Page 12 of Crashing the Altar
“Mind if I join you?”
At my softly spoken words, his head whipped up. Swallowing hard enough to have his Adam’s apple bobbing, he nodded, offering a gruff, “Sure.”
Like the gentleman he was, he hopped down to give me a boost. Once I was settled, he climbed back up, but it didn’t go unnoticed that he’d made sure to leave a good foot of space between us.
That wasn’t going to work for me.
“Oh, I know you’re not going to leave me hanging over here out in the cold,” I teased, trying to keep my tone light.
Heaving out a heavy sigh, Tripp swiveled his head in my direction. The devastation written across his handsome face tugged at my heartstrings.
“Pen, I—”
“Nuh-uh,” I cut him off. “You know the rules. This birthday girl wants a hug and a cuddle to keep her warm.”
Tripp’s blue eyes softened, and he nodded, opening his arms. I didn’t waste a single second in sliding across the tailgate and curling my arms around his waist as I dropped my head onto his shoulder and lifted my legs over his lap. Though he’d been initially reluctant to agree to this embrace, he tightened his grip, holding me close as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
For the first time in hours, I was able to take a deep breath, and the tension seeped out of my muscles.
“Whatcha doin’ out here?” I asked, keeping my eyes fixed on the sun setting over the horizon.
“Thinkin’,” he murmured.
“’Bout what?”
His chest expanded. “Everything’s going to change.”
Lifting my head, I gazed up at him. “It doesn’t have to.”
Sad eyes peered back at me. “Yes, it does. Bex got it right when she said that getting married meant passing the mantle of number one confidante to your partner.”
Bex Grant had made a particularly moving maid of honor speech at Tripp’s sister’s wedding a few years back, declaring that while she would always remain Aspen’s best friend, the bond Aspen shared with Mac would take priority as they built a life together.
“I’m happy for you. Truly, I am. You deserve the world, Penny.” Tripp’s words came out thick, causing my soul to fracture.
Dropping my eyes to the ground, I whispered hoarsely, “I should have told you sooner. I didn’t know . . .”
His fingers squeezed my hip. “You couldn’t have known I was going to show up unannounced.”
Hugging him tighter, I confessed, “It was the best birthday surprise ever.”
I wasn’t lying. Him walking into my parents’ house this afternoon had caused my heart to beat faster than when Jake had gotten down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.
Honestly, if Tripp had arrived an hour sooner and borne witness to the proposal, I probably wouldn’t have said yes.
Tripp’s chuckle vibrated through his chest. “Thought you were gonna call me up tonight and beg for a new pet.”
That perked me right up. “Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?”
He gave me a stern look. “Oh no. Don’t you be gettin’ ideas inside that pretty little head of yours.”
Batting my eyelashes at him, I clasped my hands together in front of my chest. “Please.”
A deep rumble sounded before he grudgingly admitted, “A turkey.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, eyes widening at the prospect, immediately beginning to wonder if turkeys got along with chickens.
“If it’s all the same, I’d really rather you didn’t, though.” Tripp shifted uneasily.
