East looked over the list. “I can do…” He ran down the list of items again. “None of this.” Then he pointed at one of the line items. “What the hell does ‘get bodice fitted’ mean, anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Matt said and threw his arms up. “Something about the dress Natalie will have to fit into. Can you just help her? The switching of bridesmaids is freaking Bridget out the most. And you know Natalie. She’s…”
Right then, East looked up from the list and almost wanted to smack his best friend. He knew what he was about to say, and for some reason, he already didn’t like it.
“Natalie is just awkward with this kind of stuff,” Matt finally finished. And yep, East kind of wanted to smack him. Which was dumb. He also wanted to say that there hadn’t been a damn thing awkward about Natalie last night. Which would have, of course, been even dumber.
“Just look out for her,” Matt said. “I heard what you did last night.”
East’s heart stopped.
“You did?”
Matt nodded and smiled. “My mom was already chewing my ear first thing this morning about Natalie’s failed date. But rumor mill had it that you went after her to make sure she was okay.”
“Right…” East said. “That.”
“If I can’t be around to look after her, it helps to know that you will be. I don’t want her feelings hurt or some asshole manipulating her. I’m glad you were there last night. Man, the thought of some random guy taking advantage of her bothers me. Besides, you have all your tux stuff done, and she doesn’t know any of the other bridesmaids, and they aren’t even coming to Beaufort until the rehearsal anyway. She could use a big brother right now. My mom is on her ass about dating, and I know she’s having a hard time.” Matt stopped and seemed to realize how many words he’d just spewed. “Just…help me out. Help her out.”
East took a deep breath. He’d been through this with Matt before. It was their job to look out for Natalie. Had been doing it since Matt’s family had accepted East as one of their own. He’d be there for Matt, and he’d be there for Natalie. Always.
I’m such a fuck.
Because, yeah, helping was one thing, but now he was also lying to his best friend. Last night with Natalie, and now thinking of her the way he was, and then to be stuck with her? He wouldn’t let the family down, but he also couldn’t spend that kind of time with Natalie. God forbid they ended up alone again…
“I can’t, man.” East searched for a valid reason and thankfully came up with one. “I’m running the office these next two weeks and have CPR training this weekend.”
“Then you can help in the evenings,” Matt said.
“I have shit to do.”
“Well, now you have more shit to do.”
East shook his head. “There’s a ton on this list, and I’m supposed to—”
“I love you, bro, but man the fuck up. You’re like my brother. Which means Natalie’s like your sister. We’re family. And family’s always there for one another. Right?”
Now East really felt like an asshole. But he couldn’t come out and say, Dude, I’m trying to stay away from your hot sister because I just banged her and want to bang her again.
So instead he said, “All right. I’ll be there for Natalie.”
Matt smiled wide and tapped the list. “Thanks so much!”
“Yep,” East said as his best friend walked out.
Great. This was just great…
“You can’t put ‘hangs out at a bar all day’ on my…what the hell are you even doing?” Natalie set down the cupcake she was frosting and looked up from the prepping table in the back of the shop to glare at her friends.
Michelle had brought her laptop into the cupcake shop, and now both of Natalie’s friends were set up on her counter and huddled around it, and they were asking way too many questions.
“We’re making you a profile,” Michelle said. “And we need to put this information on here so the men you date have a better sense of who you are.”
Michelle just kept typing and clicking while Chloe polished off her third cupcake and rubbed her very pregnant belly. They were her two best friends, and while Michelle was newly engaged, Chloe was expecting twin girls any day now, thanks to her super-hot search and rescue husband, Gage McGraw.
“I still think this is a bad idea.” Natalie put the finishing touches on the cupcake’s frosting and then wiped down the counter. There was a smear of frosting she’d missed from earlier, and the stupid smudge reminded her that only last night she’d had sex with East right here…
She sprayed cleaner and scrubbed harder.
“You need this profile if you want to find a date by the wedding,” Michelle said. She was happily typing away on the laptop, and Chloe was reading over her shoulder. After she’d called them in a panic earlier, both of her BFFs had showed up to save the day. Except their version of saving the day was setting her up on Match.com.
“Looking for a short-term, good-time, no-strings kind of fun…” Michelle mumbled.
“That makes me sound like I’m looking for a hookup,” Natalie said.