Coming Apart at the Seams (30 page)

“A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead walked into a chapel . . .” she quipped.

They convulsed into giggles, and when their laughter died down, Ava Grace picked up the long veil draped over the back of a chair. She placed it toward the back of Amelia's updo and fluffed it so it fell in filmy folds past the bride's waist.

“You're ready,” Ava Grace said, her voice even huskier than usual.

Amelia sought Ava Grace's eyes in the mirror, and she smiled tremulously. “Now is not the day to start crying,” she told her best friend.

Ava Grace's glossy lips tipped up in a small smile, her hazel eyes shining wetly. “I have no idea what you're talking about. You know I don't cry.”

Teagan checked the clock on the wall. “It's time.”

A light knock sounded on the heavy wooden door, and Teagan's mom poked her head around it. When she saw the three of them standing together, she smiled and made her way to Amelia's side. Grasping her future daughter-in-law's hands, she kissed her cheek.

“I'm so happy you picked Quinn, and I'm so lucky I get to be your mother-in-law.” She grinned. “And I'm so excited you're going to be the mother of my future grandchildren. Hint, hint.”

Everyone laughed at Kate's comment. She had made no secret of the fact that she was desperate for grandchildren.

“I wanted to let you know all the guests are seated, and the men are on standby,” Kate said, heading toward the door. “We're ready when you are.”

The door clicked behind her, and Amelia took a deep breath. She turned to face them.

“Let's go. I can't wait to see Quinn in a tux.”

The three of them grabbed their bouquets and made their way into the chapel's vestibule. With the exception of the wedding coordinator, it was empty. Amelia's mother was dead, and she'd never known her father. She and Ava Grace were each other's family, and the tall blonde planned to walk Amelia down the aisle.

The wedding coordinator spoke into her headset, and the tempo of the music inside the chapel changed. The coordinator gestured to Teagan before opening the door.

She started the slow walk down the aisle, trying to keep her eyes on the officiant standing at the end of the rose-petal-strewn floor. She could feel Nick's gaze on her, and her hands shook around her bouquet. She gripped them tighter, focusing her attention on the ribbon-wrapped stems to prevent herself from looking at him. Every step she took brought her closer, and finally she gave in to the overwhelming need.

When she saw him in his stark black formalwear, she was
surprised she didn't trip and fall on her face. Nick in jeans and a T-shirt was enough to make most women drool. Nick in a tux could start an estrogen riot.

Teagan knew the male wedding party all wore Brioni tuxedos—the same ones the actor Daniel Craig wore as James Bond in the 007 movies. The wool-and-silk blend formalwear was outrageously expensive, but looking at Nick as he stood straight and tall next to her brothers, she almost thought the price was worth it. The black fabric hugged his broad shoulders and long legs, while his white tuxedo shirt emphasized his tan and his thick, shiny hair.

She met his green gaze, and he smiled slowly. Almost of their own free will, her lips tipped up at the corners to return it. His smile widened, his eyes heating. It was pretty obvious what he was thinking about, and a blush crawled up her cheeks as she took her place at the front of the chapel.

Over the past couple of weeks, Nick had dropped all pretense they were nothing more than family friends. He didn't seem to care that his interest in her was obvious to her brothers, her parents, and other Riley O'Brien employees. He waged an emotional war on her with every single look and every single word.

The string quartet shifted into Richard Wagner's “Bridal Chorus,” signaling the bride's imminent arrival, and Teagan managed to pull her eyes from Nick to focus on the chapel's double doors. The guests stood, and Amelia and Ava Grace made their way down the aisle.

Teagan glanced toward Quinn but immediately looked away because she felt like a voyeur when she saw his face. His emotions were visible for everyone to see: need, adoration, pride, possession, and most of all,
love
.

That deep, soul-sucking O'Brien love.

Tears burned the backs of Teagan's eyes, and she blinked rapidly to push them back. She was happy for Quinn and Amelia. She really was.

But she was also jealous. She wanted what they had. She wanted someone to love her the way Quinn loved Amelia. She wanted someone to look at her the way Quinn looked at his future wife.

Amelia and Ava Grace reached Quinn's side, and when the
officiant asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage?” Ava Grace's voice rang out in the chapel. “I do.”

Stepping aside, the tall blonde let Quinn take her place. He stared down into Amelia's face for a moment before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. Dropping his head, he kissed her until the wedding guests roared with laughter.

Teagan laughed along with them, but her laughter died in her throat when her gaze collided with Nick's. His eyes were bright with hunger, and the expression on his face made it clear the courting phase of his strategy was over. He was moving on to the next one.

Claiming.

Each layer of Quinn and Amelia's wedding cake was a different flavor, and Nick was greedy enough to wish he could have a piece of each one. He took another bite, moaning softly as the tartness of lemon and the sweetness of raspberries bombarded his taste buds.

“What kind do you have?” Cal asked around a mouthful of cake.

“Lemon and raspberry.”

“Is it good? I have the devil's food cake with vanilla icing, and to quote Amelia, it's ‘orgasmically delicious.'”

Nick chuckled. The cake was pretty good, but the only thing he would describe as orgasmically delicious was Teagan's curvy body.

“I think I'm going to try to sneak another piece,” Cal said. “I heard there's coconut cake with lime buttercream. And I'm going to get a piece of the groom's cake, too. It's chocolate almond cake with mocha icing.”

Cal sighed, and Nick glanced toward him. The other man's lips were tipped in a small smile, his gaze focused on Quinn and Amelia. The newlyweds were talking with a group of wedding guests, and Quinn's arm was curled tightly around Amelia's waist while she leaned against him.

“That's what I call ‘Happily Ever After,'” Cal said, nodding his head toward his brother and his bride. “I would bet my life they're going to be like that fifty years from now.”

Nick nodded in agreement. He was confident that no matter how many years passed, Quinn would still be holding Amelia close, and she'd still be leaning against him.

Taking another bite of cake, Nick tried to push down the envy that welled inside him. He was happy for his best friend and his new wife. At the same time, he wanted to be the one who held his bride close. He wanted to be the one who had fifty years of togetherness to look forward to.

Nick let his gaze wander the room. He could count on one hand the number of weddings he had attended. While he'd played football, a number of his teammates had married, and he had been invited to almost all the weddings. He had only attended a couple, though, because he felt uncomfortable in social situations where he was expected to talk.

Without question, Quinn and Amelia's wedding was the nicest he had attended. The reception space was quite large, which was a good thing, since there were at least 450 wedding guests. Most of them were from the groom's side, since Amelia didn't have any family and only a few friends.

With its creamy stucco walls and dark wood plank floors, the room was similar to the Spanish-style chapel where the ceremony had been held. Wrought iron and crystal chandeliers hung from the unique, barrel-shaped vaulted ceiling, giving the room a sophisticated yet rustic feel.

It had a large dance floor, and the band was set up in the front of the room. Two sets of arched double doors opened to a huge patio area, which was strung with outdoor garden lights.

At least forty-five round tables were set up inside and outside. Light and dark gray table linens covered the tables, and large floral arrangements were situated in the middle of each. The flowers were the same ones Amelia and her bridesmaids had carried down the aisle.

Now that the meal was over and the cake had been cut, Nick assumed the dancing would begin. The seven-person band was ready to go, but it hadn't started playing yet. The string quartet that had played during the ceremony had provided music throughout dinner.

Nick heard the sound of Teagan's laughter, and his eyes instinctively sought her out. He smiled when he saw her chatting with Deda Aldridge, the head of Riley O'Brien & Co.'s business development group, and his partner.

Cal nudged Nick with his tuxedo-clad shoulder, and Nick brought his attention back to the younger O'Brien brother. Cal tilted his head toward Teagan, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

“How are things going with Teagan? Any progress with my stubborn but lovable little sister?”

Nick grinned at Cal's apt description. He loved everything about Teagan, but he wished she was just a little less stubborn, especially when it came to giving him another chance.

“Maybe,” Nick answered. “She smiled at me.”

That smile she had given him as she'd walked down the aisle had made his heart beat faster and his blood bubble inside his veins. He had been surprised she had even looked his way, and when her glossy lips had tilted up, he'd felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.

Cal gave him a look that combined pity and contempt. “You're pathetic.”

Nick laughed. “Someday you might think a smile is p-p-p-progress.”

“If that day ever comes, I give you permission to bludgeon me with the golf club I gave you for Christmas.”

“I'll look f-f-f-forward to it.”

“Has she said anything about the gifts?”

“No.”

While they'd been drinking bourbon in the resort bar, the O'Brien brothers had suggested that he woo Teagan with gifts. He had liked the idea and had eventually decided on gifts that could do double duty as her favorite things and as reminders of their time in Boston—a time when he had been falling in love and had been too stupid to realize it.

Teagan hadn't mentioned his gifts, but he thought that was a good sign. He didn't want a thank-you, he just wanted her, and at least she hadn't rejected the gifts by dumping them on his desk.

He was even more encouraged by the way she had acted when she had seen the injuries to his face. It was the first time she had willingly put her hands on him (except for sex) since they had been in Boston, and her concern had been evident.

“What about doing something romantic?” Cal suggested. “Maybe a ride in a hot air balloon.”

“You think that's romantic?” Nick asked, shooting Cal a doubtful glance.

“I don't know,” Cal admitted. “I've never had to
be
romantic to get what I wanted from a woman.”

Nick nodded. He knew exactly what Cal meant. Women threw themselves at him, and he'd never had to put any effort into getting laid. Before Teagan, Nick had never gone out of his way to do something special for any woman.

“Her birthday is in a few days,” Cal reminded him. “Maybe you could do something special to celebrate it.”

Suddenly, Nick's mind was filled with images of Teagan in her green dress the night he had taken her out for her birthday—the night when he had ruined everything. He wished he could go back and relive that night like the asshole main character in
Groundhog Day
.

If he were given a mulligan, he would make love to Teagan all night long and wake up in her bed. Maybe he'd take her slowly in the early morning light, or maybe he'd pull her into the shower and take her while warm water trickled over them.

Then he would treat her to brunch before texting Elijah and asking his agent to find him a place with the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders so he could be with Teagan when she moved back home. And finally, he'd ask her what kind of engagement ring she wanted.

If he had done those things when he'd had the chance, they would have already celebrated their third wedding anniversary. They would probably have a kid, and given the fact that he couldn't keep his hands off her, they would likely have another baby on the way.

He could have had everything, and now he thought it was a big deal when she smiled at him.
Cal is right—I am pathetic.

The band's guitarist strummed his instrument to get the guests' attention, interrupting Nick's melancholy musings. Once the room was silent, Ava Grace stepped up on the dais with her guitar and sat down on a stool in front of a stationary microphone. Crossing her legs, the beautiful blonde gave the crowd a big smile.

The guests began to murmur, and the air crackled with excitement. No one had known Ava Grace planned to perform, not even the newlyweds.

Ava Grace had won the national singing competition,
American Star
, nearly four years ago. Since then, she'd vaulted into stardom with several number one songs. She was a household name akin to Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood except she was even prettier and more talented.

“Hello, everyone,” Ava Grace said, her unique raspy voice amplified by the mic. “Most of you know me as Ava Grace Landy, but you might not know me by my most important title, Amelia Winger's . . . oops, I guess she's Amelia O'Brien now, folks.”

Ava Grace chuckled, and the guests laughed at her mistake. “My most important title is Amelia O'Brien's best friend,” she continued. “Amelia and I grew up together. We're family.”

Her voice softened. “Right after Amelia met Quinn, she told me he was too distracting—that she couldn't even be in the same city with him because she was afraid she'd rip off his clothes.”

Nick laughed along with the rest of the wedding guests, glancing over to see how Quinn and Amelia were reacting to Ava Grace's speech. The bride's face was bright red, and the groom's face was split by a grin that stretched nearly ear to ear.

“Millie, you now have the legal right to rip off Quinn's clothes anytime you feel like it.”

The guests roared with laughter, and Amelia hid her face against Quinn's shoulder. Ava Grace laughed. “Okay, that's enough embarrassment for one night. I wrote a song for you two, and I'd love it if you would dance your first dance as husband and wife while I sing. What do you say?”

The newlyweds nodded, and a couple of dark-suited men cleared the dance floor. Quinn and Amelia took their place in the middle of it, and Ava Grace winked at her best friend.

“This is called ‘Empty Places,'” Ava Grace said before looking over her shoulder to count off the beat.

The band launched into a slow, sweet melody. Quinn twirled Amelia, and her fluffy dress belled out around her before he pulled her back into his arms.

Ava Grace began to sing, mesmerizing the guests with her
voice and lyrics. Nick took a deep breath, letting the music pour over him, and all too soon, the song was over. For several seconds, there was silence in the room, and he noticed several wedding guests wiping their eyes.

Ava Grace stood and waved to the crowd before stepping down from the dais. Quinn and Amelia met her, and the bride threw her arms around her best friend. The crowd broke into applause, and the band immediately launched into an upbeat song. Seconds later, enthusiastic dancers filled the dance floor.

Sometime during Ava Grace's song, Cal had disappeared from his place beside Nick. He had a pretty good idea where the other man had gone, and his suspicions were proved correct when he spotted him near the cake. While everyone else had been enthralled with the slow, romantic music, the best man had been stuffing his face.

Turning his attention from the glutton in the corner, Nick leaned against the wall. He spotted Kate and James on the dance floor, and he smiled when James dipped his wife over his arm.

Nick watched the guests dance through the first set of songs, and when the band took a break and the string quartet began playing again, he searched the room for Teagan. He had kept an eye on her all evening, debating whether he should approach her.

He didn't want to reverse the progress he'd made with her by putting her on the defensive, but at the same time, he wanted to dance with her. He wanted to feel her curvy body against his, look into her beautiful blue eyes, and smell her sweetness.

He saw her standing alone near the doors to the patio, and he let himself enjoy the sight of her in the strapless bridesmaid dress. Her shoulders and chest looked smooth and creamy against the silvery-gray material. The dress crisscrossed over her torso before cinching her waist and falling to the floor in smooth folds. A flat-chested woman would have looked pretty good in the dress, but Teagan, who had large, luscious breasts, looked liked every man's X-rated fantasy.

Teagan glanced his way, and he didn't bother to pretend he hadn't been staring at her. He didn't bother to hide his hunger for her, either. The corners of her mouth tilted up, drawing him like a magnet.

He headed her way, surprised and pleased when she stayed
where she was. He had expected her to rush out of the room. Maybe he
was
making headway.

Stopping in front of her, he shoved his hands in his pants pockets to keep from pulling her to him. She looked up to meet his eyes. Her glasses were absent, and he noticed the shimmery silver color on her eyelids and the length of her long lashes.

A dark curl had escaped from her fancy up-do, and it dangled over her forehead. He pushed it back, tucking it behind her ear, and traced the diamond stud fastened to her earlobe.

He'd hoped she would wear the earrings and bracelet he had given her, but he had doubted she would. He had planned to give the jewelry to her for Christmas, but he'd changed his mind in favor of the picture. The pieces had languished in a safe-deposit box in a downtown bank for months, and he'd decided to go ahead and give them to her as part of his new strategy.

He wasn't sure how long they stared at each other, maybe seconds, maybe minutes, but he finally managed to gather his thoughts. He cleared his throat so he could deliver a long sentence, and she tilted her head, waiting patiently for his words.