She’d pulled herself together and made her way over to the Copper Canteen for the ladies’ breakfast with the bridal party. That’s when things had started going downhill. Helene’s cousin Oni had to go and bring up Sam. Helene and Robyn kept their word and their mouths shut about what they knew about Amanda and her unique situation with a certain actor. They didn’t stay on him too long as a topic of conversation, but for seven or so minutes nearly every woman in attendance, including Helene’s mother, presented their opinions on Sam’s devastatingly good looks, his Oscar win, and his single status, testing all of Amanda’s limits.

More than one member of the bridal party had made it clear Sam could get it before they’d moved on to the all-important topic of who had done bridesmaid number two’s eyebrows. Before the weekend was out, one of these single ladies was going to take a crack at Sam Pleasant. Amanda just smiled and laughed along with the conversation, ignoring the glance Helene passed her way. She understood. Sam was gorgeous. He was famous. He was available. Who wouldn’t want to get with him?

Of course, Amanda hadn’t breathed a word about the night they’d spent together or their abbreviated dessert break, but it had been a special kind of awful listening to them talk about a person she had to admit she had some pretty confusing feelings for. And she definitely wasn’t jealous. It wouldn’t make sense for her to be jealous. She and Sam weren’t a thing, and whatever had happened between them was, by definition, a secret. But still, an odd pang pinched at her neck every time another woman mentioned his name.

And that seemed to be the theme for the day: glee for the happy couple and their beautiful union, and absolute shock and excitement over the fact that Sam Pleasant’s fine ass was in attendance. By the time they’d gotten to the reception Amanda felt even more confident in her decision to completely disappear from Sam’s life when the wedding came to an end. For one brief moment she’d thought about what it must be like to actually date someone like Sam, the constant comments, the constant competition. She didn’t want it. It didn’t matter how badly she wanted to see him wearing nothing but that cowboy hat.

They’d spoken to each other twice throughout the day, but only in passing. He’d offered her a polite hello that was devoid of sexual innuendo before the ceremony. And he’d checked on her again, simply asking if she was enjoying herself during the cocktail hour while the mariachi band Helene’s father had requested was entertaining the mingling guests. He’d sat with his grandmother, thee Leona Lovell, during the ceremony and they were placed at different tables during the reception.