Lib Novel Page 5
I wave my hand dismissively. “We’ve met. A mix-up with hotel keys. Everything’s fine.”
“Colton, mind if I steal her away for a minute?” I give him my brightest smile, and then without waiting for a reply, I take her by the arm and purposely turn her away from Damien. “So tell me all about this place!”
We head toward the lobby bar and each order a glass of chardonnay. Marley leans in with a conspiratorial look. “Girl, I can’t wait for you to meet the rest of Colton’s brothers. And Nash’s friends who will be here tomorrow. I’m telling you, this town is the best-kept secret this side of the Mississippi.”
I can’t help but laugh as the bartender hands us our drinks. “Is that so?”
“Yep. I mean, someone could make a fortune starting a dating service here. There are ten hot guys for every girl. I’m not exaggerating.” She shakes her head to emphasize her point.
“Well, that’s great to know. But I’m not here for that.” I turn to face her. “So tell me about the town. What should I do for fun after the wedding? I took the entire week off.”
“Oh, you’ll have the best time. There’s really good hiking right from the resort property. And you have to come and visit me at Nash and his brother’s ranch. You’ll love all the horses. And Colton’s sister owns a coffee shop and bakery, she makes the BEST pastries. You’ll have to stop by. There’s a lot to do. Just text me after the wedding and I’ll be happy to be your tour guide.”
“Oh that’s so generous, thank you.” I smile at her, thinking back on fond childhood memories.
“So how’s your mom? What did she think of you breaking up with Mark?” Marley grins at me, probably already guessing the answer.
“You can imagine I’m sure.” I sigh, and Marley nudges my arm. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bring up anything unpleasant.”
“No worries.” I grin at her. “So tell me all about your Montana mountain man.”
“Girl. He swept me off my feet from day one. And his brothers are awesome. You wouldn’t know it to look at them, but take Damien for instance. Women always flock to him, but he just brushes them off. Colton says he was the smartest kid in school, and then he got a scholarship to UM and finished his dual degree in 3 years. Then he got his masters in Computer Science and worked for a tech start-up out of San Francisco that was bought by a private equity firm in New York for a ton of money.”
“You don’t say. Not what I was expecting at all.”
“It’s true. He never said how much money he got, but after they were bought out he moved back here and started building his own place on some of their family land. They own quite a bit, apparently their family has been in the area for ages.”
“Fascinating.” I glance over at Damien. Just as I do, he laughs, throwing his head back, and the deep, right sound makes my stomach flutter. Then as if he senses my gaze, he turns and meets my eyes. And winks at me. Heat blooms on my cheeks as I quickly look away.
But then our attention is drawn to the front of the room as an announcement is made that the rehearsal is about to begin. Marley and I smile at each other, take a last sip of our drinks, and head toward the rest of the wedding party.
Chapter 4
Damien
My eyes follow Charleigh as she walks up to the front of the room. And I’m not the only one. I see more than one cowboy check her out as she moves confidently through the room.
She looks amazing in a long, shimmering pink gown that hugs her curves. Colton must notice me watching because he elbows me in the ribs with a chuckle.
“See something you like, brother?”
“I might,” I reply without taking my eyes off Charleigh.
“You could do worse.”
“Is that right?” I finally pull my gaze from her to glance at my eldest brother.
“Yep. And I don’t mean just because she’s hot. Maddy says she’s the youngest hire the design firm she works for has ever made. And that they’re the most prestigious firm in Atlanta. She’s already won some ‘new designer of the year something-or-other awards’ I think Maddy said.”
“Hmm.” I am only half-listening to my brother, but the words sink in. So, not just a pretty face. “Interesting.” I glance down at my drink, swirling the amber liquid around in the ice before taking another sip.
“So am I reading this right? Is my brother, the one who hasn’t dated in God knows how long, taking an interest in someone?”
“Fuck, I don’t know, man.” He starts to chuckle again.
“Well, let me know if I can help. I’m sure you are rusty at this, D.”
“Fuck off, Colton.”