But now, she would be in his arms for at least a couple of minutes. If he played it right, he’d talk her into another dance. Their duties as best man and maid of honor were mostly done at this point. There was still the bouquet and garter thing, but they were otherwise free to enjoy their night.
And Kevin wanted to enjoy every possible moment with Kathy.
“The bride and groom would like the bridal party to join them now,” the DJ announced.
Kathy was standing at his side, so he took her hand and walked her out onto the floor. He kept his hands in respectable places, one held hers, and the other rested on her hip. She curled her arm around him and brought her chin near his shoulder.
“I’ve been looking forward to this.”
His feet stumbled. “You have?”
She nodded. “I’m done thinking. I wanted to talk to you, but I thought it should be in person.”
Kevin tried to play it cool. A million thoughts scattered through his head, but his stomach filled with dread. If her answer was no, she would’ve sent it in a text, right? Then again, she might’ve been worried that if she shot him down before the wedding he’d do something to piss off Moira.
“My answer is yes.”
“Yes? As in you’ll give me another chance?”
Another soft nod against his shoulder.
“It was the speech, right? I wore you down with my fabulous best man speech.”
“In all honesty, if I hadn’t already decided, the speech would’ve sealed it. Instead, it was icing on the cake. It was a damn good speech. But my decision was based on everything. The way you’ve approached the entire situation, the way you talk to me, the fabulous kiss last week. I never really had a chance, you know.”
“Yeah, I do.” He slid his hand across her lower back and pulled her closer. “This is turning out to be a better night than I’d hoped.”
He held her through the rest of the song and instead of talking her into another, he pulled her off the dance floor. She’d agreed to give him another chance, and he wanted it to start now.
“Where are we going?”
“To grab a couple of drinks and then find a quiet spot.” He didn’t really have a plan, but he knew he wanted to have her to himself. At the bar, he asked, “Wine?”
“Cosmo, please.” She still gave him a puzzled look.
He ordered, stuffed a five into the tip jar, and handed her the glass. Still holding Kathy’s hand as if she might run away, he led them around the perimeter of the banquet hall. He looked in the lobby where there were a few people milling around, but there was an unoccupied bench tucked in the corner near the bathrooms. Not the most romantic setting, but they’d be alone.
When they sat, he said, “To a fresh start.” He clinked his bottle against her drink.
They both drank. Then she asked, “Why did you drag me out here?”
“I wanted be alone with you. You just gave me the best news I’ve had all week. Maybe all year.”
“It’s probably a good thing that we talk. I’ve never been in this kind of situation before.”
“What do you mean?”
“The whole second chance scenario.” She waved a hand between them. “Usually when something’s over, it’s over. I never consider looking back. I don’t know how we’re supposed to proceed.”
He lifted a shoulder. He didn’t have a fucking clue if there were rules or guidelines for this. “Why would it be any different than starting a new relationship?”
“Because this isn’t new. We already know each other. What are we supposed to talk about on our first date? What do you do for a living?”
The sarcasm was new. “You’re right. Because of our past, we get to skip the mundane get-to-know-you shit. But I think there’s still a lot to learn about each other. We’re not the same people we were five years ago. You didn’t own your flower shop five years ago. I didn’t have a career path at all. While you know my whole family, I don’t remember you ever telling me about yours. I know who you are, but I don’t know silly things like your favorite color or your favorite dessert. What you do when you’re pissed off or sad or lonely.”
He took her hand again. “I want to learn all those things.”
She inhaled deeply and the swell of her breasts rising over the top of her strapless dress drew his attention. “Crap. You’ve gotten too good with words. I’m going to have to watch myself.”
“Not just words, Kathy. I might talk a lot of bullshit to a lot of people, but everything I’ve said to you is real. I’m done with games. I’m thirty years old. I want the next phase of my life to start.”
Her eyes widened again. “But no pressure, right?”
“Look, I don’t know if we’re like Jimmy and Moira, but I want us to have that shot. That’s all I’m asking for.”
“I’m willing to give you that chance, but it’s not like I can forget the past.”
“Fair enough. If I do something that bothers you, or makes you want to step back, tell me. Don’t run away.”
She took a sip of her drink. “No one else.”
“Done.”
“And I’m not jumping into bed with you right away just because we know it’ll be hotter than hell.”
An image of her lying naked on his bed flashed in his head. He nodded.
“I want to make sure we’re good together before we have sex.”
Although he’d been fantasizing about having her again, he continued to agree. He hadn’t been joking when he’d told her he’d do anything to get another chance. “Okay. I can kiss you, though, right? You’ll at least give me that?”
“Kissing is okay.”
“It’s more than
