by Ali Parker
“She’s my sister.” He moved toward me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me close. “I didn’t do much more than fuck up a few dates for you, Layla. Those boys wanted in your panties and I knew you’d be mine one day. There was no damn way I was sharing you if I could help it.” He kissed the tip of my nose as I turned my glare onto Aubrey.
She lifted her hands in the air and spun around. “I knew this would turn on me one day.”
I looked back toward Jayce. “Unbelievable.”
“You’re not really mad. I can tell.” He cupped my face, massaging the base of my head as he leaned in and kissed me softly. It quickly turned into something a little more intimate.
“Come on, guys. Really? Ugh.” Aubrey tugged at the back of my shirt. “Let’s get the dress and you two hornballs can go back to the apartment.”
I moved back, a little dizzy.
“Still mad?” He reached for me, sliding his fingers against mine as I shook my head no. How could I be? None of those other guys mattered now that Jayce was in the picture.
“No. It’s still ridiculous but somewhat cute too.” I walked toward the store Aubrey disappeared into. “I’m really not in the mood to try on dresses. I ate too much at my mom’s house.”
“Just suffer through it and we’ll lay around and watch movies tonight in our pjs.” He squeezed my hand and smiled down at me.
“I thought we were studying for your Chemistry test.”
“We can, but I’d much rather study anatomy with you instead.” He wagged his eyebrows.
I pulled my hand from him, rolling my eyes. “I swear. You’re just a fifteen-year-old boy stuck in that hot-man body.”
“You like it?” He rubbed his hands down his chest and rolled his hips.
Aubrey groaned and put her hand on her hip. “This is so much more disturbing than I thought it would be.”
“What?” I stopped in front of her as Jayce sat down in one of the chairs around a small stage in the center of the room.
“You and my brother being together. Behave for thirty minutes. Please?” She turned her serious stare from me to Jayce.
I glanced back at him to see an innocent look on his handsome face and his finger pointed toward me as if it were all my fault.
“Seriously?” I laughed and started to go after him.
Aubrey grabbed my hand and pulled me back toward a dressing room. “Come on. There are three dresses in your size in the darker blue that the guys’ tuxes match. Try them on for me and we’ll get out of here quickly.”
“All right.” I walked into the dressing room and fingered through the three of them. “I’m not wearing this one. No way in hell.”
She took it and pointed to the longer of the two remaining. “I feel like that one is too long, but see what you think.”
“I like it.” I pulled off my shoes, shirt, and jeans quickly. “Help me zip it?”
“Sure.” She walked out of the dressing room with the one dress I didn’t like and I could hear her and Jayce laughing about something. The sound of them together caused me to smile. I loved them both so crazy much.
I tugged the dress over my waist and turned to face the small mirror in front of me. It looked good, better than I expected. I pinched it under my arms and reached up to pull my hair down. I’d be wearing it down for the wedding for sure.
“All right. Let me zip you up.” Aubrey glanced over my shoulder and smiled. “I like it already. Looks really good on you.”
“I like it too.” I waited until she finished zipping it. “Let me walk around in it for a few minutes to make sure I’m not going to trip or anything.”
“Cool.” She opened the curtain and moved back.
I walked toward Jayce, who stood up and gave me a sexy smile.
“Oh, I like that a lot. You look like a princess.” He extended his hand to me.
I took it and curtsied as he bowed.
Aubrey snorted and sat down in the chair Jayce was in moments before. “Dance for me. Let me see how it looks when you move around in it.”
“With pleasure.” I slid into his arms and gripped his hand tightly. He wrapped a strong arm around me and moved me around the small stage. He was the best dancer in the world as far as I was concerned. He spun me out, letting me turn a few times before moving back into his arms.
“So beautiful, baby.” He brushed his nose against mine. “I can’t wait until it’s our turn.”
Chill bumps broke out along my skin. “You have to ask me first.”
“Oh, I’m aware.” He stopped and leaned toward me, dipping me low toward the floor before gracefully pulling me back up. “I’m going to do it when you least expect it.”
He kissed my lips softly and growled. “Go change and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“I can still hear you.” Aubrey stood up and walked toward the dressing room. “I do love the dress though. Maybe you can wear it for my wedding and then I can wear it for yours.”
I laughed as I followed her back into the dressing room. “Jayce and I just started dating, Aubrey. It’s going to be a while.”
“Doubt it.” She moved in behind me and closed the curtain before unzipping my dress. “You just need to help him pass Chemistry and then the two of you can graduate together, get married, and start your life together.”
“We’ve already started it.” I gripped the front of the dress as it sagged. “He went with me out to my mom’s today.”
“Oh yeah? How did that go?”
I turned to face her and smiled. “Really good. He was so good to my daddy. Most guys that saw what Jayce did wouldn’t offer a bit of kindness to my dad, but he was so kind and loving.”
“That’s Jayce for you.” She reached up and brushed the tears that dripped onto my cheeks. “I love you. You’ve always been my choice for Jayce, you know?”
I moved up and pressed my cheek to her shoulder and she hugged me tightly. “Well, we had to figure out some way to become sisters for real. Don’t tell him that this was the plan all along.”
“I can hear you out here. Jeez.” Jayce’s voice was high pitched as if he were truly agitated by us.
I laughed and moved back. “Damn, we’re caught.”
“And he thought I was helping him all those years.” Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Please!”
“Still here.” Jayce’s response caused us to start laughing all over again.
Chapter 25
Jayce
It felt weird being in the stands instead of playing on the field, but it just so happened that the girls’ softball team had an extra game that week, and we didn’t. I glanced around at our friends as a smile lifted my lips.
Emily and Jacob were arguing over whether the snow cone they were sharing was cherry flavored or strawberry. I couldn’t imagine eating a snow cone, as cold as it still was outside. Spring was showing up more and more, but it was chilly enough for a jacket still.
“Hey, Layla’s up to bat.” My sister pressed her shoulder against mine and smiled at me.
“You nervous about tonight? I’m kinda surprised you’re not there at the church already.” I leaned around her to give Lucas a look.
He shook his head but didn’t say anything. It would seem she’d been training him to keep quiet. I laughed at the thought.
“I’m going straight over there from here, thank you very much.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s only two. The rehearsal dinner starts at six.”
The announcer’s voice pulled my attention away from Aubrey. “Up next, pitcher for the Lady Friars, number ten, Layla Roberts.”
We clapped and I cupped my hands over my mouth. “Hit it out of the park, baby. Show ‘em what you got.”
She glanced back at us and smiled, stealing my heart like she did every time she looked my way. I still couldn’t fathom how we’d finally ended up together. I wasn’t sure I would ever get over it, which felt like a good thing.
The pitcher threw an outside pitch and I watched Layla’s body tighten as she stepped ba
ck and swung.
“No, baby, step toward the ball,” I whispered roughly. This was the first time I’d seen her in action since we worked on outside pitches. She’d played a good handful of games over the last four weeks or so, but she hadn’t mentioned her problem in a while. I figured she really didn’t have one. Looked like I was wrong.
She rolled her shoulders and lifted the bat again.
“Come on, Layla, you got this!” Jacob yelled from behind me as Aubrey called out a few positive things from beside me.
The pitcher threw another outside ball, and Layla stiffened and stepped back, missing the ball altogether.
“Fuck,” I mumbled and got up, moving through the crowd down to the fence. I shifted over to the left side of the field and pressed myself against the fence. “Baby. Straighten your hips and step toward the plate. You’re pulling back and stepping away. Remember how we did it?”
She glanced up at me with worry on her beautiful face. Damn, she hadn’t been playing with me. She really was struggling with this type of pitch.
“Remember what I showed you?” I smiled at her, trying to give her courage to do what we’d gone over.
She nodded and took a deep breath before stepping up to the plate.
“Step toward the plate, Lay,” I called and held my breath as the fucking pitcher threw another outside pitch.
Layla started to move back but corrected herself at the last second and stepped forward, swinging and knocking the hell out of the ball. It flew over the fence, and she tossed the bat and ran around the bases quickly. She touched home plate and jogged over toward me, pressing herself against the fence and kissing me through it.
“I love you. Thank you.”
“And here I just thought you wanted my hands all over you.”
“I do.” She winked and turned to jog back toward the dugout.
I stood there for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to hide my rising erection from my friends. Somehow, my girl chose the most inopportune times to turn me on.
“Yeah, like all the time.” I untucked my shirt and walked back to the stands. Jacob, Micah, and Lucas had the same smirk on their faces. I growled softly and shook my head. “Yeah, fuck all you guys too.”
They laughed as the girls started to ask questions. I ignored them and pressed my forearms to my knees, leaning over and looking down toward the dugout. My girl was pressed to the fence, watching me like she had plans for me later that night.
It would have to be late. We had my sister’s rehearsal dinner and dancing with everyone afterward. Late was good. Hell, anytime was good for me.
As long as she was involved, I was in.
“All right. Lucas, you and Jacob and Jayce get to the front like you’re going to be when we come in the door. Layla, you and Emily get out in the hall.” Aubrey glanced around and brushed her hair back, looking as nervous as she made me feel.
Our mother was somewhere down the hall, tearing some poor guy’s ass off the back of him because they didn’t use the right color of ribbon on the bouquets for the girls. I almost felt sorry for Lucas’s parents, who were a little standoffish but still much more chill than my folks.
“We got the easy job,” Jacob mumbled as we walked toward the front of the church.
I patted Lucas on the back and smiled over at him. “You getting nervous, dude?”
“Nope. I’m just ready to get this thing over with. I want your sister beside me for the rest of my life. If this hoopla is part of making that happen?” He shrugged. “So be it.”
“Good answer.” Jacob moved up to stand beside me as I took my place between him and Lucas. We turned toward the back of the church and Aubrey and the preachers talked for a few minutes.
“Where are you headed after this?” Jacob took a step forward and turned to face us.
“I think we have dinner and then everyone wanted to go out to the Jolly Fox, right?” I glanced over at Lucas.
“Yeah. My parents are catering dinner for us.” Lucas reached over and pushed Jacob back into place. “Behave or my woman’s liable to take your head off.”
“Right.” He moved back. “Wait a minute. No bachelor party?”
“Nope. My life’s been like a bachelor party up until now. I’m good with going dancing with you guys and the girls. It’s better that way.” Lucas cleared his throat. “Just stand still and do what they tell you to do, all right? We’ll be out of here in no time.”
“Yeah, right.” I let my eyes move across the church as a peace settled over me. I didn’t have to worry about colors or placement or anything. I could just stand back and enjoy the beauty of what was about to happen. Some part of me wished it were mine and Layla’s wedding, but it was good that Aubrey was going first. She’d make sure everything was in place and was perfect. After she’d done it for her wedding, I knew without a doubt that she’d want to do it for mine.
“All right. Places.” A tall thin woman walked into the sanctuary and lifted her hands.
“Who’s that?” I mumbled.
“Wedding planner. Your mom hired her.” Lucas looked over at me. “I think she eats balls for breakfast, so keep your hands cupped over your boys, all right?”
I snorted, as did Jacob.
“Something funny?” the woman barked loudly and glanced up at us.
“No, ma’am,” I answered for us and pulled my shoulders back. The woman looked away, and I whispered, “My asshole just cringed. Anyone else?”
“Yep,” Jacob and Lucas responded.
It was hell to keep the smirk off my face as unwanted laughter danced in the base of my throat. Why Aubrey thought it was safe to put the three of us at the front of the church for an extended period of time was beyond me. It would have been a lot easier and probably safer to let us walk the girls in.
Music started to play from above our heads, and Aubrey walked out of the church with the wedding planner beside her. The preacher walked toward us with a funny look on his face.
“That woman is a little scary.” He smirked and took his place beside Lucas.
I chuckled, letting out a little bit of the pressure building up inside my chest.
“I won’t tell you what the guys said about her.” Jacob leaned forward and smiled.
Lucas reached over and popped him in the forehead, dragging another chuckle from me. “Behave. Seriously, man.”
“Yeah, idiot.” I glanced over at Jacob with a smirk on my face. “Behave.”
All the humor bled out of me as I turned to watch Emily walk down the aisle toward us, her pretty face tilted just a little as she watched Jacob. It would seem that Layla and I weren’t the only ones talking about the future.
“Stunning,” Jacob whispered beside me, and Emily’s eyes widened a little. She stopped about halfway down, and Jacob moved from beside us, walking down and offering her his arm. They walked toward the front of the church, paused, and split ways, Jacob moving back over to join me.
Was that how it worked? Damn. For some reason, I couldn’t remember Aubrey telling us that we had to meet the girls in the middle.
“Do I do that too?” I whispered as softly as I could.
“Yes.” Jacob glanced over at me with a smile on his face. “Did you not listen to the ten minutes of instructions your sister gave before we started?”
“Boys! Hush. No talking during this part.” The wedding planner’s voice was insanely shrill and sent chills down my back.
“Ball eater,” I mumbled without moving my lips.
Jacob laughed and pointed at me as we got another dirty look.
I shrugged and turned my attention toward Layla as she walked down the aisle holding a bouquet of white and blue flowers. Her long blonde hair framed her face and played along the sides of her breasts beautifully. The pretty pink dress she wore fit her like a glove and left my heart racing and blood pumping in all the places I needed to ignore.
She paused in the middle of the aisle, her eyes on me.
I moved down and walked toward her,
letting my eyes run down the length of her perfect body. “All mine.”
“All yours.” She smiled up at me as I offered her my arm. “I love you.”
“Me more.” She took my arm and we turned, walking slowly back down the aisle together. I could see the future, feel it, hear it. It would be better to wait until we were graduated and everything was settled, but that wasn’t going to happen. I just needed to get past my sister’s wedding before I hit my knees and asked Layla to be my wife.
Aubrey and Lucas deserved everyone’s attention for their moment, but after that, I was stealing the spotlight. There was no way in hell I was letting anything come between me and my girl before sealing the deal. I’d waited too damn long to chance it.
We paused at the front of the church and I leaned over a little, kissing her cheek softly and letting her go.
“Why didn’t you kiss my cheek?” Emily leaned forward and whispered across the front of the church.
“No talking at the front!” the wedding planner yelled loudly.
I almost tripped over the bottom stair as Jacob’s eyes grew wide and he whispered, “Ball eater.”
The best part? The sound of Lucas laughing out loud as the preacher whispered his response. “Dear Lord. I’m not sure which is worse. The fact that you boys are so vulgar or the scary reality that you just might be right.”
By the time Aubrey turned the corner, all four of us were cracking up. Jacob, me, Lucas, and the poor preacher who had to put up with us.
My sister stopped at the back of the church and put her hands on her hips. “Seriously? Fine. We’re going to start from the beginning and do it again and again until you guys behave.”
“What? I have plans tonight.” I groaned and turned to Lucas, who just shrugged.
“Do what she says, when she says it, and life will go good.”
“Listen to this man. He understands marriage already.” The preacher smiled and walked back down the aisle toward Aubrey and the wedding planner. Damn if the man in black didn’t look back and lift his eyebrow.
He wasn’t going to say it, but we all knew what he was thinking.