Captivating In Love

by Bella Andre

  She would have loved a glimpse of him in his tux, but no such luck.

  Onstage, the robots whistled as they worked, like the seven dwarves in Snow White. And Fifteen kept shooting hearts at Ten that she failed to notice.

  Then a horn blew, announcing it was lunchtime. Ten’s hands flew to her cheeks. “Oh no, I’ve forgotten my lunch box.”

  With hearts still waving madly over his head, Fifteen held up his lunch box and was clearly about to offer it to her, when a little boy robot with a number one emblazoned on his vest danced onto the stage.

  “Mommy, you forgot your lunch.” He waved the box in the air.

  Ten wrapped him in her arms. “Oh, Little One, you are such a good boy.”

  Poor Fifteen, stoop-shouldered, picked up his lunch box and began lumbering away.

  Little One called, “Number Fifteen, will you come eat with us?”

  Looking both surprised and pleased, Fifteen nodded, then hurried back over.

  A big yellow sun dropped down over the left side of the stage, and a picnic bench rolled out. All three robots sat down, the sun now dancing over their heads along with the hearts.

  With no preamble, Number One turned to Fifteen and asked, “How do new robots get made?”

  Everyone in the audience laughed as Fifteen’s eyes went wide in horror. “Well, oh, uh,” he spluttered.

  The guests were still chuckling as Number Ten smiled and patted her son’s hand. “Nice try.” She leaned toward Fifteen and said, “I’ve already told him I’ll answer that when he’s older.”

  “Okay, then why do flowers bloom in the spring?” the little robot asked.

  “Because it’s cold in the winter, and they need to sleep,” Fifteen said.

  “And why do hummingbirds eat all the time?”

  “Because their wings beat fifty times a second, and that takes a lot of energy, which means they need to eat a lot of food to give them energy.”

  Little One nodded, then asked, “Do you have any little boy robots?”

  “No,” Fifteen said, shaking his head sadly.

  “What about a lady robot?”

  “I wish I did,” Fifteen said as the hearts above him did a crazy dance.

  Little One leaned close to Fifteen. “My mom doesn’t have a man robot either.”

  His implication was clear. The two robots needed each other.

  Hearts fell from the ceiling right over Number Ten’s head as she reached out for Fifteen. As he took her hand in his, Little One nestling happily between them, the hearts merged over their heads.

  The guests applauded as the curtain fell on the puppet factory and the little robot matchmaker with his mom and new dad. Rosie and Ari high-fived in the bride’s tent. They’d all put the storyline together during a string of dinners at Matt and Ari’s house in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Judging by the laughter and applause from the audience, it had gone over even better than they’d hoped.

  Chi pointed to a couple in the audience. The man was tall and broad in a dark suit, and the woman was absolutely beautiful in a yellow silk dress. “I think that’s Nicola Sullivan and her husband, Marcus. I’ve got to get an autograph! Although, I wouldn’t want to make her feel she shouldn’t have come, if she was hoping to be anonymous for the day.”

  Nicola was famous around the world as pop star Nico, and Chi, Ari, and Rosie were all huge fans of her music. Rosie grinned, having heard how sweet Nicola was from Harper and Charlie, who’d both spent time with her. “I bet she’d love a little fangirl moment.” As Chi dashed off, Rosie called out, “Get an autograph for me t—”

  She lost her breath before she could finish her sentence. Gideon had stepped out to escort Jorge to Susan’s side.

  He was gorgeous in a white tux, his hair slightly spiked, his jaw clean-shaven. But what made her heart beat wildly was the way Gideon gazed down at her son in his mini white tuxedo, a joyous smile curving his mouth. That special smile he reserved just for the boys. Jorge held on to one big hand, looking up at Gideon as though he was a hero.

  Rosie’s heart melted completely.

  How could it not?

  The rest of the crowd faded away as Gideon bent down to say something to Jorge that made her son smile wide, before he handed him over to Susan and headed back toward the groom’s tent, which was on the opposite side of the puppet theater from the bride’s. Only as Gideon disappeared from sight did the rest of the wedding come back into focus.

  Rosie rested her hand over her heart, stunned by its hammering beneath her fingers. She’d been struck by Ari’s brother from the moment they’d met, and her crush had only grown over the past nine months. Grown to the point where she couldn’t help but fantasize about the strength of his arms around her and the feel of his mouth on hers.

  Jeremy Newman, who was escorting guests to their seats, waved as he spotted Rosie peeking out of the tent. Snapping back to earth and reality, Rosie smiled and waved.

  Harper Newman’s younger brother was the sweetest kid. He was nineteen now, but he’d been hurt in a car accident when he was a boy and suffered permanent brain damage that had left him with the mind of the boy he’d been. He was just so happy all the time. He adored Jorge and Noah and loved playing their games. And he adored Harper’s husband, Will Franconi, who was like a big brother to him.

  Looking extremely dapper in his white tux, Jeremy took his sister’s arm and walked with her to the Maverick row, where the family would sit during the ceremony while the Mavericks stood up as groomsmen for Matt.

  Harper was beautiful in a blue dress the same color as her striking blue eyes, with her soft brown hair in a loose updo. As a corporate recruiter who loved matching people with their perfect new jobs, she was the perfect foil for Will. He had not only built Franconi Imports into a multibillion-dollar company, but he also loved his fast cars—and so did Harper and Jeremy.

  With Harper seated, Jeremy made his way back up the aisle to escort Charlie Ballard and her mother. Charlie created the most incredible sculptures out of metal and was engaged to media mogul Sebastian Montgomery. Charlie was stunning in a flame-red dress. Though Rosie had heard it said that redheads should avoid red, especially at a wedding, on Charlie the dress was perfect. Rosie was sure Sebastian, who positively adored the talented artist, would agree.

  Charlie’s mother, Francine, had severe degenerative osteoarthritis, and Jorge and Noah had helped deck out her walker in daisies earlier that morning. They loved making things pretty for Francine, whom they treated as an honorary grandmother.

  Next, Jeremy walked up the aisle with Paige Ryan on his arm, who was radiant in a light pink silk dress, her pretty smile a mile wide. Though Paige had known financier Evan Collins since college, they’d become a couple only at the beginning of the year, after Evan’s marriage to Paige’s younger sister had broken up. Initially, Rosie had been shocked to hear the news—not because Paige was in a relationship with her sister’s ex, but because Paige’s sister had done such horrible things during the marriage. Rosie shouldn’t be surprised by how evil some people could be, not when she’d had to deal with Jorge’s father. And yet, she still wanted to believe the best about everyone.

  Paige was seated beside Evan’s birth mom, with whom he’d only recently been reunited along with the brother and sister he hadn’t even known existed until this year. Tony and Kelsey were both smart and fun, and Rosie was enjoying getting to know them better at the various Maverick birthday parties and other celebrations. Kelsey was also one of Ari’s bridesmaids.

  Jeremy dashed back to escort Tasha Summerfield down the aisle. She was amazing in a gold dress, the sequined bodice glittering in the afternoon sun peeking through the trees. The light caught her long dark hair, turning it into glossy waves. The newest addition to the Mavericks, she’d met Daniel up in Tahoe a few months ago, when they’d bought homes next door to each other. Rosie had spent enough time chatting with Tasha to know that she’d come through some seriously tough times after discovering her father and brothe
r had been running a sophisticated real estate con for years, all behind her back. Daniel, and his unconditional love for her, had been a major support for Tasha as she’d worked not only to rebuild her life, but also to make reparations to the people her family had scammed.

  The stage curtain rose again to reveal the robot assembly line transformed into a wedding scene, complete with an arched trellis trimmed in flowers and vases filled with roses.

  Time was ticking down to the big moment, and the makeup artist pulled Rosie away from the tent flap. “It’s almost time. Let me make sure you don’t need any last-second touches.” She dabbed a soft makeup sponge around Rosie’s eyes. “You’re perfect.” Over her shoulder, she said, “We’re ready, ladies. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  The wedding was about to begin.

  Chapter Four

  In the groom’s tent, the Mavericks had all put on costumes over their tuxes, as had Noah, who was the ring bearer. Matt and Ari were going to get the surprise of their lives when the Mavericks walked out, followed by Noah.

  Matt was backstage with the officiant, plus Bob for moral support. Not that Matt needed it when he obviously loved Ari with every cell in his body. For Matt, there was no last-minute holy-hell-am-I-making-a-mistake questioning, no changing his mind, no worries about the future.

  Standing at the tent flap, Gideon watched as Jeremy escorted Susan and Jorge down the aisle, then Bob came down the stage stairs to sit next to her.

  A pang nudged Gideon’s heart. Their mother would have loved this day, would have shed so many tears of joy watching her daughter walk down the aisle to marry the man she loved. But things hadn’t turned out the way their mom had planned. She hadn’t planned for her husband to die in a car accident when Gideon was eleven and Ari was barely one. She hadn’t planned to get hooked on drugs. All she’d wanted to do was ease the pain of her loss. In the end, however, she’d not only lost their home, she’d died of a drug overdose…and left Ari all alone.

  Gideon had been eighteen when he joined up. Looking back, he should never have left Ari with his mother, despite his good intentions. He should have known better than to trust Nadine Jones to take care of his sister.

  If only he could find a way to make it up to Ari for all his mistakes…

  He gave himself a hard mental shake. This wasn’t the day to think about what might have been, what should have been. It was supposed to be the most wonderful day of Ari’s life. For the next few hours, he needed to put everything he’d done wrong on the back burner. Because after all those days when he thought he’d never make it stateside for this moment, after finally escaping hell, after worrying that he’d never find Ari again—they were together now.

  And today he would watch her marry a man who would love and respect and honor her. It was exactly the kind of marriage Ari deserved—one where that love, respect, and honor would never falter, no matter what.

  With the groom’s parents seated, Matt finally took the stage, followed by the officiant.

  This was it. Showtime.

  Gideon left the groom’s tent and crossed to the bride’s, his heart beating harder with every step. Rosie was the first woman he saw when he walked in—and his heart leaped into his throat at the sight of her.

  She was gorgeous in a pale lilac dress, the top crisscrossed in soft pleats, while the straps bared her shoulders, and the neckline followed the curves of her breasts, dipping low. He shouldn’t allow himself to even notice, but he couldn’t help the way his gaze was drawn right to her. Just as he couldn’t help feeling all the forbidden things he shouldn’t. Behind Rosie, Chi, Daniel’s sister Lyssa, and Evan’s sister Kelsey wore dresses identical to Rosie’s. But as pretty as they were, Rosie made the dress extraordinary.

  She reached for his hand and pulled him inside the tent, her touch like a lightning strike, setting every nerve in his body on fire. All with nothing more than Rosie’s palm against his.

  “Isn’t this amazing? Can you believe Ari is getting married in a few minutes?”

  Gideon had thought he was prepared for today. But it wasn’t until that moment, when Rosie looked up at him with stars in her eyes, that the magnitude of everything finally hit him. His baby sister was about to be married.

  He couldn’t speak around the emotion clogging his throat.

  Rosie must have read his expression. She took both his hands in hers, holding on tightly as she said, “You’re going to do great, big brother. You’re a huge reason this is one of the happiest days of her life. Ari always prayed you’d return to walk her down the aisle.” She paused for a moment, before adding, “I did too.” She smiled at him, that glorious, beautiful Rosie smile. “And now here you are, about to see your sister in her wedding dress for the first time.” Her smile dazzled him. “Prepare yourself—she looks amazing.”

  But nothing could possibly have prepared him for the glowing vision in front of him. His heart stopped, and his eyes teared up. “You are so beautiful, Ari.”

  The formfitting top of the dress was patterned with pearls. Thin beaded straps held it up, the material flowing down from the high waist to a long cream-colored skirt so fine he was afraid it might tear if he touched it. Her blond hair was piled up with artfully curling tendrils falling around her face. She wore a wreath of flowers with a short veil in the back. She hadn’t covered her face, and her happiness was like a beacon of light. Her makeup was flawless, though his sister, like Rosie, didn’t need any of it. Ari was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.

  Though their mother and father were both gone, in that moment Gideon could have sworn they were watching over him and his sister with pure joy.

  “I’m so happy, Gideon.” Her radiant smile matched her words.

  “I know, and I’m glad. Matt and Noah are everything I could ever want for you.” But there was so much more he needed to say. He took Ari’s hands in his. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve done so many incredible things without any of the advantages most people have.” The life she’d built for herself, the beautiful, smart, funny woman she’d grown up to be—they were all her doing. The same as Rosie. They were both full of so much determination and grit, along with empathy and compassion.

  “I’m so proud of you too, Gideon.”

  But her words only made him think of all the things he hadn’t done for her. The things he hadn’t done for his mom. For his team. And for Karmen.

  Thankfully, Ari had found a good man. Matt would never let her down. Matt would always be there for her. Matt would never abandon her to fate.

  Without saying another word, Ari went up on her toes and hugged him. Hard. Like she had the day he’d left when she was only eight.

  “I love you, big brother,” she whispered against his ear.

  He said the words back, wishing that his love had been enough to keep her safe all those years.

  Outside the tent, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” started playing, the number Ari had chosen for her bridesmaids to walk down the aisle before her. Gideon wanted his sister to see the procession—especially the Mavericks and Noah—but even more, he didn’t want to ruin her day with all the emotions swirling inside him.

  As he walked her to the tent’s exit, the makeup artist and the hairdresser swung the flaps wide open. Kelsey gathered up her bouquet, walking slowly to meet Sebastian in the middle between the two tents.

  Then Ari gasped.

  The arms and legs of Sebastian’s white tux were covered with black and silver ducting like the puppets onstage. He held out his arm with a robotic movement, and once Kelsey took it, he walked her down the aisle with stiff-legged mechanical steps, his head moving side to side with ticks and snaps as though he had gears moving his neck. Lyssa went next, meeting a machinelike Daniel. Then Evan took Chi’s arm, guiding her, straight-legged like the Tin Man.

  “I can’t believe they did this!” Ari hung on Gideon’s arm, laughing as Rosie straightened the short train of her wedding dress, draping it in perfect folds. “I love it
.”

  When Ari had decided on a robot puppet show in a puppet theater, the guys had decided to go with a complete robot wedding as a surprise. Thank God his sister loved it, her hand over her mouth, laughter bubbling from her lips.

  In the grueling hell of a desert sun, Gideon had lost not only all the years of watching her grow up to become the incredible woman she was today, he’d also forgotten how to laugh.

  As he worked to push the grim thoughts away, Rosie passed him with a brush of her hand on his arm. As if she somehow knew—and understood—everything happening inside him.

  Of course, she couldn’t. He’d never told anyone the full story. Not even Ari. But Rosie seemed to know how desperately he needed a touch, her touch, to snap him back into the here and now on his sister’s magical wedding day.

  Seconds later, Rosie left the tent to meet Will, taking his robotically extended arm for their walk up the aisle. Gideon should have been concentrating on his sister beside him, but for the moment, all he could see was Rosie.

  Her lovely smile.

  Her curves beneath the flowing lilac chiffon.

  Her bare shoulders.

  Her gorgeous skin revealed by the low dip of the dress’s back as she walked away.

  If it hadn’t been for Noah, he might have stood stock-still watching Rosie until she reached the stage. But when Noah marched to the center aisle like a little tin soldier, his legs straight, not one bend to his knees, holding his ring-bearer’s pillow like a treasure, he commanded everyone’s attention—including Gideon’s. Noah wore a boy-size white tuxedo, with the same black ducting as the Mavericks, his face painted white-gold, his lips in black, his costume topped off by a robot helmet complete with antennas on the top. In white-gloved hands, he clutched the pillow, the rings tied to it.

  He was so happy, so proud to have the honor, beaming at Ari as he passed.