“Anything I can do to help, just let me know.” Amber had made the bridesmaids dresses for Jason and Katie’s wedding, and for Chelle’s wedding she had designed Chelle's dress.
It seemed only right that she offer to help with Alex and Jamie’s wedding, as well.
“Well, actually…” Jamie was biting her lip and shredding her napkin and then rolling it into tiny pieces.
Amber knew, from personal experience, that it was hard for some people who were used to doing things on their own to ask for help. She figured she would let her friend off the hook.
“Jamie, if you want I can design your bridesmaids dresses.”
Jamie’s eyes shot to hers, “Oh thank you! I hadn’t even thought of that, actually, but that would be incredible. If it’s not too much trouble.”
Okay, if it wasn’t that, then why was Jamie acting so nervous, Amber thought to herself. She figured that in the spirit of her new ‘do nothing’ philosophy, she would just sit enjoy her friend's company and see how this played out. Oh, and eat brownies. Definitely eat brownies.
After a few minutes during which Amber consumed loads of delicious calories, Jamie asked, “So would you be able to make your own dress then?”
Amber’s brow furrowed in confusion, not really clear on why it mattered what she wore. “Umm...sure.”
“Oh, I’m doing this all wrong. It happens when I get nervous,” Jamie sighed in frustration.
“Why are you nervous?” Amber asked, still totally confused.
Jamie placed her hands flat on the table and took a deep breath, “I would like you to be a bridesmaid in my wedding.”
Oh, that’s it?
“Of course, I would lov…”
Jamie interrupted, “You'd be walking with Seth.”
Oh, that’s it.
“I’m not trying to play matchmaker,” Jamie continued, “believe me! I hated it when people did that to me. It’s just that, honestly, you were the first person I met in Harper’s Crossing, my first friend here in my new life. You were the first person I thought to ask. Then when we were going over the wedding party, I realized that Jason would be walking with Katie, Bobby would be walking with Sophie, and Riley would be walking with Chelle…”
“Which leaves me walking with Seth,” Amber finished her friend’s thought.
“If you don’t want to I totally understand, and I could ask one of Alex’s cousin’s, but there are four of them so I feel like if I ask one I have to ask all of them, which means coming up with three more guys…”
“I would love to be in your wedding. Honestly. I’m honored.”
A look of relief flashed across Jamie’s face as she broke out into a huge smile. “Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Amber confirmed before asking. “Is that why you asked how things were going with Seth?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I wasn’t being nosy. I just wanted to test the waters.”
“I thought it was a little out of character for you,” Amber admitted.
“What I really want to know is how you are doing after the break in?” Jamie’s face scrunched in concern.
Amber shrugged. “I’m fine. I actually took a self-defense class yesterday, I learned some good safety tips.”
“Oh, is that the same one Alex normally teaches?” Jamie asked.
“Yep, and Riley has been filling in for him, but since Chelle had Mya, Seth taught the class.”
Jamie’s eyes widened, “How did that go?”
“It was good,” Amber answered quickly.
Amber didn’t think she was quite ready to go into exactly how good it had been. She wasn’t ready to divulge the fact that she was pretty sure she had fallen in love with him as she watched him working with that terrified young girl. And then how amazing he had been when he had taken her on the motorcycle ride and succeeded in getting her mind off of the conversation with her mom.
“Did he talk?” Jamie asked tilting her head in disbelief.
“He did!” Amber laughed as she explained, “I know, I was shocked too. I realized about five minutes in that it was the most words I had heard him string together at once. It was weird.”
“Well, I’m not gonna pry and ask if sparks flew. Although from what I saw at Thanksgiving I'm sure they did. But I do want you to know that if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
Amber smiled, feeling very lucky to have found such a great friend. “Thanks, Jamie. I really do appreciate that. Now enough about my drama filled life. Let’s talk wedding!”
While Jamie animatedly explained her wedding vision - the wedding that Amber would be in with Seth – Amber took another huge bite of delicious brownie. She had a sneaking suspicion she was going to need a lot of these to get through the next month.
--- ~ ---
Seth once again pulled into the dirt parking lot in the back of Gerard’s Diner. Alex had sent out a group text to all of his brothers asking them to meet him here. He saw that Jason, Bobby and Riley’s trucks were already here. Looks like he was the last to arrive once again.
He was hoping this was not another intervention-slash-interrogation breakfast. He was having enough trouble dealing with the Amber situation internally without having to try and explain it to his brothers. Also, it was none of their business.
He shrugged to himself. If that was what it turned out to be, he'd just stand up and walk out. Seth had never been one to let social niceties keep him trapped in a situation he preferred not to be in.
As he stepped through the front door and heard the bell ding over his head, he was once again hit by the welcoming and familiar smells of coffee and syrup. His brothers were all seated at the same table. In fact, they were in the exact same seats as they had been at the last breakfast.
They had always tended to fall into patterns. At home, growing up, they had always sat in the same seats for dinner. They all had “their” places on the couch when they were watching TV.
Seth thought it may have something to do with the fact that life had gotten so out of control and unpredictable when their mom’s bi-polar disorder got bad that they had all gravitated towards any small piece of control and predictability they could get.
As he joined his brothers, he was happy to see that they had already ordered his meal and it was waiting for him. He was starving.
After the ride with Amber the night before, he had gone straight home and gone to bed. He had enjoyed the best night’s sleep he could remember in recent history. But he had been so distracted that he had completely forgotten to grab dinner. This morning he had woken up to his stomach growling.
Seth sat down after greeting his brothers and then turned to Riley, “How’re Chelle and Mya doing?”
It surprised Seth how much he had been thinking about his tiny niece. He hadn’t expected her birth to have that much of an impact on him. He’d been wrong.
Riley’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started showing Seth pictures, “They’re doing great! Chelle’s a little tired, but everyone says that’s normal.”
Jason stopped eating to add his two cents, “And he would know. He’s read every book ever published on the subject, talked to everyone who’s ever had a baby, and then cross-referenced all of the information he gathered.”
Riley just shook his head at his brother, “You just wait. When Katie has a baby you’ll be the same way.”
“Probably,” Jason admitted, “And I'll be in luck because I can borrow your books.”
“We'll see,” Riley shot back.
Seth smiled at the friendly back and forth. He knew his brother Jason would be exactly the same way when he became a father-to-be. Jason had been in love with Katie since he was in kindergarten. It had taken them over twenty years to find their way to each other, but Seth figured it was worth the wait because they both seemed deliriously happy.
And as for Seth? Well, he was happy for all of his brothers. They had each found amazing women.
“Alright, s
o now that everyone is here,” Alex looked pointedly at Seth.
He could look all he wanted. Seth had gotten there on time. Just because ‘on time’ to his four brothers meant fifteen minutes early did not mean that Seth was going to get here at 8:45 when the text said 9 am.
When Seth didn’t take the bait, Alex went on, “Jamie and I are getting married on Christmas Eve and I want you four to stand up for me.”
There was a round of congratulations.
“Alright, boys, so the lineup will be Jason and Katie, Riley and Chelle, Bobby and Sophie and Seth and…”
There was a long pause.
Was Seth supposed to guess?
Was this multiple choice?
He figured he would probably be walking with one of his cousins or one of Jamie’s childhood friends. Seth looked around the table to see if he was missing something. Jason sat across from him inhaling his food. Riley and Bobby were both texting on their phones.
Alex picked up his fork and began eating again.
“Who, Alex?” Seth did not feeling like playing his little brother’s games.
Alex smiled as chewed his food. When he swallowed he said, “Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.”
Seth was paying attention alright. All of his attention was about to be concentrated in his palm as it smacked his brother upside the head.
“Seth, you will be walking with the lovely Miss Amber Webb,” Alex announced grandly.
That certainly got his all of his brothers' attention. Jason stopped eating and Riley and Bobby looked up from their phones. Everyone stared at Seth.
So, Seth started eating.
“Is that okay with you?” Alex asked.
“It’s your wedding.” Seth continued eating.
Seth knew that Alex had asked him a yes or no question and that his response was neither. He also knew his brother probably expected him to have some kind of a response to the little bomb he had just dropped on him. But right now he was trying to deal with the odd sensation of...he guessed it was...happiness...he felt at the thought that he would be escorting Amber down the aisle.
He shouldn’t be happy about that. He should be upset that his plan to keep some distance from Amber was becoming more and more of an impossibility.
But if he was being honest with himself, he just felt…happy.
And that scared the shit out of him.
Chapter Sixteen
Seth tapped his finger on the steering wheel of his new company truck. He could see Amber’s long dark hair as she moved inside the store, helping customer after customer. He had been sitting outside of Bella for the last hour waiting for her to close so he could go talk to her. She closed at nine and it was close to ten o’clock. She obviously had great customer service since she still continued to help customers after business hours.
He had observed that her store was a popular one. Amber hadn’t had any down time since he had arrived. Every customer seemed to love her and they all left with smiles on their faces. Amber seemed relaxed and in her element.
Seth realized he had never seen this side of her. The closest he had come was after they had taken that ride along the river. After that ride, she had seemed completely stress-free and happy.
“I didn’t peg you for a stalker,” he heard his brother Bobby’s deep voice boom through the glass pane of his window.
Seth rolled down the window, “I need to talk to Amber.”
His brother stared at him blankly, “And you’re doing that how…telepathically?”
Seth sighed, remembering the good old days when his little brothers were scared of him, “I’m waiting until she closes up.”
“So you can talk to her alone?” Bobby asked, his tone direct.
Seth just stared at him, letting him know telepathically that this little game of Twenty Questions was over.
“Don’t hurt her,” Bobby harshly commanded.
Bobby’s attitude was not something Seth would have expected out of his youngest brother. He was confused over why Bobby would feel the need to protect Amber in the first place.
“Amber’s had a tough time. She and Sophie are close. She’s like a sister to me.”
Trying to lighten the mood, Seth shot back, “Well, as luck would have it, I'm like a brother to you.”
His little brother scowled. “It's not a joke.”
And with that statement, Bobby turned and walked into Bella.
Well, that was a good talk.
After a few minutes, Bobby and Sophie walked out of Bella. Bobby nodded a solemn goodbye to Seth and Sophie waved cheerily, smiling brightly. That little exchange encapsulated the differences between Seth's baby brother and his wife. Bobby was serious and reserved and Sophie was sunshine and happiness.
There was no one left in the store now. He might as well head in. He should know exactly what he wanted to say to her, but he didn’t. Since Alex had told him about the wedding three days ago, he had wanted to talk to Amber about it.
As a Marine, his Force Recon unit specialized in extractions. Seth had never gotten nervous before a mission. Part of the reason he didn’t was because there was always a very detailed plan of action. Of course anything could happen, things could veer off course and, nine times out of ten, they did. But you didn’t go in blind and you always kept your focus on the objective.
Which would explain why he was uneasy now. He was going in completely blind and with no clear game plan, no target in sight.
He did have a broad objective. Basically it boiled down to this: he and Amber were going to be in his Alex’s wedding together. He wanted to clear the air, to make sure that she was okay with everything. He didn’t want there to be any weirdness between them.
And he wanted to see her. There was that.
He stepped out of his car and the cold air felt revitalizing and welcome. It woke up his senses, causing him to feel more confident and alert.
He hadn’t been sleeping all that well since he had returned home to Harper’s Crossing. He felt that he could attribute his sleepless nights to two factors. One, he hadn’t taken the time to get a bed yet, so he was sleeping on the couch which the landlord of his condo had offered to leave in the space. And two, since seeing Amber at his Jason’s house the first day he had arrived, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his thoughts - especially at night.
His mind was filled with snapshot images of her, of her body, of her smile, of her eyes. And that was just the visual, his brain had also been bombarded with sensory memories of her. Her touch. Her smell. Her taste.
His heart sped up as he opened the door and stepped into the warmth of the shop. It smelled fresh and sweet, just like Amber. A calm washed over him as he inhaled slowly.
Amber was standing on a ladder beside the door hanging clothes on a high bar. She twisted around at the sound of the door, causing her to be knocked off balance. She screamed. Seth reacted on instinct and stepped behind her, catching her handily in his arms.
Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck and her face tucked into his shoulder. His body instantly responded to the contact. God, she felt so good in his arms. Her soft body molded perfectly into his hard form. A strong impulse of need welled up inside of him.
After a moment she looked up at him. Her rounded golden eyes flickered with awareness. He didn’t trust himself not to do something he would regret later, so he carefully set her down.
“You scared me. I thought Sophie locked the door.” Amber’s breathing was unsteady and choppy. Seth didn’t know if it was because of the scare, the fall, or if she felt the same intense desire that he did.
He needed to clear the air and get the hell out of here. Acting on his consuming lust would only create more issues and make an already impossible situation that much more difficult. Clear, concise communication was the tactic he needed to employ.
“We’re going to be in the wedding together,” he stated simply.
Her mouth twitched and amusement danced in her eyes, “Pleasantries an
d small talk are really not your thing, are they?”
“No.”
She shook her head slightly from side to side, a small smile appearing on her face. He felt it hit him square in the chest. The smallest gesture, expression, sound, touch from this woman was more potent than any sexual encounter – his and Amber's excluded - that he had ever experienced.
His mind felt clouded with arousal. This was exactly why a clear and precise directive would have been an asset in this stop-by. He was too easily distracted by his raging hormones to think straight around Amber, so without a game plan, he was lost.
He stood in front of her, stock still. He knew if he made any movement – a step, a lean – anything, his body would read his actions as a ‘fall out’ ‘permission to pass go’ ‘full steam ahead’ signal. So he did not allow himself even the slightest movement.
Neither of them said anything. However the simmering, combustible chemistry between them was speaking volumes.
“And awkward silences don’t really seem to bother you either,” her voice sounded shaky.
“Is this awkward?” he asked, huskiness filling his voice.
She breathed in through her nose, before parting her perfect full lips and exhaling, her eyes darkening with need. “It isn't if we do something about this.” Her hand gestured between them.
Damn, he loved how blunt she was. Amber didn’t play games like other women he knew. She seemed like the type of person who knew what she wanted and went for it. Unapologetically. He respected the hell out of her for that.
His jaw ticked from his repressed desire. “We can’t.”
She let out a small, harsh puff of breath, “Then, yes, Seth. It’s awkward.”
Amber then turned and moved behind the counter. He couldn’t tell if she was mad, or just frustrated. He knew he was frustrated, and not just sexually. Amber had somehow gotten under Seth’s skin and he just didn’t know how to deal with it. That had never been an issue for him before. He had never wanted things he couldn’t have.
But, really - being with her was not an option. He didn't want to bring any pain or drama into her life, which would inevitably be the case considering how messed up he was. Not only that, but he also didn’t want to damage the life that she had built here. Her friends. Her family. As Bobby had proven out in the parking lot, she may not be related to the people here in Harper’s Crossing, but they were definitely her family.
My Everything - Seth & Amber Page 12