Garters & Groomsmen (Wedding Season Series)

by Kim Loraine

That warms my heart and I smile at him. “You’re fucking charming as always.”

  He pretends to tip an invisible hat. “You’re welcome, darlin’.”

  I have to go. If I’m not back soon, Georgia, or more likely Aunt Karen, will send out a search party. After pulling on my clothes, I make quick work of braiding my hair down my back. Colt and Sean both dress as well, covering those perfect examples of the ideal men for me. It’s a shame really, but I can’t stand here gawking. I had my one night with the men of my dreams. Now it’s time to go back to reality.

  “Thank you…both. I’ll never forget last night. It was exactly what I needed to get closure about everything.”

  Sean’s brow cocks, almost in challenge. “Done with us, then, are you?”

  “That’s what we agreed to. One night.”

  “Is that what you want?” Colt asks.

  I look at both of them, heart clenching and hurting all over again. “I’m not—” my phone rings again and stops me mid sentence. I don’t know how to answer his question and I’m thankful to see Aunt Karen’s name on my screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you? You’re late for your mani/pedi.”

  “On my way,” I say. Then I look at both of the men who hold my heart and back to the door as I hang up the phone.

  They both follow me out of the cabin, setting their hats on their heads and walking silently behind me. But when Sean moves to help me get astride my horse, I stop him. “I’ve got it.”

  He backs away with his hands held up. “Sorry. Just trying to help.”

  Colt grabs his saddle and Sean does the same, and instantly, panic races along my spine. “What are you doing?”

  They both look at me like I’m crazy. Sean answers with a calm, “Going back to the hotel.”

  “We can’t go all together. They’ll know.”

  Sean’s expression instantly closes off. “I’m pretty sure at least one of them knows already. Are you ashamed? Is that what this is about?”

  “I’m not ashamed. I just…I don’t want to answer their questions about something that’s never happening again.”

  “Never, huh?” Colt crosses his arms over his chest. “Why’s that?”

  “Don’t do this. Not now.”

  “Do what? Ask you to give us a straight answer? Ask you to make a decision for once?”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “It’s absolutely fucking fair. You broke my heart when you left me. I’m not going to let you do it again just because you’re afraid of making a choice.”

  My lip trembles and hands shake, but I fight the overwhelming emotion. “I’m not having this conversation right now.”

  Sean doesn’t say a word. Instead, he nods and walks to the stall where his horse waits.

  Goddammit, I’m right back where I was five years ago. Trapped between two men I love, an impossible decision on my hands, and a heart already split in two.

  With a click of my tongue and a soft kick of my heels, my horse heads away from them and toward the wedding I’m sure will be a special form of torture.

  An hour and a half later, my toes are a soft shade of pink and my nails are longer than I’ve ever had them thanks to my aunt’s insistence I get acrylics done. I’m sitting in a salon chair having my hair curled while a makeup artist paints my face. I won’t be recognizable when this is all over.

  “You look like a dream,” my stylist says after she applies one final strategic spray of some kind of mist.

  “Good or bad?” I ask.

  She only laughs as though I’m the most hilarious person she’s ever met, but doesn’t answer. With a flourish, she whirls the cape off my shoulders and ushers me out of the chair. I’m done. No more pampering.

  “All set?” Georgia asks. She’s wrapped in a white robe with Bride embroidered on the back. “You look so pretty.”

  I take her in, the perfect hair and face, eyelashes that seem endless, white teeth, a gorgeous smile, and I wonder if I’ve ever looked like her in my life. “You’re perfect.”

  “So are you. Look at us, we could be sisters.”

  I turn to stare in the mirror and am shocked to see she’s right. “Funny what makeup can do.”

  “I really appreciate you doing all this to make mom happy. She just wants it to be perfect, and that means making you do things you don’t want to do.”

  “It’s fine.”

  She laughs. “I know how much you hate all this stuff. And even though you look amazing, I have to admit, you’re so beautiful without all of it. You’re a natural beauty. I’m worried Porter will stop wanting me if I stop glamming it up every day.”

  I take her hand and shake my head. “No. You could be dressed in a garbage bag and he’d think you were the most perfect woman he’d ever seen. You can see it in his eyes.”

  Her lower lip trembles and she sniffles. “Don’t make me cry.”

  “Sorry. But it’s true.”

  “Kind of like the way Sean and Colt look at you.”

  My heart twists. “No.”

  “Yes. They both love you. So, the question is, who are you going to choose?”

  I purse my lips and fight the urge to tell her about last night. “Neither.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Opening my mouth to protest, I barely get a sound out before Aunt Karen bursts through the door and starts fawning all over both of us. Then we’re whisked into the dressing area where every one of us is tucked and zipped until we’re nothing but taffeta and tulle.

  “Okay, let’s get married,” Georgia says, taking her bouquet and giving me a shaky smile.

  We walk to the tall hedge where the bridal party is gathered out of view of the guests and my stomach does a little flip flop at the sight of Colt and Sean. Tuxedos shouldn’t look that good on anyone. It’s dangerous. Both sets of gorgeous and intense eyes focus on me as we approach and I nearly melt on the spot.

  Taking a deep breath, I step toward them, muttering to myself, “Here we go.”

  12

  Sean

  * * *

  Chloe has always been fucking gorgeous. Fresh from the shower, hopping on her horse, sweaty and streaked with dirt from digging in flowerbeds, you name it, I’ve seen it. Each time she’s been the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Today is no exception. In my eyes, there’s no bride for her to upstage, because I see no one else.

  “Hi,” she offers, casting her eyes down with more than a little apprehension in her posture.

  “Hey, bunny.” I want to talk, to discuss what happened at the stables and get her to understand I don’t want this to end here.

  “Darlin’, they’re playing our song,” Colt interrupts, his arm offered for her to take.

  Damn this wedding. I need more time. We need more time. But I take up my place on her other side and offer my arm as well. It feels right, having her between us, and after the conversation Colt and I shared on the ride home, we need a night to make her see that.

  We walk slowly down the aisle, both of us looking at her rather than the altar, and when we have to part with her, a piece of my heart goes along for the ride. I’ll always be hers, no matter what happens. In this moment, I really understand that.

  I watch her watch the wedding, not able to tear my gaze from the emotion flitting across her face. She won’t let herself look at either of us, instead she trains her steady gaze on Georgia and her smile beams when they’re finally pronounced husband and wife. It goes by fast, and I’m thankful, but when we get to the part where Colt and I are supposed to escort Chloe back down the aisle, she bolts, refusing our arms and leading herself to the staged photo area.

  “What the fuck is happening?” I ask Colt.

  “She’s spooked. This got too real for her.”

  “We need to calm her down before she does something we’ll all regret.”

  He shakes his head. “We need to give her some damn space so she can work out her fears and come back to us.”

  He’s
right. But fuck if I want to admit it.

  “We can’t let her go home without hearing us out.”

  Colt nods just as the photographer comes out and starts lining us up for the hour long photoshoot. Every click of the camera has me wishing this would move faster, because each minute I spend here is a minute I’m not making Chloe mine.

  “All right, I think I’ve got all I need from the wedding party. Just the bride and groom for the rest.” The photographer’s dismissal of us couldn’t have been more welcome, and I make a path straight to Chloe.

  “I need to talk to you,” I murmur, leaning close.

  “Not now,” she hisses. “I’m busy.”

  She’s not busy. The woman is standing with her aunt, listening to her yammer on and on about appropriate skirt length. So, I snatch her by the hand and tug her away, offering a short, “Excuse us,” to Karen.

  “Sean, what are you doing?”

  We walk around to the side of the building and I can’t stop myself anymore. I push her up against the damn wall and kiss her long and deep. I kiss her like I might never see her again, because it might be the case. She melts into me, her low moan music to my ears.

  “I don’t want this to be over,” I tell her, my forehead pressed to hers.

  “Sean.” My name is a breathy sigh.

  “Please tell me there’s a chance we can have more.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Chloe?” Georgia’s voice breaks through our haze of desire and Chloe pushes me away, straightening the skirt of her dress before walking around the corner.

  “I’m here,” she says, her voice too high.

  “Come on. It’s time for the reception. Where’s Sean?”

  I clear my throat and round the corner, wiping the remnants of Chloe’s lipstick off my mouth. “Here. We ready?”

  Georgia looks from me to her cousin and grins. “Looks like it.”

  13

  Colt

  * * *

  I’ve never understood the customs of weddings. You exchange some rings, promise to stay together, kiss, and that should be the end of it. Instead, we get cake and food, too much to drink, music and dancing, but instead of it feeling like the party it’s supposed to be, everyone seems stressed out and tense.

  Now, as all the single women stand in a cluster behind the bride, Georgia prepares to throw a bouquet at them. It should be entertaining to watch them fight for prime real estate, but my focus is on Chloe, standing to the side, halfheartedly participating. She’s been different since last night and I know why. Just like me, like Sean, she’s not ready for this to end. But she doesn’t understand that neither Sean nor I want to let her go. She doesn’t get that we’re not going to make her choose.

  “Think she’ll catch it?” Sean asks.

  “She doesn’t look very intent on it.”

  “I think Georgia is going to make it happen.”

  I laugh. Probably. That woman is tenacious in a surprising way. She lifts the flowers high above her head, brings them down in front of her and then tosses them behind her directly at Chloe. Our girl can’t help but catch the white roses, and the crowd cheers.

  Her eyes lock with mine from across the room. Pride and sadness flash in their depths and I hate that she’s feeling anything but happy. We have to fix this.

  “Come on. Our girl needs us.” I stride across the dance floor toward Chloe, but the audience gives whoops and hollers, turning my attention back to the place where Georgia had been standing. Porter has brought out a chair, and he motions for her to sit so he can go diving under her skirt.

  The single guys in the group of guests gather around me, Sean by my side, and I can’t get where I need to go unless I shove some of them out of my way. Raunchy music fills the air until Porter comes out from under Georgia’s dress with a frilly garter in his teeth. Then, the piece of silk and lace goes flying and I raise my hand on instinct. So does Sean. The two of us grab the garter together, but we don’t fight over it. This is ours, just like Chloe.

  “Well, looks like Chloe’ll have to dance with the two of you instead of just one,” Porter says, laughing.

  “Not a problem with us,” Sean offers.

  But she’s no where to be found. Not in the crowd, not anywhere under the tent.

  “Fuck,” I mutter, releasing the garter and walking away. If I know anything, it’s Chloe. She’s trying to bolt.

  I pick up my pace, breaking into a jog as soon as I’m past the group of couples dancing.

  “Colt, wait.” Sean’s voice catches my ear but I don’t slow down. He can run.

  “She’s going to leave.”

  “I know. We have to tell her now.”

  The two of us rush from the elaborately set up wedding to the stairs which lead up to Chloe’s room. Taking the stairs two at a time, I head to her door with one goal in mind. Make her see the truth.

  I hammer on the door, calling her name, hoping I’m not too late.

  “What if she’s gone?” Sean asks.

  “Then we find her.”

  But we don’t have to find her, because she opens the door. Her eyes are wet with tears. “What?” she asks.

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Don’t do what?”

  “Don’t leave us.”

  She shakes her head and sighs. “I’m such an idiot. I thought I could do this once and be done. Instead it’s harder than it was last time. I can’t keep you. It’s not possible.”

  I don’t say anything. Instead, I cup her face and walk us back into her room, Sean following behind us. My lips are on hers and at first, she tenses, but soon her fingers are in my hair. I have to have more of her, have to feel her in my arms. My hands shift from her face to down her body until they wrap around her waist.

  “Colt,” she breathes. “Please.”

  I can’t tell if she’s stopping me or asking for more. “Stay with me. Don’t run.”

  She looks over my shoulder at Sean and I see the indecision flash over her face. “Don’t ask me to choose.”

  “I’m not, darlin’.” I tip up her chin and draw her focus to me. “Choose us. Be ours.”

  Her brow furrows. “But…how? How can we make that work long term?”

  Sean comes around until he’s next to us, his hand trailing over her arm. “We start with patience and respect. But Colt’s right, bunny. You need to choose us both because we sure as fuck choose you.”

  Her eyes fill with tears, the heavy drops trailing down her cheeks. “Are you sure?”

  Tightening my hold around her, I drop my forehead to hers. “So fucking sure.”

  “Me too,” Sean says. “I want this. Honestly, watching you with him, knowing you want me too, was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I love you both,” she whispers.

  “And we love you.” I know I shouldn’t speak for Sean, but right now, she needs to hear these words about both of us.

  “We do,” Sean adds, he pulls her away from me and into his arms.

  “We’ll make this work?”

  I step behind her and press a kiss to the nape of her neck. “We will. We lost you once. That’s not happening again.”

  “But what about work? Our homes? I live three hours away from here.”

  We’ll get there. I want to tell her to drop everything and move in with me, but I know that’s not the right way to handle this. “I’ll go wherever I need to if it means we can be together.”

  Sean nods. “Me too.”

  “This is crazy,” she says.

  “It’s exactly how it should be. We’ve wasted five years being apart. We’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

  “Can we start now?”

  I can’t hide my grin. “Saddle up, darlin’, we’ve got an entire night to ourselves.”

  Epilogue

  Chloe

  One year later

  * * *

  “Darlin’, are you in here?” Colt’s voice makes butterflies fill my stomach in the most wonderful w
ay.

  “Don’t come in. You can’t see me before. It’s bad luck.”

  He scoffs and pushes open the door. Green eyes go wide at the sight of me. Layers of tulle and gossamer puff out from my hips and down, making me look every inch the princess this gown is cut to represent. The sweetheart neckline is my favorite part though. It leaves my shoulders bare and the delicate tattoo of Sean’s and Colt’s names across my collarbone is front and center.

  “Are we really getting married today?” I ask.

  “Hell yes, we are. I told you before, I won’t give you up again. Today, I’m promising myself to you forever in front of everyone who’ll witness me.”

  “It seems silly to have such a big party.”

  “No it doesn’t. They want to celebrate our love. That’s not silly.”

  I smile and think of our families and the support they’ve given us since we reconnected.

  Colt steps close and runs his finger over my collarbone where his name is etched into my skin, then down to where the curve of my breast meets the bodice of the dress.

  “I can’t believe you chose this dress. I never pegged you for a princess.”

  My heart falls a little. “You don’t like it?”

  “I fucking love it. I want to hike it up over your hips right now and show you just how much.”

  My grin can’t be contained. “Then you’d get to see my panties.”

  “I want to.” He presses a tender kiss to my shoulder. “I really fucking want to.”

  A soft knock on the door has me turning my attention from Colt, and a smile spreads across my face as soon as Sean’s face appears. God, he’s so handsome with his black Stetson on his head and the slight shadow of dark stubble gracing his jaw. The two men are perfect contrasts, and I can’t believe I’m this lucky.

  “Don’t start without me.” Sean’s low rumble does things to my body. If I were actually wearing panties, they’d be soaked.

  “How about a preview?” My teasing tone is tight with desire.