13. Jud

THIRTEEN

JUD

So, I wasn’t one to buck a family celebration, but shit, Tessa was taking this thing to a whole new level.

When me and my brothers celebrated?

It usually entailed knocking back a few beers while tucked in our booth at Absolution.

But this girl was flitting about the private room like a frantic bird pecking around her babies.

The private room in the upscale restaurant where clearly a hot-pink bomb had exploded.

Decorations spewed everywhere.

Streamers were strung from the ceiling, black and hot pink balloons everywhere, matching flower arrangements sitting on every surface, and a custom sign that hung from the back wall.

“Would you calm down?” I grumbled. “Eden already said yes. Pretty sure that’s the only thing that matters to the two of them.”

For the third time, Tessa had started rearranging this over-the-top display of cupcakes that were decorated with candy playing cards. All of them were aces, whatever the shit that was about.

She sent me a scowl.

“You shut it. I want it perfect. This is my BFF’s engagement party. When she walks through those doors to her surprise…” She waved a hand at the double doors that sectioned off the upscale room. “She needs to be wowed, shocked, her breath literally stolen from her lungs when she sees what we put together for her.”

She pressed her hand to her chest like she couldn’t believe I would think otherwise.

Girl was a nutter.

But she loved Eden like mad, so that was what counted.

Still, I couldn’t help but give her shit. Considering Eden was about the least pretentious chick I’d ever met, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t care if we were throwing together a barbeque with hot dogs and a few cold brews.

But whatever.

Place was nice and the food smelled like heaven, so I wasn’t going to complain too much.

“Besides, you don’t exactly look like a party planner to me. Your opinion on these matters doesn’t count.” Tessa needled that from the side, shooting me a mocking glare.

“Yet you don’t have a problem with me footing the bill.” My brow arched in challenge from where I was leaned against the long banquet tables where the servers were setting up. Four of them were scurrying around about as quickly as Tessa, bringing out these giant, silver chafing dishes and setting them over burners.

A full prime-rib, lasagna, chicken piccata, and a vegetarian entrée, plus a bunch of different sides and shit, too.

Other trays were filled with fruits, cheeses, and meats.

Not to mention this dessert fiasco Tessa was in up to her wrists.

“Only the best for Eden.”

“That’s right! Only the best for my dad and my new mom because they are the specialist in the whole world, and we love them all the way to the highest mountain. Right, Auntie, right?”

Gage had come skipping over, all eager smiles and delight as he pushed up on his toes to get a better look at the cupcakes. “Yummy!”

“That’s right, Gage,” she said, poking out her lips like I was some kind of common criminal.

It wasn’t that far from the truth.

“Right, Uncle?” Gage pressed, angling his head, little peacemaker that he was.

“Yeah. That’s right, Gage in the Cage. Only the best for your mom and dad.”

“Now you got to find a nice wife who’s so pretty like my new mom who makes the best pigs in the blanket ever and reads me stories every night.”

Affection tightened my chest, all mixed up with a knot of agony.

I patted his head and tried to keep the anxiety out. “That’d be nice.”

The words were brittle and a total lie, but I couldn’t help but agree, considering the kid was so damned sweet.

He had dropped to his knee with Trent yesterday, Trent asking Eden to be his wife while Gage had asked her to be his mom.

Think everyone had just about lost it with how adorable it was—mostly my big brother who’d been completely rocked again, like somehow in his head he’d thought there was a chance that Eden wasn’t going to say yes.

Preparing himself for another blow.

Not a chance. He’d found the best girl around. Someone who knew his demons and loved him in spite of them. Saw beyond the scars to what was underneath. The two of them coming together to make each other better.

Old pain cut me to the core.

A dull blade slowly driven through my chest.

Fuck.

Had to beat it back. Wasn’t about to be jealous of my brother. He deserved it.

What didn’t help was the wash of guilt that came rushing in behind it. The kind that wanted to consume.

My mind kept traipsing back to Wednesday evening when I’d dropped Salem at her house.

I’d acted like a total prick.

And did that stop me?

Nope.

I’d just continued to basically ignore her for the rest of the work week. Problem was, I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to explain. Had no way to break through the grief that got bottled in my throat every time she and I were alone.

It would only amplify it when she’d cast those dark blue eyes on me like she’d expected something different.

Something better.

When the only thing I’d felt was shame.

Even when she’d looked at me with disappointment, the draw we both were trying to ignore still had raged.

It was like her spirit was surrounded by a brick wall. Only that wall had a fuckin’ crater gaping open in the middle of it, and there was a part of her silently begging me to find my way through it.

Thing was, we both knew that weak spot shouldn’t have been compromised to begin with.

Thursday had been plain painful, nothing but feigned pleasantries and barely clipped conversations.

Tiptoeing.

Pretending.

At least the whole proposal bit had provided a distraction. I’d cut out of work at noon on Friday to make sure I was at the school in plenty of time for the proposal, then Logan and I had taken Gage camping last night so Eden and Trent could spend the night alone together.

Eden thought we were camping tonight, too, and believed Trent was taking her out for an intimate dinner for the two of them to celebrate.

Little did she know intimate meant about every single person she knew.

“They’re gonna be so surprised that they get to have the best party in ever and ever.”

“That’s right. No thanks to your uncle Jud here. You know, since he never knows what’s right in front of his face.” Tessa sent me a saucy grin filled with some kind of implication.

My brow furrowed. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

She shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.”

“Just sayin’ what?”

She gave me a confused look that was just a little bit sketchy. “What do you mean?”

That frown deepened. Girl was talking in circles.

I didn’t get to press her, though, because Logan came striding in carrying a present and a grin on his arrogant face.

“The party is here. We may begin.”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “Um…the party begins when Eden and Trent get here, dorkface. Now get your butt over here and help. You were supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago to help set up.”

“I was having a bad hair day that turned into an awesome hair day.” Fucker looked at himself in the mirror above the mantle, touching the poof that he’d probably spent two hours perfecting. He made a bunch of ridiculous faces at his reflection before he turned, tossing out guns with his free hand. “Killin’ it.”

A grunt sprung from my chest. “I’ll show you killin’ it.”

He cracked a smirk. “My, my, testy. Seems to me someone here is in need of some lovin’. Too bad all the ladies come running to his baby brother instead. Damn shame.”

“Dream on.”

“Oh, I’m dreaming all right. Living it.”

I shook my head, holding back the laughter that wanted to rumble out.

Dude was ridiculous.

He set his present on the gift table before he waltzed our way as he took in the opulent room. He let out a low whistle. “I know who’s not paying tonight.”

Luckily, he was close enough that all I had to do was reach out to smack him on the back of the head.

“Dude. What the heck? Why so violent?” Logan spat it like I was in the wrong, that mischief playing around his mouth.

“Manners, man.”

With a roguish smile, he waggled his brows. “Only time I’m willing to spend this much money on dinner is when I’m getting something out of it.”

“Well, you’re not gettin’ dead, so there’s that,” I shot back.

Gage giggled like crazy. “Oh, you better watch it, Uncle Logan, Uncle Jud is about to Take. You. Dowwwwn.”

“That’s right, Gage in the Cage. Uncle Logan is about to go down.” I cocked my head at my crazy-ass brother.

“Pssh. You wish.”

“No wishin’ to it,” I grunted. “I speak facts.”

“Would you two knock it off? We have work to do,” Tessa scolded. “Logan, you put out the favors at each spot at the table. Jud, you set out the name cards. I have them in order, starting at the head of the table with Trent and Eden and working around the right.”

She shoved the stack at me.

“You serious?”

She had a freaking seating chart?

“Dead serious.” She sent me a glare.

Right. Of course.

Fuckin’ Pinterest.

In exasperation, I shook my head, but I figured I wasn’t going to win this one. I moved to the table set for twenty and placed the cards for Eden and Trent at the head of the table. Then I worked my way down the long side to their right, Logan, Gage, then me. Next to me on that side was a few of our employees from Absolution who’d become more like family. I rounded the opposite end then started up the other side where Tessa had sat some of Eden’s teacher friends, herself, Eden’s dad, and then…

What the ever lovin’ fuck?

I froze at the name written on the card.

Salem.

It was set up so she was sitting directly across from me.

My stomach sank and tightened, and then the world shifted. Felt every hair on my body stand at attention, and fuck me, my dick did the same when that energy struck the air.

I looked back just in time to see her standing in the double doorway.

Her hands were latched on the shoulders of the same little girl who’d nearly dropped me to my knees on Wednesday. She seemed unsure, wary to take a step forward because she might just be treading into a field of landmines.

“Juni Bee! My bestest friend in the whole wide world! You came to have a party with us?!” Gage screeched it as he went racing that way.

“Yes!” she squealed. “Miss Tessa said we hads to come because you and your daddy are getting married!”

My chest fucking fisted.

“And look at my pretty party dress! My mommy sewed it up because we gots it at the special store for the seconds and now it fits and now I’m a princess!”

That fist tightened in a death grip.

Had to rip myself from the snare of the sweet little thing.

Only it had me jerking up to meet the ferocity in Salem’s eyes.

Thunderbolt eyes.

They seared through me and sent every sane thought I possessed scattering.

Mindfucked.

She was nothing but hot-as-hell body. Lush curves and tempting shape.

She wore this slinky, cream-colored blouse that had my hands desperate to sink right in. A black, flowy skirt with another pair of those heels, and shit, my heart was doing that stupid, wayward thing.

Emotions ran rampant.

Wild as they tugged and pulled.

Want.

Shame.

Relief.

Regret.

Most foolish one of all?

This feeling that everything that’d gone bad for the last three days had just been made right.