Chapter 3

3

Madeline

Gatecrashing a wedding while wearing your own wedding dress isn't something I recommend. For more reasons than one, but mainly because it's rather awkward and not at all respectful.

Fourteen questioning sets of eyes are now on me after I followed Ethan into the room at the back of the church where it looks like the bride and bridesmaids have been getting ready. I'm unsure how this many people fit in this tiny room.

I blame the puppy for me even being here. I should have just taken the dog from Ethan outside but she appeared so anxious about letting him go that I wanted to give her a few more minutes with him.

I'm jolted back to the reality of my life when one of the bridesmaids spots me and exclaims to Ethan, "Holy fuck. Why is Madeline Montana standing in this room with you?"

I can't be here.

Ethan turns to me, his mouth curving into another one of his gorgeous smiles. I've never met a man who smiles so much. It's refreshing. "That's your name?"

The bridesmaid's mouth falls open in shock. "How can you not know her name? Everyone knows her name."

This conversation is not one I want to be having. I'm saved from it when a very serious looking man with salt and pepper hair joins the group. He's older than the four guys who were already in here. My guess is they're Ethan's brothers and this man is his father. That hunch is proven correct when he looks at the groom and says, "Let's get you married, son."

It's chaos after that as everyone frantically finishes getting ready.

I take the puppy from Ethan. "I'm going to go." I glance at the dog who seems okay in my arms now.

Olivia, the bride, who is wearing the most stunning red wedding dress, interrupts us. She looks between Ethan and me with a kind smile. "You're welcome to stay. Anyone who is a friend of Ethan's is a friend of ours."

"Oh," I stutter, "We're not friends. We—"

Ethan cuts me off, humor in his eyes. "I don't know, Maddie. I only let friends put their face where you put yours today."

I blink up at him, feeling warmth flame its way up from my neck to my face and out to my ears.

Olivia laughs. "I'm not touching that." She places her hand on my forearm. "You're very welcome here."

I'm still in the middle of recovering from the shame over what Ethan's just reminded me of, so the only thing my brain can come up with is to blurt, "I'm wearing a wedding dress." Even if I wanted to stay, there is no way I'd attend a wedding in a wedding dress.

A mischievous look plays across Ethan's face. "Feel free to take it off."

Olivia rolls her eyes but I see the affection she has for him. "Seriously, do boys ever grow up?" Then, her features soften as she regards me with care. There's a knowing look in her eyes and I'm fairly certain she knows who I am and what today was supposed to be for me. "Are you okay?"

With that question and all the concern coming from her—a complete stranger—my throat suddenly clogs with feelings and emotions. I try to swallow them down as I nod. I also try to answer her but no words come. Instead, tears threaten and anxiety floods me. I'm in danger of breaking down in a room full of people I don't know and if I do that, I'm not sure I'll be able to get myself under control.

As I madly blink to stop my tears splashing down my cheeks, Ethan's hand comes to the small of my back and he steps into my space. Softly to Olivia, he asks, "Do you have any spare clothes here?"

God bless her, Olivia grasps the situation. "Blair practically brought her entire wardrobe and she's probably the same size as you." She gives my hand a quick squeeze. "Come and see what she has."

When I hesitate, Ethan presses his hand gently against my back and leans down to bring his mouth to my ear. "Let Olivia help. She loves helping people."

I appreciate Ethan more than he will ever know. It's been a long time since I've had anyone help me the way he has today.

After I shoot him a thank you, I follow Olivia to Blair who really may have brought her entire wardrobe with her. There are so many dresses to choose from. I quickly select one to change into because I really don't want to hold this wedding up even more than I already have.

Olivia doesn't appear concerned about that though. "Is there anything else we can do to help you?"

"No, please, go and get married. I feel awful that I kept Ethan from getting here sooner and that I'm now keeping you from your wedding. I'll just get changed and then I'll go." I look at Blair. "I'll leave your dress with Ethan. Thank you."

Blair regards me with interest. "How do you know Ethan?" she asks.

Before I get a chance to answer her, Olivia's mother interrupts us. "Darling," she says to her daughter with a look of concern. "If you don't go and get married now, you'll be waiting a long time until we can get this church again."

The other bridesmaid joins us. "And we'll then have to wait all that time before our karaoke battle, and honestly, Rhodes and I are ready to win tonight, so can we please hurry this along?"

Blair arches a brow. "There's no way you and Rhodes are taking this battle."

"Agreed," Olivia says quite decisively.

Now, Blair looks at her. "You and Callan aren't a shoo-in either."

"Of course we are."

Blair crosses her arms. "Tell me, when was the last time you heard Hayden sing?"

Olivia frowns but doesn't get the chance to reply because her mother gives her a look that says this wedding needs to happen NOW.

Everyone moves into action after that. A few minutes later, it's just me and the puppy left and the silence is heaven.

I take a minute, close my eyes, and inhale a deep breath.

God knows I need it.

Running from my hotel room without planning that move was not the best choice I've ever made. I only managed to slip past my two security guys because I told them Tucker had messaged to tell me there were crazy fans trying to get up to my floor. After they'd taken off to look into that, I ran for a different elevator and was lucky to escape without them knowing. I do feel for them, though. Tucker will be livid and likely fire them. I make a mental note to have my assistant ensure they're taken care of if that's the case.

Thank goodness for Ethan. It was everything to me when he stood in that traffic and asked if I needed help. I was lucky he didn't turn out to be a serial killer, but at that point I think I would have gotten into a car with just about anyone.

The puppy cuts into the silence with a bark that is surprisingly loud for such a small creature. I open my eyes and smile at her. "Okay, I'm going to get out of this dress and then we're going to leave. And I'll beg George to stop and buy you some food."

Removing my wedding dress might be the best moment of my day. Probably of my entire month. It's like the weight of all my commitments in life are also being removed.

I discard the dress, knowing I won't be taking it with me, and quickly put on the black dress Blair loaned me. It's a super fitted sleeveless maxi dress with a low scooped neckline, thin shoulder straps, and skinny cross-back straps that reveal a lot of skin. Not a style of dress I've ever worn but I love trying something new. Something not chosen for me.

I'm on my way out of the church when I hear Bruno Mars's voice and the lyrics he sings about it being a beautiful night and that he thinks he wants to marry his baby. I come to a halt. This is the song Olivia chose to walk down the aisle to? "Marry You" by Bruno Mars? I'm so fascinated with this fun choice that I'm drawn into the chapel to see for myself.

Holding the puppy close to my chest, I quietly slide into the pew at the very back and watch while Olivia walks to her groom. His smile and look of adoration actually steal my breath a little. Tucker never looked at me like that.

I glance to his right and find Ethan watching Olivia in the way a brother would watch his sister getting married. I'm so touched by all the emotion I sense between the three of them. That's something else I've never experienced and that thought causes me to think about my mother.

A sharp pang of sadness engulfs me and for a moment, I struggle for breath. I've been thinking about her a lot this past week. About her final piece of advice before she died.

Find someone to love you, baby, and when I say love, I mean adore. They should admire you, respect you, and value you. Loving someone is easy; adoring them through miscommunications, disagreements, and turmoil is hard. When you find the person who can do that, who will do whatever it takes to have you never let go of them, you hold on just as tightly.

How did I ever think Tucker was the man I could spend the rest of my life with? He doesn't have a clue how to adore a woman. My mother would never have let me get all the way to today, dressed in my wedding gown, ready to give my heart to him. She would have had serious words for me the moment I announced my engagement. Hell, I wouldn't have even made it to that moment if she were still alive.

Tears pool in my eyes.

Why did you have to die, Mom?

It's a question I haven't asked in three years. Not since I met Tucker and numbed myself with a toxic relationship and fame.

God, I've been so dumb. Made stupid choices. And gotten myself into a mess that's going to be painful to get out of.

The sound of laughter erupting around me brings my attention back to the wedding and when I glance up, I find Olivia and Callan kissing. She's got a hand curled around his neck and I get the impression she's the one who instigated the kiss. When she pulls her mouth from his, he's grinning and whispering something in her ear that causes her to smile.

That's what I want.

A soulmate in silliness. An accomplice in mischief. A partner who would happily let me lead him astray.

A man who'd kiss me at the beginning of our wedding ceremony rather than at the end when we're supposed to kiss.

I sit through their vows, alternating between swooning over the love they clearly have for each other and feeling a myriad of emotions over my own non-wedding. Emotions that may take me a very long time to even begin unpacking, let alone processing.

As the ceremony ends, I slip out of my seat and take the puppy outside. She has to go to the toilet and I need some fresh air.

Guilt hits me when I see Ethan's driver leaning against the car waiting for me. Shit. He's been waiting for me all this time.

I let the puppy do her business and then make my way to George, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

He doesn't appear annoyed. "You wouldn't be the first of Ethan's women to do that."

It doesn't surprise me to learn that Ethan has had a lot of women. He's one of the best-looking men I've ever met, with his thick, dark, tousled hair; strong, angular facial lines; and a square jawline covered in scruff that screams masculinity to me. He's also got a whole lot of sex appeal going on. His presence alone is sexy, let alone his mannerisms, his voice, his self-assured magnetism.

And don't get me started on the way he kisses.

Embarrassment fills me again as I think about the fact I kissed him. On what was to be my wedding day. What kind of person does that? He must think the worst of me. It's a good thing we'll never see each other again.

I direct my attention back to his driver. "Can I convince you to take me to the store so I can buy some dog food?"

His lips quirk. "Let me guess, you're gonna need me to go into the store for you?"

I grin. "I like you, George. It's not often I meet a man who can read a woman's mind."

He gives me a shake of his head. "I imagine you don't have any trouble getting what you want."

If only he knew.

The wedding guests spill from the church as he opens the car door for me. I've just settled myself in the back and am deep in thought over just how much trouble I do have getting what I want when Ethan comes over to the car.

He opens the door, places one hand on the roof, and leans his face down into the car. "Hey." His eyes search mine like he's assessing me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I try to give him a reassuring smile but fail. It's a wobbly smile at best.

His brows furrow at the same time the puppy jumps toward him, excited to see him again.

As he catches her, I murmur, "And right when I'd calmed her down you come and stir her up all over again."

His eyes flick to mine while he accepts licks from her. There's concern etched into his face. "You know, you don't have to be alone today if you don't want to be." At my confused expression, he continues, "Why don't you come to the reception with me? Unless that's harder for you, of course, but the offer's there if you think being with people might be easier."

My natural instinct is to decline. I hate putting people out. Dragging them into my troubles. But there's something about this man that pulls me to him. That makes me feel like I'm safe with him. That he might be able to help me forget, if even just for a few hours, the shambles my life is in.

However, we have a puppy to return to her parents. I reach out to pat her. "I need to get this pup back to her owners."

"George can do that."

"We can't expect him to do that."

Ethan grins. "Trust me, I've asked him to do worse things."

And just like that, for the second time today, I make a new plan and have no idea where I'll end up.