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 us 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.