Page 108 of The Bodyguard's Fall

The reception was held in a white tent on Horseshoe Holler’s property. Will had gone home after the reception, after making me promise to answer his next phone call. To my surprise, Tate wasted no time in asking me to dance. Most likely as a way to keep me close. But I went willingly.

“Don’t these people know the amount of money you can save by just hopping over the state line and hitting up a courthouse?” I said, watching somewhat wistfully as the couple in love danced across the room from us on the dance floor.

“Amateurs,” he agreed.

“I think I would rather take all the money spent on the wedding and put it toward a really good honeymoon.”

My words just hung in the air while I frantically sought a way to backtrack.

He pulled back, his brows lifted with a bemused expression. “I don’t need much money for a good honeymoon.”

Heat bloomed on my cheeks. How long was this song? Tate watched me, a smile lifting his lips, as though he were proud of the effect his words obviously had on me.

“I’m not talking about us,” I said, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear that refused to stay tucked. “Just people in general.”

“Oh,” Tate said, not believing me for a second. “So…in general, what kind of honeymoon would you have wanted—if it had been a real wedding?” His eyes flicked down to mine, skimming softly over the last two words.

I swallowed. “Are you saying that a stay in a princess-themed inn in our hometown wouldn’t be on your list?”

He smiled. “I didn’t say that. I’m just wondering what you’d pick.”

I countered, unwilling to share mine just yet until I knew where his head was going. “You first. What’s your dream honeymoon?”

“I’d be happy with a cabin in the woods.”

My stomach flipped. Maybe it was the way we were swaying softly against each other.

“What would we—you guys—do for food?” I fumbled and prayed he wouldn’t call attention to it.

An impish look crossed his face. One that caused me to stop breathing for a moment. “We’d come out for some fresh air and food whenever we needed to. We’d go on walks. Ride four-wheelers. Horses. Watch movies. Just spend a week off the grid. Now, what’s yours?”

The combination of his low voice and the magical imagery he just spelled out sent a trail of goosebumps across my skin. But I was close enough to recognize that the pounding of my heart was wrong; Will’s words about him breaking my heart for a job were doing a number on me.

We might be something like friends, but to find myself suddenly wanting exactly what he wanted for something so intimate as a honeymoon seemed too risky. It showed too many cards for our situation. I had to keep a few held back for my own self-preservation.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Greece.”

His brows raised. “Wow. So you…guys…would be busy sightseeing and all that?”

“No, we’d have…time to do lots of things. Besides, I wouldn’t want to go to Athens or a big city like that. Something smaller on the coast. More intimate.”

“More what?”

I stepped on his toes.

He pulled me closer, breathing out a laugh. “You’re too easy, Rawlins.”

My cheeks were flaming, but it was his use of my last name that had me sobering.

“What kind of wedding would you want?” I asked.

The question made me shy. I looked away, watching the crowds around us while we swayed slightly offbeat to the song “A Thousand Years.” I felt him consider me for a long moment.

“I’d want to rent out the whole high school football stadium and invite a massive number of people. I’d want to be sure and talk to everyone in town. Maybe I’d do a guitar solo...”

My eyes lifted to his and found him awaiting my reaction.

“Liar,” I said. “You don’t like people that much.”