Page 48 of Wedding Bet

“Tell me it’s going to go okay?” he asked, practically holding his breath.

My poor brother.

My sweet, social butterfly of a brother, who usually didn’t worry about a damned thing, was asking me for reassurance.

I’d never loved him more.

“Holy shit,” I said, turning to step back, standing so that the elevator wouldn’t close. I was shocked. “Chase, you’re going to absolutely fucking rock it.”

“Adam is the most amazing person I’ve ever known,” Chase said, in a rare moment of anxiety. “I want to do right by him. I really do want it to beforever, Jamie. And that’s as scary as it is incredible. He’s so out of my league, it’s not even funny.”

I looked at him like he was losing his mind. “Excuse me, is this the Chase Blau I’ve known and loved for years? Have youbeen replaced with an alien, or something? Adam isn’t out of your league, he’sperfectfor you.”

He let out a breath, nodding once. “You really think so, huh?”

I puffed out a laugh. “Of course I do. If you want to talk about someone being out of somebody else’s league, look at me compared to Landry, or something. You and Adam are forever material.”

I was blabbing, but I really couldn’t believe he had anything to worry about. I’ve never really seen Chase get anxious, but I supposed wedding days could make even people with nerves of steel get a little shaky.

He nodded and reached out to squeeze my arm. “It means so much to me that you’re here today. And no one’s out ofyourleague either, by the way.”

I cracked a smile. “You’re too generous.”

“Landry doesn’t do relationships, but if he did? I bet you two would hit it off and be riding off into the sunset by tomorrow night.”

I puffed out a laugh. “Now Iknowyou’re either criminally insane or have been replaced with an evil clone version of yourself.”

“Is the clone going to be able to get through this wedding without bawling on Adam’s shoulder, at least?” Chase asked me.

“No question,” I told him. “You definitely might cry, but I think it’ll be tears of joy.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve got to get down there before they think I’ve run off. Thank you, Jamie.”

“Knock ‘em dead,” I said. “I’ve got to shower and change before I go meet with the florist.”

Chase turned his head to one side. “Shower? Didn’t you say you already washed up before you went up to Landry’s room?”

Fuck. Shit.

Caught red-handed, again.

I just gave him what I hoped was a convincing, breezy laugh as the elevator slid shut behind me and I made my way over to my room.

My heart was pounding faster than usual in my chest, but the truth was that it had given me the type of thrill I hadn’t had in years. Probably since high school, when I’d first realized I was fully, definitely attracted to men, and I’d kissed my first boy behind a lifeguard tower on Stellara Beach at night.

I didn’t want a relationship that had to be a secret, and I couldn’t have any relationship at all with Landry.

But for this week, in our little snowglobe, I savored it.

Like something delicious that was slowly disappearing.

“You told me that you would be there, and you werenotthere,” a very red-faced florist with an accent yelled at me an hour later in the hotel lobby. “I have many appointments today. This world does not revolve around you!”

“You’re right, sir,” I said. I’d apologized profusely many times for being fifteen minutes late, but he was not having it. “I will give you a very large tip.”

He scoffed. “Americans and yourtips,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “But, yes. Sure. It better bebig.”

Chase had given me the check for the florist, but I pulled out my own cash for a tip. When I held out one 20-dollar bill, he looked at me like I was a bug he’d like to squash, so I bit back a grimace as I swapped it to a 50-dollar bill. I only had 20 more bucks for the rest of the trip, and I was leaving tomorrow night.

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