Walk On The Wild Side by Jami Alden Read Free Book Online Page A

no longer interested.
    He probably never was, she realized with a stab of humiliation. Despite what Sadie thought she saw, it really had been about nothing more than pissing her off and making her squirm.
    By the time the DJ called all the unmarried women in the room to the dance floor for the bouquet toss, Molly’s cheeks ached from the effort to keep a smile on her face.
    The crowd of women was thin, consisting only of Molly, Sadie, Janelle, who waited tables at the restaurant when she wasn't managing Damon's gas station and convenience store, and Janelle's younger sister, Cindy. Molly stood as far to the side as she could without actually leaving the dance floor, in no mood to participate in a ritual that did nothing but highlight her painfully single state.
    Ellie stood at the front of the room, looking over her shoulder with a grin as the guests whooped and hollered. When her eye caught Molly standing apart from the other three, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
    Molly gave her head a little shake, afraid she knew what that look meant.
    Seconds later, the bundle of wild roses came sailing over Ellie’s shoulder, straight into Molly’s chest. She caught it reflexively as the crowd went dead silent, then erupted into a wave of too enthusiastic applause.
    Embarrassment twisted her stomach as she smiled so hard she thought her face would crack. She walked over to Ellie, who grabbed her in a hug.
    “I hate you for doing that,” Molly said through gritted teeth.
    “I didn’t do to make you feel bad,” Ellie said, drawing away so she could look Molly in the eye. “I did it because even though you feel bad now, I want to remind you there’s hope for the future.”
    Over Ellie’s shoulder, Molly caught a glimpse of Brady, who was standing next to a laughing Dylan and Sadie.
    “Looks like you bought yourself a reprieve,” Brady chuckled.
    Dylan caught Sadie around the waist and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Says you. I’m not going to waste any time locking this one down.”
    Sadie arched an eyebrow. “Oh really? Is there something you want to ask me?”
    Dylan’s cheekbones flushed red and he stammered, “Uh, not this very second. But probably sometime soon.”
    Molly’s heart squeezed as she watched her best friend plant a tender kiss on Dylan’s lips, wondering how it was possible to feel so happy for someone while feeling so miserable for herself.
    Despite Ellie’s gesture, Molly wasn’t feeling terribly hopeful about her future right now. Not that she would ever bring her sister down on her wedding day by admitting it out loud.
    She gave Ellie a quick hug and excused herself before the tears that burned at the back of her eyes started spilling down her cheeks.

Chapter 3
     
     
    Brady watched as Molly slipped out a side door that led outside. Though her smile never wavered as she passed the other guests, the sad, almost lost look in her eyes made his gut twist.
    His feet were moving before he even realized it, and even though he’d spent the night avoiding her, afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from dragging her off to some corner and taking her up on what she had so blatantly offered up.
    He’d easily recognized the look on her face. It was a look he knew all too well: the look of a woman who wanted to have some fun, take a break from reality. Who knew that he was just the guy to show her a good time in the sack for a couple of nights.
    And Molly would be right. He could show her a damn good time. Problem was, he wanted to show her so much more.
    But with her grief so clear on her face, her heartbreak so close to the surface, he knew she was nowhere ready to give him what he really wanted. So he forced himself to hold back, to try his best to keep his distance.
    Now he couldn’t stop himself from following her, seeing how sad she was while everyone else was so frickin’ happy.
    Though the circumstances were different, he knew what it was like to feel like you were on the