Page 39 of From Grumpy to Forever

It wasn’t that I needed to justify myself, but I definitely deserved something sweet after the last few hours. Pretending to be Reid’s wife wasn’t stressful; I was actually starting to really like that part of things, especially the kissing. It was more that it felt like everyone was watching me, and I wasn’t used to being on public display.

I sipped my champagne, letting the bubbles tickle my nose as I scanned the beautifully decorated room. The wedding was being held up at the lodge, which was a stunning log building, with stone floors and a showstopping floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace.

Every single detail had been considered. The flowers were all locally grown by the groom’s sister, Charli. Dalias, snapdragons, lilies and irises and blooms I couldn’t name filled vases on every single surface.

Craig, Lucy, and their girls were a beautiful family. The love in the air was palpable, and it truly was a gorgeous wedding and everything I’d imagined a wedding reception should be—intimate yet festive, full of love and laughter. The kind of wedding I once thought I might have.

The thought slipped in uninvited, and I pushed it out of my mind as I turned back toward the cluster of townsfolk chatting near the dessert table. I’d met more people tonight than I could count—neighbors, business owners, even a retired teacher who swore she’d taught Reid to read. Everyone was kind, welcoming, and eager to share stories about the town.

Through all of it, Reid had been by my side, his arm around my waist, holding me close. Now, he lingered near a wooden pole that had been carved from what had to have once been a giant tree. His broad shoulders filled out his suit like it had been custom-made for him. His dark hair, that had been combed so neatly earlier, was a little mussed now, but it wasn’t his hair I was focused on.

It was the way he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking that made my stomach flip a little.

The dessert table forgotten, I stared across the room at my husband.

The memory of his lips on mine triggered a soft ache low in my belly. We’d spent the last two days practicing, and it had obviously paid off with all the kissing we’d already done tonight. If anyone had any doubts about our marriage, we’d surely erased them from their thoughts.

Heck, it was getting hard for me to remember that it wasn’t real. With every touch we shared, every little glance, the line between real and pretend melted a little more. It started to feel a whole lot less like acting and more like…something else entirely.

Reid was kind and steady, and the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Even his gruffness was endearing. It helped that Grayson was right—Reid’s grouchiness was really just a crunchy shell that revealed a gooey interior.

I glanced down at the simple band on my left hand. It wasn’t fancy and there was nothing romantic about it or the matching one on Reid’s hand. I’d ordered them online with overnight shipping when I realized people would ask. It couldn’t have been more different than the big, flashy solitaire I’d once worn on that hand.

Not that I wanted it—or the man who gave it to me—back.

Still. It gave me pause to think about how things could have been different.

Shaking the thought away, I abandoned the dessert table and made my way across the room to Reid, smiling and nodding politely at the guests. It wasn’t time to dwell on the past. It was time to focus on the present—on my very handsome husband, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

He extended an arm for me when I got close, and his eyes softened in a way that made my breath catch. “You looked deep in thought over there.” He kept his voice low as he pulled me close. “Everything okay?”

“Everything is fine.” It wasn’t a total lie. “I’m just taking it all in.”

Reid turned me a little so he could look me in the eye. “Are you sure? You seem a little?—”

“I’m fine.” I smiled until he nodded. “Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. It’s been a beautiful night. Let’s just enjoy it.”

He still didn’t look convinced, but after a moment, he nodded again and took a step backward toward the dance floor. “Dance with me.”

* * *

Reid

Avery’s laugh drifted up to my ears as I spun her gently around the floor. Even in the dim light, her eyes sparkled up at me. She looked happy—genuinely happy—and I didn’t know how to feel about the way that hit me in the gut.

She deserved to be happy.

And I couldn’t deny that I loved being the man who could put that smile on her face.

I rested my other hand lightly on her waist, feeling the soft fabric of her dress against my palm. Her head tipped back to meet my gaze, her lips curved in a smile that made my chest tighten. The room seemed to shrink until it was just the two of us, the sway of her body in time with mine, the warmth of her so close.

None of this was supposed to be real. But every single thing about having Avery in my arms felt like the most real thing I’d ever had.

“What are you thinking?”

Her question caught me off guard. “What makes you think I’m thinking anything at all?”

She shook her head a little. “You have the look of a man who’s thinking about something.”

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