by Bella Andre
Gideon saw the first tear fall down her cheek before she wiped it away. Unable to control the uncontrollable, he gave in to instinct, the need to be there for her, and beneath the table where no one could see, he gently touched Rosie’s knee, just enough to let her know he was right there, right beside her whenever she needed him.
There was an almost imperceptible movement, her knee against his hand, just the slightest brush, but one that felt as deliberate as his touch had been. Then she said, “I’ll always be here for you, my sweet sister. I will always love you. And I am so happy that you, Matt, and Noah have found each other.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to Ari, Matt and Noah…to happiness, to a wonderfully bright future…and to love!”
As the wedding guests cheered, applauded, and downed champagne, Ari blew Rosie a kiss. And when Rosie sat, with everyone at the table congratulating her on her great speech, Gideon’s greatest wish, his greatest desire, was that he could kiss her too.
Chapter Eight
As the rest of the Mavericks roasted Matt with humor and love, Rosie swore she could still feel the light pressure of Gideon’s hand against her knee beneath the table. While she’d poured her heart out to Ari and Matt, she’d felt as if Gideon understood absolutely everything she was feeling…and that he could see right inside her heart.
For a few wonderful moments, between her toast and sitting down, something had flared between them. He’d looked like he wanted to drag her against him and kiss her breathless.
Of course, it hadn’t lasted. As soon as the DJ announced the end to all the toasts, Gideon scooted back from the table and practically sprinted away.
“You look like you need a drink.” Chi handed her a full champagne flute.
“I might have had too much already,” she confessed as they tapped glasses.
The music and dancing started up, but instead of heading for the dance floor, Kelsey Collins dragged Lyssa Spencer over. A waiter passed their little group, and the two women grabbed glasses.
“What a great party.” Lyssa was the only Maverick sister, ten years younger than her brothers. Rosie could see the resemblance between her and her brother Daniel, with the same chocolate-brown eyes, the same wavy dark hair, though hers curled past her shoulders. “And Jorge and Noah are just adorable out there.”
They were tearing up the dance floor, getting down to boogie with whoever would take them on. Adorable was right.
“They’re going to be a couple of little heartbreakers one day. Speaking of which…” Kelsey glanced over the assembled guests. “Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s noticed just how many gorgeous men there are here.”
“There are,” Chi agreed, “although all the gorgeous Mavericks are already taken.”
Lyssa made a face. “Ick. They’re my brothers. I can’t think of them that way.”
“Well, there must be someone here you’ve got your eye on,” Kelsey said.
Like Lyssa, Kelsey was ten years younger than her oldest brother, Evan. Kelsey’s twin, Tony, was out on the dance floor with an older woman who was holding him way too close. Or maybe she just needed him to prop her up after too many champagne toasts. Kelsey and Tony weren’t identical, but they shared similar features and the same light brown hair, though Kelsey’s was long and streaked with blond. It was Tony and Evan who could have been the twins, despite their age difference.
When Lyssa didn’t answer quickly enough, Kelsey pointed out an exceptionally good-looking, broad-shouldered man with closely cropped hair. “How about him?”
Lyssa snorted. “That’s Gabe Sullivan. He’s a firefighter in the city. And he’s most definitely taken. But that’s okay, because I’ve actually got my eye on him.” She pointed out a man halfway around the dance floor. He was tall, handsome, and definitely in shape—and considerably older than she. “I like older men,” she said, obviously anticipating their responses. Lyssa sighed, a little bit dreamy, a little bit playful. “Oh yes, Cal Danniger definitely has my name written all over him. In lipstick.”
“What the hell?”
Lyssa whirled around. Her brother Daniel was standing right behind them.
Glowering as protectively as Rosie had ever seen him, Daniel said, “Cal Danniger is not for you.”
Lyssa put her hands on her hips and held her brother’s gaze, her eyes equally full of challenge. Almost as though she was daring him to say the wrong thing. “Excuse me?”
Daniel breathed deeply, obviously restraining himself from saying something harsh in response. He was usually so easygoing. Clearly, Lyssa had found his trigger point and pressed down hard on the red detonation button. “Not only does Cal work for me,” Daniel growled, “he’s also twenty years older than you. He’s off-limits.”
Lyssa narrowed her eyes as she took a step toward her brother, coming toe-to-toe with him. “He’s for me if I say he’s for me.”
Whoa. The Mavericks were usually one big, happy family. The guys adored Lyssa, and she adored them. Then again, Lyssa was twenty-six, she had a great job in Chicago, she supported herself—and Daniel was being downright overprotective.
Especially when he said, “You’re not listening, little sister. I won’t allow you to date him.”
“Uh-oh, major explosion time,” Chi whispered as Lyssa tipped up her chin defiantly and opened her mouth to blast him with a fiery reply.
Fortunately, before any volcanic eruptions could ensue, Tasha Summerfield appeared at Daniel’s side. Clearly, she’d seen the moment brewing from afar. “There you are,” Tasha said as she looped her arm through Daniel’s. “This is my favorite song. Come dance with me.”
Rosie very much doubted that “Achy Breaky Heart” was Tasha’s favorite tune, but right now it was far more important to pull brother and sister apart before things got ugly.
Still, Daniel managed to slash his sister with one last look, again saying, “He’s not for you,” before Tasha whisked him away.
Eyes narrowed on her brother’s back, her lips in a tight pucker, Lyssa was utterly infuriated. “Could he be any more overbearing?”
“He’s just looking out for you,” Chi said, always diplomatic.
Rosie agreed. She would have given anything to have a big brother looking out for her when she’d met Jorge’s dad.
“I know,” Lyssa said. “But it won’t just be him. All five of them are going to think they need to protect me. Six, when you add Gideon into the mix.” She grimaced. “You’d think I was still fifteen and one of Daniel’s friends was hitting on me.”
“Doesn’t he realize that now you’re going to absolutely want Cal?” Kelsey shook her head. “It’s like waving the red flag at a bull. Or rather, the matador—since you’re way too pretty to be a bull.”
Lyssa mimed waving a red flag from side to side, then lowered her voice dramatically. “He’s the bull—” She gave a quick nod in the handsome Cal Danniger’s direction. “—and he won’t know what’s hit him.”
Chi curled her arm around Rosie’s neck and pulled her close to say in a low voice, “Maybe you should shake your flag at the object of your desire.”
“My flag or my booty?” Though he’d fled the table at lightspeed, Rosie was still relishing the ecstasy she’d found in Gideon’s arms while they danced, as they’d fed each other morsels off their plates, when he’d touched her during her speech.
“How about both?” Chi suggested with the naughtiest of giggles.
“What are you two whispering about?” Kelsey bumped hips with Chi, knocking her lightly into Rosie.
“We’re choosing our own bulls.” Chi smiled with a gleam.
“Ooh…do tell.” Kelsey leaned in toward Rosie. “Is there a guy here that you would consider bringing home to meet the adorable Jorge?”
As the DJ changed the music and announced the bouquet toss, Rosie was saved from admitting that the guy already knew Jorge, and Jorge already adored him.
* * *
Gideon stood on the fringes, just beyond the circle of people surroundin
g the dance floor where Ari held up her bouquet. Rosie mingled with the crowd of brightly dressed ladies, Jorge dancing around her excitedly, probably telling her she had to jump high to catch it, since she was shorter than the other women.
She’d let down her gorgeous hair, her curls caressing her shoulders, and Gideon ached to run his fingers through the silkiness.
He ached for a lot of things he would never have. And he needed to be okay with that. After all, he had so much now—his sister back in his life, a fabulous nephew, a good job, a great boss and company to work for.
If only that meant he could stop thinking about the past, could stop constantly reliving the hell it had been, and get closer to Rosie than merely the fringes of her life.
“Okay, ladies,” Ari called out. “Get ready!”
“Come on, Mom, you can grab it.” Jorge’s voice carried from amid the flock of women.
What a great kid. He wasn’t shy, he wasn’t frightened of life. He was fun and proud and wonderful. Just like Noah.
Ari threw the bouquet high and wild, petals falling as it arced through the air. There was a hue and cry as the women jumped for it in their heels.
Gideon’s gut clenched for a long moment as he thought of Rosie catching it. As he thought of the tradition, that whomever caught it would be the next to marry. That she’d finally find her perfect hero…and it wouldn’t be him. He should want a great guy for her, someone who would be a good father to Jorge, but his chest hurt even thinking of Rosie with another guy. Strangely, for all her beauty and brains, he’d never seen her with a man—never heard even a whisper of a date. The same went for him. But his reasons were surely different from hers.
Simply put, since he’d met her last year, all other women had lost their allure.
In the end, however, Rosie didn’t catch the bouquet. “I can’t believe I caught it.” Lyssa Spencer held the colorful flowers away from her, looking slightly horrified.
She wasn’t the only one who looked horrified, Gideon noted, as all five of the Mavericks instantly assumed protective stances, lest any hapless man at the party dared to approach their precious little sister. Gideon didn’t envy the guy who tried to date Lyssa Spencer. No man in his right mind would want to face down that firing squad.
Gideon faced one every day—a firing squad of brutally dark memories he would never be able to outrun.
Pushing his way out of the gathering of women, Jorge raced to him. “I really wanted Mom to catch it, but she didn’t jump high enough. Did you see, Gid?”
Rosie joined them before he could reply. “I could have caught the bouquet if I’d felt I needed it. But I’ve always thought that if true love is meant to be, it doesn’t need divine intervention.” Her eyes twinkled as she ruffled her son’s hair.
Gideon had to look away from the brightness of her smile. It offered too many things he couldn’t have. Not only her beauty and innate sensuality, but also her faith in true love. It was still alive inside her heart, even after the hell Ari hinted Rosie had been through with Jorge’s father.
On the dance floor, Ari gave Lyssa a huge hug while the photographer snapped pictures. Then the wedding organizer pulled up a chair while the DJ announced that it was time to take off the garter.
Rosie explained to Jorge, “It’s a piece of fabric that traditionally held up the stocking on a bride’s leg. Nowadays the groom throws it to the single men in the same way that the bride throws the bouquet to the single women.”
Ari sat in the chair while her new husband bent down in front of her and lifted her skirt. “Nice tennis shoes,” Matt said in front of their rapt audience.
“Thanks.” She lifted one foot so everyone could see her bedazzled Nikes. “I wanted to make sure I could run up the aisle to be in your arms.”
As they kissed, the women sighed, the men clapped, and Jorge exclaimed, “Ewww,” screwing up his face. Gideon agreed—he wasn’t sure he could handle watching his sister being kissed senseless, even by her husband.
And when Matt began to trail his hand up her leg toward the garter, Gideon knew he should restrain his protective urges, at least for today. But this was his sister, for God’s sake.
“Get on with it, man,” he called out, his voice gruff.
Rosie grabbed his hand without so much as a pause—yet again crossing the barriers he’d put up between them. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love the feel of her palm against his, her softness caressing his callused skin.
“You’re doing great, big brother,” she said gently. “Not much longer now.”
Ari’s dress rode high enough to reveal the garter settled a couple of inches above her knee. Matt started to laugh when he saw it. “It’s got robots on it.”
Ari nodded. “I had to sew on each one individually.”
Of course, Matt started kissing her again amid their laughter.
Rosie squeezed Gideon’s hand before he could rush the stage to pull them apart. “They’re so good together,” she said. “I love the way they’re always laughing.”
She was right. Matt would go to the ends of the earth to make sure Ari never saw another sad day in her life. “All I ever thought about when I was deployed was making it back to see my sister laugh again.” He spoke without thinking, from deep down in his heart.
There had been so many dark days and nights when he thought he’d never see home again, never leave the endless heat and sand and gnawing hunger, never find Ari.
Thank God he’d made it back to her. And thank God she’d found a man, a family, a group of friends who made her so happy.
As all the emotions rioted through him, Rosie held his hand, giving him so much sweetness, so much comfort. Though he knew he should let her go, he couldn’t help but drink her in. Just for a few precious, stolen moments.
Matt whipped the garter off, holding it up in a victory salute. This was Gideon’s cue to drop Rosie’s hand—after all, now that Matt was done touching Ari’s leg, Gideon didn’t need Rosie to keep him from rushing the guy. But it was a hell of a fight within himself to actually let go.
“Okay,” the DJ said, “all you single guys, get out there and catch that garter.”
There were murmurs through the crowd as men were pushed forward. Daniel entered the fray, soon joined by Sebastian and Evan.
“I hope you have a wedding dress ready if I catch it,” Evan called to Paige, who laughed and blew him a kiss.
Rosie turned to look at Gideon. “You’re single. Shouldn’t you be out there with everyone else?”
“I’m fine here.”
“Come on, Gid.” Jorge grabbed Gideon’s newly freed hand. “I’ll go if you go.”
“Don’t be a fuddy-duddy, Gideon,” Rosie teased. “I did it.”
Gideon might have protested again, but in addition to Jorge’s pleas, Noah was tugging on his other hand. He had to do it for them.
“If I jump high enough,” Noah said, “I hope I can catch it. Those robots are cool. I want ’em bad.”
“If I catch it, we’ll share,” Jorge offered.
“If I catch it,” Gideon told them, “I’ll give it to both of you to share.”
Jeremy joined them. “I want to help catch it for you guys.” Jeremy was always so great with the boys.
“And if I catch it, I’ll turn it over to you.” A newcomer grinned at the boys.
“Uncle Cal!” Noah high-fived him.
Gideon had met Cal Danniger a couple of times in Daniel’s office. He was the business manager for the Maverick Group. From what Gideon could tell, he was a solid guy—not to mention brilliant. Which made it more than a little strange that Daniel was currently glaring at him. What the heck could Cal have done to get on Daniel’s bad side?
With a drumroll from the DJ, Matt started his windup, and Gideon braced himself to catch the garter for Noah and Jorge. It sailed wide and to the left, just out of his reach, but fortunately, Cal Danniger was able to grab it out of the air before it flew past him and into Daniel Spencer’s open palm.
<
br /> “You’re the winners, boys,” Cal called out as they jumped up, down, and around in a circle, hooting with glee.
Cal was about to hand over the garter when Lyssa stepped into the fray, the bridal bouquet in her hand. “Not so fast.” She looped her arm through Cal’s. “We’ve got to have pictures taken first.” She grinned at Noah and Jorge. “Then it’s all yours, I promise.”
There was a lot of laughter and good-natured ribbing as Lyssa sat in the chair Ari had just vacated, then raised her skirt and stuck out her leg for Cal to do the honors, cameras flashing all around them. Only the five Mavericks—especially Daniel—didn’t look happy. Not in the least. Clearly, deeply protective urges were something Gideon shared in common with them.
Once Cal had slid the garter up Lyssa’s leg, the crowd cheered again.
Noah’s loud voice cut through the applause. “But now that it’s on her leg, how do we get it back?”
Jorge shrugged and held up his hands in a ya-got-me gesture.
There was laughter all around. Only Daniel’s face remained impassive, his gaze glued to Cal Danniger’s hand on the garter as he helped Lyssa take it off and toss it to the kids.
A few seconds later, Noah and Jorge were holding the garter between them. “Are they going to cut the cake soon?” Jorge asked.
Gideon appreciated how quickly, and happily, kids jumped from one thing to the next. They didn’t stew, didn’t wallow, didn’t hold grudges, didn’t wither with regret.
He’d been like that once.
“There’s more dancing first,” Rosie told them.
“Dancing?” Noah moaned. “But we’re ready for cake now.”
“Me too,” she said with a laugh. “But maybe if we dance hard enough, we’ll forget about dessert for a little while.”
She was so close, so sweet, her warmth overwhelmed Gideon’s senses. Before he lost every shred of self-control, he managed to step away without anyone noticing.
“Okay,” he heard Jorge say, “but only if Gid dances with us too.” And then a beat later, “Where’s Gid?”