Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,23

“Of course she’d say that. Gonna be a real bitch when she decides to move on.”

Pierce cranked his head around and stared. “Why? Has she said something?”

“Not to me. But she made her intentions pretty damn clear she doesn’t want to do wedding planning much longer.”

Pierce muttered something under his breath, and a frown creased his brow. Taylor had always made her intentions to leave Cape May known, but maybe the upcoming reality was giving Gabe’s friend pause. He suspected Pierce harbored hidden feelings for Taylor but didn’t want to ruin their close-knit bond. They’d grown up together. Moving from friends to lovers was tricky, and many times it just didn’t stick.

Another reason he was worried about pushing Bella. But maybe his friends were right. He’d hinted of his interest and hoped she’d want to hear more, but she’d quickly slammed the door shut. And he’d given her the out. He’d never asked her straight out on a date.

All his pep talks about moving on were bullshit. Until he knew where Bella’s head and heart were, he couldn’t date another woman.

“If you’re feeling more for Taylor than friendship, maybe you need to take Carter’s advice, too,” Gabe said.

“Just call me Oprah. Or Dr. Phil. Or—aw, hell, who’s the big advice guru this decade?” Carter asked.

“Ellen,” he said. “She’s the only successful talk-show host left.”

Pierce lifted his beer and took a slug. “There’s nothing between us,” he finally said, staring into his glass like it held the future. “We’re just friends. And she’s been unhappy here a long time.”

Gabe looked at Carter, who shrugged. “Okay. So now that we’re all talking about our emotions like a bunch of girls, how about we discuss real stuff?”

“Like what?” Gabe asked.

“My wedding. Avery said she wants Lucy at the ceremony, but all I keep picturing was that other dog pissing on the runner at that wedding last summer.” Lucy was Carter’s Yorkshire terrier, who had given Avery a hard time in the beginning but now adored her. They treated the canine like a pampered only child. “I think she should sit this one out, and we’ll bring her home some wedding cake. What do you guys think?”

Pierce rubbed his face and groaned. “Is this what it’s come to with us? Are we old? Do we all need to get laid?”

Carter snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

“I’m off the clock and refuse to talk about weddings,” Gabe said. “Spring training for the Phillies is coming up. What do you think our chances are?”

After a slight hesitation, they all fell into a safe, manly conversation about America’s favorite pastime. He had another beer, and by the time he got home, he’d made the decision to finally tell Bella his true feelings.

It was possible she’d never imagined him in a romantic way, and maybe the thought of hooking up with a man dubbed “the local stud” horrified her. But if he never asked her, he’d always wonder, and his life would be filled with regret and what-ifs.

It was time to take a risk.

Chapter Six

Gabe glanced around at the explosion of papers, folders, photos, and iPads on the table and groaned. “Why Dr. Seuss? No one in history seems to have had a wedding with this theme, which makes it impossible to borrow any good ideas.”

They’d finished the conference call with Adele’s assistant and were still struggling a few hours later. Bella tapped her fingernail against her pursed lips in a steady rhythm, which he tried not to focus on. He needed no distractions today. The first hit of creative juice and adrenaline had worn off. Now he struggled with the cold reality that this was going to be really hard to pull off well. He felt as if they were grasping at random items in the Dr. Seuss world to please Adele, but they had no true idea who she was or what she’d love.

In Taylor’s words, they might be seriously fucked.

“The guest list is stellar,” he said a bit grumpily. “Wall Street tycoons, writers, and philanthropists I’ve only seen in the news. They’ll tear us apart if we screw this up.”

“The real problem is how to avoid a childish birthday-party scenario and make it into a sophisticated wedding,” Bella murmured, her gaze seemingly fixed into the distant future. “I think our scope is too wide. We’re trying to grab ideas from too many books and characters. We need to narrow our focus.”

“You’re right. I’m overwhelmed—I had no idea he had this many books. I love color, but there’s