Page 11 of Stunner (Whiskey Dolls 3)

Hardin’s snort was full of derision as she gave her head a disgusted shake. “Tell me about it. But this one last night was supposed to be hisbig break,” she said sarcastically, using finger quotes on the last two words. “Some record exec or something was supposed to be there. It wastheir chance to make it big. Same shit he always spouts. And like always, nothing came from it.”

“Because he’s got no damn talent,” I lamented, speaking the truth everyone but her ex knew. “He’s past thirty, for Christ’s sake. When’s he going to give up the fantasy of being a fucking rockstar and grow the hell up?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” She twisted in her chair, directing her attention to me. “But I don’t want to talk about my loser ex.” Her green eyes were only slightly less vivid than mine thanks to our mother’s brown eyes. “I’dmuchrather discuss what happened yesterday. Or more to the point, whatdidn’thappen.”

“Ah, Christ,” I grunted, dropping my head against the back of the rocker. “Let me guess, Mom?”

Hardin let out an excited yelp and reached over to smack my arm. “Ofcourse, Mom. But even if I hadn’t heard it from her, I’m sure I would have heard it somewhere. The fact the brideandthe groom of what was supposed to be this year’s biggest wedding disappeared before the vows could be said?” She waggled her eyebrows salaciously. “It’s all anyone can talk about.”

“Well,theycan talk about it all they want. I’ve got nothing to say about it.”

“Bullshit!” She smacked me in the arm again.

“Ow, Jesus! What is your deal with the hitting today? Knock it off or I’m telling Mom.”

“Oh, stop being such a baby. And don’t sit here and try to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal,” she said, pointing an accusing finger in my face. “The fact that wedding didn’t happen is ahugedeal. I know all about those deep, dark, secret feelings you harbor for the woman, remember?” Oh, I remembered all right. It was one of my greatest regrets. I’d had too damn much to drink one night and spilled my guts to my little sister, telling her how I really felt about Asher Rose.

“Mom also told me you were the one who went out searching for her when it became obvious she’d taken off.” Her brows climbed so high they nearly kissed her hairline. “So where’d you end up finding her?”

I gave her an arched look. “Who says I did?”

She made a face that screamed,don’t be an idiot, because I’m certainly not. “Oh, come on. The woman you’ve been harboring secret feelings for for the better part of a year and a half bails on the wedding ceremony you’ve been dreading for months now? I know you, big brother, and I know you wouldn’t stop looking until you found her, so spill it. Where’d you find the runaway bride?”

“Some roadside bar a few blocks from the highway. Next to a gas station that looked like it’s been abandoned for decades.”

Hardin’s eyes went wide. “Wait. I know what place you’re talking about. I’ve seen it. Isn’t it like, scary rough in there?”

I shook my head in amazement as I remembered the scene I’d stumbled on the evening before and how she’d had those hardened criminal types wrapped around her dainty little finger. How they went to the wall to protect her after only knowing her a couple of short hours.

“Yes,” I answered flatly. “But you should have seen it, Hard. The second I walked in that place, I worried about being stabbed to death, but there she was, in her goddamn puffy dress, drunk off her ass and chowing down on a burger while all these certified badasses hovered around her like some kind of protective wall. She shouldn’t have fit there, but somehow, she did. She’s got this power. It’s like she can’t help but make friends everywhere she goes. It would be scary as hell if it wasn’t so astonishing. The only reason I walked out of there without any broken bones or missing teeth is those guys didn’t want to upset her.”

“Careful,” she said teasingly. “You almost sound impressed.”

“I am. Because that was impressive as hell.”

“And what happened after you found her?”

I let out a sigh, knowing exactly what she was asking. “I took her back to my place.” I held up a hand to stop her excitement in its tracks. “And before you get any ridiculous thoughts in your head, nothing happened. She was passed out before I even got the car parked outside my apartment. Only reason I took her there in the first place was because she didn’t want to go back to Jackson’s house.”

“Can’t blame her on that one,” Harding muttered. “God, what an asshole.”

I clenched my bruised fisted, feeling the sting in the pull of my scabbed knuckles. “Anyway, it’s over now. Jackson told her he’d stay gone for a few days, so I took her back to his place this morning. My part’s done.”

“Are you kidding me? Your part has barely started. Now’s your chance, big brother,” she said excitedly. “You can finally make your move.”

My chin jerked back into my neck. “Have you lost your mind? I can’t make a move. She was engaged to my best friend, for Christ’s sake.”

Hardin blew out a loud raspberry and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Please. You know as well as I do, Jackson Newman’s a self-important, spoiled ass. Always has been. I never understood your loyalty to him.”

She wouldn’t, especially since only Jackson and I knew what went down. But still, she wasn’t wrong. “It’s not about loyalty.” At least not anymore, I added silently.

“Look me in the eye and tell me your friendship with that man is the same as it was when you guys were kids. And convince me, Owen.” She waited a few seconds before nodding proudly when I didn’t say a word. “That’s what I thought. You keep calling that asshole your best friend, but if you really stop to think about it, you two haven’t been tight in a really long time. I don’t know what’s keeping you bound together, but maybe it’s time to cut that cord, huh?”

If only it were that easy, I thought. But that wasn’t something I felt like getting into at the moment, so I shifted gears. “It doesn’t matter anyway. The woman wasjustleft at the altar not even twenty-four hours ago. Making a move would be in poor taste.”

My sister hummed pensively. “Maybe you have a point.” Before I could get a word in, she snapped her fingers. “So, you’ll just go a different route. Problem solved.”

I widened my eyes. “Oh, wow, it’s that easy?” I asked sarcastically.

---