One day before wedding...

The hotel room is nothing extravagant. Simple white walls with a few generic pictures and king sized bed with white linens. There is a floral print couch and chair that looks like something even my grandma would find appalling.

Oh and of course, gold accents. Everywhere.

Ryder walks in behind me carrying all of our bags. He drops them on the floor and sits down on the ground and calls Boomer over.

"Wow, Boomer you are way better off without that shithead," Ryder says in a low voice.

I snort making both of them turn their heads towards me then I start laughing. Uncontrollably.

"You okay, Addison?" Ryder says with a smile on his face. Then he turns back to Boomer, "so your dad's a shit and your mom has gone crazy. Sounds like you're living my life. Don't worry, Man, I'll adopt you."

I swear my heart stops beating and my ovaries explode when Ryder leans down to kiss Boomer's head.

I want to rip his clothes off and have a repeat of the other night. Shit. Badmouthing Graham and he loves my dog? Is this my reward for always been such a great person? Because thank you to whoever the hell is in charge.

"So what's the plan?" Ryder asks standing up and beginning to unpack. He hangs his suit in the closet and places his shoes neatly on the floor.

I grab Boomer's dog food and bowl out of his bag and bring it to the floor in the bathroom so we don't get charge for doggy slobber stains on the hideous carpet.

Stains might help.

"We have to bring all the boxes from the van into the ballroom and I'll probably start setting up," I say shoving all of my clothes, including my dress, into a drawer.

Ryder shakes his head walks over to me, takes my dress and hangs it up next to his suit.

Is it dumb that I'm getting sentimental looking at his suit and my dress hanging in a closet together? Like we are actually a couple.

Wow. Maybe I am going crazy.

"Is Boomer okay here?" Ryder asks.

"We have to take him out first." I answer.

"Then lets go," Ryder says clipping Boomer's leash and heading towards the door. I follow closely behind and am on the look out for Graham and Leah.

Thankfully we make it outside without a sighting.

After getting Boomer settled in the hotel room we make our way to the van to grab the boxes of vases and flowers. Luckily, Ryder finds a cart so we only have to make one trip.

The ballroom is a ballroom. Cream colored walls, cream colored table cloths under peach table cloths.

"You must be Addison," a peppy brunette says walking towards Ryder and I with her manicured hand extended.

I nod and shake her hand weakly.

"I'm Jenna, the wedding planner." She says to me then looks over at Ryder and she pushes her chest out and gives him this flirty look. God, people fucking suck. Obviously this guy is with me. I mean he is not only standing in this ballroom but he is also holding a box full of flowers. Jenna knows I'm the florist so after a simple calculation it seems that Ryder is mine.

Well, not mine. But mine in the sense that he isn't Jenna's.

"Awesome. You've done a fabulous job," I say in a monotone voice.

Ryder chuckles under his breath and Jenna looks like a deer caught headlights. What another terrible saying.

"Ryder," I say.

He looks at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Deer caught in headlights is a worse saying than the grass is greener."

His laugh is deep and I can feel it in my chest. I smile up at him as he calms himself down, "how the fuck did we forget about that one? That is just sick. Who came up with a saying about a deer and a person having an accident. Either the human or the deer is dying."

Jenna looks even more confused as she watches our banter. Her eyes look from him to me and then awkwardly around the ballroom.

"Uhm, yeah, so," Jenna clears her throat, "I'm basically done here. I got the table cloths situated so as soon as you're done with the flowers I can come back to put out the place settings."

"Excellent, Jenna," I say.

She nods and practically runs out of the door.

"How the hell do you run a business? You have no people skills." Ryder says shaking his head.

I gasp, "that is so rude! You barely know me."

"Addison, I barely know you and I've seen you curse out like five people."

I shrug, "It's a gift."

He laughs and rolls his eyes, "let's get started?"

I nod and begin placing the vases in a neat row and organizing the flowers better, making sure none of them have died in the journey.

"What can I do?" he asks.

"Uhh, nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I don't want you touching the flowers. You have giant hands and these are delicate."

"Fine. I'll go get us dinner. What do you want?" Ryder asks. He is sitting so close I can feel his breath and I think about ripping his clothes off, again.

I have a problem.

"Mcdonalds. Just get a bunch of everything," I say.

"A bunch of everything?"

"Except for salads. None of those."

"Got it," he says saluting me and heading towards the exit.

While he's gone I arrange the flowers as perfectly as I can. Then I get pissed that I'm trying so hard for Graham's wedding so I mess them up a bit. Then I get a sick feeling in my stomach looking at the not perfect arrangement and change it again.

It's a time consuming cycle so by the time Ryder comes back holding a few greasy bags, I only have three done.

"You're going to need help." Ryder says matter-of-factly.

"So why are you single?" I ask ignoring his statement and grabbing a fry out of the bag.

He sighs giving in, "My girlfriend and I broke up about a year or so ago."

"Why? You're perfect." I squeeze my lips together wishing I had some magic spell to suck words back into my mouth. But I would definitely over use that tool.

Ryder laughs and thankfully doesn't comment on my outburst, "I got hurt on the job. I was in and out of the hospital for a little while and she decided she couldn't handle it anymore. She asked me to pick my job or her. I chose my work."

"Was that a hard decision?"

He shakes his head, "I've wanted to be a firefighter since kindergarten when a fireman came to my class. It's always been this huge part of me. I like the adrenaline and I like saving people."

Swoon.

"Like you're saving me?" I ask nudging his shoulder with mine.

"If there is one thing I've learned about you it's that you don't need anyone to save you."