“And a half rack, please,” she added to Tucker. “You know how I love ribs.”
Tucker was grinning in all-out delight. “Sure do, Miss Mallory. And they’ve got that honey barbecue glaze on them that you love.”
Mal smiled and tilted her head. “Make it a full, then,” she said. “I never pass up the honey barbecue glaze.”
Tucker winked at her and did as she asked.
It was a ton of food, but she would make herself sick if she had to. And she would really enjoy doing so.
The girls looked absolutely disgusted with her, but she met their gazes calmly and walked over to an open table. Caroline squeezed her hand as she walked by, and Mal smiled tightly, then set her stuff at the table and sat down.
Taryn and Dan joined her, their plates just as loaded down as hers was. She looked at them in surprise.
Taryn shrugged, though her cheeks were pink. “I like barbecue, and I hate mean girls. We’re pigging out tonight.”
Dan looked unapologetic. “I always eat like this. I’m already looking forward to seconds.”
Mal grinned at her assistants. “You guys already get bonus points.”
“Yes!” they said in unison, giving each other high fives.
Lucas was suddenly there with frosted tankards of root beer for each of them. “For my absolute favorite table, I will also tell you that there is a hidden stash of peach cobbler in the back, and when we’re done here, you signal me, and we’ll go.”
Mal groaned in half delight, half agony. “Food coma is coming,” she moaned, looking up at her cousin.
He smiled in one of his rare, sincere ways. “You deserve it,” he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. Then the roguish air was back, and he adjusted his checkered collar. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must feed this glorious body of mine.”
He left before Mal could reply.
“If only he were lying.” Taryn sighed as she picked up a piece of fried chicken.
“Shut up,” Dan ordered around a mouthful of potato salad.
Hunter stared, knowing it was blatant, but he couldn’t help it. There was just something about that girl that drew his gaze and his attention like nothing else. She looked like a farm girl who’d been pitied by a rich family and brought in for a warm meal, but she was so natural and easy. She wasn’t intimidated by any of this. Her actions just now had proven that.
Could she really eat all that food?
He’d always appreciated girls who could eat without shame. But she was a hundred pounds, if that; there was absolutely nowhere for that food to go.
She was talking with her assistants now, laughing again. He loved her laugh. She threw her head back with all that she was, thrilling in the joy of whatever had made her laugh. She didn’t try to be delicate or reserved; she wasn’t fake or boisterous; she wasn’t anything but what she was. Warm and natural. And ridiculously adorable. It stirred something in him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it very much.
Except he did like it.
A lot.
He shifted uncomfortably against the windowsill, unsure if he were frowning or smiling at the moment.
Mallory Hudson. He should have made the connection when he’d seen her name on the contract, but he’d somehow missed it. Jenna’s cousin was the photographer. She would be everywhere in this wedding and everywhere in his resort. And she wasn’t just the photographer, she was family.
Did that make this better or worse?
“Stop gawking,” Tom’s friend Reed said as he came over.
Hunter gave him a look. He’d never been especially fond of Reed, but he was better than Paul, and he wasn’t exactly a bad sort of guy. He’d just never grown up.
“Gawking?” Hunter repeated. “At what?”
Reed quirked a brow. “I’m not stupid, McIntyre. You’re staring at that chick over there. The cute one.”