Tell Me You Crave Me (Search and Seduce #3)(31)

Most of the out-of-towners she didn’t recognize seemed to be Connecticut friends of Matt’s and Bridget’s. Though no other bridesmaids showed up, a lot of other acquaintances did—not to mention the majority of the townspeople between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. A big party in town was never kept secret for long, and most everyone was a beer or two in.

Natalie should grab a drink. It’d give her something to do with her hands other than stand there like a moron, trying not to look awkward.

Story of my life…

“Hey, sis,” Matt said and slung an arm over her shoulder. “Good turnout, huh?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“The cakes look great. Thanks for doing that. Bridget loves them.”

“Of course.” She hadn’t really chatted with her future sister-in-law much. Bridget was elegant and sociable and everything her mother had ever wanted in a daughter. All class and sophistication.

“Easton helped,” she said, feeling the need to not only give him credit but to bring up his name. For some reason just saying it made her feel better.

“I’m glad,” Matt said. “Hey, by the way, my buddy Gary is single.” Matt not-so-subtly pointed to Gary and waved. “Want me to call him over here?”

“Please God no,” Natalie said. She adjusted her glasses, wishing she had put in her contacts. They were just annoying, and she’d already been running late. So there she was, in a simple pink dress that she’d gotten from Michelle’s shop a while ago, and her dorky glasses. She was lucky she’d even had time to curl her hair.

She glanced down again at herself and the pink dress. It was made for twirling, dancing. Something it seemed like everyone in town was doing, except Natalie.

“Come on, I bet he’d like you,” Matt pushed.

“You’re turning into Mom,” she said. She knew her brother loved her, but this dating thing was getting old real quick. She felt like a charity case. “Besides, I’m dating guys on my own. I have an extensive list of potential candidates,” she said, thinking about the profile Michelle and Chloe had made for her. It had attracted attention, sure, but not from anyone she cared about.

“Oh yeah? That’s great!”

Natalie nodded, but deep down, she wondered when her family would see her as enough on her own. No man, no high class attitude, no Southern Belle charm. Just her.

Would she ever be enough?

Her answer scared her because she wasn’t sure that would ever happen. And to make matters worse, she caught a flash of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

East.

He walked in like he didn’t have a care in the world and was instantly flooded by back-slaps and handshakes. How was he so effortlessly sociable? How was it so easy for him to blend in, be liked? To be enough?

Because there’s a lot to like about East.

“Well, good luck on your date, sis. I still think you should talk to Gary, though.” Matt chucked her under the chin like she was frickin’ twelve-years-old and took off across the room to talk to East. Her friends were in conversations with the men in their lives, but Chloe waved and Natalie gave a wave back. Someone had to hold up the corner of the room and Natalie decided that would be her job.

“I hear you’re the one responsible for these amazing cupcakes,” a woman’s voice said. Natalie turned to see a sophisticated middle-aged woman in a pantsuit staring her down and devouring her cupcake.

“Yes, ma’am, I am the baker.”

The woman nodded. Her graying hair was fastened back in a French braid and the crow’s-feet by her eyes wrinkled a bit with a kind smile. “They are delicious! I’m Leslie McMann, and I have a gourmet catering company in Connecticut. We’re doing the wedding here in Beaufort for Matt St. Clair, and these are just fabulous.”

“Thank you,” Natalie said. “Matt is my brother.”

“Oh, how wonderful! Tell me, have you ever considered selling your recipes? I’d be happy to talk business with you. Adding these to my menu would be amazing.”

“I just have my shop and have never considered outsourcing…” Natalie said slowly. Because honestly, she never had.

“Well, think about it and let me know. I’d even be happy to steal away the baker herself.” With a wink and another hefty bite, the woman wandered back into the crowd and left Natalie with more questions than answers. Natalie could expand? Move to Connecticut, maybe, and be a part of a bigger company? Her first thought was no way. She loved her town and her shop. But as she stared over the crowd of people who didn’t even seem to know she was alive, she wondered if maybe getting out of Beaufort was a sound idea.

Maybe…

She looked over the room again. There were so many people that she didn’t see East anymore. Not that she was staring. But he’d obviously gotten swallowed by the gaggle of tipsy women flicking their hair and flirting with him.

“Concentrating on something pretty hard over here, darlin’,” East said. He sidled up to her and handed her a champagne flute. She glanced at him, but she really wanted to stare. She let a smile slip. He’d brought her a drink, which she happily took. Of course, he hadn’t bothered with champagne for himself. From the smell of it, his cocktail glass held pure whiskey.

“Just looking at the crowd,” she said.