Page 86 of Fauxmance

"Yeah, that would be because of the sticks up their—"

I jabbed an elbow into his ribs, and he blew out a breath.

"Geez, I was just kidding." He paused. "Kind of."

My eyes traced the frown on his face.

"What?" he said when he caught me looking.

"Hayden, I know you hate these things, but you have to admit. The place looks gorgeous." I gestured to the front of the room. "Did you see that wedding arch? The diamond-encrusted metal frame, all those gorgeous orchids and roses. Now, that is some fine craftsmanship."

"I guess."

Rolling my eyes, I pointed to the right. "Do you see that woman's fascinator?"

Hayden gave me a blank look. "Her what?"

"Fascinator," I repeated. "Her little silver hat? Isn't that just fabulous?"

Before he could respond, I pointed to another.

"Ooh, and look at that one with all the feathers!"

"Kind of looks like a bird got trapped in her hair."

"It does not," I said—though yeah, on second glance, it kind of did. "Anyway, fascinators are awesome. And what about the groomsmen? Look how dapper they all look."

Hayden chuckled. "You know, you're not going to change my mind."

"I can try."

"I'm never going to like weddings, Maggie. And I don't think I realized how much you really love them until this moment."

"Yep," I said. "And you should, too. It's a celebration. Your cousin, Phillipa, and Marco are in love."

Hayden shook his head. "Hate to break it to you, but they love money. Phillipa is her father's daughter. I can almost guarantee this has more to do with networking than love."

Whatever. I wasn't going to let him put a damper on this.

When string music began to play, we all stood, and I leaned over to whisper in Hayden's ear.

"Just watch the groom when his bride walks toward him. It's one of the best parts."

"Not for nothing, but Marco looks a little tipsy if you ask me."

I frowned. "No, he doesn't."

Hayden patted me on the shoulder. "Honestly, I would be drinking, too, if I knew I had to marry Phillipa. She's awful."

"Shh," I said. "No bad-mouthing the bride on her day."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, the laughter clear in his voice.

"Just watch the groom," I said. "Trust me. It'll be beautiful."

Except…it wasn't.

Hayden, it turned out, was right.

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