by Susannah Nix
I broke off, growling in vexation, and grabbed her hand again. The band started playing “Be My Baby” as I led Andie offstage. People were still clapping, and I heard some of my brothers catcalling their approval, but I didn’t pay them any attention as we stepped into the wings. I guided Andie down and around behind the stage before I let go of her and started wrestling my way out of the Sheriff Scoopy suit.
Or trying to, anyway. The cursed thing was the devil to get off, and I nearly tore a rotator cuff trying to wriggle myself to freedom.
I heard Andie snort and turned toward the sound, unable to see anything since I’d managed to get myself trapped with my head stuck inside the ice cream cone. “Don’t just stand there laughing at me, woman. Help me out of this infernal contraption. It smells like vomit and BO in here.”
Andie laughed even harder, but I felt her hands on me, guiding my arms out of the suit before pushing it down off my head. As soon as my hands were out I took over, shoving Sheriff Scoopy’s puffy hell cocoon down far enough that I could step out of it. I freed my tennis shoes and kicked the thing away, shuddering with revulsion as I brushed the lint off my T-shirt and shorts.
Dragging my hands through my hair, I finally turned back to Andie. She was doubled over laughing, and the beautiful sound was like music to my ears. I’d put that fucking Sheriff Scoopy suit back on every day, for the rest of my life, if it meant I got to hear her laugh like that.
Smiling, I folded my arms while I waited for her to get control of herself. “I hope you appreciate how much I’ve humiliated myself today.”
“Oh I do,” she gasped, wiping tears of amusement from her eyes. “I definitely do.”
She took a step toward me, and I closed the rest of the distance between us, gathering her in my arms and burying my face in the clean, fresh scent of her hair. Her hands pushed under my T-shirt, skimming over my back, and I breathed out a long, contented sigh.
“Dammit, Wyatt!” The sound of Josie’s voice had us jumping apart. “Do you know how much of the Sheriff Scoopy code of conduct you’ve violated in just the last ten minutes?”
Putting my hands up in a gesture of peace, I turned to face my sister as she stalked toward us. When she was angry, she looked a lot like her mother, Trish, who was a formidable and terrifying woman. “Listen, Josie—”
“I should have known you were up to something when you volunteered to wear the Scoopy suit!”
Josie halted in front of me and propped her fists on her hips. Her furious glare shifted from me to Andie, and I prepared myself to leap to her defense.
Before I could get any words out, Josie’s face lit up in an unexpected smile. “Good for you for making him grovel.” After she’d delivered those words to Andie, she turned back to me, inexplicably still smiling. “And good for you for going after her. Finally. God.”
“What?” I blinked at her.
“We’ve all been wondering if you’d ever wake up and realize how perfect you and Andie are for each other.”
“Who’s we?”
Josie rolled her eyes. “If you ever bothered to read the family group text, you’d know how much we all gossip about you.”
Well, shit. I was definitely going to start reading it now.
Surprising me yet again, Josie stepped forward and hugged me. “You better treat her right or I will kick your ass myself. Do you hear me?”
“Does this mean you’re not mad at me?”
My sister let go of me and stepped back, her gaze narrowing. “I should be, but I’m too happy for you right now.” She raised a threatening finger. “But don’t you ever dare pull any shit like this again.”
“I won’t.” I tried to look contrite despite the grin on my face.
Josie turned to Andie and gave her a quick hug. “Good luck. You’re going to need it with this one.”
“Oh, I know.” Andie shot me a smirk as Josie released her.
Shaking her head in displeasure, Josie bent to retrieve the Sheriff Scoopy suit from the ground where I’d discarded it. Her nose wrinkled as she gathered it up in her arms. “Ugh, this thing smells like vomit and BO. We should probably get it dry cleaned more than once every ten years.”
I shuddered again as Josie walked off, holding the stinky suit as far away from her as her arms would allow.
Andie slipped her hands around my waist from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder. “Wyatt Earle King, what am I gonna do with you?”
I turned in her arms and cupped her face in my hands. “Love me for the rest of your life?” I answered hopefully.
“I guess I’ll have to.” Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were so soft and loving it stole the breath from my lungs. The way she was looking at me broke me apart and put me back together again. I couldn’t believe I’d come so close to losing her.
“I’m going to treat you right from now on,” I promised her. “I’m going to work every day to be worthy of you.” I’d never be able to control everything that happened in my life. I couldn’t control all that much of it, to be honest. The only things I had any real control over were my own actions. I could choose to be the kind of man Andie deserved. I could keep choosing it, over and over again, every minute of every day, until that was the kind of man I became.
“Wyatt.” The worry crease bloomed between her eyebrows. “You’ve always been worthy. Don’t you know that?”
“Jesus, Andie.” I brushed a tender kiss across her lips and slid my nose along hers, taking comfort in the simple act of being close to her again. “I was so fucking scared up there. I was convinced you were going to reject me. That I’d blown my one and only chance with you.”
“You didn’t seem scared.”
My hand slid into her hair and curled around the back of her neck. “I think I peed in the Sheriff Scoopy suit a little. Giving that speech was like painting a bull’s-eye over my heart and handing you a freshly sharpened steak knife.”
“But you did it anyway.” She sounded proud of me, and it made my heart swell.
“I did. And you didn’t stab me in the heart.”
“I could never.”
“Even if you did, I’d probably keep right on loving you. That’s how far gone I am. But I’d rather we not test the theory, if it’s all the same to you.”
“No stabbing. Got it.” She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to mine.
I let myself sink into the warmth of her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of her tongue. My fingers worked their way under her tank top, gliding over her bare skin and up the sides of her rib cage.
She pushed on my chest when my fingertips skimmed the bottom of her bra. “Mind yourself. This is a family establishment.”
I growled my frustration as I lowered my hands to her waist. I was going to need to get her out of here soon so I could take her home and show her properly how much I loved her.
As if she could read my mind, she grabbed my hand and started pulling me away from the stage. “You drove yourself here, right? Tell me you’ve got your truck.”
“It’s in the employee lot.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, tucking her against my side. But as we rounded the back of the stage, my steps faltered at the sight of Josh striding toward us.
I steeled myself, ready to meet his displeasure head-on, but hoping to keep things civilized and nonviolent. He was still my best friend, and I wanted to make things right with him. But I needed him to understand that my feelings for Andie weren’t negotiable. I wouldn’t give her up for him or anyone else.
Josh came to a stop in front of us, his dark gaze narrowing as he took in the sight of my arm around Andie. She stiffened as her eyes flashed in challenge, daring him to object.
As much as I appreciated her rottweiler energy on my behalf, this was my rift to mend—and my battle to fight if it came to that. Although I hoped it wouldn’t.
I turned my head and nuzzled her temple. “I need to talk to Josh. Can you give us a minute?”
Her eyes sought mine, communicating her rel
uctance. I nodded to let her know she could trust me with this. Finally, she relented, throwing her brother a warning look as she walked off.
I watched her go, waiting until she’d joined Mia a little ways away—far enough to be out of earshot—before I met Josh’s steady gaze with one of my own. “Are you planning to punch me again?”
“Depends.” His voice was deadly calm. “Are you going to break my sister’s heart again?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t have to punch you.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding, but his stony expression didn’t change.
His chin lifted. “I’m not sorry I did it.”
“I don’t expect you to be sorry. I deserved it.”
At that, he seemed to hesitate. “I’ve been informed it’s none of my business who Andie chooses to go out with, and I’m not allowed to interfere in her personal life anymore.”
I didn’t say anything. It didn’t surprise me that he’d gotten an earful from Andie, but whether he actually intended to abide by her wishes was another matter altogether.
A muscle clenched in his jaw. “You made her cry.”
I dropped my eyes to the ground and nodded, my own jaw clenching in guilt. “I know.”
“She never cries, and you made her cry.”
“I know.”
“You swore you’d never hurt her. You promised me.”
I lifted my eyes to his, hoping my expression would convey how much shame I felt. “I know I did. I fucked up and let her down. I let you both down, and I’m sorry for it.”
He studied me for a long moment. “When you were up onstage pleading your case just now, you said you loved her. Did you mean it?”
“Yes. I’ve been in love with her since high school.”
It seemed to catch him by surprise, and the ice in his gaze cracked a little. “That long? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“Why do you think?”
He frowned. “Hang on—I didn’t want you messing around with her and treating her like one of your disposable playmates, but I never suspected you had actual feelings for her. If you’d told me—”
“What? You would have believed me? Given me your blessing?”
“Hell yes.”
I let out a wry laugh. “Bullshit.”
His expression shifted to dismay. “Maybe not at first, sure. It might have taken some convincing, but…shit, Wyatt, you’re my best friend. Of course I would have.”
I stared at him, unable to believe my ears. “Oh.”
“So, you’ve been carrying this torch around for over ten years because you were afraid to tell me you were in love with my sister?”
“I thought I’d have to choose between her and you. And I didn’t want to lose either of you.”
“Well, shit,” he said. “That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”
I blew out a breath, smiling despite myself. “I guess it is, yeah.”
Maybe Andie had been onto something when she accused me of using Josh as an excuse. It was possible I’d been projecting my own doubts onto him, making his opposition into a bigger obstacle than it needed to be—when really the problem all along had been me.
Josh cleared his throat, casting his eye downward. “I’m sorry for making you think that. I guess I wasn’t as good of a friend to you as I should have been.”
Now he had me feeling guilty again. I shook my head, unwilling to let him shoulder all the blame for my choices. “I might not have given you enough credit.”
Josh eyed me shrewdly. “Maybe you didn’t give yourself enough credit. I told you all that negative self-talk was trouble.”
I squinted at him. “Does this mean we’re good? Do Andie and I have your blessing?”
The smile faded from his face as he winced. “It’s not my place to hand out my blessing to anyone. As all the women in my life have made abundantly clear, Andie gets to make up her own mind about who’s worthy of her.” His eyes met mine, softening into sincerity. “But I’m happy for you that you found someone to love. And if it’s my sister…then I guess I’m happy for both of you.”
I blew out a breath. “Thanks.” Breaking into a grin, I charged at him and gave him a hug. “I’m glad we’re good.”
“Me too.” He choked off a laugh as I banded my arms around him like I was going to pick him up the way I used to when we were kids. “I’m still not sorry for punching you though.”
I let go of him and gave him a friendly shove. “It was a weak-ass punch anyway.”
“That’s because I pulled it. The next time you make Andie cry I won’t be so generous.”
“You made up!” Mia bounded over and smacked an approving kiss on Josh’s cheek before turning to give me a hug. “I’m so glad.”
“Me too.” I gave her an extra-hard squeeze to show how grateful I was for her intervention on my behalf.
“Anyway.” Andie appeared at my side and latched onto my arm. “This has been fun, but we’re gonna go now.”
“Where’d Birdie get to?” Josh asked as Andie started hauling me in the direction of the park exit.
“She went off with Wyatt’s uncle to ride the Ferris wheel,” Mia answered. “She said he’d take her home.”
Andie and I stopped in our tracks. Moving as a unit, we spun around to goggle at Mia.
“What?” she hesitated at our surprised expressions. “That’s okay, right? He seemed nice.”
“Which uncle?” I asked carefully.
“He had a mustache. Randy, I think?”
I blinked as this unexpected information sank in. My gaze snapped to the Ferris wheel in the distance as I turned the idea over in my head, trying to decide how I felt about it. Were they up there right now? The two of them squeezed into one of those two-seat passenger cars, giggling like schoolchildren. Or even holding hands like teenagers on a date. It was difficult to imagine, but I didn’t necessarily find the idea disagreeable. My favorite uncle and my mom’s best friend. There was a certain kind of harmony to it.
Andie turned to Josh with a frown. “Did you know about this?”
He shrugged and slipped his arm around Mia’s waist. “I no longer have opinions about anyone’s love life but mine.”
Mia swiveled her head to look at him, her eyes widening. “Love life?” she repeated as if she hadn’t considered the possibility before. “You mean Birdie and Wyatt’s uncle…?” She looked at Andie, then at me. “Do you think—I mean, are they…?”
Andie shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t think about it right now.”
It was hard to make out if she was upset or not. I hoped not. I certainly had worse uncles Birdie could have chosen.
She looked at me. “Shall we get out of here?”
“We shall.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and steered her away.
As she fell into step with me and tucked her body against mine, a sense of rightness shimmered through me. The two of us, together, moving through the world as one.
“How does it feel?” she asked as we navigated through the park on our way to the employee exit.
“What?” I asked, wondering if she could read my mind.
“Everyone knowing about us.” She gestured at the people around us, some of whom were staring or shooting us knowing smiles. Word of my Sheriff Scoopy performance seemed to have spread.
I stopped and pulled Andie against me, clasping my hands behind her back. “It feels like finally getting everything I’ve ever wanted.” My expression and tone were equally solemn so she’d know I meant it. “You’re my wish come true.”
The way she smiled made me feel like I could fly. But it was nothing compared to the way she kissed me. Like I belonged to her. And she belonged to me.
Someone let out a wolf whistle, and our lips broke apart, both of us hazy-eyed and laughing but still holding on to each other. Unwilling to let go.
She’s going to be my wife.
My heart glowed as the thought drifted through my min
d. For the first time in my life, it didn’t feel like an unattainable fantasy. It felt like a future within my reach.
Our future.
Epilogue
Andie
“Put your underpants back on right this second! Do you hear me, young lady?”
Manny’s shout carried across the town square as I picked my way through the maze of picnic blankets laid out on the green. I headed toward the familiar voice, which led me to the spot where Wyatt’s family had camped out for the free concert.
Adriana was stretched out next to Josie, who was holding the new baby. On the other side of her, I was mildly surprised to see Nate sitting in a lawn chair next to Ryan and Cody. I spied Riley a few blankets away with a group of teenage girls. Tanner was here as well, chatting with my brother and Mia. On the blanket beyond them, Birdie was sitting with Randy King.
It still weirded me out a little that Wyatt’s uncle was dating my aunt. But she seemed happy, which was all that mattered.
As I approached, a tiny naked human with a headful of black curls rocketed into me and hugged my legs. I stopped and smiled down at Wyatt’s niece. “Well hey there, Isabella. I see we’re having some naked time.”
She jumped up and down, still holding on to my leg. “Where’s Uncle Wyatt?”
As far as Isabella was concerned, I rated far below her favorite uncle as a person of interest. But she’d gotten used to the idea that wherever I was, Wyatt was almost always close by, which made me conditionally more interesting. Unfortunately for her, I was on my own today.
“He’s getting ready for the concert,” I told her. “We’re all gonna get to watch him sing in a little bit.”
She spun around, pressed her naked buttocks against my shins, and proceeded to shake it like a Polaroid picture. “I’m rubbing my butt on you!”
“You certainly are,” I agreed, laughing.
“Isabella! Please don’t do that to Andie.” An aggravated-looking Manny trotted toward us with a small dress and underwear in his hand. “You need to put your clothes back on.”
