Kidnapping His Bride. Hayley Gardner
they were finally going to get into it. “If she can, maybe you two ought not to be getting married.”
Clay gave him a dark look, then turned away to pace to the window and back again. “She’s going to marry me as soon as you leave,” he said, his voice gruff, “so you’d probably be better off just visiting for a bit, then going, and saving her—” Abruptly he stopped himself from saying more by taking a swig from his can.
“Saving her what?” Griff asked.
“Nothing. It’s just,” Clay continued, “that Tessa is over you. She wants to get on with her life. I’d hate to see her upset because you’re back here. Any more upset than you’ve already made her, anyway.”
“But you two shouldn’t be getting married. You don’t love each other—”
“Did I say that?” Clay interrupted, his face tightening just like it used to when they were kids before he would sock Griff in the gut over something. “Did she?”
“Neither of you will say you do,” Griff pointed out, tensing up, “which makes me suspicious.”
“Neither of us has to say it, because our getting married is none of your business, Griff.”
“Someone must think it is, or they wouldn’t have sent me the e-mail.”
Clay finally sank down in the chair across from the sofa, having said a lot more than Griff remembered him ever saying at one time. He figured it must finally be his turn to talk.
“You two will make each other miserable if you aren’t in love. Hell, Janie was in love with me, and I still made her miserable because I wasn’t in love—”
“I told you,” Clay said, rising, “I’m not discussing this with you.”
“I’m only thinking of Tessa’s best interests—”
“Too damned late for that, don’t you think?”
“It won’t be too late until you have a ring on her finger.” Griff rose, too, glaring back.
“I told you, this is none of your damned—”
“You two stop that, and right now!”
Griff’s eyes flew to the screen door, through which Tessa was entering, and, not wanting to have her see how much physical energy he was putting into fighting to keep her single, he willed himself to calm down. She had changed into jeans and a delicate pink T-shirt with those thin, spaghetti straps for sleeves, and brushed her hair out so that it fell in loose, crinkly waves over her shoulders. She was a slightly older version of the teenage Tessa he’d left behind, and Griff had never wanted her more.
He quickly shoved his desire back down, knowing full well that he still couldn’t give her the happiness she wanted. But an aching emptiness remained in his chest, the same feeling he got every time he came back to Claiborne Landing and saw Tessa. Or maybe he lived with it, and kept himself so busy he never had time to think about it. He wasn’t sure anymore.
She stood there, frowning at them both. “Tell me you aren’t fighting with Jeb in the house.”
“He’s across the street with his friends,” Clay said.
“Good.” She put her hands on her hips, and Griff forced himself to pay attention to what she was saying instead of how great she looked. “I came over to tell you two your mom and dad called me. Since we’re not getting married, Clay, they’re changing the wedding celebration they were going to have for us next Saturday to a community get-together in Griff’s honor.”
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