“Hi!” He jumped to his feet, his eyes sparkling. “Welcome to Knot Your Average Wedding, and yes, that’s Knot with a K. I’m Rowan Hart, your wedding guru, and you’re in luck. We just had a last-minute cancellation, so I am happy to see you without an appointment.”
I blinked rapidly as if that could help me keep up with the way he was speaking so fast. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be overwhelming. It’s my first day taking over from my aunt, and I’m so excited.” He clapped and flashed me a perfect toothy grin that showed off a smiley piercing. “Gosh, I didn’t ask your name.”
“Gray.” I shook my head. “Wait a minute. You said you had a last-minute cancellation?”
“Yes. The poor guy looked so dejected when he walked in here ten minutes ago. He’s such a sweetheart too. Whoever broke his heart deserves a special place in hell.”
Yup, this new wedding planner would fit right in with the busybodies of Bristlecone Springs. Another one for the gossip mill.
“Do you know where he went?” I asked. “I’m here to find him.”
He gasped and covered his lips with a dainty hand bearing several minimalist tattoos in cursive writings, black lines, dots, and a long-stemmed black flower.
His nails were longer than I’d ever seen on a man—most women too—with pointed tips. They were polished in a nude color, each nail detailed with gold foil or glitter that traced along the edges of the nails, creating a V-shape design. Small rhinestones added a touch of sparkle and complimented his jewelry—two rings, one a simple gold band with what looked like real diamonds and the other a more intricate design with a small horseshoe. I’d never noticed someone’s hands in such detail before, but for some reason, my mind went to Ozzie and his lacy underwear. He didn’t have his nails adorned, but his fingers would look so pretty like this. Did he ever get his nails manicured?
“You’re the heartbreaker fiancé?” Rowan made a distressing sound at the back of his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Oh man, oh man. What to do?” He paced forward, then swung back to me, muttering to himself. “Bad, Rowan. It doesn’t matter how hot he is. He is not for you.” He flashed me that blinding smile again. “Here’s what we’ll do. You’ll go and make up with your sad boy right now so I can throw you the fanciest wedding this town has ever seen. I’m sure whatever the problem is, you can work it out.” He placed his hand at the side of his mouth as if in a whisper. “I fancy myself a bit of a matchmaker, and I have the tingle about you two.”
Eh, if he indeed was feeling a tingle, he should visit a doctor. “Thank you.” I tipped my Stetson toward him. “Good luck on your first day.”
“Thank you! Spread the word that there’s a hot, new,single”—he whispered the last word low—“wedding planner in town.”
I shook my head and couldn’t hide a grin as I walked out. Things were about to get interesting in Bristlecone Springs.
The second I stepped out into the sweltering sun, my smile dropped. Where could Ozzie have gone? There weren’t too many options, but I’d rather not poke my head into every shop, trying to find him.
“Hey, Gray!” Mrs. Rooney, who worked at the local newspaper, waved to me. “I just met your new son-in-law and gave him a big welcome.”
“You did? Where is he?”
“The café.”
Of course. “Thanks!”
I hurried along the sidewalk, the rhythmic echo of my boots adding to the cacophony of the small-town afternoon bustle. The café was just around the bend, and my heart clenched in anticipation as I slowed my pace. The old-fashioned wooden building had large, modern windows that allowed patrons to people watch as they sipped their lattes and nibbled on freshly baked pastries. The small tables outside were all filled.
Ozzie sat by himself in a corner, a steaming cup in front of him, along with an untouched pastry. He scribbled in a small notebook. I let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t look dejected. If anything, he seemed quite busy writing quickly.
He lifted a hand and brushed his cheek. A tear hit the page. Ozzie raised his head as though aware of my presence. He wore the most miserable expression, and his big, beautiful eyes were swimming in tears.
My heart pounded. Shit, I was the lowest scum on earth because I had contributed to those tears. I didn’t know how, but I had to fix this.
11
OZZIE
Oh crap, I should have thought twice before sitting so close to the window. I had never expected my sensible pros and cons list would have ended up with me in tears. But what else could I do? The number of items on the cons side was longer than the pros. I should pack my bags and get on the next plane home.
Why don’t you?
I wiped my cheek discreetly and raised my head. My heart leaped in my throat. Gray was staring back at me. My cheeks grew hot.Oh god, no. After what had happened this morning, he would think I was crying because of him instead of my turmoil over whether I was doing the right thing marrying Carter.
And yeah, maybe a little about him too because everything was so confusing.
I’d thought I’d figured out what my next step in my life would be. I’d quit my job at the hair salon, dammit. My boss had made it clear he couldn’t grant me a full two weeks off for my honeymoon, so Carter had encouraged me to walk away. I’d feltso empowered when he’d said, “Fuck that asshole. What do you need him for anyway when you’ve got me?”
But where was he?
