by Jaci Burton
She unbuckled her seat belt and turned to him with a smile. "It didn't suck."
They were surrounded by barking dogs of all shapes and sizes when Nathan exited the rental car. He bent and petted all of them, until a whistle sent them scurrying. He recognized the man on the porch right away. It was Easton Cassidy, football legend and Mia's father.
"Hey, Dad," Mia said, making her way to the front porch to give her father a hug.
"Hey, baby girl." Easton surrounded his daughter with a tight hug. "It's been forever since I've seen you."
She laughed. "Only a few months. You look good."
"So do you."
Nathan stood on the ground, waiting.
"Nice to see you again, Nathan," Easton said.
"You, too, Mr. Cassidy." Nathan made his way up the porch steps to shake Easton's hand.
"I've told you before. Call me Easton. How's your dad doing with his retirement?"
"He seems fine with it. He's happy to be able to spend time with my little brother."
"I'll bet he is. I'll have to give him a call and tell him all the fun things he can do now that he's retired."
"Like buy a ranch?" Mia asked with a teasing smile.
"He should definitely buy a ranch."
"Yeah, I can't see my mom being ready for that just yet," Nathan said. "But maybe several years down the road."
Easton laughed. "Come on inside. Your mom just made some fresh lemonade, Mia, and some of your brothers are here."
Easton held the door for them and they walked inside. It was hot as blazes out, so Nathan was happy the air conditioner was cranked to arctic levels in the house.
The Cassidys' house was huge. Nathan could tell it had been designed with four boys in mind. Lots of room to run around, no precious trinkets sitting about on the tables. Everything had a rustic but modern feel to it with dark hardwood floors, exposed beams on the tall ceilings and one hell of a dining room table that looked handmade. The house was pretty enough that a woman would love it, but also comfortable and somewhere a guy would like to live. Kind of a best of both worlds thing.
They made their way into the kitchen, which boasted an oversized island. Mia's mom, Lydia, leaned against the island talking to Grant, Mia's oldest brother, and Tucker, one of the twins, along with their wives. It was always easy to recognize Tucker since he wore glasses.
"Oh, you're here," Lydia said, coming around the island to fold Mia into a hug.
Mia hugged her back. Then she had to hug Grant and his wife, Katrina, and Tucker and his wife, Aubry.
"You all remember Nathan Riley? And if you don't, this is my friend Nathan Riley."
"Hey, Nathan," Grant said. "Good to see you again." Grant introduced his wife, Katrina.
"We haven't met yet," Tucker said. "Great to meet you. This is my wife, Aubry."
"It's nice to meet all of you."
"And it's wonderful to see you again, Nathan," Lydia said. "It feels like forever, though I know we saw you at the game last year when we came out to see Flynn play."
"It's good to see you again, Lydia. Thanks for letting me tag along to the wedding."
"We're happy to have you."
"How does it feel taking over as Sabers quarterback?" Grant asked.
"Daunting."
Grant laughed. "Yeah, I know that feeling. But you're gonna do great. Unless you play our team. Then we'll kick your ass."
Nathan smiled. "Somehow I think Flynn would disagree."
"Disagree about what?"
Flynn and Amelia walked in, hand in hand.
"That Grant's team will kick the Sabers' ass," Mia said.
Flynn walked over and patted Grant on the back. "Keep being a dreamer, buddy."
Easton beamed a smile. "I love when the family comes together. Such warmth."
Lydia laughed. "Go check the ribs, Easton." She turned to Mia and Nathan. "There's lemonade and iced tea in the fridge, along with beer. And, Mia, you know where the wine is."
"Okay." Mia turned to Nathan. "What would you like?"
"I'll take a beer."
"Grab one for me, too," Flynn said. "Amelia?"
"I'd love a glass of wine."
"White or red?" Mia asked.
"Whatever you're pouring for yourself."
"That makes it easy."
Nathan pulled two beers--then three, when Tucker asked for one. He ended up following the guys outside, where they hung out with Easton while he finished smoking the ribs, which smelled amazing.
"How'd you manage the time off, Tucker?" Nathan asked.
"I just pitched yesterday afternoon's game so I won't be in the rotation again for several days. Coach wasn't all that happy for me to leave, but they let me off anyway. And it helped that I gave them plenty of notice."
"Plus, he sucks and they don't like to use him that often," Flynn said.
"Yeah, that's why my earned run average is so low."
"I don't know why you let him bait you," Grant said. "You should just tell him to go fuck himself."
Tucker took a swallow of his beer. "Oh, right. Go fuck yourself, Flynn."
Flynn smiled over his beer.
Nathan didn't have brothers close in age, but his dad, uncles and their cousins sparred like this all the time. He knew it came from a place of affection. It was amusing as hell to listen to--and to be a part of. Once he'd become an adult, the Riley clan had used insults to show him how much they loved him.
"How are you feeling about this season, Nathan?" Easton asked him.
"Honestly? Equal parts raring to go and nervous as hell."
"I think you'd be in trouble if you weren't split down the middle like that," Grant said. "If you're overconfident you'll fuck it all up. If you're too scared to even move from under center, you'll fuck it all up, too. I'd say you're right where you need to be."
"I agree," Flynn said. "It's natural to be nervous. Hell, we all were when we first started out. But as long as you know you've got the skills, you'll do great."
Tucker nodded. "My first time on the mound starting a game I thought for sure I was going to either throw up or pass out."
"You pitched seven solid innings and won," Easton said.
Tucker's lips lifted. "Yeah. Only gave up one run. It was a decent outing for my first trip to the mound."
"My first time at defensive back, some five-foot-seven running back skirted past me as if I was frozen," Flynn said. "Hell, I might have been."
"I remember that," Tucker said. "We were all at the game that day yelling from the stands because we were wondering when the hell you were going to move your ass."
Flynn frowned. "I moved my ass plenty after that. And after the coach pulled me and screamed at me for like five solid minutes. The very next play I got past the offensive tackle and nearly sacked the QB."
Nathan laughed. "A real come-to-Jesus moment for you, was it?"
"Like you would not believe."
"I did get sacked in my first game as a starter," Grant said. "Some big burly defensive end flattened me so hard I couldn't breathe."
"Yeah, we all thought you were dead," Easton said with a grin.
Nathan shook his head. "But you got up and then you threw a forty-yard touchdown pass."
Grant looked over at Nathan. "You remember that."
"I watched a lot of football before I ever got to play."
"Studying the game is the best way to learn the right way--and the wrong way--to play," Flynn said.
"You're right about that," Easton said. "Okay, these ribs are done. Go grab the pan from your mom, Tucker, along with the barbecue sauce so I can get these babies on the grill."
"You got it."
They spent the next half hour jawing about sports while Easton finished with the ribs. Nathan went inside to get everyone more beer. Mia was at the kitchen island surrounded by her mother and all the women and was so engaged in conversation and cooking she didn't even notice him. He was fine with that. He knew how much being with her family meant to her.
>
He'd also been introduced to Katrina's younger sister, Anya, and her brother, Leo. Leo ended up outside with them--minus the beer, since Leo was underage.
But since Leo also played football, he fit right in and he and Nathan had a discussion about how Leo hadn't started playing football until his sophomore year in high school. Now he was going to play wide receiver in college.
"So you decided on the University of Texas, huh?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah. I got lucky and received several offers, but I really liked Texas."
Nathan nodded. "It's a good school. Grant went there, as you know. So did Mia. So did I. Great football program."
"Great academically, too. I like the coach and the team and what they have to offer. I can't wait to start."
Nathan remembered what it was like being a freshman in college, just waiting for football season. "Already getting started on your practices?"
He nodded.
"Hey, if you have any questions, text or call me."
They traded numbers.
"Thanks, Nathan. Oh, and I'm excited to watch you lead the Sabers as quarterback this season."
"Thanks. I'm pretty pumped about it."
Easton said the ribs were ready. Grant went inside and came out with several serving trays. They piled the ribs on those and went inside.
"Those can go on the dining room table," Lydia said. "We're all set up."
He had no idea what else they'd been fixing in here, but whatever it was smelled damn good. When he made his way to the dining room, Mia waved him over, so he sat next to her.
There were also a lot more people who'd showed up, including a few older guys who looked a lot like Easton. Mia introduced Nathan to Easton's brothers--her uncles--along with their wives, though his brother Elijah was single.
The food spread was spectacular. Besides the ribs, there were baked beans, green beans and salad and corn on the cob, along with corn bread and fruit salad. There were pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, along with pitchers of lemon-infused water. Nathan poured a glass of water.
"Dig in, everyone," Lydia said.
Nathan and Mia waited while the elder members of the family took their portions. Then they served themselves. Nathan dove into the ribs and devoured several of those before he even began to tackle the side dishes.
"Hungry?" Mia asked.
He used one of the napkins to wipe his mouth and chin. "I've been smelling these ribs for a couple of hours now. I couldn't wait to taste them."
"My dad makes pretty exceptional ribs."
"Yeah, he does." He made sure to tell Easton how good they were.
Easton beamed a smile.
"Thanks, kid."
Nathan was pretty sure he could have devoured every rib Easton had pulled off the grill. But the competition was fierce with all these guys and he kept eyeing the plate, sure they were going to run out.
They didn't. Obviously the Cassidys were used to feeding hordes of hungry mouths, because by the time everyone was finished, there was still food left over.
Nathan was so full he could barely stand.
But then everyone got up and started carrying dishes into the kitchen. It was a lot like hanging out at his grandparents' when all the family came over. When Flynn and Grant and Tucker and the rest of the guys began to put food away, Nathan dug in to help. There were so many of them it didn't take much time at all to get everything cleaned up and put away.
Teamwork, man. Worked every time.
Flynn handed him a beer from the fridge, and he followed the guys outside onto the back porch. Plenty of places to sit, so he pulled up a white Adirondack chair and settled in.
"When do Barrett and Harmony and her family get in?" Flynn asked.
"Tomorrow morning," Easton said. "Harmony had some last-minute business things to finish up this afternoon, and they didn't want to rush into a flight tonight, so they're flying in early tomorrow morning. They should be here by noon."
Mia had told him that Barrett and Harmony had decided to get married here on the ranch. They had already decorated a couple of barns for the ceremony and the reception, and there were plenty of guest cottages for those who'd be staying over at the wedding. Plus they had a block of rooms reserved at one of the hotels in Austin for the rest of the guests.
He'd heard a lot about Cassidy weddings lately. Two of her brothers--Grant and Tucker--had gotten married last year, so Mia had shared details about the weddings and showed him pictures.
She'd looked pretty in the wedding photos. Then again, Mia always looked pretty. In or out of clothes. He probably shouldn't be thinking about her not wearing clothes while he was sitting around with her brothers, but it was hard not to think about her. He heard her laughing inside and damn if he didn't want to go in there, wrap his arms around her and kiss her. He craved the taste of her lips on his.
His dick quivered just thinking about it, which meant he needed to stop thinking about it. At least until he could get her alone.
He wasn't sure how he was going to accomplish that. On the flight here, Mia had explained to him that she wanted to keep their relationship private, not tell her family they were dating yet. She didn't want probing questions from her family.
He totally understood that and he was more than willing to respect her terms. This was her ground, so she could play it however she wanted to.
Which didn't mean he wouldn't try to grab some alone time with her. And enjoy being her date at the wedding.
Time to direct his thoughts elsewhere. He thought about all these Cassidys. All these weddings in such a short time must have been a whirlwind of crazy for the Cassidys. Mia had loved it, had spent hours talking to him about the weddings.
This was the first one Mia had invited him to, though. He wasn't a wedding kind of guy, but he'd gone to plenty of them over the years with the Riley clan. And this was important to Mia. He was happy to be here with her.
Between hanging out with the guys and with Mia, he was going to have fun.
The group broke up about an hour later. He was bunking with Leo, which suited him just fine. He liked the kid and they had plenty in common. He tossed his bag on the double bed upstairs in the main house, then went downstairs to grab a glass of water.
Mia was in the kitchen.
"Did you find your room okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm with Leo."
She grinned. "Leo is awesome."
"He is. Where are you bunking?"
"Not too far from you. In my old room. By myself."
That gave him ideas. "Oh, yeah? You'll have to give me a tour."
She arched a brow. "Thinking of invading my inner sanctum?"
He looked around but didn't see anyone. The TV was on in the living room, but that was far enough away that no one could see them. Still, he didn't want to risk someone walking in on them, so he kept his distance. "Maybe. If you invite me."
She reached out and skimmed her fingertips across his chest. "Well, we could--"
Flynn walked into the kitchen and Mia snatched her hand back.
"I hope you didn't drink all the beer."
Nathan maintained a casual pose, as if he and Mia had just been chatting. "No guarantees."
Flynn grabbed three beers from the fridge. "Luckily for you there are still beers here. So I don't have to kick your ass."
Nathan laughed.
"And why aren't you guys in here watching the game with us?" Flynn asked. "It's the bottom of the seventh and L.A. and Texas are tied."
Nathan looked over at Mia, who shrugged. "I wouldn't miss it."
So much for having some alone time with Mia.
"Me, either," Mia said.
Nathan nodded. "Yeah, let's go watch some baseball."
TWENTY-THREE
MIA ADORED WEDDINGS. SHE WAS NOWHERE NEAR ready for her own, but there had been so many Cassidy weddings in the past year they had filled her heart with love and absolute joy.
Having watched her brothers Grant and Tucker marry the women th
ey love had been wonderful. She already felt like Katrina and Aubry were her sisters. She loved them both so much. And now her brother Barrett was going to marry Harmony, and she'd gain yet another sister.
After growing up with four annoying brothers, having all these women become a part of her life was nothing short of a miracle.
Hopefully sometime soon Flynn and Amelia would be planning their wedding and then she'd have four sisters to counteract the effects of all that Cassidy testosterone.
They'd celebrated Flynn and Amelia's engagement last night with a round of champagne for everyone. Amelia said she didn't want to make a big deal out of it because this was Harmony and Barrett's celebration, but Mom had insisted that it was still a big deal and they should at least do a toast.
She was so happy for her brother, who had showed some smarts by asking Amelia to marry him.
As soon as Barrett and Harmony arrived on the ranch this afternoon, it had been chaos. But it was wonderful chaos. Barrett was his usual laid-back self, and Harmony was excited. They all dragged her upstairs to ogle her wedding dress and talk about the plans for today.
"Are you nervous?" Katrina asked her.
"A little. Nervousness mixed with excitement and a touch of 'Oh my God I can't believe the day is finally here.' "
Aubry laughed. "I felt the same way on my wedding day. Like it took forever to get here, then once the day came there was so much to do. And it was over so fast. I wanted it to go on forever."
"You looked like a freakin' fairy princess in your wedding dress," Mia said, remembering the blush-tone dress Aubry wore on her wedding day that complemented her peachy complexion and blond hair. She'd looked stunning.
Aubry grinned. "I kind of did, didn't I?"
"And of course Katrina looked like she'd just stepped off one of her photo shoots," Harmony said, "with that sleek silk wedding gown and her body that made us all jealous."
Katrina smiled. "Thank you. I loved that dress. After doing so many wedding shoots in so many designer dresses, I just wanted simple."
"You made simple look elegant," Anya said. "Which I told you was the best choice."
Katrina looked over at her younger sister. "Well, you know me best, don't you?"
"And now we can't wait for Harmony to get all dressed up and walk down the aisle," Mia said. "Or down the barn aisle."
Harmony laughed. "I know. It's crazy to think we're getting married here. But it's so perfect. Even my mom loves it here."
"That's because your mom has the hots for my uncle Elijah," Mia said.
