“Scottie, you need to tone it down,” Billie orders. “Stephanie and Darby are eyeing you.”
He stills, draining his martini and turning back to the dance floor. “I’m happy for you, Evin.”
“Appreciate that.”
“Man, I hate to bring it up, but how is this going to work?”
“Right now and the foreseeable future, I’ll be traveling to her as often as possible. The distance and separation suck, but the rings on her finger help soothe that burn.”
The song ends and Devin lets out a baby squeal before planting his face in Poppy’s neck.
“I’m going to dance with my bride before my nephew tries to steal her.”
“The baby or the twelve-year-old?”
“Both.”
“Good call, Cole is one-hundred percent Pierce in every way. Which means he’s starting young. Try not to crush his heart.”
I hand off my glass to Billie and go to the dance floor. “My turn, buddy.”
“Thanks for the dance, Poppy.” Cole leans in for a quick hug then runs off.
Devin pumps out his baby fist but doesn’t make any move to leave her hold. I link my arms around her waist and pull them both close. “You seem to capture hearts of all ages.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Believe me, you are. And baby, you wanted today to be about Stephanie and Todd, but you’ve stolen the spotlight.”
“I think it’s more about the notorious bachelor having a date.”
My arms tighten. “The notorious bachelor dumped that title weeks ago.”
She smiles up at me, bringing her hand to my neck. “Today has been a big day.”
There’s something off in her voice and my instincts go on alert.
“The grand celebration, the splendor, the breathtaking backdrop of the ocean while two people you care about marry. It was beautiful to witness.”
“It was,” I agree cautiously.
“Do you regret not having all this?”
“Fuck no.” There’s no hesitation. “But the question is, do you?”
“No, as beautiful as it was, this is not me. Like most girls, I dreamed up my wedding in my head. It could have been the beach, the mountains, a magnificent garden with hundreds of twinkling lights—no matter what, it was small and intimate. You made my wishes come true without knowing that. It was perfect.”
“It’s the same for me, Poppy. You think Pierce, Miller, Todd, any man remembers all this shit? No, they remember the first sight of their bride, every step as she walked to him with glittering eyes and an expression meant for only him. The whispers of her promise to love him forever, and the feeling that scores through knowing she is yours. That first kiss after the ring slides on her finger making it official. That’s what a man remembers. The rest is nothing in comparison. I know because all that is burned in my brain until the day I die.”
“You’ll make me cry.”
“Hold it in, baby, because there’s more. I don’t regret or feel slighted because what we had made my wishes come true.”
“Stop, stop being sweet or I’ll bawl like a lunatic holding a baby on the dance floor of an exquisite wedding reception.”
I drop my forehead to hers, which Devin takes as an invitation to fist my hair. “I’ll stop after this. When you don’t have a baby in your arms, I’ll explain in explicit detail the other memory of that night that is burned in my brain. Promise you, that will be anything but sweet.”
Her body shudders and her hazel eyes melt into a shade of blue I recognize well. “Does this explanation come with a demonstration?”
My cock hardens at the huskiness in her voice. “Oh, yeah.”
A throat clears loudly, and we turn to find Pierce and Darby. Pierce’s expression is lit with amusement while Darby is eyeing me with a glare I recognize well.
“Darby—” I begin, but she waves a hand dismissively.
“The jig is up. Don’t insult me by trying to skip around the truth. I’m a master in the art of evasion.”
Devin hears his mom’s voice and instantly perks up, pumping his fist at her. The glare in her gaze lessens, and once again, I make a note that my nephew is an excellent distraction.
“Well?” she snipes.
“You may know the art of evasion, but you’re slipping in other areas. Took you long enough to figure it out.”
Pierce barks out a laugh, curling his arm around her hip.
“This isn’t funny.” She pokes him in the chest. “And for your information, I knew Thursday night at the bonfire something was off. This pregnancy and the fact my best friend was getting married may have impaired my speed, but I’m not slipping.”
“I’m guessing this is the magic of twin power and she knows?” Poppy asks quietly.
“Yeah, baby, she knows.”
Darby cuts her eyes to Poppy. “Of course I know.”
“Please don’t be mad. It was my idea to stay quiet until after this weekend.”
Darby’s face softens and she drops the attitude, her smile splitting wide. “Oh, Poppy, I’m not mad. I’m thrilled, elated, want to scream in excitement happy. But it’s my job to give Evin a hard time.”
Poppy relaxes in my arms. “Thank God.”
“Since I can’t do any of those things without making a spectacle of myself because everyone will assume I’m in labor, tell me how long I have to keep this secret.”
“Tomorrow night, you can unleash all the crazy you want.”
“Did Elvis officiate?”
“Shit, no.”
“Marilyn Monroe? Frank Sinatra? Sammy Davis Jr.?”
“Hell, Darby, do you think I’d stand in front of an impersonator and say my vows?”
She shrugs. “You’re full of surprises.”
“It was a romantic wedding,” Poppy pipes in.
My sister’s expression grows dreamy. “Tell me you have pictures.”
“Around two hundred, including Ryanne’s video of our proposal.”
Pierce jerks. “You asked her? Thought you were smarter than that.”
“Not sure you should dole out advice on proposals, man. Considering your track record.”
“I didn’t say he asked. It was more of a telling conversation,” Poppy corrects him.
He grins smugly. “You learned something.”
“This is perfect. I can’t wait for tomorrow night. We’ll bring dessert. Now, I’m taking my baby off your hands.”
“I got him.” Pierce reaches out. “You’re done for the day.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Baby, he’s twenty-five pounds. You want him, then sit your ass down, get off your feet, and rest.”
“Poppy, I hope Evin isn’t nearly as bossy. If he is, nip it in the bud now. Or else, you’ll find yourself in a lifetime battle.” Darby tries to sound irritated, but there’s no conviction in her words. Pierce may be overly protective, but he worships my sister with everything he is.
“I think it may be too late,” Poppy reveals.
“Oh, sister, get ready then.”
At the term ‘sister’ my pulse quickens and I check for Poppy’s reaction. She doesn’t falter, her eyes glowing as she hands Devin to Pierce. “Maybe tomorrow night you can give me some pointers.”