Page 9 of The Desperate Warrior

Don’t go there, she warned herself, knowing that dwelling on thewhat ifwould only make her miserable. She mentally cleared away the despondent thoughts, not wanting to ruin this day by focusing on the negative.

The door opened, and Mom stuck her head in the room. When she saw Zoe, she gasped in delight. “You look so beautiful,” she gushed. Her voice quivered with breathyemotion. “I can’t believe my oldest daughter is getting married today.” She smiled through her tears. “To the man she’s secretly loved since childhood.”

Zoe chuckled. “Um, you’ve got it backward. Tippin is the one who secretly loved me.”

Mom grinned. “That pendulum has been swinging both ways for many years, darling. I’m just glad y’all finally came to your senses.”

“Well, at least one of us has,” Zoe grinned. “Hey, will you please send Dad or someone to make sure that Tippin doesn’t wear those awful unicorn socks?”

“I’ll do my best,” Mom assured her with a twinkle in her eye. “But you know Junior, he has a mind of his own.”

“It’s Tippin now,” Zoe reminded her.

“Tippin,” Mom corrected. She threw Jules an amused look. “The boy arbitrarily changed his name.” She tsked her tongue. “Who knows what he’ll do next?”

“I heard that,” Zoe said dryly, but it was obvious from the way her eyes were dancing that she loved Tippin’s spontaneity and the fact that he kept her guessing.

Mom took in a breath, a sense of urgency overtaking her. “Okay, I was sent by the wedding planner to tell you that it’s time. Your four-wheeler awaits,” she announced, her voice dripping with irony.

Jules flashed Zoe a cheeky grin. “Can you tell that Mom has made peace with the fact that you’re holding the wedding on a remote section of the ranch?”

Ever since Zoe told Mom where she and Tippin wanted to get married, Mom had been pouting. Mom had envisioned Zoe getting married in the venerable church the family attended, followed by a lavish ceremony at the country club. She’d balked when Zoe insisted that the ceremony be held in a field under the tree where she and Tippin shared their first kiss.

“Let’s just hope your wedding dress that your dad paid a small fortune for doesn’t get soiled from you being carted over in the four-wheeler,” Mom said and then shook her head in weary frustration. “I’m sure the guests are getting antsy from the ceremony being held so late.”

“At sunset,” Zoe pointed out with a surreptitious wink at Jules. “Per Tippin’s request.”

“Junior—Tippin,” should be happy,” Mom pointed out. “After all, he’s getting everything he ever wanted.”

“And a guitar that costs as much as my house,” Jules teased.

Mom made a face. “That too.” She fanned her hand impatiently. “Let’s go. You’ve kept the guests waiting long enough.”

Zoe turned and took one final look at her reflection in the mirror. “Okay,” she said with a resolute breath. “Let’s do this thing they call life.”

“Let’s,” Mom piped in as she grinned at Jules.

Chapter 3

As the maid of honor, it was Jules’s duty to walk down the aisle escorted by Tippin’s younger brother Kyle, who was a longtime friend of Jules’s. All the while, she was aware of Brock’s presence amongst the wedding guests. She could feel his eyes on her and took it as a good thing that he was noticing her. Of course, how could he not notice her? She was traipsing down the aisle in a wedding, after all. What else was Brock supposed to look at right now?

When Kyle delivered her to the designated position by the altar, she casually shifted her view to Brock and caught gazes with him. He offered her a smile that did wonders for her mood.

Maybe she was being paranoid by fretting that something was off between them. She was just nervous because she’d never felt this way before, and she didn’t want to jinx the relationship. That had to be what was happening here. In the past, she felt stifled when a guy came across as too needy. Now, she was the one feeling that way. She certainly wouldn’t mind if Brock texted or called more often. It had been a week since they’d spoken, and she was more than a little antsy.

Don’t stare, she warned herself.Break eye contact.

Even as she did so, attraction ignited in her like a flame that whooshed through her body and licked down to her toes. Brock was handsome in a rugged way, with his chestnut brown hair and dark eyes. When she’d first met him, his hair had been super short. Now, it was longer on top but tapered around the sides and back. The top strands of his hair were slightly sun-bleached, giving them a reddish tint. He actually looked stylish. Who would’ve thought? His tough-guy vibe made him even more irresistible.

Of course he was tough. He was a retired Navy SEAL, after all, and made his living helping people in difficult situations. It didn’t hurt that he was in tip-top shape with ripped muscles. The guy even had a six-pack. She’d noticed it the last time he came into town, and they went to the gym and worked out together. That was quite the experience. She’d thought she was in decent shape, but good grief, she couldn’t hold a candle to Brock. The guy could bench press three hundred and fifteen pounds, which was an impressive feat in and of itself. However, she’d been downright shocked by how limber he was and how he could hold his own in a yoga class. Even the instructor made a remark about his agility. In characteristic Brock style, he deflected the praise, saying offhandedly that his flexibility was owed to his love of rock climbing.

When Jules first met Brock, she assumed that he worked for the same agency as Tippin. However, she’d since learned that Brock worked for billionaire philanthropist Sutton Smith, who mentored Fitz and helped him start his agency. Fitz was Tippin’s first cousin and owned the Billionaire Bodyguard Agency with his wife, Charli. Sutton Smith and Fitz often worked closely together and shared resources, which is how Brock ended up working as Zoe’s bodyguard. As Brock explained, working for Sutton Smith’s agency gave him the opportunity to help not only billionaires but anyone who happened to need their services.Jules could certainly appreciate that altruistic mindset. She’d gone into her profession because she wanted to help others. In that way, she and Brock were like-minded.

A hush settled over the crowd as Zoe stepped up to the aisle, escorted by Dad, whose face was brimming with both joy and pride. His chest was expanding to the point where Jules feared the buttons on his tux might pop off. Seeing his expression made Jules smile. Dad’s plan had come together like a charm, and he couldn’t resist the temptation to gloat a little. Well, good for him. He deserved it. Had he not played matchmaker and insisted that Zoe get fake engaged to Tippin, then the two of them never would’ve gotten together.

Tippin was zoned in on Zoe as if she were the only person present. It was obvious that he adored her. He always had, which is why he gave her so much crap back in high school. Jules glanced at Tippin’s socks and had to snuff out a giggle. He was wearing high waters that showcased his unicorn socks for everyone to see. Zoe was gonna pitch a fit, and Tippin was probably counting on it. He loved razzing her.

The ceremony was beautiful. Jules couldn’t help but shed a few tears, especially when she saw the glow on her sister’s face. As the officiator pronounced them man and wife in a loud, official tone, Tippin dipped Zoe back and gave her a long, thorough kiss that had the crowd cheering. Mom and Dad were both grinning from ear to ear, their eyes glistening.

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