Page 42 of No Regrets

He grinned, grabbing her hand and placing their interlocked fingers on his thigh. “I did enjoy sleeping in that extra twenty minutes.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“What if I say it now? Would that make me look to soft?”

“As long as it’s before the party I suppose your softness will be just between us.”

“I do love you, Bree.”

“Yeah, well you can prove it to me tonight.” She pulled his hand to her strawberry glossed lips, kissing it. “I love you, Kaden Riggens. More than you’ll ever know.”

* * * *

Three hours into the party, Brianna couldn’t avoid Kyle any longer. He spotted her and of course asked Kaden if she was here. Like the good husband he was, he nodded and pointed to her with a huge smile on his face. She tried ducking behind a fake plant, but Kyle started her way, getting to her side before she could find a better hiding spot.

“There you are.” Kyle pulled her to him for a hug, sloshing her fruit cocktail all over her hand.

“Hello, Kyle.” She tried pulling away but his grip tightened around her.

“Kaden told me about your marriage.” He pulled back with a smile. “Congratulations. How’s that cute bundle of joy?”

“You know about Shiloh?”

“Of course.” He waved her off as if she was foolish to ask. “My mother is best friends with Blair. You know that.”

Brianna nodded, tipping her strawberry daiquiri to her lips and swallowing the alcohol. Kyle was her friend. The five musketeers as their parents used to say. Kaden, Jason, Ben, Jonathan, and Kyle—Brianna wasn’t an official member, though she did hang out with them, mainly because Ben and Jonathan used her to get to her friends. But nevertheless they were all friends. Still are.

“So, great party, huh? Kaden said Jason was here with his wife Kendra. I haven’t seen him though.” Kyle looked around seeking Kaden out.

“Well there are close to two hundred people here. He may be lost in the crowd.” Or avoiding you, she added silently.

“Yeah, you’re right. You always were right about things like that.” He tossed back the contents of his own glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So you have a picture of that cute little doodle bug?”

She grinned. To give him one compliment, Kyle was great with kids. Probably came from being a kid himself, but he loved them, and they loved him.

She pulled the picture of Shiloh at Christmas that Kaden had taken. “She’s her daddy made over.”

“Hey, hot stuff.” Jason came up behind her wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He pecked her cheek and smiled at her. “Greg told me you and that asswipe I call my friend tied the damn knot. How the hell did that happen?”

Kendra smiled, standing to Jason’s side. She always was a quite girl, if Brianna could remember correctly. “One too many drinks.”

He chuckled, pulling her tighter against him. “Don’t look now, but here comes two other losers we used to call friends.”

Ben and Jonathan came up, each kissing Brianna on the cheek and saying hello to Kendra. Then a vast amount of profanities was exchanged between the men. Poor Kendra looked offended. Ben wrapped his arm around her, pushing Jason back to his wife.

“Now, tell me why the hell you really married that dickhead.” Ben cradled her to his side, protectively, like a brother.

“Because I love him.” She grinned up at him.

“Have you had one too many hurricanes tonight?” Jason grinned, wrapping his arm around his wife.

“Damn. I can’t believe you two got married,” Jonathan commented.

“Leave my poor wife alone.” Kaden cut through the crowd, rescuing Brianna from their friends. Ben stepped back as if Brianna was a live wire, and Kaden wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Dude, I’m still trying to get over the fact you two had sex.” Kyle held the picture up of Shiloh. “She’s a cutie though, isn’t she?”

The men mumbled their agreements each staring at the picture as they passed it around. When it came to Brianna, she stuffed it back in her wallet.

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