Chompin' at the Bit (Horse Play #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

and her eyes were a pale blue-green. She was definitely taller than me, but still not quite as tall as Jensen.
    “Jensen!” she cried across the room, dropping the hand of a very large, linebacker-looking dude. It was probably safe to assume that was Kyle. “I’ve missed you!” Enthusiastically, she hopped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, but because he was still holding my hand, he returned her embrace one-armed.
    “Hey, Lilah-Bean. You excited for tomorrow?” he asked sweetly as she dropped back to the ground. It was then that I realized there was a high probability that she had maybe indulged in a few cocktails. Her cheeks were a subtle shade of pink, her eyes glassy, and she was smiling … a lot.
    “Yes! Mom and I have been busy all day decorating the banquet room upstairs!” she told him animatedly, her entire body vibrating with excitement. “Oh! I can’t wait for you to see it!”
    “Easy, Lilah,” the man I suspected to be Kyle said as he came up next to her. He held out his hand for Jensen to shake and beamed from ear to ear. His wide smile made him look slightly less intimidating as his cheeks indented with two of the deepest dimples I had ever seen. “Jensen, it’s good to see you again.” His big brown eyes drifted to me and his smile seemed to widen. “And you must be Madison. We’ve heard so much about you. I’m Kyle Lewis.” He moved his hand away from Jensen and held it out to me.
    I looked up at Jensen, who seemed a bit embarrassed by Kyle’s candid confession, and reached for the outstretched hand in front of me. As soon as it lay flat against Kyle’s, he yanked me toward him and wrapped me in the tightest bear hug I’d ever experienced in my life, forcing me to relinquish my death-grip on Jensen’s hand.
    After setting me back down, he wrapped his arm around Lilah’s waist and pulled her tightly to him. “And this little looker is my soon-to-be wife, Lilah.”
    I smiled at her, but it fell shortly after as she appeared to be sizing me up. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized her loyalties probably still lay with Kaylie. True, they were loyalties built on omission and lies, but there was a foundation there that I just didn’t have, nor could I compete with.
    Even though she kind of terrified me, I persevered, really wanting her to like me. “Hi, I’m Madison. It’s so great to finally meet you.” I held out a slightly trembling hand to her, but she didn’t take it right away. Instead, she looked from me to Jensen, and then back again before her cold expression warmed and she smiled brightly. Sighing in relief, I felt my smile return.
    “We’re so glad you could make it, Madison. Jensen’s been talking about you non-stop. It’s nice to see him happy again.” I was certain she meant nothing by it, but the “again” she tacked on certainly stung.
    Sensing something was wrong, Jensen placed his hand flat against the small of my back. “Why don’t we go get a drink?” he suggested quietly, nodding toward the bar.
    Kyle and Lilah quickly became wrapped up in each other and didn’t mind our exit. Jensen ushered me toward the bar and leaned against it as we waited for the bartender. I looked around at the slowly filling room and recognized almost no one. Jensen’s parents were clear across the restaurant. Dr. Davis wore her caramel-colored hair up in a sleek chignon, and was all smiles as she and her husband spoke with another couple around their age. Kyle’s parents, maybe?
    As I continued to appraise the room, I noticed it was almost whimsical. There were plants and trees everywhere, expertly manicured to perfection. Each table was covered with a white table linen, three pillared candles of varying heights in the center, while six Chiavari chairs surrounded them.
    “Sorry about her. She was upset about the breakup. Plus, she’s been drinking. She’s always a tad more sensitive to mood swings with a little alcohol in her,” Jensen explained, drawing