by Lily Kate
I blush. I know she’s exaggerating, but it’s still a little surreal that an entire party changed its course to show up at my show in the first place. “It was nice of them to come.”
Lawrence snorts, and Lilia elbows him.
“What?” Lawrence faces the table. “And then Andi slept over and the rest is history.”
“You’re in comedy?” Mr. Pierce ignores Lawrence. “Would I have seen you in anything? Television programs or Netflix?”
I shake my head. “Probably not. I’ve been playing at local clubs mostly, although I do have an audition for a pretty big pilot next week.”
“Next week?” Ryan turns to look at me. “Is this new?”
“I got the phone call from Nick as we were boarding the plane on the way here,” I say with an apologetic wince. “I’m sorry, I forgot to mention it in the whirlwind of today.”
“Congratulations!” Ryan says, a flicker of surprise passing through his gaze. “That’s incredible! Although, I did tell you this would happen, so you shouldn’t be surprised.”
Now he’s smiling again, clearly happy for me, and I lean in as he gives me a congratulatory hug.
“Andi, that’s wonderful,” Mrs. Pierce says. “You’ll have to let us know when you have a show. If Ryan ends up signed with the Lightning, we’ll have two reasons to come out there and visit.”
She winks, Mr. Pierce nods in agreement, and the rest of dinner thankfully dissolves into mindless chatter that’s interspersed with Lilia stealing Lawrence’s wine glass and replacing it with water.
It’s well past ten o’clock by the time we finally wrap dinner up. Most of the brothers are staying over at the house, save for Anderson, who doesn’t live far away. Lawrence lives in LA, so he’s stuck here, too.
Lilia helps her fiancé toward the bedroom, and I offer to help clear the table.
“Sure, dear, that’d be wonderful,” Mrs. Pierce says. “Only if Ryan doesn’t mind.”
“I’ll help too,” he says. “What can I do?”
“Bring these outside.” Mrs. Pierce gestures to the fold-up chairs they pulled in to accommodate the extra guests at the dinner table. “Andi and I can take care of the kitchen.”
The two of us sink into an easy silence as the rest of the boys settle near a bonfire out back. The scent of burning marshmallows wafts toward us, and it’s an entirely pleasant evening.
“Go on out to the fire,” Mrs. Pierce says once we’ve hauled all the dishes to the sink. “Ryan’s probably glued to his skewer. He does have a weakness for s’mores.”
I thank her for the lovely meal, wash my hands, and make my way toward the back door. We’ve made it past the potentially awkward dinner scene, and now we’re practically home free. All Ryan and I have to do the rest of the weekend is enjoy the Midwestern summer weather and celebrate a wedding.
Simple.
Resting a hand on the screen door, I stop. Lazy conversation filters through the open windows from the backyard, but it’s the second set of voices coming from upstairs that gives me pause. They’re in Ryan’s bedroom, if I had to guess, and the voices are animated, upset with one another, yet I can’t tell who’s there.
I consider going outside, but a thought holds me back. What if it’s Lawrence arguing with Ryan, or worse, Lilia?
“Hello?” I call upstairs, but nobody hears me—or at least, nobody responds.
I take another few steps.
I’m about to call again when finally, I start to recognize the voices. It’s Lawrence all right, and Ryan, and they’re arguing about something, someone—me, I realize with a start. They’re arguing about me.
“—you have to be a jerk at dinner, Law?” Ryan says. “You’ve known I was bringing her for a month. She hasn’t done anything to you.”
“Nothing to me,” Lawrence drawls. “Why’d you bring your bunny to my wedding?”
“She’s my girlfriend, asshole.”
“Really? What happened to your little agreement with Blondie?”
Instantly, ice travels down my spine. I know exactly who he means—the agent. I listen for Ryan’s response, but it’s silent.
“Is the door stuck?” Ryan’s mom appears behind me holding a tray. “Can you be a doll and bring these marshmallows out? I have to grab the lemonade pitcher, and I don’t have enough hands.”
“Yes, of course,” I murmur, trying not to show my dismay. It’s probably for the best that I don’t listen anymore—it isn’t my conversation to hear.
I push the back door open with my foot and leave the voices behind me.
“Hey, Peretti! Grab a seat,” Brody says with a high five. “Where’s Ryan?”
“Probably still inside. I haven’t seen him in a little while.”
“Do you like marshmallows?”
“I’ve never roasted one,” I admit. “We have lots of burn bans in LA, and we didn’t have a pit outside as a kid.”
The entire Pierce family freezes. “You’ve never had a s’more?”
Even though my nerves are rattled, I smile. “Well, I guess I’ll have to change that.”
Ten minutes, two burned marshmallows, and one devoured chocolate bar later, I’ve just finished my first s’more and declare it amazing. I’m about to load up on my second one when Ryan appears.
He looks flustered, his hair mussed, t-shirt slightly askew. “There you are,” he says to me. Instead of sitting down, he grabs my hand. “Can we get out of here? There’s something I want to show you.”
A few moans from the rest of the family erupt, and Brody proclaims his big brother to be an old fart party pooper, but Ryan’s not in the mood to put up with their teasing.
“See you tomorrow,” he tells everyone while pulling me away. “Sorry to break up the festivities.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, stumbling as I step onto uneven ground. I right myself and scurry to keep up. “I was looking for you anyway. Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” he says through gritted teeth.
“It doesn’t seem that way.”
His shoulders tense, and then relax. When he turns to me, it’s with his lips curved upward. It’s a soft, muted smile, but a smile all the same. “Lawrence is being a pain in my ass. I suppose I should give him a break, night before his wedding and all.”
“Siblings,” I say.
“Yeah,” he murmurs in agreement. “Really, I wanted some alone time with you. Mind if I show you one of my favorite places? I really think you’ll like it.”
“Lead the way,” I say, grabbing his hand and following as he leads me farther behind the house to a shed big enough to double as a garage.
As he guides me into an old pickup truck, he squeezes my hand tight. “I meant what I said, Andi. I love you, and I want you to be mine.”
“I know.” I squeeze back. “I meant it, too.”
CHAPTER 41
Ryan
We’re lying under the stars, and it’s perfect.
Me, Andi, and the world at our fingertips.
If I could freeze this moment forever, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
This whole night would’ve been fantastic if Lawrence hadn’t decided to push every damn one of my buttons. He’s never cared about who I date, who I sleep with, who I spend my time with—until tonight. Now, because it’s his wedding, he suddenly thinks he has something to say about it.
Well, I had something to say about it, too.
With my fist.
Luckily Lilia caught me before I could actually hit him. I don’t think I really would have—he’s my brother, he’s getting married, and he was drunk—but I came pretty damn close for a minute. I’m glad Lilia stopped me.
“The stars are beautiful,” she whispers, and I bask in the feel of her breath dancing across my skin. “They don’t make ’em like this in Los Angeles.”
I hug her close to me. Usually when I’m riled up, I need to be alone. This time, however, I need her with me, next to me, resting in my arms. I took Andi and the pickup truck, and I drove u
s until the only sounds around were frogs and grasshoppers in the cool night air.
I prepared for this moment earlier, and I’m glad I thought ahead. While waiting for Andi’s flight to land, I hauled out a new mattress and clean sheets and threw them in the back of the pickup. My brothers and I used to take this very same truck to the drive-in theater, sneaking in as many kids as we could underneath a few heavy blankets.
I skipped the theater—too crowded for what I have in mind. Instead, I brought her to this quiet overlook near the river. I’ve never brought anyone here before.
There are no lights for miles, and it’s just us and the stars. The smell of fresh water mixing with the chilly night breeze dances across the roof of the truck, and her skin is kissed by starlight.
Like I said, perfect.
We’ve been lying here for nearly thirty minutes, neither of us speaking, both of us inhaling the freshness of the air, the scent of each other. She smells like peaches and sunshine, and the closer I hold her, the less I want to ever let go.
“Ryan?” Her voice is small, tender.
“Yeah?”
“I have to ask you something.”
“Go ahead,” I tell her. “What is it?”
“Was there…” She stops to clear her throat. “Was there ever anything between you and Jocelyn?”
I tense up, wondering if she overheard Lawrence. He spoke loudly in my bedroom, and it would’ve been easy for her to catch the wrong few words while helping my mother in the kitchen.
“I’m not jealous or anything, I’m just curious,” she explains quickly. “I couldn’t help but notice that she’s gorgeous, and you two spend a lot of time together. I guess…I’m just wondering if you’re coming out of a relationship, or if I’m stepping on anyone’s toes.”
“Oh, honey.” I kiss her forehead, relieved. “No, there’s nothing between us—nothing but business,” I clarify. I’m not going to lie to Andi. I’ll tell her whatever she wants to know because I have nothing to hide. “I swear, there’s never been anything there.”
“Okay.”
“Believe me. You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”
She giggles as if I’m lying, but I’m not. Jocelyn is all prim and proper and toned muscle, none of the soft curves of Andi, the delicious light in her eyes, the whimsical, carefree attitude. Jocelyn is a woman to do business with; Andi is a woman to spend my life with.
I debate telling her about the stupid agreement I made with Jocelyn, but I decide against it. I made that promise before I knew how much Andi meant to me.
Now that I have Andi, my decision is an easy one. Jocelyn will be at the wedding, and I plan to have a word with her there. I’ll be declining her offer of representation.
I’ll play for the Stars another year. I like Minnesota.
In fact, I have been planning on asking Andi to stay longer—a month, if she can, at least until her classes start for the fall semester. Then at dinner, she dropped the bomb about her pilot audition.
I hope she didn’t see the disappointment in my eyes at her announcement; I’m happy for her, truly, but selfishly, I want her here, with me…for good.
I curl into Andi, her hand dangerously high on my thigh. I press a kiss to her head, liking where this moment is going. I roll into her, slipping my hand down to pull her closer, my fingers lingering on the curve of her back, toying with the edge of her panties, until—
She snores.
It’s a cute, light snore that sounds like a baby puppy.
I examine her more closely and find that, sure enough, her breathing is steady and her eyes are closed. She’s asleep.
Tucking her into me, I wrap the blanket around her body as she sleeps. The stars blink down on us, and the moon washes the dark of the world away, leaving a sparkle behind.
Before I met Andi, the world never sparkled.
Now, there’s no going back.
CHAPTER 42
Andi
The lazy, warm fingers of sunlight wash over my face, the scent of summer pulling me from a soft, comfortable slumber. I sigh, filled with delight, and pull the fluffy comforter closer to me, resisting the urge to open my eyes.
I roll over, and before I can fall back to sleep, something touches my face…a light wisp of something, almost like air. I raise a hand and press it to my cheek, feeling the item crumple beneath my fingers.
It’s familiar: a leaf.
“Shit!” I fly into a sitting position, slowly realizing that my whereabouts are not my bedroom, as I first thought, but the back of an old pickup truck. Glancing at the figure next to me, I fall silent, watching him sleep.
When those enchanting chocolate eyes of Ryan’s are closed, he has enough boyish charm to make my heart ache. Curly locks droop over his forehead, and as I reach over to push them away, his lips curve upward in a sleepy smile.
“Ryan,” I whisper while looking for my phone. “I think we have to go.”
“Mmmm.” He lets out a groan, turning so his butt is pressed against my legs. “Sleep.”
I can’t even remember falling asleep the night before. We were talking and cuddling, the stars winking overhead, and I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I slipped into unconsciousness. The whole thing was a blur of warmth, pleasure, and the sensation of utter safety while nestled in his arms.
“Ryan,” I say, finally locating my phone. “It’s nine o’clock! What time do we have to be at the church?”
“Church?”
“Wedding. Your brother, Lawrence,” I say. “He’s marrying Lilia…”
“Lilia—” Ryan’s eyes shoot open. “Shit!”
“What time?”
“Ten!”
“That’s plenty of time.” I’m not at all convinced, but he’s got this wild-eyed, still-in-a-nightmare expression on his face. “Let’s get moving.”
We’re like two of the Three Stooges trying to get everything in order. He climbs over me, I accidentally elbow him in the cheek, he forgets to call my name before tossing me the pillow, and it catches me in the gut.
By the time we’re in the cab of the truck, we’re spending equal amounts of time laughing, gasping for air, and cussing out the slowest drivers in the state of Minnesota for not knowing we have a wedding party waiting on us.
We reach Casa Pierce before nine thirty, are showered in the next ten minutes, and dress next to each other in his childhood bedroom. It’s almost comforting, this ritual. It’s not as if we’ve had much practice with the whole sleepover thing, but it seems we’re naturals at it.
I’m pulling my dress over my head, realizing too late that I forgot to undo the zipper. I’m stuck. “Oh no.”
Ryan doesn’t respond. Peeking through an armhole in the dress, however, I see him watching. He’s got his eyes focused on my thong, and the lack coverage it provides.
“Sweet Jesus.”
“A little help here?”
“No,” he says, biting his lip. “I’m good.”
“Come on!”
“What time did you say we have to be at the church?”
“I didn’t say anything. You said ten.”
He frowns. “We can be late.”
“No, we can’t. It’s your brother’s wedding.”
“He’s an asshole.”
“And you’re the best man.”
“I’m not feeling like being the best right now.” He moves across the room and shoots a decidedly dirty glance between my legs. “I’m feeling—”
“I can see what you’re feeling,” I say, staring pointedly at the tent in his boxers. “But I’m stuck in this dress, and we need to get moving.”
“Just one kiss.” He bends a knee, locks his fingers onto my hips, and pulls me toward him. Gently, ever so gently, he runs his fingers over me and, even though I’m wedged in a dress, I can’t help but suck in a hard breath.
“There’s time,” he murmurs. “We managed it yesterday.”
It takes everything in my power to grind out a sound that conveys the
word no.
“Fine,” he says. “Then I’ll leave you with this…”
His lips press to the outside of the lace, and I shudder. It’s a whisper of friction, but plenty erotic to leave me wanting more. I push my arms through the dress using sheer willpower, and then my hands find his hair, weave into it, and pull his head up toward me.
“You’re welcome.” He laughs, sending warm puffs of air against my skin. After pressing one last kiss against the fabric, he stands and runs a finger up my skin. A cocky grin has appeared on his face. “You wanted help getting unstuck, didn’t you? Well, you’re in your dress.”
Glancing down, I see that sure enough, the dress is all but perfectly situated over my body. I give a noncommittal harrumph of frustration. “Thanks, I guess.”
He laughs louder, pulls me closer, and brushes the damp hair from my neck. “Let me remind you that you’re the one who said there was no time for fun.”
I reach down, stick my hand on his tent pole, and watch as his eyes roll toward the ceiling. “Two can play this game,” I tell him.
It’s his turn to groan as I return to the bathroom to style my hair into some semblance of an up-do. When I’m ready, I open the door and find Ryan waiting on the other side.
He blinks once. His hand moves slowly, subconsciously to his throat, where he straightens an invisible tie. “You look…insanely beautiful. Stunning, Andi.”
The way his voice is soft, almost unsure, makes me look down. No man has ever complimented me in such a sincere, almost reverent way. I’ve seen it before in movies, in those truly lucky couples, like my father and mother’s relationship, but never in my own.
With a tender kiss, he grabs my hand. “Are you ready to go?”
Squeezing tight, I nod and follow him out of the house. The church is only a few miles away from the house, and we arrive exactly four minutes late.
“I thought we’d lost the two of you,” Mrs. Pierce says as we arrive. The photographer is setting up behind her. “Did you have a nice time last night? You look rested.”
Ryan hugs me close. “Took her to the river.”
She stares at him. “You never take anyone to the river.”
