Raging Heart On (Lucas Brothers #2)(8)

“Let me guess: Tommy chose this place?”

“Why do you say that?”

“It screams ‘stuck-up pretention’. It screams ‘I have a stick in my ass and I can barely walk’.”

“It does not!” she insists, looking around at the room that looks like it was decorated by the same designer who probably did Buckingham Palace. Beautiful, sure, but there’s nothing warm and loving about it. Nothing that screams flowers and wide open fields warmed by sunshine. Nothing that says… Kayla. “Tommy isn’t pretentious,” she mutters.

I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t. I stay the course. My job here is just to show the differences between them. I need her to push Tommy aside.

“His family is,” I tell her, then feel ashamed of myself when she lets out a defeated sigh. I refuse to waiver, though. I might be an *.

“He wants to make them happy.”

“Honey, the way I see it, this is Tommy’s second marriage. He got everything he wanted the first time around. This is your wedding, Kay—and I know you. When you get married, it will be your only wedding. That means this wedding should give you what you dreamed about. Remember that night at the prom when we laid back on the hood of my old Camaro and looked up at the stars? Remember what you told me?” I ask her, pulling her closer and rubbing her back.

She looks up at me and her big brown eyes look a little lost.

“You remember that?” she asks, her voice so quiet I have to strain to hear it.

“I remember every single conversation we’ve ever had, Kayla. Haven’t I told you that?”

“No.”

“Do you remember, honey?”

“I do…”

“You said you wanted to get married at the ranch with all of us around you. You wanted…”

“Sweet Williams, Buttercups, and Black-eyed Susans,” she whispers, naming the wildflowers that she wanted in her bouquet.

“And you wanted to ride off into the sunset on the back of your palomino with a man who would love you as much as you loved him. You said you wanted someone who wouldn’t see any other woman but you in a crowded room.”

“Well, that can’t happen. I don’t have a horse anymore and Tommy is not the type to ride one regardless. It was just a silly dream, White.”

“It was what you wanted. You deserve that wedding, Kayla. Let me help you have it.”

“You mean have my wedding at your mom’s house?”

“Why not?”

“Well, I mean Tommy’s family… and, well, Green hates Tommy.”

“But he is marrying you, honey. If he cares about you, he will make it work,” I tell her, knowing f*cking well the bastard won’t.

“You really think it would be okay?”

“It would be more than okay.” Yeah, I’m probably skating major *-ism.

“Shouldn’t I talk to Ida Sue?”

“I already have.”

“Why would you do that, White?”

“Because I want you to be happy and I know in my heart that unless you get the wedding of your dreams, you won’t be.”

“Tommy won’t be happy.” Despite her words, I see the excitement in her eyes. She wants this.

“He’s marrying you. He’s getting a dream right there, honey. He should give you yours,” I tell her, letting my fingers brush the loose hair from her face. “You know this is what you really want.”

“It really is,” she agrees. I watch as her lips spread into a smile and those brown eyes heat up with happiness. Kayla is beautiful. I guess I’ve always known, but I’ve never taken the time to notice before. She’s sweet, too, and she doesn’t have a conniving bone in her body. Like right now, she’s staring at me like I’ve captured the moon for her. It’s almost as if she thinks I can do anything, make anything possible. A man could get addicted to a look like that…

“Then let’s do it. Let’s have our wedding at Mom’s.”

Her body tenses up, “Ours?” she questions.

“I mean yours,” I tell her, feeling stupid. All this wedding and family talk is obviously getting to me a little too much. I should go out with the boys tonight since I’m back in Dallas. I haven’t even told anyone I’m back. I’ve been too intent on trying to stop this wedding.

“I’ll talk to Tommy tonight about it,” Kayla says, but I can hear the doubt in her voice.

“Don’t back down, Kayla. You deserve this,” I encourage her and f*ck, I almost wince as I say it. It’s official. I am an *.





CHAPTER 7


KAYLA




“Absolutely not.”

“Tommy, you’re not being reasonable.”

“I am not having my wedding to my new wife at the home of Cynthia’s ex.”

“They’re my family.”

“They are not. Not really. Any of those places on the list I gave you were beautiful spots to have a wedding, Kayla. I will not agree to have a wedding at Green’s parent’s home. No way.”

“They are the only real family I’ve ever had and I love them. I want them there and I want the wedding at their house.”