Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

Stealing

Jordan's lips formed a tense line, and his posture stiffened slightly.

"I see," he said. "And...how long has it been since you two have been together?"

She knew the answer to this one. "Almost two years." The realization hit her hard, though she had no idea why. The passing of time was something she couldn't avoid, yet it was still hard to believe that so much of it had gone by. So much had transpired since she had sent Hunter's engagement ring back to him.

Jordan stiffened further at her admission, and he nodded slowly.

"Was it serious?"

Bethany just nodded guiltily.

"How serious?"

She colored and looked at her feet. "We were engaged."

Jordan took a step back from her, but didn't release her hand, which she took as a good sign.

"And did it end badly?"

So badly, she groaned inwardly. To Jordan, she simply said, "Yes."

He took a moment to respond, but his posture eventually shifted back to normal. He gave her a small smile and bent forward to kiss her forehead.

"I wish you had told me, is all," he said. "But I know we haven't been dating that long. I haven't told you about my exes, either, so I have no reason to be angry."

Bethany tilted her head at him. "You're the best, you know that?"

He held his hands in the air. "Guilty as charged."

Her smile broadened and she pulled him towards her for another lingering kiss.

They headed back in after that, and arrived just in time to join the line for the buffet. Thankfully, they weren't seated at the same table as Hunter and Stephanie, but Jordan did find someone he knew at the wedding. Her name was Erin, and she had come with her fiancé Roman. They were at the same table as the bride and groom, as were Bethany and Jordan. Roman was one of Markob's friends from the FBI, and his best man for the wedding. On record, of course, no one knew they were on the force, but Bethany was privy to these secrets after her excursion in New York, and due to her close friendship with Amanda.

Toasts were given in honor of the happy couple, dancing ensued by all who were not a part of the wedding party, and all of the food from the buffet tables disappeared. At 8 o'clock, just as the sun was going down, the pastor rose and asked the wedding party to meet by the gazebo to rehearse the ceremony. They had a little trouble breaking through the conga line that had started up, but eventually they all made it through the glass doors at the front entrance.

Mandy and Markob were ahead of everyone else on the walk to the gazebo, talking with the pastor and holding hands. Bethany stared at them for a while before she noticed she had a companion next to her as well. She looked over, saw it was Hunter and smiled at him warily.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, laughing inside at how much taller she was in her heels tonight.

He nodded noncommittally and answered, "Things are going well. The CMA's are coming up. I'm nominated again this year."

"That's great!" she said brightly. "I'm proud of you."

He gave her an odd look before repeating her question back to her.

"How about you? How have you been?"

"Things are going well for me, too, actually. I have a great new job and my leg is getting loads better, and, you know, made some new friends."

Hunter wasn't surprised. To be completely honest, she looked amazing, which was proof that things were going just as well as she said. He wondered why she didn't mention that man she was dating, but he assumed she was just trying to avoid that sensitive subject.

"Jordan seems great," he mentioned, trying too hard to sound casual. His voice came out harsher than he intended.

Bethany's eyes were suddenly starry, and he wished he had said nothing.

"He is. Stephanie seems wonderful, too, though. Did I ever tell you I met her once before I left your tour?" Bethany laughed. "She looked like she had seen a ghost when I told her my name."

Hunter couldn't help but let out a teensy chuckle in return. "Yeah, she mentioned it. I guess she just hadn't expected to meet you right after I'd told her the story."

She didn't need to ask what story he meant, but she wouldn't have had the chance anyhow. They had reached the gazebo, and the pastor was separating the groomsmen and the bridesmaids by height. Bethany had known this was going to happen, so she had been sure to wear the same shoes she'd be wearing at the actual ceremony. It had been pure luck that Roman, who was going to walk with her down the aisle during the procession, was taller than her in heels.

Roman took her arm and grinned at her, whispering a few silly comments in her ear as the pastor finished pairing off couples. Bethany's sister, Lola, was placed just behind the Maid of Honor and Best Man, and Bethany turned around to tell her how lovely she looked in her pretty green dress. The twelve year old blushed, but her face lit up again, especially when Markob's cute fourteen year old nephew, who was on her arm, gallantly repeated the compliment. Bethany winked at her and puffed out her chest, to which Lola responded by puffing out her own chest and smiling.

A few minutes more and they were ready to begin the procession. Bethany and Roman headed up the party, following just behind the pastor and finding their way to opposite sides of the gazebo. Then they just watched and waited while the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen entered. The pastor hummed the bridal march as they went, and suddenly stopped them just before Amanda and Markob started down the aisle.

"I'm sorry," the pastor said, rushing down the aisle to grab Markob by the wrist. "You're supposed to start up here with me. I'm so sorry. Amanda's father is supposed to walk her down the aisle. Also, Mandy, where is your mother? Isn't she in the procession, too?"

Commotion ensued, the pastor apologized over and over, and it took them three more tries to get everyone in the right order. It was getting dark by the time they had finished, and Bethany was definitely feeling an ache in her feet. Discreetly, she pulled her heels off and carried them in her hand back to the hall, where she found Jordan dancing with Erin to a strange hip-hop song she'd never heard. He saw Bethany and pointed a finger at her, smiling. He laughed, and Erin looked over and smiled, too.

When the song had ended, Jordan joined Bethany and gave her cheek a kiss.

"That took longer than expected. I'm sorry," she said, taking his hand with her free one.

Jordan looked her up and down, his eyes finally lighting on her shoeless feet.

"Took a stroll on the wild side, eh?"

Bethany shrugged. "I like being barefoot, actually." She wasn't about to tell him that her feet and knee were killing her. There was no way he'd let her go to the wedding without a brace if he knew her knee wasn't reacting well to her choice in footwear.

Jordan wasn't fooled, however, and gave her a knowing look to prove it. He leaned in close to her ear, and she moved closer to him instinctually.

"Your ex is staring at you, James." She tried to turn her head to confirm what he had said, but one of Jordan's finger on her chin stayed her gaze on his. "Let's give him something to look at, shall we?" he taunted, giving her a sinister smile.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her with one arm, trapping her legs under the other neatly and painlessly. Bethany was shocked, but more so impressed that Jordan was this strong. With her new muscle mass, she weighed more than she ever had, but he didn't even seem to feel her in his arms.

He turned naturally around the room, located Amanda and Markob in the corner, and shouted in their direction.

"I'm taking the Maid of Honor! We'll see you at the wedding! This was great! Buh-bye now!"

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