“Go be with your bride,” I tell him.
“We have a dance later,” he reminds me.
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
He drops a kiss on the top of my head before he goes right back to Lux’s side. In all my life I’ve never seen a love as deep and sweet as theirs. For the first time in my life I found myself longing for a connection like theirs.
Even Lux and her best friend Juno are super close to each other. They have a bond I’ve never formed with anyone before, and I wonder if I’m broken. I should be dating, and I should have a best friend. I’ve never had a girls’ night out or been to a slumber party. Do they have dating apps for friends? Then again, every man I’ve met though the Love Connection app has been a major bust.
When I finish off my drink, I set my glass down on the bar to go people watch. Every time my eyes drift around the reception they always land on one person.
Luca Cross.
He’s my new sister-in-law's older brother. Lux has Luca, and the oldest is Cooper. Cooper’s a straight-laced, no-nonsense cop. Luca is the polar opposite even now with how he has people all around him laughing. They hang on to his every word while Cooper looks like he’s been chewing gravel all night. It could be the dress Juno has on, but that’s just a guess from the way he’s glaring at it.
Luca is laid back without a care in the freaking world. So much so he almost missed his sister's wedding. Why do the men I find attractive always end up being self-centered assholes? It really is a curse.
I brush another one of my unruly curls from out of my face. As annoyed as I am at him, I can’t stop watching him. He reminds me of some kind of superhero with a big body all over, with muscled arms and legs. He’s casual even in his expensive tux, and I’m annoyed by the loose tie around his neck. His jacket is long gone, and his sleeves are unbuttoned and rolled up. The veins in his arms stand out, and I hate how hot it is seeing the lines along his tanned skin. I really need to get it together.
Suddenly his head turns, and he’s looking straight at me. I feel his eyes on me as I quickly turn around and walk in the opposite direction. We haven't even been introduced yet since he arrived seconds before the wedding began. We were both in the wedding party, but he hadn't given me a second look. Why the hell does that bother me?
I peek over my shoulder to see if he’s still watching me, and he is. He says something to the beautiful blonde that’s been laughing at everything Luca says and pawing at his shoulder all night. Not that I was watching.
As he starts to follow me, I can’t help but wonder how the hell I’m going to get away.
Short answer? I don’t.
Chapter Two
Luca
“Hey, where are you headed in such a hurry?” Cooper puts his hand on my chest and I stop my pursuit of Selma.
“Just getting another drink.” I hold up my empty glass and shake the ice at him, but his eyes narrow. He looks over his shoulder to where Selma has already disappeared and then back at me.
“Glad you could make the wedding.” His comment makes me want to roll my eyes, but I hold back.
“I told you I’d be cutting it close but that I wouldn’t miss our baby sister’s big day.” I glance over to Lux and her husband on the dance floor holding each other close and swaying slowly, even as the dance music blasts and everyone around them is moving like they’re in a club.
“All right, I’ll lighten up.”
“Liar.” I smirk at my older brother, and he shrugs like he’s not about to apologize.
“So where were you this time?”
I glance back to the empty space Selma occupied and realize I might have missed my chance. Maybe if I can get rid of Cooper, I can still catch up with her.
“I had a deal close in Miami, and then I went to the Keys to look at a building. I’m still not sure if I’m going to buy it, but I’ve got to be in Houston tomorrow to close a listing I’ve been working on for over a year.”
“You really surprised us all with your knack for selling land.”
“They're not making any more of it,” I agree and clap my hand on his shoulder. As if he can sense I’m trying to leave, he grabs my wrist.
“When are you going to stow those wings and put down some roots?”
I give him my biggest smile and lean in close. “I think you and Lux have the family all taken care of with weddings and babies.” I wink at him as I walk away, and he calls out my name.
I turn around one last time to see him put his arm around Juno. “You can’t fight it forever.”
Without a response, I give him a little salute and go in search of the woman I can’t stop watching.
My life might look like an adventure to everyone on the outside. Yes, I travel a ton, and I get to go to really cool cities, but most of the time I’m either in meetings or alone in a hotel. Truth be told, I hate flying, but it’s the quickest way to get somewhere. Whenever I’m home in Pink Springs, I love my time with my family, but I always know it’s going to be short-lived before I’m on to the next business deal.
I sort of stumbled into selling property and traveling for it. I had a friend that needed some help selling a distant family member's piece of land after they died, and it kind of snowballed after that. People always seem to like dealing with me, because I’m laid back and make them feel comfortable. I’m really good at what I do, and most of the time every party walks away happy, and I get to add another zero to my bank account.
Hell, sometimes I wonder what the fuck I’m going to do with all the money I have saved. Even with as many properties as I’ve bought and sold over the years, I still technically live at home with my brother and his wife. I’ve got a room there, and although I’m hardly ever in it, I don’t have another place to call mine.
I’ve been looking at property and thinking more long term, but I can’t decide if my place is in the city and close to all the places I need to be, or if it’s in the country with my family, learning to slow down a little.
I meant what I said when I told Cooper that he and Lux have it all taken care of with weddings and kids, but what if one day I change my mind? Where do I want those kids and family to be, and is it time I start taking steps towards that? It’s part of my life I never considered before and didn’t really have a desire to. Is being at this wedding making me rethink my path? Or is it the curly-haired brunette that’s got me asking questions?
And just as I picture her in my mind, there she is in a crowd of people by the cake. She looks like she’s trying to blend in, but I doubt she’s ever managed to do that a day in her life.
Without thinking about exactly what I’m doing, I grab a plate and a fork from the table nearby and walk over next to her. She stiffens as I lean in close and whisper in her ear.
“What if it’s carrot cake? And if so, do you think there’s still time for an annulment?” I see the corner of her lips twitch, but she doesn’t allow herself to smile. “I think the wedding cake says a lot about a couple.”
“Like what?” She turns, and it puts her face close to mine as the crowd moves around us.
“Like whether or not their love will stand the test of time.” I let my lazy smile stretch slowly as I place my free hand on the small of her back.