Page 26 of Won't Back Down
“We’re still friends, Wren.”
Her cute little nose screwed up. “I know. But I mean, they’re going to expect PDA.”
Ah, was that what had her worried? She’d seemed okay with the kiss at the wedding. In fact, she’d seemed into it, something I’d been trying to not think about when I’d forced myself to let her go. Maybe it was the public part of PDA that bothered her.
“I won’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
She waved a hand. “I’m not worried about that. You’ll just have to remember to, you know, touch me.”
Oh Wren, wanting to touch you is not something I have to think about. It’s keeping my hands off you that’s the problem.
But I wasn’t about to admit that.
Keeping a perfectly straight face, I nodded. “Understood.”
When she still didn’t get out of the car, I reached out to take one of the hands she’d knotted together in her lap. “Are you worried Bree’s going to be upset?”
“No. Maybe? I don’t really know how she’s going to react, honestly.”
“And you’re afraid of having that conversation in a public place?”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Yes.”
“You’ve been friends for years. She knows you. She’s not going to make some kind of scene, even if she is upset. And I can’t think why she would be, even if this is a surprise.” Unless she was worried that I’d somehow taken advantage of Willa’s vulnerable, grieving state to force her into something she didn’t want. But if Bree thought that, she’d take it up with me first, not Willa.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
We strode to the main doors, and I opened them for her, placing a hand at the small of her back to steer her through. Then, mindful of the edict Willa had just handed down, I left it there as we moved through the entryway and past the empty hostess stand.
The roar of whoops and hollers and cheers that greeted us as we rounded into the restaurant startled Willa so badly she practically leapt out of her skin, jolting back into me. Instinctively, I wrapped around her, turning to shield her from… whatever the hell was happening.
Over her head, I spotted a banner stretched across the top of the bar. Congratulations Willa and Sawyer! There were wedding bells on either side.
“What the actual hell?”
Willa lifted her head from my chest and peered past my shoulder to where a wall of our friends stood. Bree and Ed were behind the bar. Gabi was perched on a stool at the end, grinning from ear to ear. Caroline and Hoyt, Hoyt’s folks, the kids. There were a handful of other locals in the rest of the restaurant, but this was effectively most of our found family already gathered right here. And obviously, they knew.
I looked back at Mama Flo and Mimi, who’d followed us inside. Mimi just shrugged, a grin ruining her innocent, who-me? expression. Clearly, this was her doing.
Caroline was the first one to hurry over. “Congratulations! Oh, my God, I’m so excited for you! I knew it! I knew you two were in love with each other.”
Wait, what? Things aren’t like that between us.
But as Caroline dragged us deeper into the room, and we accepted more congratulations and handshakes, there was more of the same from literally everybody.
“Always suspected.”
“You two make the cutest couple.”
“Predicted this all the way back in high school.”
Willa and I kept looking at each other until finally she stopped moving. “We thought y’all would be surprised.”
I’d never heard a unanimous scoff before.
Caroline propped both fists on her hips. “Honey, the way you two feel about each other has been the worst kept secret on Hatterwick in ages. We totally knew as soon as he was back to stay that something like this was going to happen. I do confess, I did not expect elopement this fast. I’m really proud of you! That’s great.”
Bree had come out from behind the bar. She was smirking at both of us as she pulled Willa in for a hug. “Nothing between you two, my ass.”