Page 19 of Wedding Bet

“Butter buns! Fresh and hot!” a smiling old man called out from a stall nearby, and I saw racks of glistening, knotted bread, golden brown and beckoning to me.

I ordered one and took a bite of one of the most delicious, soft breads I’d ever had, letting out a long breath.

“Fancy seeing you again,” I heard from behind me and turned to see Chase and Adam.

“The future husbands,” I said. “I’ve seen you three times now tonight, and I still haven’t seen Jamie. I know that marshmallow coat has to be around here somewhere.”

“We just saw him by thehypokrasbar,” Chase said.

“What’shypokras?”

“Some form of spiced wine, I’m fairly sure,” Chase said, watching me. “They love their European things around here. You should go try some. Jamie’s over there with my friend Elias. He just got in from Berlin.”

“Berlin, huh?” I asked. “Even more European things. I could use another drink. Maybe I’ll wander over there.”

Chase was grinning. “Someone’s ready to party tonight. And I like it.”

“Work hard, play hard,” I told him, shrugging. “Nothing wrong with some beer, spiced wine, and delicious bread on a winter night.”

“And that’s why you’re awesome,” Chase said, giving me a pat on the back. “Go find my brother. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.”

The old man selling butter bread caught Chase in a conversation a moment later, and I headed over to the end of the walkway where I saw thehypokraswine tent. I got in the short line of people and looked all around, not seeing Jamie.

After I had a warm mug of the spiced wine in my hand, I stepped out toward the little Ferris wheel that was at the edge of the fairgrounds and finally spotted the telltale big, white puffy coat.

Therehe was. I took a long sip of my wine, which turned out to be delicious, as I walked over.

The other guy, Elias, was leaning on the side of a fence near the Ferris wheel, smiling at Jamie, the two of them lost in some animated conversation. My boots crunched on a little patch of snow on the path as I approached them.

“It was thebest,” Elias was saying, his expression bright. “You have to come next time. I’m in California fairly often to visit friends.”

“Maybe,” Jamie responded, his eyes fixed on Elias’s smile.

I decided to loop back around, instead turning toward a craft stall where a young woman was selling tiny homemade decorative pillows. I was an expert at being able to tell when people were flirting, and I would have bet my life savings that Elias was trying to put the charm on Jamie. In fact, it already seemed like they were hitting it off.

Something possessive reared up inside my chest.

I wantedJamieto be happy, and I knew that he wanted more than I could give.

So why did it feel weird to see him chatting up a hot, German bachelor?

“Look at these ugly little things. They’d be perfect for my sister,” I heard a voice say from behind me, and already my skin prickled. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Parker and his fiancé walking up to the handcrafted pillows. “Oh, hey, Landry.”

Great.

Just what I needed. My ex and his new boo, arm-in-arm.

I gave him a nod. “I don’t think they’re ugly, by the way,” I said, holding up one of the little black and gold ones. “And I think your sister would love one.”

Parker looked like he was sucking on a lemon, his lips pursing up into a tight pout. “I saw your boyfriend a couple of minutes ago.”

ThankGodJamie had been willing to be my fake boyfriend. He really was saving my ass.

“He’s browsing,” I said. “He loves all the little crafts. Both of us wanted to mingle around tonight.”

Parker just stared at me. I watched as his fiancé scooped up not one butfiveof the little pillows, heading over to purchase them at the little register.

“You’re doing great, Landry,” Parker said with a mock sympathetic look on his face. “I think within a couple of years, you might finally get what you want.”

---