“No, I can’t. And I would ask you to be my real date to the wedding, but I have a feeling you would say no.”
He met my gaze, and I had to wonder exactly how he had known that. Because I didn’t know him. Yet, if he’d asked me out on a true date, to a wedding or anywhere else, I would have said no.
Because there was something about him that made me want to scream yes.
The last time I had said yes in that fashion, I had gained the most precious point of my life but lost everything else in the process. I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t trust my own desires.
Therefore I didn’t date.
Only he was trying to get me out of my comfort space…and I indeed owed him. Yet how did he know what I would say without even asking?
That worried me, and yet, I wanted an excuse.
My failing once again.
“What exactly are you asking, Ewan?” I asked softly.
“Be my fake date to the wedding. Protect me from Trish and the others.” His lips quirked into a smile. “Don’t make me a complete liar to my friends.”
“You’re serious.”
“I’ll come up with an excuse, a timeline of how things worked out, but come with me. Just as friends.” He cleared his throat, and I bit my lip. “No pressure. No worries. Just really good food, and you have to deal with me in a tux.”
I nearly had to clamp my thighs together at the image. Because…wow. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to. But please save me from the wedding party. Help me, Livvy. You’re my only hope.”
I laughed out loud at that, knowing I was crazy to even think about saying yes.
Only I didn’t want to say no. I wanted to take the leap and not look down. Damn the consequences.
“Okay. I can be your fake date.”
At my response, his smile brightened, and I saw Aria and Amelia out of the corner of my eye coming toward us.
I really hoped I knew what I was doing.
four
EWAN
“When I’d saidyes to being your date, even your fake date, I probably should have askedwherethis wedding was being held,” Livvy said dryly. She looked past me and over the vast lands of Wyoming, and I inhaled a deep breath over the place I’d always called home.
Clover Lake was a small town in northern Wyoming complete with creeks, large swaths of land, nosy neighbors, that small town feel, and of course, the large lake that gave the town its name. My family had been part of it for generations and we knew nearly every soul that resided in our town. We also employed quite a large number of them. My brothers, sister, and I had rode wild over the town and Clover Lake had stories to tell.
But today wasn’t about that.
Though I held back a wince at her words, mostly because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. It wasn’t that I’d intentionally mislead Livvy. But I’d also needed her to say yes. I didn’t know what was wrong with me other than I’dneededher by my side.
Since that feeling had never run through me before in my life, it was a little difficult to get used to.
Yet as we walked through Jackson’s family ranch, I couldn’t help but be relieved and…oddly excited she was here. And excited wasn’t usually a word used to describe me. At all.
Of all my family, I was the quiet one. Not that I wanted to hide, more like I didn’t have much to say in a family that had everything to say. With four brothers and a baby sister, my family nearly rivaled Livvy’s. Although I wasn’t sure anyone could rival the Montgomerys.
“I thought I’d mentioned it,” I finally answered, realizing that I’d been quiet for far too long. I was already awkward as hell with this far-fetched idea of bringing a practical stranger to my best friend’s wedding. But perhaps I did need the protection of a date to Jackson’s nuptials. And wasn’t that a hard pill to swallow.
“No, you hadn’t,” Livvy said with a laugh. “Though I supposed I should have guessed since neither of you are from Colorado. I was just confused since so many of the pre-wedding activities took place in Denver or Colorado Springs.” She paused. “And there sure seemed to be a lot of them.” I held back a grin at the laughter in her gaze.
