“Please?” Kiera bats her eyelashes, folding her hands in a begging hold. “Don’t make me go alone.”

Leave it to Kiera Young, my friend from my early college days, to master the sad puppy eyes, lower trembling pouty lip, and sweet, high-pitched baby voice to get what she wants.

“I’m not going to know anyone!” I protest for the fifth time since we’ve been FaceTiming.

“Which is perfect!” she exclaims. “This will be a chance to meet new people! The Bishop family is like the family, Em. They own a huge ranch on thousands of acres of land, passed down for generations, and they know everyone, which could be good for you.”

I wrinkle my nose in disagreement. “How so?”

“Well, unless you want to be a nun for the rest of your life, it could help you branch out and network. It’s important to know people in these small towns, Emily. You’re not in Houston anymore,” she reminds me, though she doesn’t need to.

Moving from a large city high-rise to a one-bedroom condo hasn’t been easy, to say the least. Not to mention I can’t get Chinese delivery at midnight anymore or even my sugar-free Vanilla Latte from Starbucks that used to be a block away.

“So you’re saying to crash this wedding to network and meet people?”

“You won’t be crashing, because you’ll be my plus one!” The smile on her face gets bigger when she realizes I’m starting to crack. “Also, there’ll be lots of single men. The youngest brother is getting married, but that still leaves three single Bishops. Well, except Jackson.”

I roll my eyes and smirk. “Trust me. I have no desire to invade your property.”

She pinches her lips and scowls. “Anyway…” Clearing her throat, she continues, “So will you go with me or not? I don’t want to show up alone like a big loser, especially if Jackson brings a date or something.”

Her breathing always quickens when she talks about Jackson Bishop, her friend since she was in preschool—and I know that’s because she wants to be much more than just that to him. She’s had a crush on him for years, but as she explains it, Jackson doesn’t settle down with anyone.

“You should bring a date, Kiera! He needs to see you’re not just waiting around for him, and hell, maybe it’ll even make him jealous, and he’ll realize what’s been right in front of him the whole damn time.” I’ve told her this before, but I know she won’t listen.

“It won’t matter anyway. Jackson and Tanner were best friends in high school, and they’re still friends, which means I’ll always be off-limits to him.” Tanner was her high school sweetheart and one of Jackson’s best friends growing up. Even though that was close to ten years ago and shouldn’t even matter anymore—another thing I’ve reminded her of—she refuses to listen. “That’s even if he likes me that way,” she continues. “Half the time, I can’t even tell. He’s like one of those fifty cent mood rings.”

“Cheap and plastic.” I snort.

She rolls her eyes and scowls. “No. Unpredictable and always changing.”

I sigh, deciding not to add any more of my thoughts on the situation. Jackson has been the star in her sex dreams for as long as I can remember, but until they both get the sticks out of their asses and confess their true feelings, they’ll continue this back and forth emotional roller coaster.

“Alright, fine. I’ll go.” I cave. Kiera’s family and the Bishops are close, so I know she has to attend regardless, but at least this way I can keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t drink herself stupid and do something else she’ll regret.

“Yay! Oh my God, thank you!” She squeals so loud I have to cover my ears.

“On one condition…” I interrupt. “You dance with one guy at the wedding who isn’t Jackson.”

She twists her lips for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

“Who’s under forty,” I add, knowing my friend way too well. She’ll dance with an old guy and say it counts.

Huffing, she relaxes her shoulders. “Fine.”

I smile, victoriously.

“Same goes for you then. You have to dance with a guy under forty.”

“But I don’t know anyone,” I remind her. “I’m not going to dance with a random guy so he can feel me up on the dance floor.” Not to mention I have a strict no dating rule. Ever since my douchebag ex cheated on me, I have no desire to date. My only focus right now is on my new job and starting fresh.

“I’ll pick a good one for you…promise.” She grins before checking her watch. “Okay, I really have to go. We’re supposed to get another trailer of horses in this afternoon, so I better get ready.” Kiera’s a horse trainer, one of the best in the state, which is why it’s always hard for us to get together. Between both of our chaotic work schedules, we have to plan our chats in advance.

“Okay, see you soon!” I smile, excited I’ll be hanging out with her again.

We hang up, and I click on my calendar app to write in the date. Crap. That’s next weekend.

Kiera looks like she’s dressed up for the Grammys instead of a country wedding. Can’t say I’m really surprised though. She’s already gorgeous with her strawberry-blonde hair updo and striking long legs, but she puts in extra effort knowing Jackson will be there.

“Are you going to a weddin’ or a funeral?” Kiera frowns as soon as she sees my dress.

“Nice to see you too,” I deadpan, opening my door wider for her to step inside.

She rolls her eyes and smiles, wrapping her arms around me for a quick hug. “You look beautiful, as always, but you can’t wear black to a wedding.”

My brows tighten. “Why not?”

“Because you just can’t. You need a bright and colorful cocktail dress. Something that shows off your curves and chest.”

“I’m not a show horse.” My shoulders tense. “Plus, this dress is comfortable.”

“Yeah, so is wearing a muumuu. Doesn’t mean you wear it out in public.” She grabs my hand and leads me down the hall to my bedroom. “I know you have some good stuff in here between all your scrubs.” She goes through my closet like it’s her life mission to find me the perfect dress. I’ve attended dozens of charity events for my dad, and each event meant a new dress because heaven forbid high society see me wearing the same thing twice. I don’t mind getting dressed up, but between my work hours and lack of social life, I only wear them when I absolutely have to.

“This dress has gotten me plenty of free drinks, thank you very much,” I tell her proudly as I reach around the back and unzip it.

“Probably because men feel sorry for your loss.”

I snort, letting the fabric fall to my feet. “Fine. What do you suggest then?”

She pulls a few hangers and shows me the options. “Okay, these three have my approval. As long as you’re okay with not wearing a bra.” She shrugs.

“Great,” I respond dryly.

After contemplating, I pick the dark blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and red belt. I pair it with my favorite red heels and a red clutch.

“Am I decent now?” I turn and ask Kiera who’s watching me.

“Hell yeah. That’s more like it.” She grins, wagging her brows.

I roll my eyes at her and walk down the hall. “Let’s go, Juliet.”

She links her arm through mine. “Too bad Romeo is an idiot.”

“Especially if he can deny you in that dress. Or at least I think it’s a dress. The lack of fabric makes it questionable.” I stuff my phone in my clutch and grab my keys before we head out the door.

“Testing his willpower is my favorite game.” She smirks. “And him hooking up with random chicks is his.”

“You two are so fucking weird.” I open the door to her car and slide in. “How is it possible you two haven’t drunk banged yet?”

“Considering Jackson likes to drink, it’s a mystery to me too.”

“Since I’ll more than likely be sitting on the sidelines tonight, I’ll be observing to see once and for all if he’s into you or not. You two have danced around each other for so long, you’ve made the rest of us dizzy just watching.”

“You’re dizzy? How do you think I feel? One second, he’s all protective and sweet, and the next, he’s cold and distant. He’s worse than a chick on her period.”

“He’s worse than a chick, period.” I laugh. “Too bad he doesn’t have an identical twin brother you could date instead. Oh, wait…” I tease, glancing over at her red cheeks.

“Identical in looks, opposite in personality,” she retorts. “And John is like a big brother to me. There are no feelings like that at all.”

We chat the entire forty-five-minute drive to Eldorado. She briefs me on the Bishop clan and tells me stories of growing up with the Bishop brothers and their sister, Courtney.

“You’ll love Court. She’s sassy and bold.”

“Like you.” I grin.

“Who do you think taught her?” She chuckles, turning into a gravel driveway with a huge sign that reads Circle B Ranch. “She and her husband have triplets, and Alex and River have a little boy.” She continues filling my head with information that I’m probably going to forget later.

“So are you saying I’m going to end up at the kiddies’ table?” I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously.

She bursts out laughing as she finds an open place to park. “Nah. I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

For some reason, I have a hard time believing her.

We walk down the path toward the huge oak tree where the outdoor ceremony will be held. White chairs are lined up and a beautiful arch decorated with flowers is at the front. There’s a huge white tent on the other side, and people are crowding in everywhere.

“Wow…” I take in the view and how gorgeous everything looks.

“No one throws a party like the Bishops do,” Kiera says matter-of-factly as we walk closer.

Since it’s April and early spring in Texas, it’s already warm out, but luckily, it’ll cool down soon. It’s almost five, and the sun will be setting in a few hours.

Kiera starts introducing me to some of the guests sitting near us. She acts like a tour guide, knowing everyone and their business. She whispers their secrets to me and tells me which guys are single.

The ceremony music begins, and everyone shuffles to their seats.

“That’s Mama Bishop,” she whispers. “John’s escorting her down and behind them is Scott Bishop, the dad.”

“How can you even tell them apart?”

She glances over at me and smirks. “John’s much more serious. Jackson’s hair is a little longer, too.”

“He’s pretty good lookin’,” I whisper, admiring his chiseled and neatly trimmed jawline.

“If you dated John and I dated Jackson, that’d be perfect!” she whisper-shouts and gazes at me like the heart-eyes emoji. “We could have a double weddin’ and get pregnant at the same time. Then our kids would grow up together and be best friends.”

I furrow my brows, wondering how she went from zero to a hundred in less than three seconds. “Slow it down, Juliet. I’m not waiting for your Romeo to get his head out of his ass to get married. Although considering my luck with men, you two might actually beat me to it.”

The woman in front of me glares back at us with a loud shushing noise, and Kiera giggles.

The girl has it bad. She needs to get laid and over Jackson Bishop ASAP. In fact, now that I’m single and starting fresh in a new town with a new job, I just might make it my mission to find Kiera a man. Someone who will actually give her the time of day and appreciate everything she has to offer.

We sit in silence as the wedding party continues to make their way down the aisle. I look up front and see all the men looking amazing in their black suits. They’re all wearing black cowboy hats, except the groom is wearing a white one. Cowboys don’t usually do it for me, which is ironic since I was born and raised in Texas, but I grew up in the suburbs of a big city. The guys I dated were from well-known families my father approved of, but they never lasted. However, these cowboys standing at the front of the aisle are looking pretty damn good right now.

Everything about the ceremony is beautiful. The weather is perfect, and the decorations are simple yet stunning. The bride and the entire wedding party are gorgeous. My little black heart even melts when they read their own vows, which causes everyone—including the wedding party—to wipe their eyes. When the bride and groom finally kiss, there’s no doubt how much they care for each other. Everyone erupts in cheers, then it’s over and time to party.

“Seeing Alex cry when he first saw River walking down the aisle made me tear up,” Kiera says as we walk into the tent. The DJ is already playing music. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Bishop boy cry.”

“You could really see how much he loves her,” I add, leading us to the bar for cocktail hour. “He looked at her like she was his whole world.”

“They’re sickly in love.” She places a hand to her chest and sighs. “And their six-month-old son all dressed up in a tux with a little cowboy hat was the cutest thing ever!”

We grab a flute of champagne off the bar, and when we spot the appetizers, we walk toward them, eyeing the shrimp cocktail shooters. Just as I’m stuffing my face, people walk up to Kiera and hug her. We’re greeted by her parents shortly after, whom I’ve met several times before, so at least I know them in case Kiera goes MIA later.

“Yee-haw!” I hear shouting in the background with lots of clapping. More people are filing into the tent, and I can’t tell where the cheers are coming from.

“Oh lord,” Kiera says, laughing. “That’s Dylan. He’s Alex’s best friend.”

I look around the crowd and recognize a man who was in the wedding party waving his arms over his head like he was roping cattle. He’s hootin’ and hollerin’ as the rest of the party watch the bride and groom take pictures.

“He looks like he could be the fifth Bishop brother.” I chuckle, watching his antics as I take another drink.

“Definitely. He’s another Jackson, though,” she states. “Parties and sleeps around.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say cowboys are worse than the high-profile men I’ve dated.”

She gives me a look that tells me I’m not far off.

When I look back at Dylan, I see he’s wrapped his arm around a brunette woman. He pulls her into his side and presses his lips to hers. She adjusts his tie and smiles sweetly up at him.

Hmm. Looks like the Jacksons of the world might actually settle down after all.

We mingle and chat while music softly plays in the background. Kiera introduces me to as many people as she possibly can, and by the time the wedding party introductions start, my head is spinning from information overload.

The DJ gets everyone pumped and excited before announcing the bride and groom. They hold hands walking in, but after a few steps, he pauses and lifts her up in his arms. She squeals as she wraps her arms tightly around his neck and holds on as he walks them to the dance floor. The rest of the party is already waiting for them.

Once the music fades, the DJ announces the newlyweds’ first dance as John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” begins to play.

“I love this song,” Kiera whispers to me as we take our seats and watch.

“It’s not really a love song,” I whisper back, curious as to why they’d pick this one as their wedding song.

“No, but apparently there’s a special meaning behind it. Alex and River met in Florida a year and a half ago, and I remember something about this being the first song they ever danced to,” Kiera tells me.

“Aw, that’s kind of sweet.” I beam, jealous of these two strangers’ love.

Kiera’s parents are seated by us, and I learn the other couple next to us are friends of the Bishops. We make small talk while we eat and drink. The bride and groom walk around to chat with their guests, and Kiera and her parents wait anxiously for them to approach our table.

“Alex!” Kiera squeals, wrapping her arms around him. “I can’t believe you’re married!”

He smiles and hugs her, holding River’s hand who’s holding their son on her hip.

“Congrats, you guys!” Kiera gives the bride a side hug and kisses the baby on the head. “You three are serious family goals.”

Alex chuckles, and when his eyes lock with River’s, the love soars between them. It’s strong and fierce and everything I imagined I’d have one day.

“This is my friend—” She starts to introduce us, but we get interrupted by the baby. He starts to fuss, so they excuse themselves.

Once dinner is finished, I grab another drink, but this time, I order something much stronger. I’m going to need it if I want to get through this night of happy couples.

“Whiskey neat,” I hear a deep voice next to me order as I reach for my glass. Out of the corner of my eye, I see he’s wearing a tux and a scowl. His dirty blond hair is pulled back, and when his hand brushes through his locks, it looks perfectly messy. I turn slightly to assess him further, and that’s when I recognize him from the wedding party. Checking his left hand, I see his ring finger is bare and wonder if he’s one of the Bishop family members. I don’t get the chance to find out because as soon as he grabs his glass, a woman approaches and hangs off his arm.

Go figure.

Taking my drink, I walk back to the table and see it’s now empty. I look around for Kiera but don’t see her anywhere before searching for Jackson. Knowing my friend, she’s somewhere near him.

My text goes unanswered, so I send another one a few minutes later.

I end up back at the bar ten minutes later grabbing another drink. I can’t believe she ditched me. When I see Jackson surrounded by other women, I speculate Kiera is in the huddle somewhere, but then I step closer and see she’s nowhere near him.

What the hell?

I send her another round of messages. If she saw Jackson and his entourage, she could be crying in a corner somewhere.

I furrow my brows at the screen, wondering what she’s doing. Or maybe, who she’s doing? I chuckle to myself at that last thought. The alcohol burns through my veins, and I know I’m on my way to becoming tipsy.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m still drinking solo at my empty table with an empty plate of cake that I shamelessly demolished.

“I’ll take that as a no…” I mutter to myself, checking my phone again and still no new messages. I’m going to kill her.

The DJ announces the bride is about to throw the bouquet and calls all the single women to the dance floor. Girls shuffle to the middle, throwing elbows and trying to find their perfect spot. I throw back the rest of my drink and scoff.

“C’mon ladies… last call to come out!” the DJ calls. I watch as Alex escorts River out to the dance floor and spins her around in circles. People chuckle as they watch the two of them play around.

“You’re going to miss out…” the same deep voice from earlier says next to me. Blinking, I look over and see the same dirty blond hair and sleek black tux as before. He’s holding a glass of amber liquid, and his lips are turned up in amusement as he studies me. He’s even better looking now that I see his full profile.

“I doubt I’ll miss much,” I retort, wondering why he’d even care. His sky-blue eyes are hard to avoid as they burn into mine.

“Figured chicks lived for catching the bouquet,” he states matter-of-factly, taking a seat next to me without an invite, and my heart races the closer his body is to mine.

“Not me.” I shrug, gazing over at him. He’s hard to read, yet his demeanor intrigues me to continue the conversation. “Are you going to go out there to catch the garter next?” I challenge.

He half-laughs, half-snorts.

“Why not?” I ask, smirking.

His eyes lock on mine, the question left unanswered. “I’ll do it if you catch the bouquet.” He nods his head to the dance floor where River is seconds away from throwing it, but then one of the bridesmaids tells them to hold on while she grabs a few of her friends.

I arch a brow and narrow my eyes. “A dare?”

He shrugs casually. “You’ve been sitting here by yourself for the past thirty minutes. What do you have to lose?”

The fact he just admitted to watching me doesn’t go unnoticed. My cheeks heat, and I’m shocked my body is responding this way. The alcohol buzzes in my system, and if it wasn’t for the last two drinks, there’d be no way I’d take him up on his offer.

Pinching my lips together, I bend down and slip off my shoes. “Okay, you got yourself a deal or rather a dare.” Seeing this tall, brooding man fight for a garter will be entertaining at least.

He stands when I do, and that’s when all the alcohol rushes to my head. I nearly stumble over my own feet, but I gracefully catch myself. He follows me through the maze of tables and chairs until I’m on the dance floor blending into the large crowd of overly excited women. I don’t know anyone but him watching me fuels my adrenaline.

Once I secure my spot, I find him flashing me a sly grin. I don’t know who this guy is, but he just turned my night around. Considering Kiera completely bailed on me, I’ll take his company over sitting alone.

“It’s time, ladies!” The DJ walks out onto the floor with a microphone. “You ready?” He tilts his head toward River, and when she nods, Alex grabs her shoulders and spins her around again. She closes her eyes and squeals when he spins her faster.

The moment she stops and raises her arms over her head, my vision clears, and I want nothing more than to fight for this bouquet. I couldn’t care less about the meaning behind catching it, but for some strange reason, I want to prove to this guy that I’m a badass who follows through with dares. Normally I’d brush it off, considering he’s a complete stranger, but the intense way he looks at me drives my actions.

When the bouquet flies into the air, everything seems like it’s in slow motion. I’ve always been a logical person, so I tend to see things differently—even buzzed. She threw it high versus directly behind her, which means it’s not going to launch very far to the back. Taking notice, I flee to the front of the group and eye it carefully as it descends toward the left side of the floor.

Something comes over me, and I push the girl next to me out of the way a second before the bouquet lands on my chest. I secure my arms around it and hold it tightly against my body. Two girls started running toward me as soon as they took notice it was aiming this way, and unable to slow themselves down, they smack directly into my side and knock me over.

I hear squealing and the DJ laughing into the microphone. Girls fall over each other, and we become a huge pile on the floor. A knee’s in my gut, and someone’s lying on my hair.

The weight finally lifts off me, and when I look up, I see the guy holding out his hand for me. I can tell he’s trying hard to hold back his smile, and when I scowl up at him, he chuckles.

Taking his hand, I let him pull me to stand. I’m quick to adjust my dress so I don’t moon the entire room and embarrass myself more.

“That was… epic.” He smirks, leading me off the floor as his hand remains in mine. Some of the women are staring at me, giving me death glares, and I can only imagine what they’re thinking right now.

“You mean… humiliating. I can’t believe I let you talk me into that.” I scoff, taking a seat and setting my destroyed bouquet down.

“It wasn’t very hard to talk you into it, so you must’ve really wanted to do it.” He winks as he takes the seat next to me at the empty table.

Shaking my head, I pinch my lips together and remember that he’s up next. “Well, you’re up.” I nod my head to the dance floor where the DJ is setting up for the garter toss. “Hope you brought your A game.” I cross my legs in anticipation.

“Oh, I always do.” He shrugs off his jacket and winks. Once his jacket is secure on the back of the chair, he leans down to my ear. “What’s your name, darlin’? I’d like to know who I’m winning this for.”

The closeness of his lips steals my breath away. My entire body shivers, and I hate that this man has an effect on me. Though I have no idea who he is, he’s already made me reconsider my no men ban. Dangerous—that’s the only way I can describe him. I don’t trust myself around him, and I most definitely don’t trust him. After already making a fool of myself, I’m not about to tell him my real name so it can come back to bite me in the ass later. I’ll never have to see him again after tonight, so I blurt out the first name that comes to mind.

“It’s Stella.”