Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour - Erin Nicholas Page 0,82

she was going to get married. She might have been projecting a little. Or a lot.

Paige pressed a hand to her stomach and took a breath. She also felt invested in these weddings because she’d worked hard to make it all special and unique for these couples.

She’d done a final check on everything that morning.

The tents were set up over the docks where Tori and Josh and Juliet and Sawyer would say their vows. The netting under Juliet and Sawyer’s dock was in place. It was there to make Juliet feel better about standing out there over the water rather than to actually catch any guests, but according to all the stories, there really was a chance that Bailey and Chase could end up tipping over the edge.

The lights and flowers on the pontoon boat for Maddie and Owen looked amazing, and Ellie’s place was decorated and ready for the reception. Though it still looked like a bar that had been decorated to look like a make-shift wedding venue.

Still, it was home for all of these people, and that’s what mattered. Paige actually hadn’t wanted to make it look too different. Ellie’s had been the site of birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and other celebrations, as well as just regular weeknight dinners, for this family for years. The guys had grown up there. It was right that this celebration be there, and Paige felt a deep contentment whenever she thought about how they’d brought this all together.

“Okay, I’m coming down,” she finally called to Mitch.

“I’m ready.”

She rolled her eyes. She was about to descend the staircase in her dress for the wedding. Mitch would be standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her. They’d see each other for the first time all dressed up, and they’d have that moment where they were struck by how great the other looked and realize their crazy strong attraction. Like in every romantic movie she’d ever seen. So cliché.

Yet, she still felt her stomach flip as she stepped onto the third step where he’d be able to see her.

She took another deep breath.

But he didn’t say anything.

She looked at him.

And oh, wow. Okay, that movie moment was real.

He was staring at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Added to that, he looked damn good.

She loved Mitch in his jeans and t-shirts and flannels. But the button-down shirt with the tie was a new look, and she definitely approved.

The weddings were, of course, casual. No one here dressed up in a lot of lace or tuxedos. The I dos were being said on boat docks or on a boat, so everyone had agreed that the weddings’ dresses would be simple and the girls would wear flat shoes while the guys were fine in jeans. It was too warm for jackets, but the men had decided on button-down shirts and ties to dress things up a little.

Mitch was in dark jeans with a dark blue plaid shirt and navy tie. “You look so great,” Paige told Mitch, stepping off the bottom stair.

He came forward. “Holy shit, Paige. You’re gorgeous.”

She grinned. “I take back everything I’ve said about those cheesy movie scenes.”

Her dress was a silky material in a soft peach color with an asymmetric hemline that hit mid-calf. She loved that she could wear the short, flared sleeves and sandals without needing a jacket or sweater as she would have in Iowa this time of year. She’d put her hair up in a twist and had borrowed gold jewelry from Tori.

“The reason they do this in the movies is because once the guy gets a good look at the girl, he’s not thinking about getting to the wedding or party or whatever on time,” Mitch told her, running one big hand down her arm from her shoulder to her wrist.

Paige tipped her head. “No? He’s wondering how the hell she got her hair up like that?” she teased.

His gaze moved over her hair. “Okay, maybe that a little too.” He moved his hand up her arm, over her shoulder, and to the back of her neck. He pulled her close. “But I like it like this. A lot. It shows off all this sweet skin that I love to kiss and lick.”

He did just that, pressing his lips against her neck and then dragging his mouth up to her ear.

“And makes sure you can hear me say that if you have panties on right now, I want you to