Gavin grabbed me, lifting me off my feet, and spun me around. I threw my arms around his neck and suddenly he was kissing me. Right here, in front of everyone.

And in that moment, I had a terrible realization. I was madly in love with Gavin Bailey.

34

Gavin

The day of Evan and Fiona’s wedding brought out a rare sight. My brother smiling.

Evan didn’t just smile. He smiled more than he scowled, and that was saying something. He’d been a lot happier since Fiona, but today he’d achieved a new happiness level. One I hadn’t seen on him since we were kids.

It was pretty fucking awesome.

They’d set up a tent in Gram’s backyard, decorated with twinkle lights and outfitted with heaters against the cold. Despite the fact that Evan and Fiona had both insisted they’d have a small wedding, Fiona’s habit of making friends with everyone was evident. There was a great turnout.

I stood up front with my brothers and my eyes kept straying to Skylar, sitting with her parents and Ginny. She looked so pretty in her dark blue dress with her hair pulled back. Our gazes caught and I gave her a quick wink. The way it made her smile at me did weird things to my insides.

In fact, this whole wedding was doing weird things to my insides. I didn’t know what that was about. Every time I looked at Skylar I felt a fullness in my chest. It was freaking me out a little bit because I didn’t think I was supposed to be feeling like this toward her. Yeah, I liked her a lot, and the sex was off the charts fantastic. That was great and everything, but we were just friends.

You weren’t supposed to feel like this about someone who was just a friend. Were you?

Fuck if I knew.

The ceremony was short and to the point. Cara and Grace cried through the whole thing, and even I got a little choked up when they said their vows.

And just like that, I had another sister.

When the ceremony was over, my brothers and I helped move chairs to make room for the food. The whole thing was pretty low key, which was what Evan and Fiona wanted. Family, friends, good food and drinks. A big ass cake that Cara had insisted on buying for them. Someone turned on music, and everyone started eating, drinking, and mingling.

I found Skylar standing with her parents. Caroline was wearing the hell out of a form fitting red dress, and Chief was clearly enjoying it. His eyes traced her curves when she wasn’t looking and he grinned a little. Holy shit, he was totally hitting that tonight. I wondered if that was why he’d been in such a good mood lately.

Go Chief.

“Hey, Sky.” I nodded to her parents. “Caroline. Chief.”

Sky’s shy smile was the fucking cutest. “Hey.”

“It was a beautiful wedding, don’t you think?” Caroline asked. “They look so happy together.”

“I had a feeling she’d be the one for Evan,” Chief said.

“Did you?” Caroline asked. “How did you know?”

“She seemed to be able to put up with him.”

“An important quality in a wife,” Caroline said.

Gram came over to stand next to me. She was wearing a light peach floor-length dress and Fiona had put flowers in her braid.

“Congratulations,” Chief said and gave her a hug.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s nice to see another one of my cubs happily married.”

“You did an amazing job with them,” Caroline said. “You should be proud.”

“They give me a lot to be proud of.” She glanced at Skylar. “Hi there, Sparrow. How’s the book coming?”

Sparrow?

Wait.

Had Gram just nicknamed her?

Except it seemed like she’d called her that before. She had, at Asher’s birthday. I’d hardly noticed at the time, but holy shit, Gram gave her an animal name.

Uh-oh.

“It’s coming along really well,” Skylar said. “I’ll probably finish in the next week or so.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Thanks. It’s been a struggle, so it feels great to be so close to finishing. Then I just have to decide what I’m going to do with it when it’s done.”

“You know what I think,” Caroline said. “You don’t need another agent and you can be your own publisher.”

“I know, Mom. That’s just such a different way of doing things.”

“You can be your own publisher?” I asked.

Skylar nodded. “Yeah, these days you can. There are definitely some advantages.”

“But it makes you nervous.”

“It does. But you know me, everything makes me nervous.” She shrugged.

I stepped closer to her and gently took her hand. “I totally believe in you.”

“Thank you.”

She gazed up at me and for a second, I forgot that Gram and Skylar’s parents were standing right here. I was about to lean down and kiss her when Chief moved slightly, catching my attention from the corner of my eye.

Dropping her hand, I moved back.

Gram glanced at me with raised eyebrows as if to say, I saw that. “You do what you think is best, Sparrow.”

“Thanks, Gram. I will.”

Gram gave my arm a squeeze, then made her way to the next group of guests to chat.

Caroline slipped her arm through Chief’s. “How sweet of you to ask me to dance.”

“I don’t recall that I did.”

She smiled. “I’m sure you were just about to.”

The corners of his mouth turned up and he shook his head, then led her to where people had started dancing.

“What’s going on there?” I asked, gesturing toward Chief and Caroline.

“I’m not sure, but I think my mom’s been sleeping in his room.”

“Nice,” I said.

She laughed. “I guess. They must know I know, but they haven’t said anything.”

“Maybe they’re still feeling things out. Seeing where it’s going to go.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Wouldn’t it be crazy if they actually got back together?”

She gazed at them for a moment. “It would. I used to think they mostly just drove each other nuts, but lately… Just look at them.”

Chief had one arm around Caroline’s waist, his other hand clutched hers near his chest, and they smiled at each other as they danced.

“They look awesome together.”

“They really do.”

Evan had his bride in his arms, and Grace and Asher danced together next to Chief and Caroline. Logan swept up with Ginny and they joined the other couples on the dance floor.

I was just about to ask Skylar to dance, but she spoke first.

“Um, Gavin?”

“Yeah?”

She sidled up closer and slipped her hand in mine, then tilted her face up toward my ear. “You know how sometimes I get overstimulated and then…”

“And then?”

She looked up at me with those big brown eyes and bit her lip, desire written all over her face.

Oh shit.

“Now?”

She nodded. “I told you it happens at the worst times.”

I glanced around the tent. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but it wasn’t the worst time. Turning, I looked behind us, toward the house. No one was inside, except the caterers coming in and out of the kitchen.