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My stride was full of newfound confidence and determination, and damn it felt good. I made my way around the church towards the front entrance with my head held high and sabotage on my mind. Guests and cars were flowing into the parking lot freely, and I noticed a lot of familiar faces. I sent some smiles and waves in every direction and tried to ignore the sense of impending doom that loomed over my head like a dark cloud of misfortune.
As I stepped into the church for the second time that day, I immediately caught Taylor and Stephen's questioning faces. I hated to disappoint them but shook my head anyway. Seeing their shoulders slump and their looks of pity made me feel like an utter and abject failure, but I couldn't let that deter me. I took a deep breath, shook out my shoulders and scanned the room for my parents. Instead, my gaze connected with a pair of familiar blue eyes, but this time, they were on a five-foot nothing, very smiley blonde woman.
"Naomi Morgan get your hot little bootie over here." Kendyll Allen demanded, closing the distance between us and scooping me into a tight hug.
"Hi stranger," I puffed out a laugh despite the air being squeezed out of me and hugged her back, "How've you been? Kicking ass, taking names and being your gorgeous self?"
"You know it hot stuff," She winked, "Work's been sending me everywhere and it feels like forever since I've been home, but I made sure I was in Minnesota this week. Not every day your baby brother gets married, right?"
I smiled tightly, my chest constricting. "You're very right." Fuck, what Kendyll think about my scheme? It was straight out of those trashy early-2000s teen movies she and I would watch and poke fun of when Reese was being a moody teenage boy. She and Reese were super close and even more protective of each other and I didn't want to lose two friends in one day.
I don't think my heart could handle that.
Being so wrapped up my own thoughts, I didn't even notice when another person joined our little gossip circle, "Naomi my love, you look beautiful. That dress is lovely." Reese's mother pulled me into her warm embrace, and I felt myself melt a little.
"Thank you, Cheryl, I feel like Barbie's less attractive, clumsier sister."
"Shut up, you look gorgeous." Kendyll scowled and crossed her arms.
"Listen to my kid Naomi, she learned everything she knows from me." Cheryl loosened her hold but folded my hands in hers. Reese's blue eyes stared back at me softly, and I couldn't let go of the feeling that she was reading my every thought.
"God, I wish it was you." She whispered.
I blinked. Was I hallucinating? Did I accidentally inhale too much of the noxious fumes that Reese's truck emitted or did Cheryl fucking Allen actually just tell me she wished I were marrying her son instead?
"Excuse me?" I stuttered, probably looking at the two women before me like a puppy trying to decide between a treat or chasing a butterfly.
Kendyll rolled her eyes and said in a low voice, "Come on Naomi, do you really think that mom and I are thrilled about my idiot brother's taste in a future wife?"
