Without a Hitch(85)

My eyes close for a long second to gather myself, and if I’m honest, to block out the hurt I saw in Lochlan’s expression before angling my body against the door and answering Colton’s call.

“I’m getting married,” he explodes the second his face fills my screen.

“W-What?”

“I’m getting married. On Saturday.” I’ve never seen Colton so happy before. He’s bouncing around his kitchen and speaking so fast that I have a hard time keeping up.

“On Saturday? This Saturday?”

“Yes! Where are you?”

“Ah,” I hedge. “I’m in a car. How are you getting married in four days?”

“Everyone has a job to do. It’s all taken care of. We’re keeping it small, basically just family, so you’ll need to get here soon.”

“Do you need me to do something?”

His grin is so infectious I nearly laugh out loud. “No, just get here and celebrate with us. I’m trying to get ahold of Lochlan. He’ll have to be my best man.”

I see Lochlan open his mouth to protest out of the corner of my eye, but I hold up a finger out of Colton’s view to silence him.

“Lochlan? He hates weddings. Why not ask one of your brothers? You have about twenty to choose from.”

Finally Colton stops moving, and his expression turns serious. “For one, my brothers are acting like assholes, and I refuse to fight with them over this. And two…” He glances away from the screen, and I realize I’m holding my breath. “And two, Loch wasn’t always like this. He doesn’t like weddings, but he doesn’t hate love like he thinks he does. He was burned—”

The phone is ripped from my hand, and Lochlan hangs up without showing his face.

“What the hell?”

“Colton doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he grumbles. He holds out my phone while staring out the window.

“Then tell me. Tell me why you’re like this. You say you believe in love, but not the ultimate gesture of it. Why?”

“Weddings ruin people, Tilly. It ruined my parents time and time again. It ruined them while they were together, but they love and respect each other today as friends because they’re divorced. They nearly lost themselves in each of their marriages. That contract? That vow? It broke or damaged a piece of their souls every time. When I—” he stops short, and ice fills my veins. “Text Colton back before he calls again.”

This conversation is giving me whiplash.

The car pulls up to the Rosewood, and Lochlan has his door open before the vehicle fully stops.

His phone rings once he’s standing. I’d bet money it’s Colton.

“What?” he barks.

There’s silence as he listens, but his gaze finds mine when I step out of the car.

“You don’t need me. Have your brother do it.”

More silence, then Lochlan’s face goes hard.

“Fine. But I will leave right after the ceremony. I have a gala in California that I cannot miss.”

“Shit. What time is the wedding?” I hiss.

“What time is the ceremony?” Lochlan asks. “Done. Don’t say I never did anything for you.” He pockets his phone.

Did he just hang up on his best friend?

“How will we be in Vermont for his wedding and California for the gala? Colton is my boss, but he’s also family. I have to be there, Lochlan.”

“It’s fine. We’ll only miss an hour of the gala as long as his bloody wedding goes by quickly.”

He might as well have stabbed me through my heart. “Listen, Lochlan.” I fist my hands on my hips, prepared for a fight. “If you agreed to stand up with him on his—”

“Magical day?” he cuts in with a sneer.

“Yes,” I fume. “If you agreed, you will do everything in your power to make it perfect, or so help me, you will not like the outcome. Do not fuck with me on this.”

Lochlan’s eyes go dark as lust clouds his expression. “My Pepper returns. Why do you have so much fire for everyone in your life, but then hide yourself behind the smoke?”

“What? Lochlan, I’m serious. Please don’t ruin this.”

His sigh is heavy enough to knock me over as he closes the gap between us. “I won’t.”

“Promise me.”

“Darling?” That one word commands me to submit to him and holy Moses, do I want to. I stare up at him, barely lifting my face, but I can read every thought in his dark blue irises. “I’m pretty sure I’d give you the world if you only asked.”

“But,” I gasp. “But,” I try again, but no other words come.

“Shh.” He entangles his fingers with mine and leads us through the quiet resort toward the ocean and our temporary home. “You make me feel… things, Tilly. Things I haven’t allowed in a very long time.”

I don’t know how to respond, but I squeeze his palm to let him know I’m listening. He stops us at the entrance to the beach bungalow, and a painful realization slaps me across the face. I’ve felt safer here, with him, than I’ve ever felt in my life. Fear of never being enough, never being loved, of being left behind has been so ingrained in my day-to-day since childhood that I didn’t even know I felt unsafe until Lochlan Blaine, in all his boss-holery, showed me what it was like to be cared for.