Wedding Date (Dating Series Book 6) Read online

  Wedding Date

  Monica Murphy

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  The Dating Series

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  Also by Monica Murphy

  About the Author

  One

  Kelsey

  As time goes on, and the dating scene becomes bleaker and bleaker, I made a secret vow with myself. None of my friends know this, though I have said it out loud a few times around them. Problem is, none of them take me seriously. They all just laugh and think I’m kidding.

  I’m not.

  Anyway, my vow is this:

  I’ve sworn off men.

  It sounds extreme, I know, and let’s be real—this is a temporary situation. But come on. They’re all terrible. And I know I’m painting with a wide brush by saying that, but it’s true. The last few guys I’ve tried to go out with, the dates ended spectacularly—and not in a good way. A while ago, I convinced my friend Eleanor to get on that Rate A Date app with me so we could each find someone, and she meets the man of her dreams, who just so happens to be a pro athlete.

  While I meet a total jerk who treated me like garbage and harassed me for weeks afterward.

  Yeah. See? Terrible.

  One good thing that came out of meeting the harassing jerk (his name is Paul, though that really doesn’t matter) is that I have become friendly with his best friend, Theodore Crawford. Theo is sweet. Kind. He just got out of a serious relationship—engaged serious, which is super-duper serious—after he found out she cheated on him.

  With his cousin.

  He’s in the anti-dating club as well. He’s given up on women. He made that declaration to me a few weeks ago, when we went out for drinks together.

  Yes, we’re just friends. That’s all I want from Theo, and that’s all he wants from me, and it is positively liberating.

  How did we meet up again after the disastrous double date I had with Paul and Theo and my friend Eleanor? Picture this:

  I’m at a business mixer on a Wednesday evening at the Wilder Hotel in Pebble Beach, where I work. I’m already bored and wondering when I can leave when I hear someone say my name in this wondrous, questioning tone. I turn to find Theo approaching me, his big brown eyes drinking me in as if I were the best thing he’s ever seen.

  It was flattering, don’t get me wrong. But considering I associate him with one of the worst first dates I’ve ever been on, at first I was reluctant to chat with Theo. Plus, I remember him being so incredibly sad. He’d only been separated from his ex-fiancée for a few months when I first met him, and he was still in a major funk.

  But he was so fun that night at the business mixer. Talking nonstop and making me laugh. Telling me funny stories. Reminding me that if I was interested in investing money, he could help me.

  I took him up on that offer and made an appointment with him. He took me to lunch. He convinced me to invest the five grand I had in savings, and I’ve seen some growth, which makes me happy. Since then, we’ve gone out for a few dinners, mostly for business-type stuff. We cross paths frequently at community events. I like Theo.

  A lot.

  But not enough to want to have a relationship with him. I have my guard up. A wall that is solid steel and no one can penetrate it. Like I mentioned, I’ve given up men, and while I know it’s not a forever type of thing, I am making myself do this for the betterment of my soul. So I won’t settle. I need to find a good man. One who’ll take care of me. One who won’t have a wandering eye. One who’ll treat me as an equal. One who’ll give me multiple orgasms.

  I might have high standards, but shouldn’t we all?

  Theo understands me. He understands what I want right now, and all I want is friendship. Same with him. I don’t think he’s interested in me at all. He doesn’t act like he is, and that’s perfect.

  Perfect.

  We’re meeting for lunch right now, as a matter of fact. He’s coming to the hotel because he has a business meeting here at two. We’re going to have a long lunch at one of the hotel restaurants, which has a patio outside with a gorgeous view of the beach. The weather is perfect for outdoor dining. The sun is shining, the water is a deep, dark blue and there’s a slight breeze.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Theo calls in greeting.

  I lift my head to find him making his way toward me, winding his tall, trim body through the tiny tables scattered on the brick patio. He’s got a smile on his face and his brown eyes are warm and friendly as they meet mine.

  He just instantly makes me feel comfortable, and that’s rare.

  Rising to my feet, I give him a quick hug. He briefly kisses my cheek. We settle in at our tiny table and he picks up the menu, though I already know what he’s going to order. I always get a salad and he gets a cheeseburger. While we eat, I secretly salivate over the juicy burger he eats, and when he spots me making puppy-dog eyes at his food, he always cuts off part of it for me.

  Theo is very generous. He also shares his fries.

  “I have news,” Theo says gravely after he sets the menu down.

  I study his face. When I first met him, I thought he looked like the saddest version of Ross from Friends and Eleanor totally agreed with me. Now I don’t get that vibe at all. He’s got the dark hair and the dark eyes, but the glum expression has completely disappeared. He smiles a lot, and he has a nice smile with straight, white teeth. Those warm brown eyes that seem to dance every time he looks at me, and the thick dark hair that’s a little too long on top, though he can carry it off. He’s tall and fit and he wears impeccable suits that look expensive because they are expensive.

  He’s a successful investment manager at one of the local banks in Monterey. He makes a lot of money. He’s not Alexander Wilder—my boss—level rich, but he does very well for himself.

  “What’s your news?” I ask when Theo hasn’t volunteered any more information.

  Uh oh. Unease settles over me, making me wary. He’s giving me those old, sad vibes right now, which I haven’t seen in a while.

  Blowing out a harsh breath, he tells me, “I received an invitation this morning. To Jessica and Craig’s wedding.”

  I blink at him for a moment. “Jessica? The Jessica?”

  As in his former future wife.

  He nods, his gaze flickering with an unfamiliar emotion. “Yes. That Jessica.”

  “They invited you to their wedding?” I’m so outraged on his behalf, my voice just rose about ten decibels.

  “He’s my cousin,” Theo says with a shrug, seemingly unaffected. I wish I could be as cool as he’s currently acting. “We’re family.”

  “Don’t forget Craig stole your fiancée. The woman you were going to marry,” I remind him.

  “Oh, trust me. I remember.” His face is an emotionless mask, and my heart is heavy for him.

  The server appears at our table and takes our order. Not only does Theo gets his cheeseburger with fries, he also order
s a beer. Something he never does when he’s in work mode.

  “A beer, huh?” I ask once the server leaves.

  “I need it to get through the rest of my day,” he says. “I have to admit, seeing that invitation kind of rocked me.”

  I would assume so. “So you just received the invitation in the mail?”

  “Jess sent it to my work address.” I kind of hate how he calls her Jess, as if she’s an old, intimate friend, which I suppose she is.

  Thinking of her fills me with murderous images. I don’t know what she looks like, but I imagine tearing her hair out at the roots and kicking her over a cliff, never to be seen again.

  See? Murderous. I hate that she hurt Theo in such a cold, callous way.

  “You’re not going to go, are you?” I lean back in my chair, contemplating him. The breeze sweeps over us, ruffling his hair and sending it into his eyes, and he pushes it back in annoyance.

  Look, I can admit that Theo is somewhat…attractive. Okay, fine, he’s really attractive. He’s definitely a catch for a certain woman. But that woman is not me. He’s my friend.

  Nothing more.

  “I have to go to the wedding,” he says, his voice deadly serious.

  I balk at him. “Why? What does it matter if you show up or not? Everyone would understand why you don’t. She was your fiancée. She practically left you at the altar.”

  “Not quite,” he says with the faintest smile. “Our breakup wasn’t that pitiful.”

  “You found them in bed together,” I remind him. “Naked.” I hesitate before I forge on. “That’s pretty pitiful, don’t you think?”

  He winces. “Kelsey, you always have this…way of always keeping things extremely real between us.”

  I sit up straighter, my demeanor solemn. “Some say it’s my best trait.”

  “Who says that?” He grins, and I can’t help but laugh a little. “I’d say sometimes it’s detrimental.”

  “I just don’t want you to forget what they did to you,” I say, unable to ignore how defensive I feel on his behalf.

  As in, I want to defend him. Protect him. This is what friends do, am I right?

  “I will never forget,” he says, and I can tell from the serious way he’s watching me, he means it. “Right now, though, I’d prefer not to dwell on the horrendous details of when my future marriage went up in flames.”

  Pressing my lips together, I nod once. “Sorry.”

  “Hey. It’s all good,” he says easily.

  The server returns with our drinks. Theo gratefully reaches for the beer and takes a sip, leaving a thin line of foam on his upper lip. He licks it away quickly and I experience a weird dip in my stomach.

  Yeah, no. I’m not ready for weird dips. I’m off men, remember? Especially ones I consider an actual friend.

  “The main reason I wanted to meet for lunch with you is that I was hoping I could convince you to…” His voice drifts, and he glances down at the table for a moment before he lifts his head, his gaze meeting mine once more.

  But he doesn’t say anything.

  I shake my head a little, giving him a confused look. “Convince me to what?”

  “Be my date. For the wedding,” he says softly, suddenly looking bashful.

  My mouth drops open. “You want me to go with you to your ex-fiancée’s wedding?”

  “Yeah, I do. I definitely do.” He nods eagerly.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I start, trying to choose my words carefully, but he cuts me off.

  “Honestly, Kels, what’s the big deal? I need a date, we’re friends, you’re gorgeous, Jess will take one look at you and realize I made a major upgrade, and I’ll look like I am on top of the world,” he says, his words coming out all at once, like one long string of consciousness.

  I’m guessing he’s been thinking about this situation a lot. And he wants me in on it.

  I’d love to help, but…

  “I just worry about you,” I admit, reaching out to rest my hand over his. “Have you seen her lately?”

  He slowly shakes his head. “I was invited to a family get together recently, and when I found out they were going to be there, I didn’t go.”

  “Right. Because you didn’t feel ready to see her.”

  “Well, I feel ready to see her now.” He flips his hand up so now our fingers are interlaced, and he gives them a squeeze. “Come on, Kels. Go with me. Be my wedding date. We’ll show everyone I’m completely over Jessica once and for all.”

  I don’t know why, but the idea of going to Theo’s ex-fiancée’s wedding to his cousin fills me with dread. Like this is a bad idea.

  Perhaps even the worst idea ever.

  But have I mentioned how hard it is for me to resist Theo when he’s looking at me like that with those big brown eyes? I’m suddenly filled with the overwhelming need to make him smile, make him happy, and so of course I say:

  “Sure. All right. Let’s go together.”

  Two

  Theo

  The relief I feel at hearing her agree to go with me to Jessica’s wedding nearly makes me sag in my chair. But I keep it together because I don’t like showing signs of weakness. Especially in front of Kelsey. She always somehow encourages me to stay strong no matter what. Maybe because she’s so strong too.

  And stubborn.

  And smart.

  Did I mention beautiful?

  The woman is a complete knockout. Long, shiny dark hair. High cheekbones, plump lips, brown eyes. Lush body with curves in all the right places. When I accompany her places, we get stares. Correction, she gets stares. Men watch her with their mouths hanging open and I fully expect to see drool falling from their lips. Women study her like she’s a puzzle they want to figure out. Kelsey is absolutely stunning. To the point that if I don’t watch out, I could find myself becoming attracted to her.

  Okay, fuck it. I am attracted to her. You’d have to be dead not to be attracted to Kelsey. But I knew the moment I spent one-on-one time with her, no way could I ever have a chance. I shot my own self down, and once I got past that, I realized that we got along well. She makes me laugh. I make her laugh. We have great conversations. Sometimes they derail into arguments, but I wouldn’t consider that a bad thing. We can state our opposing points and still respect each other in the end.

  That’s refreshing.

  “When’s the wedding?” Kelsey asks, knocking me out of my thoughts.

  “In a month.”

  Her mouth pops open. “A month? And they only just sent out the invitations?”

  “Jessica is not very…prompt.”

  Understatement. She’s the queen of lateness, while I was—and still am—sickeningly on time. I’d hoped I could balance her out and make her if not on time, at least a little earlier to our commitments, but it never happened. She flat out didn’t care.

  About a lot of things, truthfully. Except herself.

  “I hate it when people are late,” Kelsey says, reaching over to grab her iced tea and take a sip. My gaze falls to the front of her button-up black shirt. It fits her loosely, but strains across her breasts.

  Yeah, I’m checking her out. She doesn’t even notice. I raise my gaze to her lips, how they’re pursed around that straw. My entire being is screaming ask her out on a real date!

  But my logical brain is telling me, Don’t do that. You’ll ruin everything.

  So I stay far away from that subject.

  “Me too,” I tell her, grateful she’s always on time, like me. Sometimes she’s early. Also like me. We have a lot in common.

  “Are there other events?” Kelsey asks.

  I frown. “What do you mean?”

  “Wedding events. A lot of couples like to have showers together,” she says.

  My frown deepens. “I’m sure lots of couples love showering together, but what does that have to do with their wedding?”

  Kelsey bursts out laughing. “Theo, you’re freaking hilarious. Seriously, I’m talking about a bridal sh
ower, but nowadays they have couple showers. You know, a party where everyone brings you a bunch of wedding gifts before the actual wedding, where guests are forced to bring more gifts.”

  I feel like an idiot. I know what they are, I just—my mind was in the gutter. “Right. A shower. I have no idea if they’re going to have a couples shower.”

  “You should look into it. What if they invite you? Talk about awkward.” She makes a face.

  “Everything about this situation is awkward. You know this,” I remind her.

  The server shows up with our food, and I’m grateful for the interruption. I don’t want to think about showers and gifts and what we need to bring or where I need to go. I don’t want to go to this stupid wedding either, but my entire family basically said I’d look like the world’s biggest pussy if I decide not to show.

  Well, not my entire family. More like my brothers told me that.

  I am the oldest of five. I have three younger brothers and a sister. Yes, my parents were busy in the early years of their marriage. Two of my brothers are fraternal twins and eternal pains in the ass. My sister hates all of us because we’re very overprotective of her.

  Okay, she doesn’t hate us, that’s extreme. But all of us are so overbearing, we scare off any prospective boyfriends she might have. This is why she never brings dates around us. Guess I can’t blame her. As the oldest, I’m the responsible one. My other brothers love to give her endless shit. They do the same to me.

  When your three brothers call you names and say that you can’t bow out of going to your ex’s wedding to your cousin, then you go. End of story.