“So you put the photos up to remember your friends?” Erin smiled.
“Exactly. They each have their own unique personality. Same as dogs or cats. See, like Blossom. She only liked peanut butter treats.” Marina pointed to a snow-white bird. “I trained her to do different sayings.”
The picture next to Blossom showed a teenaged Matthew, a toddler Marina riding on his shoulders, licking an ice cream cone dripping into his dark hair, a gap toothed Alex standing next to them. Erin smiled at the picture but, when Marina smirked at her in the mirror, hastily rearranged her features and fussed with the compact.
“Makeup is more about highlighting what you have,” Erin said. “For example, you have beautiful eyes, just like your mama.”
“And Matty,” Marina pointed out. “We all have the same eyes.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” Erin lied.
Marina chuckled. “You really like him, huh?”
“Your brother’s nice,” Erin said. “They both are.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t creep out of the party last night with Alex, right?”
“Matthew’s a great guy.” Heat crept up Erin’s neck and stained her cheeks. They’d agreed. Only in Savannah. “How do you want to wear your hair tonight? You have beautiful hair.”
“We all like you much better than Anna. Mama even said so.”
Even though it didn’t matter, since they had no future together, Erin smiled to hear Matthew’s family liked her. “I thought she was the girl next door.”
“Yeah, she was one of the snooty Worthingtons,” Marina rolled her eyes as Erin plugged in the curling iron. “She always had a crush on him but he wasn’t interested at all. Then they went away to the same college and started dating. Mama used to say it would never last.”
“But then it did?”
“Mama tried to talk them into waiting but Anna wanted to get married before they moved to Boston for Matthew to go to graduate school. Mama was so crushed.”
“Why?”
“She wanted him to stay here and revive the Westbrook Design firm. But…Matthew doesn’t want anything to do with his dad. After they got married, they’d come home for a few days at a time before jetting off to some exotic location. One Christmas, they went to Turks and Caicos instead of coming home at all. Mama cried. She never cries.”
Erin twined Marina’s thick, lush dark hair, another characteristic she shared with her handsome older brother, around the curling iron and bit her lip. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, Erin burst out, “And then what happened?”
“About two years ago, maybe a bit more now, Anna just showed back up and moved back in with her parents. At first, she wouldn’t talk about it and mama couldn’t get a word out of Matthew. Finally, Millie heard Anna claimed Matthew cheated on her. Whenever I see that smug bitch, I want to slap her in the face.”
“She’ll be at the wedding tomorrow. You don’t want to upset Alex and Ashley’s big day…” Erin said.
“Don’t worry. I won’t slap her,” Marina smiled as Erin placed a sparkling clip in her hair. “I’ll just want to.”
“Fair enough,” Erin shrugged.
“And Erin?” Erin met Marina’s lovely eyes in the mirror, perfectly highlighted by the makeup she’d done. “Matthew never once looked at Anna the way he does you.”
“How does he look at me?”
“Like all his dreams came true at once.”
After she finished with Marina, Erin returned to the dining room, carrying her bridesmaid’s dress to find Matthew by himself, standing at the sideboard, folding napkins. He scowled at the misshapen lumps of linen. “These don’t look like swans.”
“No, they don’t,” Erin agreed, biting her lip not to laugh at Matthew’s furiously puzzled face. He scowled down at the not at all swan shaped napkin and poked it with his long index finger. It promptly keeled over and Erin giggled. “I’m heading back over to Millie’s to change. See you later.”
“Can’t you help me fold the napkins first?” Matthew said, his hazel eyes wide and woebegone.
“I bet that puppy dog look gets you all manner of things, doesn’t it?” Erin asked, even as her heartbeat sped up. She flushed, tingly all over, aware of him just being in the same room as her. Matthew made her happy, happier than she remembered being in a long time.
He dropped the napkin and rested his hands on her hips, tugging her against him, filling her head with the sexy scent of him. He brushed his lips over hers and, despite running late and needing to change, she kissed him back, sweeping her tongue into his mouth to taste him and cupping the back of his head, her fingers twining in his silky hair. He groaned, pulling her tighter against him, his hands sliding up her back to wrap her in his embrace.
“No time for romance, kiddos,” Millie said as she pushed between them to place a centerpiece on the sideboard. They broke apart, Matthew’s eyes already golden and hot with lust for her. “Matty, fold those napkins. Erin, are you helping with the napkins or heading over to the B&B to change? I can drive you, if you’re leaving now.”
“I’ve gotta change. Sorry, Matty. You’ll have to fold the napkins by yourself,” Erin said as Millie bustled away. Matthew scowled at her and stuck out his tongue. Erin stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. “You can put that to use…later.”
He blushed, adorably. She kissed his cheek. She walked slowly away, feeling Matthew’s eyes on her as she headed into the foyer.
“Wait. I gotta change too,” Matthew called and dashed into the foyer behind her.
“What about the swans?” Erin said, raising her eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Damned swans. I’ve been trying to make them for over an hour,” Matthew scowled. “Don’t I have to be dressed up for this event?”
“Jeans would be a little casual,” Erin agreed.
“Marina! You gotta help me,” Matthew said as her heels clicked on the stairs and she came to a stop beside them. He stared at his sister in her moss-green A-line dress and matching wrap. The cut and color of the dress flattered her and, now with Erin assisting on makeup and hair, her natural prettiness wasn’t covered up. “You look great.”
“Thanks,” Marina smiled. “Erin helped me.”
Matthew nodded to Erin in silent thanks before saying to his sister, his voice tinged with desperation. “Do you know how to make napkin swans?”
Marina nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You’re the Tom Sawyer of Savannah, aren’t you?” Erin said as they dashed down the front steps and climbed into Millie’s waiting car.
“Indeed he is,” Millie said. “You hoodwinked Marina into folding those swans, didn’t you, boy?”
“At least if she does it, they’ll look like swans,” Matthew agreed. Millie maneuvered the car through the streets, careening around corners and into the back parking lot. They popped out of the car.
“Fifteen minutes until showtime, people! We don’t want to get caught in traffic,” Millie yelled as she hurried to the carriage house behind the inn.
“Who else is going to Tybee in December?” Matthew demanded but Millie ignored him. Erin grabbed her dress and hurried around the front. Matthew caught up with her near the stairs, placing his hands on her hips. “What’s your hurry, sugar?”
“I need to change,” Erin said, her voice a little breathless even to her own ears.
“Let me help you with that.” Matthew dropped a kiss on her nose as he pulled her close. They didn’t have a lot of time before the rehearsal. But then again, she didn’t have a lot of time with Matthew left. In just over thirty-six hours, she’d head home to Boston and he’d head home to Chicago. Erin pushed away the pain and focused on enjoying the present moment. In the gathering dusk, as the streetlamps winked on and the temperature dropped as the sun dipped toward the horizon, she stared at his handsome face, trying to memorize the exact color of his eyes as he smiled down at her. Something about Matthew Westbrook made her break her own rules every time. Giving in, she wrap
ped her fingers in his and tugged him toward the staircase.
“Okay, but we’ll need to be quick.” They dashed up the stairs to the Peach Blossom suite, Erin already fumbling at the buttons on her jeans. Somehow, she got the key into the lock and flung open the door…
“Bug!” Dylan shouted. “Don’t you knock?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
As Matthew and Erin stood frozen in the doorway, Dylan and Heather, grappling futilely over a sheet to cover themselves, peeked at them from the floor on the far side of the rumpled bed.
“This is my room. Why would I knock?” Erin said, looking at Matthew, her eyebrows raised. There went their plans for a quickie…
“Damn,” Matthew said, under his breath. “See you at the car, sugar.”
He clomped back down the stairs and Erin tore her gaze away from his perfect behind to dash into her room. Shielding her eyes from the far side of the bed, Erin hung her bridesmaid’s dress in the wardrobe and grabbed her rehearsal outfit before heading into the en suite bathroom. “And Heather needs to be at rehearsal. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”
“We’re kinda busy here, Bug,” Dylan said.
“I’m glad one of us got to be busy,” Erin said as she shut the bathroom door. “Hurry up!”
Erin dressed quickly and, by the time she emerged from the bathroom, a now-dressed Dylan sat on the rumpled bed with no sign of Heather. “She went to her hotel to change. We’ll meet up later.”
“No, you won’t. Ashley’s bachelorette is later,” Erin said as she fastened her silver earrings. She wore a simple wrap dress in pale gray, designed to ensure she didn’t outshine anyone. She smoothed her hair as she stepped into her heels. “What do you think you’re doing anyway?”
“Having fun. Heather’s awesome.”
“And there aren’t going to be any hard feelings?”
“She lives in London. We’re an only-in-Savannah thing.” Erin’s shoulders stiffened as she heard the echo of the bargain she and Matthew made. Her necklace slipped from her nerveless fingers and she scrambled to pick it up. “Same as you and Matthew, right?”
“Right.” Erin didn’t look at her brother as she gathered her key and her purse.
“Right.” Dylan followed her out of the room. “You’re completely nuts about him.”
Erin shushed him as they headed down the stairs. “It’s just a casual thing.”
“You don’t do casual things,” Dylan protested as Erin walked into the living room to find Matthew seated on the sofa, as she had before the engagement party. Now, so much had changed between them. He wore a dark suit this time, making his eyes look mossy green by contrast. He stood as she entered, crossing the room to her. He took the wrap from her arms, shook it out, and placed it gently over her shoulders. He twined his fingers with hers and brought their joined hands to his mouth, pressing a quick kiss to the back of her hand.
“So casual,” Dylan muttered from behind her.
Erin glared over her shoulder at Dylan who smiled sunnily at her. “Have fun at the rehearsal, guys. I’m going to take a nap in your room, Bug.”
“Make yourself at home,” Erin muttered, shaking her head as Dylan disappeared up the staircase.
“Little brothers,” Matthew agreed. “What are you going to do?”
She and Matthew headed down the front steps together, walking hand in hand to the parking lot behind the inn. For a few precious seconds, Erin pretended they were on an actual date together, that he picked her up to go to the movies, or to dinner, or for a night of dancing. But, who was she kidding? She didn’t actually date. And she and Matthew were a fling. Nothing more. She’d do well to remember that.
With Millie at the wheel, they were the first to arrive on Tybee Island. Erin looked around at the colorful beach houses as they exited the highway, the black and white lighthouse beckoning in the distance. They parked at the lighthouse and stepped out, the salty tang of the chilly sea breeze washing over them.
“Warm enough, sugar?” Matthew wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close against him and placing the wind at his back. They followed Millie toward the already set up white tent, lit with strings of lights and warmed by discreet space heaters. Though the evening air was chilly, the tent was warm. They walked across the temporary dance floor, their heels echoing on the wood. Tomorrow, with the bare tables draped with linen and gorgeous centerpieces in the candlelight, the wedding would be beautiful. Matthew leaned down and whispered, near her ear, “Save a dance for me tomorrow night, okay?”
Erin was saved from having to reply by the arrival of the rest of the wedding party. With Erin’s help, they ran through the ceremony fairly quickly and got logistical information for the following day. As they waited for Ashley and Alex to review the final details with the officiant, Erin stepped over to a cranky-looking Matthew.
“You could try smiling, just a bit. Otherwise, you’ll look like a grumpy little owl in all the pictures,” Erin teased him. He gave her an exaggerated smile but looked back over at Alex and Ashley with a sigh. “You okay with this?”
“He’s not at the altar yet.”
“She’s perfectly lovely. They seem well matched and very happy together.”
“Most people are, on their actual wedding day. The wedding is easy. It’s the marriage part that’s hard. Near impossible, really.”
“Got some last ditch effort up your sleeve?”
“Kidnapping might be my only remaining option.”
“Too bad that’s illegal.” Erin trailed her finger down his tie and winked. “Though tying people up can be fun…under the right circumstances.”
He smiled, his face crinkling up, and then brushed a kiss over her lips. “You are full of surprises, aren’t you? Maybe after dinner, I’ll…”
Erin shook her head, regretfully. “Heather and I are taking Ashley out clubbing tonight. You know, last night of single life and all.”
“I shouldn’t wait up for you?” Matthew tilted her chin up and lowered his mouth to hers, teasing her lower lip with his tongue. He broke away and flashed her a crooked grin that made her knees weak.
Tomorrow was the wedding day, always a day full of frantic activity for her. She made it a rule to go to sleep early and eat a power breakfast in the morning so she could be well rested and energetic to manage the bride’s day. Matthew bent and whispered, his warm breath ghosting over her ear and making her shiver from more than the cold. “Shall I tell you what I’ll be imagining doing to you?”
She swallowed hard. Matthew was worth a little sleep-deprivation the next day. “Might be late.”
“You’re worth the wait, sugar.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Near midnight, Erin stood at a the end of the bar near the tall windows overlooking the river in Savannah’s most secret nightclub, watching Ashley and Heather dance. The delights of the art deco-inspired decor, unusual drinks, and ornately carved bar faded hours ago for her. The loud music jarred her molars and pulsed at her temples. After her last several nights with Matthew, she hadn’t gotten much sleep and now she paid for it, feeling tired and worn out, her feet aching in her high heels. She glanced at her watch, hoping they could bundle Ashley off to bed soon. Though she never loved attending bachelorette parties—it was more Lauren’s thing than hers—she especially wanted this one to end so she could go home to Matthew.
“Not home,” She muttered to herself. “Just back to the inn. Only in Savannah.”
“What’s that?” Heather said from beside her, sipping from her drink. “You want to go another round of drinks?”
“We should get Ashley back to her room.” Erin smiled. “She’ll want to look rested tomorrow in the wedding pictures.”
“True. Plus both of us have handsome reasons to get back to the B&B, right?” Heather smiled.
Erin flushed and nodded. They both headed onto the dance floor to persuade Ashley off it. They pushed through the gyrating crowd, dodging flailing limbs and grabby hands. As they reached Ashley, a
warm hand grabbed Erin’s shoulder. Matthew stood behind her, Dylan at his side. She smiled, happy to see him, after only a few hours apart. Though she’d cry her whole flight home Sunday, right now, she enjoyed being with her temporary lover.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at a strip club?” Erin said, stepping into his arms. Matthew settled his hands on her hips and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they shifted together on the crowded dance floor. Erin curled into him, loving the way they slotted together, perfect in each other’s arms.
“How’d you know that?”
Dylan dodged around Matthew to dance with Heather as Erin admitted, “I heard the groomsman talking.”
“So not psychic then?” Erin rested her head on his shoulder.
“What are you guys doing here?” Ashley slurred from behind them. “Where’s Alex?”
“At home, resting up for the big day tomorrow,” Matthew fibbed.
“Still at the strip club then?” Ashley asked. Erin smiled at the horrified expression on Matthew’s face as he stammered, trying to come up with a lie to cover for his little brother. Ashley continued, “It’s fine, Matty. I can call you that because I’m going to be your sister-in-law. The way Alex talked about you, I thought you’d breathe fire. But you’re okay. His mama probably didn’t even need to pay Erin extra to keep you occupied.”
Matthew stiffened in her arms, looking down at her face, as Ashley twirled away. “What was that about keeping me occupied?”
Erin swallowed, missing his hands as he dropped them from her waist. She hadn’t even thought of the bonus Shelby had offered her in days, just enjoying the happiness that being with Matthew brought. She raised her gaze to his handsome face, his pressed flat lips, wide eyes, and pale cheeks.
“Your mama…she’s worked so hard on this wedding…and…”
“And what, Erin?” Matthew stepped back, away from her. She missed his warmth and stepped forward but he put up his hands. She stopped.
Forever a Bridesmaid (Always a Bridesmaid Book 1) Page 13