Bad Bridesmaid (Billionaire's Club Book 11) by Elise Faber (important books to read txt) 📕

Kels said, dutifully holding out her hand so they could admire the ring and then told them the rest of the story—how her family was pressuring her for a wedding (preferably a big one since Kels was the only daughter), how the wedding planning was stressing them out, and how they’d ultimately just decided to fly to Vegas and become husband and wife in truth. “I did promise my mom a big party,” she said. “After we got home.”

“Kels,” Heidi whispered, hugging her tight. “I’m so happy for you.”

Cora nudged her out of the way. “I need to hug the bride.”

“Or the former one anyway. Now I’m just the wife,” Kels said, her smile huge as she wrapped her arms about the petite brunette for a few moments before they all circled up, drinks in hand, and toasted Kels.

“Thank you, guys, but actually I feel terrible,” she told them, setting her glass down then lifting her hands to her cheeks and pressing them against the flushed skin. “I think my mom is really disappointed.”

Cora grinned. “She’ll have a big party to plan. She’ll be fine.”

“You deserve to have what you want,” Kate reminded her. “You didn’t want a huge wedding with you at the center of it. You wanted your special moment with Tanner.”

“You’re not mad I didn’t invite you guys?”

Heidi smoothed back her hair. “No, babe. We’re happy that you’re happy.”

“You sure?”

Cora snorted and refilled her glass. “We’re sure.” A beat. “Just keep the cake far away from Heidi.”

“Hey!”

Kels sank back down onto the couch, picking up her glass again and drinking deeply, her eyes still tinged with chagrin. “Even my mom and you guys aside, and the requisite guilt, it was still the happiest moment of my life.” A sigh. “I love him so much, guys.”

“Why am I sensing a but?”

Kels made a face. “Well, he had somehow taken the time to write these beautiful, touching vows, words that made my heart squeeze and my tears coming into my eyes and he’d probably been planning them for months, and I didn’t even have anything besides the normal ones, and I kept thinking I should have done more.”

Cora snorted. “Kels. Seriously?”

“What?” She tossed up her hands, nearly spilling her drink.

“He was just probably relieved he didn’t have to keep waiting forever to marry you,” Kate said. “Jaime told me that was the worst part of getting engaged . . . well, our real engagement anyway. That there was so much waiting until our real lives could start—not that we didn’t have something real together before the wedding. It was just like there was a hidden hurdle ahead that we needed to leap over, and it didn’t matter what flowers we had or the cake or the vows, we were just ready to start our happily ever after.” She squeezed Kels’s hand. “This is the important part. The rest of it is just . . . calorie-adding condiments to the happy sandwich of your lives.”

Cora burst out laughing.

“What?” Kate asked on a scowl.

“Condiments?” Cora asked. “Really? What’s the wedding? Mayonnaise?”

“Ew,” Kate said. “No, it’s fig jelly on a yummy toasted sourdough.”

“What about apricot . . .”

Ignoring them waxing poetic about jam, Heidi gave Kels a squeeze. “I promise the vows aren’t even registering in Tanner’s brain at all.”

“Even though mine were really freaking lame?”

“Even though.”

Except . . . it wasn’t Heidi replying.

They jumped, their gazes all shot to the door, noticing the three men standing in the hall, Brad closing the door behind them. Tanner, who’d been on a night shoot earlier and who also looked gorgeously rumpled, moved forward, closing the distance between him and Kels and pulling her into his arms. His lips went to her ear, and Heidi deliberately looked away after she heard, “I don’t care, sweetheart. I just am so happy to be married to you, and I want to make babies and—”

Cora glared at Kate’s hubby, talking over the lovey-dovey couple. “How long have you been there?”

“Since the squeeing,” Jaime said dryly, slipping past her to kiss Kate soundly on her lips. “Thank God, Heidi has thick walls,” he added when they’d broken apart for air. “Or else the neighbors would be complaining.”

“I’ll have you know,” Heidi told him, though her eyes were on Brad, her gaze invariably drawn to his. “That I had the sheetrock sound-proofed for precisely that reason.” She nibbled the inside of her mouth, stare dipping down to trace the yumminess that was the man who’d stolen her heart.

He was slender and muscled, the scruff on his jaw making her shiver in memory of how it had felt against her skin, her breasts, her thighs. But it was his eyes that truly drew her in. Because he looked at her just like Jaime looked at Kate, Tanner at Kels. With warmth and love and affection, and his own special brand of lighthearted Brad teasing.

One that made her smile, even now.

“Hi,” he mouthed.

“Hi,” she mouthed back.

His lips twitched.

Her heart thudded. The man was just wearing jeans, a T-shirt, socks, but he was still the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. Or maybe that was the way he made her feel.

Her gaze dropped down to his feet. To the socked feet.

Socked because he’d put his shoes on the rack.

Without a word from her, he’d noticed that she’d cleared a spot for him on the holder, and she hadn’t even needed to mention it before he put his shoes there. He’d just paid attention and accepted that she liked things to be put in their proper spot. And he’d done it without comment.

And that, combined with the excitement of Kelsey, of her early morning with him, of the last few weeks and all his wonderfulness . . . and also maybe the margaritas—five, it was definitely five—had her blurting, “I love you!”

His eyes widened.

But she was more aware of the room going silent.

It had been filled with chatter, Cora, Kate, and Kels talking with Jaime and Tanner, but her blurt—okay,