Page 15 of Amelia and Her Prince Charming
“That you love her,” Bret said, shaking me until my teeth rattled.
I shoved him and Gage off and turned to glare at them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gage sighed like I’d disappointed him. “Denial. So typical.”
“It’s a good thing he has us,” Bret said.
I looked at Dylan for help, but he held both of his hands up. “I’m with them, bro. They can have good advice when it comes to these things.”
“I don’t need advice.” I needed to get through this wedding and get out of Winterhaven. “Move,” I growled when they continued to stand in my way.
They obliged, but Bret and Gage remained together, talking in low voices that made me uneasy.
People started to arrive, and lunch was in full swing. Rosie’s maid of honor, Charlie, spotted me from across the lawn and raced over to give me a huge hug. She was wearing the exact same dress as Amelia, but it was definitelynotcausing the same reaction in me.
“Hudson!” she squealed. “It’s been way too long.”
I hugged her tightly, and then kept my hands on her shoulders as I pulled her back to take her in. She looked exhausted. The kind of tiredness that went bone deep. She’d been engaged for three years now, but the wedding kept getting pushed back for one reason or another. It was probably hard to see your bestfriend, who got engaged well after you, get married before you. But Charlie wasn’t the kind of person to make any of this about her. She would be genuinely happy for Rosie. I worried about her though.
“How are you?” I asked quietly.
“I’m good,” she said, too brightly. I’d known Charlie my whole life. Long enough to know when she was lying. “How long are you in town for?”
“Till the wedding, then I’ve got to get back to work.”
Amelia popped up at my side, her arm brushing against mine, the floral scent of her hair making me forget what Charlie and I were even talking about. She leaned even more into me to pick a leaf from my hair.Fibula. Tibia. Lateral cuneiform.I was going to run out of bones before I ran out of obvious attraction to Amelia.
“Hi, Charlie!” she said as she dropped the leaf onto the grass with a laugh.
Charlie raised an eyebrow at me as she pulled Amelia into a hug. I willed the heat in my cheeks to fade while Amelia was distracted with their quick catching up. “Are you sure you don’t mind that I’m wearing a bridesmaid dress? Rosie dropped it off and insisted I wear it.” Amelia said, sounding self-conscious. Since she mentioned the dress, I looked at her again, and I nearly groaned. Even half-covered with an apron, it clung to every curve I should most definitelynotbe noticing. Rosie Forrester was trying to kill me.
“Ilovethat you’re wearing it,” Charlie said sincerely.
Well, that made one of us.
A relieved grin spread across Amelia’s face. Charlie had a gift of making everyone feel like they were her best friend and the most important person in the world.
Charlie’s gaze narrowed on me. “Hudson, be honest. Have you heard rumors of anyone planning to sneak onto the cruise ship for Rosie’s honeymoon? She’ll literally throw them overboard.”
“I’m not sneaking on,” I said, holding up both hands.
“Would she really throw someone overboard?” Amelia frowned. “I don’t swim well, so I can’t imagine.”
“She’d allow you to stay,” Charlie said reassuringly.
I took a step back. “Talk to her brothers.”
“Oh. I will.” Her eyes narrowed, and she walked away with purpose.
Amelia laughed. “I love this town.” She went to pull off her apron, but the tie was stuck around her waist. She tugged at it a few times, and then turned her back to me, exasperatedly. “Can you get this knot undone?”
It had been pulled really tight. I worked on it and tried not to think about my knuckles brushing against the silky material of the dress. Or the strip of tan skin near her shoulder that showed when she tilted her head to the side to check on Quinn where she was running around with a few other kids playing a game. Or how I wanted to wrap my arms around her waist and bury my face in her neck.
My fingers were shaking by the time I got the knot undone and handed her the apron. “I’d better …” I didn’t even know how to finish that sentence before I took off toward the grill like I heard someone calling my name.
Luckily, Sheriff Savage had a full plate of elk burgers ready for me to take to the serving table.
“Hud,” Dylan called out, waving me over to their table. It was the fullest table by far, with most of the wedding party, plus Amelia. She motioned me toward a seat she had saved right next to her. I let out a long exhale. There was no escape.
