“Thank you. It’s a bit more daring than I’m used to, but I figured why not, right?”
“You know how I feel about that,” she said, smiling at me. “Wear what you want to wear, when you want to wear it. Are you here alone?”
“Yeah,” I said happily, not minding at all that she was asking.
“Well, let me just give you the rundown on the men here,” she said, walking closer and whispering. “Stay away from Charlie, the tall guy that is a groomsman.”
“I think I already had a run in with Charlie.” I laughed. “He’s wasted.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she said, completely embarrassed.
“It’s fine,” I whispered. “I’m pretty sure he left after that, and I haven’t seen him since, so I think the rest of the women are safe.”
“No wonder you are single,” she said, shaking her head. “Men are so weird these days. I’m not going to sit here and say my new husband was some Godsend at first. He was difficult, just like the rest of them, but then he fell in love, and that changed everything for him and me.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I’m so glad that you guys made it. So many of us are living the single life.”
“Hang in there,” she said, smiling. “You will find yours when you are least expecting it.”
“I know.” I smiled back. “I’m not worried in the least. I have plenty of time.”
“Yes, you do, and you deserve someone amazing,” she said, kissing me on the cheek. “Okay, I’m going to find some food before I pass out.”
“Of course.” I laughed. “We don’t need you passing out. We should have lunch when you get back from your honeymoon.”
“Yes, let’s,” she said, hugging me tightly. “Thank you for coming out.”
I watched as she smiled brightly at the other guests and picked up the sides of her gown, walking around like a princess. All of this was beautiful, but I knew it wasn’t my style. I was definitely not the princess in a carriage kind of girl. I had much simpler tastes.
I walked off into the crowd and over to the table at the front with all the pictures. I smiled as I looked down at her sketches, surrounded by adorable candids of her and Troy. They really did love each other. As I stood there, I caught a glimpse of someone walk up beside me, but I didn’t look up, figuring they were more interested in the pictures than me.
“Hi,” a deep voice said.
“Hi,” I replied, looking up and freezing.
Standing in front of me was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. He had short dark hair and striking, light blue eyes. He stood over six feet tall, and I could see his muscles pressing against his expensive designer suit. He had a five o’clock shadow that normally I would find sloppy, but on him, it was charming, like the guy on the cover of a holiday romance novel. My heart beat quickly in my chest, and I was unsure of what to say.
“I’m Blaine,” he said, sticking out his hand.
“Reese,” I replied, shaking his hand and smiling. “Nice to meet you.”
“It was a beautiful wedding,” he replied, looking down at the pictures.
“Caroline really outdid herself,” I said, chuckling, realizing that may have sounded rude. “I didn’t mean that in a mean way. I meant she has dreamed of this her whole life, and it’s exactly how she imagined it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know that part,” he said with a big smile. “I was always excluded from the girl parties.”
“Oh.” I laughed nervously. “They weren’t all that fun to begin with, so you didn’t miss anything good.”
“You’ve known her your whole life?”
“Yeah,” I replied, turning to him and grabbing a glass of champagne off the tray of a server passing by. “Our fathers worked together, and we used to keep each other company at the club when they would go golfing. You?”
“Her brother Caleb is my best friend, so I was obligated to come,” he said, flashing another huge, charming smile that made my knees weak.
“Caleb is a nice guy,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
He chuckled. “Yes, he is.”