Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

wondering if we were gonna have to send out the Baywatch crew.” She pauses, then looks back and forth between the two of us before grinning, reading our expressions. “What did you do, ride a surfboard?”

“No, I got eaten by a shark,” I joke. “What’s it to you?”

Roxy waves it off, chuckling. “I just wondered. You said you were going on a walk.”

Oliver chuckles. “We just walked down to the dunes and watched the waves a little. It was gorgeous.”

Roxy rolls her eyes. She knows we had enough time to walk halfway to the next town if we’d wanted. “Well, I’m glad you two lovebirds had fun. But Mom wants to see you.”

“Why?” I ask.

“She wants help with stuff. I don’t know. Decorations, I think, and they have to go up this afternoon and evening. You know how she is—everything needs to be her way, and she refuses to hire it out. I know she wants Oliver to help move that big ass sound system.”

“Easy enough,” Oliver says. “I’ll handle it so John and Charles don’t have to.”

Roxy shakes her head. “Good. Because let me tell you, they probably won’t be much help. I love them both, but those two geezers can’t do much heavy lifting.”

I have to laugh. She’s rude but she’s right. “Roxy!”

“What?” she asks innocently. “I’m just sayin’.”

Inside, Mom is happy to see us and gives Bertha a gigantic cuddle. “There you two are! We’re preparing to go to the reception hall. We’ve got staff moving stuff there but still need some help.” Bertha squirms in Mom’s arms, turning to lick her face, and I have to snicker as Bertha gets a noseful of foundation. Mom doesn’t seem to mind. “I was so worried about you, snookums!”

“Lord have mercy, I was hoping that rat catcher was gonna stay gone,” Grandma mutters, sitting in a chair and fanning herself. “Most peaceful couple of hours my whole visit.”

“Quiet, Momma,” Mom says, setting Bertha down, where she immediately begins hopping around like her normal self. “All right, let's get going. Oliver, John and Charles are waiting for you in the garage.”

Everyone starts filing out of the room. When it’s just the two of us, Oliver turns to me. “I really enjoyed this morning,” he says softly.

“Besides the dog poop investigation, I did too,” I say before I give him a smirk. “You really ought to be careful where you plant your seed.”

He laughs. “I know the best place to plant it next time.”

A flush burns my cheeks, remembering the unbridled passion on the beach and the way we seem to crash like the waves themselves. He grabs me and pulls me in, giving me a kiss that leaves me wanting more. “See you at the reception hall,” Oliver says.

Outside, I get in the SUV with Sam, the driver, behind the wheel. All the women are in it, and Roxy’s already called shotgun. “Let’s roll, Sam!”

“So what’s this place like again, Mom? I know you told me about it over the phone, but I forget the details,” I say, turning to her. She’s behind me with Grandma.

“You’ll love it. It’s not that far, only about five miles away. It’s on the beach in a little cove,” Mom says. “You’re really going to love it.”

When we arrive at the hall twenty minutes later, it doesn’t disappoint. The outside is amazing, a beautiful giant adobe, almost Caribbean-style structure sitting just on the edge of the sand. The inside of the hall is gorgeous with huge windows along the eastern wall that give a breathtaking view of the ocean. This place looks like something out of a fairytale wedding . . . but that’s what Mom’s getting.

“I’m speechless,” I breathe as I look around the inside. “Forget the reception. I’d love to have my wedding in some place like this.”

“All right, ladies, let’s get to work!” Mom says. “Lots to do, and not a lot of time to do it in!”

Roxy and I are given the task of hanging up some electric lights shrouded in lace, and we get to work with the ladder. As we get the strands tacked, Roxy chuckles. “You know, you and Oli should use this place. You guys are just so beautiful together.”

“You think?” I ask, my heart aching. Before, I could easily lie, say he was just a bastard who has a hot body, but now, the truth hurts. He’s a sham of a fiancé, but he’s got everything I’ve ever dreamed of a man having. Face it—he’s a catch.

My cell buzzes in my purse, saving the day. I pull it out. It’s Brianna. “Hey, Rox, can you handle this for a few yourself? It’s my bestie.”

Roxy glares at me, a thumbtack in her mouth. “Hurry!”

“How you doing, girl?” Brianna asks as soon as I pick up the line, and I feel a grin start before my worries start up again. Brianna knows what this all is. Maybe she can help.

“Good. I guess.”

“What’s wrong? You sound down,” Brianna says, and I hesitate. I don’t know if I should tell her the truth. “Come on, Min, I know you well enough even over the phone. Aren’t you having fun?”

“Oh, I’m having fun,” I admit. “All I can handle.”

“How’s Oliver been?” Brianna asks. “Behaving?”

“No,” I say with a little chuckle. “But good. Very good.”

“I know that tone, Mindy. Something you need to tell me?”

“Well . . .” I say, wondering how much I should tell Brianna. “At what point did you start thinking you had feelings for Gavin?”

“Oh, it’s that sort of problems,” Brianna says. “Well, to let you know, I think it was about three seconds after I saw him the first time.”

“Come on, I’m serious!” I protest. “When?”

Brianna’s voice grows somber, and I can imagine that intense look on her face that she has when she’s worried about me. “Mindy, it doesn’t really matter. It happened. So what’s the problem?”

“You know this isn’t . . .” I start before lowering my voice. “You know this isn’t supposed to