she did her makeup, grabbed her dress and heels and put those on, along with her jewelry. All in all, she'd done it in record time.
She went downstairs and into the living room, searching for Harmony or her family. No one was in there. They weren't in the kitchen, either, so she went outside toward the wedding barn, which was just outside the front door and across the newly paved walkway. When Mom had heard Harmony and Barrett wanted the wedding here, she'd insisted the walkway be paved.
Personally, Mia was grateful for that because she would not have wanted to make this trek on gravel while wearing heels.
She made her way through the barn doors. She remembered this barn being filled with hay. Now it was bright and shiny and painted like new. The floors had also been cemented, and it was filled with chairs for tomorrow's ceremony. There was a beautiful white arbor at the front of the barn and by tomorrow the place would be filled with flowers.
"Aubry said you took a nap."
Mia turned to see her mother had come to stand beside her. "Yes."
Her mom laid her hand across her forehead. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I was just hot and tired after mowing, so I took a shower and laid down on the bed for a minute to close my eyes, and I guess I fell asleep."
Her mother nodded. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm sorry I overslept."
"It's all right. You didn't miss anything. The minister was running late so we're just about to get started."
"Oh, good."
Suzanne, the wedding planner, came up to Mia's mom.
"I think we're ready now, Lydia. I'm trying to get everyone in position, so if you can take your place, we'll get started."
Mom nodded. "All right."
All the women settled in at the back of the barn, along with Harmony's brother, Drake, who'd be walking her down the aisle since her father was deceased.
"You glow, honey," Mia said to Harmony. "Are you excited?"
Harmony laid her hand across her stomach. "Equal parts excited, can't believe this is finally happening and I might throw up."
Mia laughed. "Well, you look gorgeous. And happiness thrives on your face."
Harmony grabbed her hand and squeezed. "That's the best thing you could have said to me. I might not pass out now."
Mia laughed. There was nothing more beautiful than a bride-to-be. And Harmony was definitely beautiful. She wore a copper-colored sundress that brought out the beauty of her rich, umber skin. She might be nervous, but her genuine smile didn't show it.
So they followed Suzanne's instructions and lined up in order. Mia was first, so she started down the aisle, listening to Suzanne tell her how to walk, at what pace and where to stand once she got to the altar. She noticed Nathan sitting in one of the chairs watching it all. He gave her a wink as she took her position. Suddenly the barn got a lot warmer even though it was nicely air conditioned in there, another addition for the wedding.
The rest of the bridesmaids walked down the aisle, then Harmony with Drake, who handed her off to Barrett. Mia's eyes teared up watching her brother with Harmony. She was going to have to hold it together or she'd be a weepy mess tomorrow.
They did a run-through of walking down the aisle and the ceremony one more time. The pastor and the wedding planner seemed satisfied after that, so they were finished.
They all went to the house, where dinner was being catered. Mom always liked to cook, and Diane did, too, but Barrett and Harmony insisted the wedding preparations were stressful enough, so dinner tonight and tomorrow night were going to be catered events.
Mia had had countless conversations with her mother about this, and Mom wasn't keen on the idea, but she'd finally given in. And since Mom had already been involved in both Tucker and Aubry's, and Grant and Katrina's weddings, Mia didn't want her overwhelmed any more than she already had been with Barrett and Harmony's wedding. The last thing she needed was to be stuck in the kitchen cooking up a meal for a large group of people. She should be wandering around enjoying the company.
The caterers did a great job and the food was already spread out in the kitchen by the time they came in. Plus, there was a bar set up, which, of course, was where everyone headed first.
Mia decided on a sparkling water, since she still felt dehydrated from her time in the sun this afternoon. She noticed Nathan went for a glass of ice water instead of a beer. She made her way over to him.
"Still thirsty?"
He looked around and then leaned in. "For you? Yes."
Why was it that every time he said something sexual to her, her body went up in flames? She would have thought that since they'd already had sex a few times, she'd be immune, that the newness of it would have worn off by now.
Apparently she was not immune to Nathan Riley. She was going to have to shore up her defenses. The last thing she needed was to become emotionally attached to him. Fun and dating was one thing. Love? That was something entirely different. She wasn't ready for that.
Fortunately, Barrett came over, putting an end to that unruly thought process.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm hungry."
"That's nothing new for you," Mia said. "Aren't you nervous at all about tomorrow?"
"Nah. Marrying the woman I love? I can't wait."
Barrett's love for Harmony made Mia's heart squeeze. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "That's incredibly sweet and I love you."
He smiled down at her. "Love you, too, brat. Now we should go nudge Mom about starting the food line."
Nathan laughed. "I wouldn't object to that."
"Fine," Mia said. "I'll go tell Mom you're all starving to death and if food isn't served right now there's going to be growling and whining."
"Mostly growling," Barrett said. "Men never whine."
"Ha," she said as she walked away. She found her mother talking to Diane.
"The men are whining about eating."
"Don't they always?" Diane asked. "I swear, every time Drake is over for dinner, he's the first in line. And it's not like the boy is starving."
Mia's mom laughed. "Mine are the same way. It's all the calories they burn. It was like that when they were growing up, too."
"Tell me about it," M
ia said. "It's a miracle there was ever any food left by the time a plate was passed my way."
Diane put her arm around Mia. "Harmony said the same thing. She also accused Drake of dumping all the meat onto his plate and all that was left for her were bits and pieces that had fallen off the bone."
Mia nodded. "Sounds about right."
"Yeah, you're not starving, either," her mom said. "Come on, let's go round up Barrett and Harmony so they can be at the front of the line."
"And I'll be right behind them before the guys eat all the food."
Her mother gave her a teasing smile, but Mia hadn't been joking and she did get in line behind Harmony and Barrett. Not that she was all that hungry, but she had seen the pineapple rice on the menu and she wanted to be sure she got some, along with the chicken kabobs.
She grabbed a seat at the dining room table next to Harmony and Alyssa, Harmony's best friend and maid of honor. Lachelle, Harmony's friend from college and another bridesmaid, sat on Mia's other side. Lachelle had three-year-old twins and also worked as a coordinator for at-risk youth, so Mia spent a lot of time at dinner talking to Lachelle about her work and her family life.
"Twins and such an important job that I'm sure takes up a lot of your time," Mia said. "How do you juggle it all?"
Lachelle took a sip of iced tea, then laid her glass on the table. "Honestly? I have an amazing and supportive husband. He spends just as much time with Marcus and Mateo as I do. We share kid duties, so when he's busy, I take on more with the kids. When I have something come up, he's right there to pick up the slack. I sure couldn't do this alone."
"Sure you could," Harmony said. "You're Wonder Woman."
Lachelle laughed. "You'd like to think that, but no woman is Wonder Woman. Not a woman with twin boys, anyway. But I love my work as much as I love my husband and kids. I'm profoundly fortunate to have all these loves in my life. Someday Miss Harmony over there will find herself doing the same since she loves her work as much as she loves Barrett."
Harmony laid her fork down. "Hopefully without the twins. Not that I don't love your boys, because I do, but, honey, I'd like to have my kids one at a time."
Mia laughed. "I'm sure that would be easier."
"What about you, Mia?" Alyssa asked. "Any hot guys you're hiding from us? All the Cassidys seem to be settling down. Are you next?"
Mia shook her head. "The only love of my life right now is my business. It's all I can handle at the moment. Men will have to take a backseat to that."
She realized as she said the words that Nathan was sitting at the far end of the table. He'd been in conversation with her dad and Flynn. But as she glanced over, she saw he'd been looking at her. She wasn't sure if he heard what she said, but he wasn't smiling. He resumed his conversation with her father.
Surely he hadn't heard. And what if he had? It wouldn't have hurt his feelings in the least, right? Sure, they were in a relationship. But it was a fun, uncomplicated, having-sex kind of relationship.
And nothing more.
But after dinner, she found a minute to get him alone.
"Were you listening in on my dinner conversation with Harmony and her friends?"
He frowned. "What? No. Why?"
She shrugged. "Never mind. No reason."
She started to walk away, but he grasped her arm. "What was it you didn't want me to hear?"
"It's stupid, really."
"Mia, nothing you say is stupid. Tell me."
"Alyssa asked me if I was steady with any guy. I told her the only love of my life right now was my work. And at that point you and I connected visually and I could swear you were shooting daggers at me, like you heard what I was saying and you were mad."
He laughed. "Why would I be mad at you about that? We aren't in love, Mia. We're just having some fun. Right?"
"Right." She laughed, too.
He swept his hands down her arms. "Relax. This is supposed to be light and easy between us. So don't stress about it."
"I won't."
But later, she played their conversation over in her head.
We aren't in love, Mia. We're just having some fun.
It was exactly what she'd wanted to hear. What she'd needed from him. She should have been relieved.
So why, when he'd said the words, did her stomach tighten and her heart feel crushed?
Dammit. She was not falling in love with Nathan. She would not allow that to happen.
TWENTY-FOUR
MIA LOVED WEDDING DAYS. SHE'D GOTTEN UP THIS morning totally refreshed, chalking up the disappointment over her conversation with Nathan last night to exhaustion.
They were exactly where she wanted them to be. Where he wanted them to be, too. Having sex and having fun with it, with no emotional entanglements. She wasn't falling in love with him. He was her best friend and they were slowly building on their relationship by dating. She needed to just have fun and go with it and not stress over every little thing. Nathan certainly wasn't taking it all so seriously, and neither should she.
More certain than ever of where they stood, she dismissed last night's weird emotional state, determined to soak in all the love from Barrett and Harmony's day.
The guys had all taken off for Austin to go play golf, which left the women alone to enjoy the day. The wedding was scheduled for six p.m., so they had massages scheduled, followed by manicures and pedicures. They also had hair and makeup artists coming in. It was going to be a fun spa day.
Mia was looking forward to being pampered.
First they all gathered in the kitchen to make breakfast. It was a free-for-all of women chatting while peeling potatoes, breaking eggs and slicing fruit. Mia sipped on her coffee while talking with Katrina about her last photo shoot.
"It was beautiful. We were off the Amalfi Coast. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but I could spend a week just wandering through the history of the place. I told Grant we have to vacation there during the off-season."
"I've looked at pictures," Mia said. "It's lush and breathtaking, and I agree with you about the history alone. Maybe I'll hide in your luggage."
Katrina laughed. "As work goes, it didn't suck. But of course I didn't get nearly enough time to play tourist. I want to take the kids with me. I think Leo would love it for the history and Anya would enjoy it for the food."
"I'm down with any place that has amazing food," Anya said from across the kitchen island.
Amelia put her arm around Anya. "I love this girl."
Mia smiled.
Breakfast ended up being quite a feast, from the croissants Anya made to the eggs Benedict Amelia had put together. Then there were fried potatoes and fruit salad and sausages along with freshly squeezed orange juice they used to make mimosas. Mia sat at the table and thought about what an amazing family she had, only enriched by these incredible women who'd fallen in love with her brothers.
She was very lucky.
"Who's minding your interior design business while you're busy getting married and taking a short honeymoon, Harmony?" Amelia asked.
"I have an incredible assistant who's scary good at what she does," Harmony said. "Rosalie has it all under control."
"So you won't worry something will fall through the cracks while you're gone?" Mia asked.
"You mean like you are right now?" Mia's mom asked.
"Maybe." She wouldn't mention how many calls she'd made already, or how many times she'd e-mailed everyone at the office. She had the utmost trust in her staff, but MHC was her baby.
"Oh, I was totally like you when my business first started out," Harmony said. "It was hard for me to even leave for an hour to go to a dental appointment without freaking out that the whole place would go under while I was gone."
Mia nodded.
"After a while, you start to realize that you hired awesome staff for a reason," Harmony said. "Because they are awesome, and because they can do the job. And then you start to relax knowing your company is in good hands."
"I know yo
u're right and I have the best people at MHC. But still, it is hard to be away from our babies."
Her mother patted her hand. "You know that right now Monique is cracking the whip on your amazing staff. She has it all under control."
"I know. She's sending me regular updates and all is as it should be. It's still hard to let go."
Harmony smiled. "It'll get easier with every month. I promise."
Mia hoped so. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life worrying about her company every time she had to leave town. But they were in the middle of negotiating some very big deals at the moment, and she felt like she needed to be there. But she also knew there were going to be times like this, and her team could handle it.
"I'm wondering if we could just all live together here on the ranch and do this every morning," Alyssa said. "I mean, I get that some of you have husbands that you might miss and all, but this is pretty awesome."
Mia swirled her mimosa around in the champagne glass. "I could get used to it."
"I don't know," Aubry said. "I'd miss the sex."
Aubry looked over at Mia's mom. "Sorry, Lydia."
Mia's mom laughed. "It's okay, Aubry. I already knew you two were having sex."
Aubry laughed.
"I mean, the men are great and all," Katrina said, "and you can't deny the sex is outstanding. But sisterhood? No one is going to understand you as well as another woman can."
Anya held up her glass. "I'll drink to that."
Katrina frowned. "Who put champagne in her glass?"
Mia grinned. "I did. She's close enough to twenty-one and she's not driving anywhere today. She's entitled to one mimosa."
Anya cracked a smile. "It hardly has any champagne in it, and you let me have wine in Paris, Katrina."
"I did. But that was Paris. And that's all you get today."
Anya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, Sis."
It must be totally fun to have a sister. But Mia realized she had several now, and she couldn't be happier about that.
After breakfast, they cleaned up the dishes. The massage and mani-pedi staff arrived with all their equipment. Mom had them set up in the dining room, living room and several of the bedrooms.
Mia had her manicure and pedicure first. She sat side by side with Aubry. The two of them were alone in her mom's bedroom since it had a lot of space. And now her feet were relaxing in a warm bubbly spa while she was getting her nails done.
"So," Aubry said. "Want to tell me what's going on with you and Nathan?"