Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(75)
She knew now of course that he looked that way because he had been second guessing himself. Could the man who refused to commit, who hated the idea of marriage, actually go through with his plan? She hadn't thought it possible, and apparently he hadn't either. Lexi still had her doubts.
For one, she hadn't told Bekah about their erm…affair in the hallway. The tattered dress was stuffed in the bottom of her closet somewhere, proof of their indecent night together. She wasn't exactly proud of herself for that night. After all those times she had told herself that no matter what, she was not going to give into him. She had given into him before and no longer was that going to be the case. Then she had let everything slip through her fingertips…everything.
Before this ridiculous week, she could count the number of times she had seen Jack since that night on her hands. She had avoided him and pushed him out of her mind. Out of sight, out of mind had been the easiest scenario. Luckily, Ramsey had been there through it all.
As Ramsey popped into her mind, she realized guiltily that he was still standing next to her. She gulped loudly before reaching up and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. The smile Ramsey sent her way was adorable. He knew what she was thinking…or at least he knew she was nervous. She silently praised the lord that he didn't actually know what she was thinking, because otherwise he wouldn't be smiling at her.
"Come on," he said motioning her forward.
She took a deep breath and followed him across the lawn. This was the moment of truth. As they drew closer, she felt Ramsey reach out tentatively for her hand. Despite her feelings on the matter, she allowed her fingers to intertwine with his. His presence calmed her nerves some, and she held her head a little higher.
"Ahhh Ramsey, good to see you could make it," Ramsey's father said as they approached.
Ramsey's smile was forced. "Of course. How could I miss any of the events planned for my baby sister?" he asked the words falling out of his mouth dripping with sarcasm. Before his father had a chance to respond, Ramsey added, "And you remember Lexi, yes?"
Lexi smiled brightly at the imposing man standing before her. He was at least as tall as Ramsey if not an inch taller. He had a hard set face with deep set wrinkles as if he had been frowning his entire life. His belly had long since bulged over his waist line, and the tailored suit did nothing to hide his porpoise figure. His blonde hair was sprinkled with salt and pepper gray, and his own forced smile was anything but kind. In fact, he blatantly stared at Lexi as if he should know her from somewhere, but somehow he found her too insignificant to remember.
"Oh yes, Lexi," he drawled after a moment. "Pleasure to see you again I'm sure."
The statement sounded like a rehearsed line and Lexi tried not to take offense to the fact that they had been introduced several times previously. "You too sir," she piped up.
"Speaking of your sister, where the hell is she?" Ramsey's father growled his attention already lost.
"I think she went inside for some lemonade, dear. Don't you remember?" his wife asked him. Her petite stature looked almost comical next to the man. Despite her age, she couldn't have been larger than a size four, and she probably would have been offended with the statement. Her blonde hair was perfectly straight with soft curls at the ends, and her face had seen its fair share of surgeons…and that wasn't the only thing that had seen surgeons. Lexi glanced away immediately feeling her cheeks burn at the thought.
"If I bloody remembered, would I have asked?" he bellowed down to the woman.
"I'll go check on her," the woman replied unaffected by his belligerence.
"Tell her to hurry up. It is not every day my little girl gets married. She needs to be more attentive to these types of affairs."
"Yes dear," she drawled waltzing away from the group.
The awkward silence that followed was unlike anything Lexi had stood through. She wasn't sure what was worse. Ramsey's father was staring daggers at both Ramsey and the back entrance to the house. It was as if he couldn't determine who to be more angry at for wasting his time…or making him stand outside in the blistering August heat in a navy suit. Ramsey was trying not to notice his father's anger while at the same time avoiding Jack's entire existence. Jack was trying not to look at Ramsey as well while still sneak glances at Lexi. But he was careful also not to catch the attention of his father-in-law-to-be.
Lexi just felt her hand clamming up as Ramsey held it firmly in his. The sun was making her sweat and she was concerned that with the increased tension between her company this would make her body go into overdrive. She felt a bead of sweat run down her back and she sighed in protest. Luckily, she had been smart enough to wear something cotton so that it wouldn't show.
"Ramsey," his father barked breaking everyone's attention. "Go check on your goddamn sister." Ramsey opened his mouth to object, but the look of pure venom that he shot his son was unlike anything Lexi had ever seen. Finding it a battle not worth fighting, Ramsey nodded. He gingerly released her hand, sighing discontentedly as it if was the last thing he wanted to do, and made his way to the house.
Lexi was just glad that he hadn't drug her with him. The last thing she wanted to do was spend time with Bekah.
"Will you excuse us for a moment?" Jack asked Ramsey's father.
"Just be back before the women return. I'm not going to stand their idle chatter alone," he said clapping Jack on the back forcefully. Jack tried hard not to stumble forward a step, but he couldn't help but stutter a bit with the force of the blow.