Was I jealous?
Yes. Yes, I was.
Tripp grinned, and I was sure every single female guest melted a little. “It appears I’m going first,” he said, then cocked a teasing eyebrow at Braden. Laughter filled the tent.
“First of all, I’d like to take all the credit for this,” he said, waving a hand at Woods and Della. “I was the one who sent Della to Rosemary Beach, or back to Rosemary Beach. I had no idea she’d passed through months earlier. But regardless, she came back because of me.”
More laughter. It was no surprise Tripp was good at this. He had always been able to charm a crowd.
“I didn’t realize the infamous Woods Kerrington was in deep until the night he walked into my apartment for my welcome-home party. It’s a wonder I’m standing here today. The man had staked his claim, and he was prepared to take down anyone in his way.” He paused again while everyone laughed. They all knew exactly what he was referring to.
“Della’s special. I knew it the moment I met her. But I could see in her eyes the same lost soul I saw in my own mirror every day. We were kindred spirits. All I knew was that if I could go back to Rosemary Beach, then maybe I’d have a chance of finding myself. But I wasn’t ready. So I did the next best thing. I sent Della. If I wasn’t ready to help myself, I wanted to at least help her.” He stopped and looked down at Woods. “And I was right. When I look at Della now, that lost look is completely gone. There’s joy and love shining in her eyes.
“And you.” He nudged Woods. “Dude, you’re so completely owned.” Laughter rang out, and Della leaned into her husband, holding his arm tightly.
“Once you asked me to hold her because you couldn’t. You didn’t want her to be alone. But what I understood then, which you hadn’t quite figured out yet, was that you’re the only one who can hold her, man. Your arms are her home.”
Tripp looked back out at the crowd and held up his champagne glass. “I’d wish you all the happiness in the world, but you’ve both already got that. Congratulations, you two. Cheers.”
I took a sip of my champagne and watched as Della stood up and threw her arms around Tripp, happy tears shining in her eyes. Woods stood up and casually took his wife’s arm and made a show of bringing her possessively to his side. Then he shook Tripp’s hand and thanked him before leaning in and saying something in his ear and slapping him on the back.
Grinning, both men sat down.
“I would hate to be Braden and have to follow that up. He was fantastic,” Blaire whispered.
I completely agreed with her.
Thad was a good dance partner, but his eyes were on a pretty server who also had her eyes on him. As soon as the dance was finished, I leaned in close to his ear. “Make sure you don’t get caught. She’ll probably get fired,” I warned him.
He winked at me. “I’m always careful.”
I laughed and walked back to our table. Dean was sitting there with Nate, and they had taken the spoons from the table and were using them as drumsticks. Nate was listening carefully to his grandfather’s explanations about how to keep the beat.
Rush and Blaire were still on the dance floor. I watched Della as she danced with her father. A man she had never known existed until two years ago. When Della had first come to Rosemary Beach, she had no family, just her best friend, Braden, and a lot of screwed-up shit in her past.
“I pway the dwums, An Betty,” Nate informed me loudly over the music.
“I see that. You sound great!” I assured him.
He beamed the charming little smile he’d inherited from his father at me. Then he went back to beating on the table with his spoons. Surprisingly in rhythm to the music. Maybe the kid had gotten his grandfather’s musical talent.
“Dance with me?” Tripp asked just before he stepped in front of me.
It was ridiculously unfair for this man to be in a tuxedo. There had to be a law against it. All six-foot-five of him looked more like the wealthy, elite man he could have been instead of the rebel on a bike he’d become.
He had been entertaining Braden’s cousin all evening. I had forbidden myself to look over at them after my stomach got knotted up so badly I could hardly eat. I wasn’t going to do this to myself. “Don’t you need to dance with your date?” I asked, unable to keep the cattiness from my voice. It wasn’t his fault Della had brought him a wedding date. I would not think about the wedding sex I was sure the woman was expecting.
“I’ve already danced with her. Now I want to dance with you.”
And I wasn’t sure I could keep from pawing at him in his damn suit if he put his arms around me. Why did this man have to look like this? Why couldn’t he have gotten ugly with age?
“Please, Bethy.” His voice had lowered.
Like I could tell him no. I slipped my hand into his outstretched one and stood up.
“Smart girl,” Dean said.
I swung my gaze over to him. He winked at me and gave Tripp a thumbs-up before going back to the drum lesson with Nate.
“It’s OK. It’s just a dance,” Tripp said, pulling my hand until I was close to him and farther away from the table.
Dean’s comments weren’t why I couldn’t relax. It was the idea of being in Tripp’s arms.
We walked out onto the floor just as the music slowed and James Morrison began singing “I Won’t Let You Go.”
One of Tripp’s hands found my lower back as he put gentle pressure on me to move closer while his other hand rested on my hip. I was thankful I had on six-inch stilettos so I could rest my hands on his shoulders.
“You can do better than that,” Tripp whispered in my ear. My traitorous body shivered.
“What?” I asked.
His hands left me and reached up to take mine and place them around his neck before going back to my lower back and hip. “Much better,” he said as our bodies brushed against each other.
This was close. Too close.
“You smell incredible,” he whispered, pressing me even closer.
OK, too much. The warmth of his body was surrounding me, and I was getting light-headed. Maybe because I was forgetting to breathe. When I breathed in, the clean scent of his soap washed over me. He rarely wore cologne. He either smelled like the sea breeze from riding his bike or like this. Either way, I used to love pulling him close and inhaling.
“You look beautiful tonight. I almost felt sorry for the other bridesmaids having to wear the same dress as you.”