by Desiree Holt
Evan flipped down the visor and proceeded to make a series of giant goofy grins at the mirror. “Happy! Joy! Weddings! Love! Friends!” The last word made his smile feel real, and with that boost of energy, he jumped out of the car, not bothering to lock it.
His life lately had included little, if you could call none little, of any of the words he’d shouted enthusiastically at himself, but this trip was making up for it. Somewhat.
Shaking the gray cloud off once again, he ran through the rain, bounced up the steps, and rang the doorbell. A round of high pitched squeals echoed the ring, then a rhythm of pounding footsteps before something hit the door with a large thunk. A moment later, the door burst open and Mindy Williams launched into his arms, squeezing the ever living daylights out of him.
“Can't…breathe…” Evan gasped, even as he squeezed her back just as tightly.
“Finally, someone sane.” She released him only momentarily before dragging him inside the house and slamming the door behind him. “It's like herding cats. The moment I get one group ready to go out the door, the next is preparing a round of shots!”
“Didn't you already have the bachelorette party last weekend?”
Mindy rolled her eyes. “Yes. This is a girls’ last hoorah. It’ll be more sedate.”
“…Isn't that what most people call a bachelorette party?” At another round of squeals from somewhere in the house, he added, “And this is going to be more sedate?”
“You should have been at the bachelorette party.” Mindy cocked her eyebrow with an evil grin. “Mom put the nix on any actual shenanigans this last week before the wedding. But I fully expect you and Dare to wrestle Cole out for at least one night of debauchery.” She stuck a finger in his face. “But not too much debauchery. Anyway, tonight my job is to bust Jessica out of the party and bundle her back to Mom’s by eleven o'clock. Which isn't going to happen if we don't get started by seven.”
Evan checked his phone. “It's six-thirty now.”
“I've been trying to organize us to leave for an hour. At this rate, it will take two more.”
“How much have you had to drink?”
“None.”
“Well that's part of your problem.” Evan leaned around her and shouted, “Where’s the wine?”
A hearty, incomprehensible cheer answered him, and he turned Mindy’s grip around so that he was dragging her as he followed the source.
Three ladies in cocktail dresses cheered at their entrance.
“Wine me!” Evan announced. “Two glasses, please.” He thrust the first glass of deep red wine at Mindy and took the second for himself. “To the happy couple!” he cheered, and the ladies, including Mindy, clinked glasses with him. “Okay, ladies! Let’s get this show on the road. You three, door.” One of the girls hopped off the counter, barefoot, and started to sit down next to her shoes to put them on. Evan pulled her up by the arm and scooped up her shoes in one motion. “Put these on outside. Let’s go, ladies!” In an aside to Mindy he asked, “No one’s driving, right?”
She shook her head. “I have two limos on standby, and they’ll be here within ten minutes of calling them.”
“Better call them now.” Evan set his wine down and headed toward the noisy areas of the house.
“Umbrellas are next to the door,” Mindy called after him.
“Ladies, ladies, ladies. Let’s get a move on.” He opened a door to reveal a gaggle of women surrounding the bride to be, a fuzzy pink tiara perched on her head. “Jessica, I presume? Your carriage awaits.”
They burst into a fresh cascade of giggles. “Just one moment,” one of the girls said. “I need to find my—”
“If you’re not in the yard when the limo arrives, you’re getting left behind.”
The women dissolved into a flurry of activity, none of which seemed to be accomplishing anything. One of the women leaned over to the one who spoke first and said, “They won’t leave without Jess. Take your time.”
Well, that needed to be nipped in the bud. Evan stepped forward and held his hand out to Jessica. “My lady, if I may steal a step from your husband to be?”
She took his hand and he swept her up into his arms, one arm behind her knees and the other behind her shoulders. “The princess is going to meet her carriage. Godmother Mindy has cast her spell and it will be here in five minutes.” They probably had a little more time than that, but it wouldn’t hurt to light a bit of fire under their asses. Jessica giggled as they left the flurry behind. “Thanks,” she said. “I couldn’t figure a way to politely push them faster.”
“I’m always available to help a damsel in distress.”
“Or a gentleman in distress?” Jessica asked with a sly grin.
“How about an ‘anyone attractive’ and in distress?” He grinned. Clearly Cole had been telling stories.
“Works for me.”
Evan leaned down for Jessica to grab an umbrella and then deposited her in the front yard with the three women from the kitchen. She popped open the umbrella over them, the rain coming down harder. “I go to herd the rest of the cats,” he said with a bow, ducking out from under the umbrella and sending them into more fits of laughter. As he entered the house, he announced, “The bride has left the building. I repeat, the bride has left the building.” Instead of turning down the hall to further kick some butts in gear, he headed toward the kitchen.
“Hey, Ev,” Mindy yelled, only a few feet from him as he entered the room. Her eyes were focused on her phone as she typed one-handed, the other hand still holding her wine glass as she walked into him, her wine going straight down the front of his shirt and soaking his pants. “Oh, shit, Ev! I’m so sorry.” She set her now-empty glass on the counter and grabbed a towel to wipe him down.
Evan tried to grab her frantic hands. “Mindy, I’m fine, it’s just a spill. Chill.”
A large group of the women passed the kitchen and one of them leaned in to say, “That’s all of us, Mindy!”
“Okay, I’ll be right there,” Mindy called back. She eyed the dark red stain, and stepped back momentarily before pushing Evan through the kitchen door and down the hall. “Here, jump in the shower and I’ll throw these in the laundry with some stain remover right away so it doesn’t set.”
“Mindy, I’m fine. Just go.”
Ignoring him, she sped through a tour of the house. “Living room, of course; the internet password is taped underneath the wireless router. Bedrooms. Cole, Darren, and mine.”
Evan caught a vague hand wave toward her brothers’ rooms and a glimpse inside Mindy’s before she pushed him into the bathroom.
“Just hand me your clothes and I’ll throw them in the wash.”
She closed the door between them and after a quiet chuckle, Evan did as she commanded, cracking the door and handing his clothes through.
“Cole and Dare will be back at some point. Dunno when. Thanks for your help! You’re a peach!”
He heard her scramble through the house, then the open and close of the front door, before silence descended. He let the water run for several seconds, and it warmed up faster than he expected. He heard a double beep of a horn as he stepped under the water. Hopefully that was the limos.
The hot water cascaded over him and he felt his muscles loosening the tension that had been his constant companion over the last week. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed this. Missed Mindy. Even though they talked nearly every other day, either on the phone or online, it just wasn’t the same. Same with Cole. He missed the chaos, missed being part of it, even for a moment.
He simply enjoyed the shower for several minutes before reaching for a bottle of shampoo, working it into a lather. He was just about to suds up his hair when a crack of thunder shook the house and lightning flashed through the room before dropping him into complete darkness. A few seconds later, the water pressure began to drop before slowing to a drizzle.
“Of course.” Evan knocked his head back against the wall of the shower. He attempted to was
h off what shampoo he could in the disappearing water before turning the knob to off. Thankfully he hadn't touched his head yet. As he reached in the dark for a towel, he realized he had no clothes. And no phone. He had left his bag in his car and Mindy had taken what he’d been wearing. Hopefully she’d checked the pockets and pulled his phone out before throwing them in the wash. Well, it wasn’t like he and Cole hadn’t borrowed each other’s clothes all throughout college. He should be able to find something, even in the dark.
After towel drying his hair, he wrapped the towel around his waist and felt his way to the nearest door. Mindy’s room had been to the right when she had pushed him in, so…it took him a moment to mentally mirror the rooms. To the left. Which would be on his right now. He felt his way along the wall of the room, knocking his shins and knees into unfortunately placed furniture until he found a dresser. The thunder and lightning hadn’t abated, still frequent enough to give him a sense of the room, but he wasn't very good at translating that to his movements when the room went dark. He opened the top drawer and felt around. Socks and boxers, just like in college. He grabbed a pair and threw the towel in the direction of the bed.
He squeezed into the pair of boxer briefs. Damn. Either Cole had gotten smaller—debatable, as they’d both been fairly trim—or Evan had gotten larger. As much as he hated to admit it, the second option was more likely. Although in college the men had similar builds, they couldn’t have presented themselves more differently. Cole carried himself as if he owned the world. If you’d talked to any woman on campus (other than his sister), they probably would have supported the idea. Only a couple inches shorter than Evan, his posture was excellent, and he faced the world chin and eyes up. Evan slouched through life, ever conscious of his overly long limbs and extra inches. On any given day, if you had glanced at them, you probably would have said Cole was the taller of the two, his confidence adding height. Throughout college Cole had worked some confidence into Evan, and by the end of their four years he stood tall, though his head seemed stuck in a permanent nod unless he was with his friends. Only among them did he feel comfortable taking up all the space his body demanded.
As Evan rummaged around in the next drawer for a shirt or pair of pants, he heard the front door open and shut. Thank goodness Cole was a bit earlier than expected. He should at least know where the flashlights were. Or candles. Whatever was available. And Evan could ask him to grab his bag out of the car so he wouldn’t be stuck in too-small jeans or T-shirt. He shifted uncomfortably. Or too-small boxers.
Chapter 3
Dare cursed at all the cars parked in front of the house. As heavy as the rain was coming down now, he was going to get soaked no matter how fast he ran. He found an available spot on the side of the street, glancing back at the seat full of wedding programs. They’d be fine in the car for the night. Better that then risk ruining them in the rain.
Without bothering to cover his head, he ran to the house, considerably faster than any human could have imagined. No one would be able to see him through the downpour. At least he didn’t have to deal with all Jessica and Mindy’s girlfriends. He could still smell the lingering scents of perfume, hairspray and makeup, but it was fading. His nose tickled and he sneezed anyway. He unlocked the house and let himself in.
Surprisingly, inside the house smelled much better. He would have expected it to be worse, the chemicals having less room to dissipate inside. Had Mindy lit one of her smelly candles? It didn’t smell like her normal tropical froufrou shit. It was a warmer scent, spicier. Like a wood fire in a cabin on a winter day. Good call. He’d have to thank her for that later.
He was hanging his keys on the rack when he realized he wasn’t alone in the house. The lightning was spotting his vision like the flash of a camera, but he could still see the man blindly feeling his way down the hall wearing only boxers. He was a big guy, tall and broad, but that didn’t stop Cole from leaping over the two couches in his way and pinning the larger man against the wall.
“You are so not Cole,” the man stuttered.
At his brother’s name, Dare loosened his hold but didn’t back away. The candle scent was stronger here. He unconsciously leaned in to the other man.
“Are…are you sniffing me?”
Dare pulled back, coming to his senses. The lightning reflecting off the white walls of the house was still strong enough to illuminate the darker hallway without blinding him and he could see the man better. “I’m Cole’s brother. And you would be?” Without waiting for a response, he continued, “And why are you wearing my boxers?”
The man gave Dare a quick up down glance, and Dare felt the adrenalin in his system change from an electric energy to a slow burn.
“That explains the boxers,” the man mumbled. “Wait, how can you tell they’re yours? I can’t see anything in here.”
Clearly not a wolf, then. Though if Dare had stopped long enough to assess the situation, he would have smelled that. “It doesn’t take much lightning to tell you’re wearing my Sponge Bob boxers.”
“Are you serious?” The man looked down at his waist, his neck falling just inches from Dare’s face. Dare inhaled the musky scent. Not a candle, it was this man. “Uh, I’m Evan. My bags are still in my car, and I was going to borrow some of Cole’s clothes so I didn’t streak across the yard, but…yeah. Hi.”
Evan raised his hand between them at chest level and Dare realized how awkwardly long he’d been pressed up against him. Evan. The name finally registered. Cole and Mindy’s best friend. The rest of Evan’s words filtered through his brain and he couldn’t remove the image of the man running naked across the yard. Was it wrong to be extremely attracted to your siblings’ best friend? He'd seen pictures from Mindy and Cole’s online posts, but they didn't do the man justice. Not even close. Evan’s hand wavered a bit between them and Dare realized he was crossing from awkward into inappropriate. He told his body to move but nothing happened. He tried again, but his body refused to respond.
Dare pounded the wall next to Evan’s head and the larger man jumped. Dare finally pushed himself away, forcing himself in the opposite direction from where his instinct wanted. Wow. He hadn't had a reaction to someone like that since he was a teen.
“Just stay here,” Dare told Evan. “Just…don’t move.”
Dare bolted outside and ran down the line of cars until he found one that smelled like Evan. Thankfully, it was unlocked. He grabbed the large duffel bag from the backseat and ran back inside, entering through the garage this time and grabbing an electric camping lantern on his way in. While he could see fairly easily in the low light of the storm, Evan was little better than blind.
Evan had done as Dare had ordered and was in the same place in the hallway. Those boxers looked ridiculous on his larger frame. Though they did have a certain something, Dare thought as he appreciated how the tightness emphasized certain attributes. He thrust the bag and lantern into Evan’s arms and turned him around and pushed him into the bathroom.
Chapter 4
“Bossy much?” Evan muttered as the second Williams of the day pushed him into the bathroom. He glanced down at his embarrassingly tight boxers. Apparently bossy, in the case of the eldest Williams, worked for him. Thank whatever powers that be for the darkness. Though if the electricity hadn’t gone out, he wouldn’t have had this problem in the first place. The too-small boxers problem, that is. He hadn’t gotten a good look at…the man hadn’t given his name, but Evan dredged it out of his memory. Dare. He hadn’t gotten a good look at Dare tonight, but he’d seen pictures. Evan knew he was shorter than Cole, about the same height as Mindy, but Evan hadn’t realized how much shorter until the man was pressed up against him, the top of his head just a little higher than Evan’s chin. And surprisingly strong. At least as strong as Cole, if not stronger.
Damn it. He gazed longingly at the useless shower. He either needed a very cold shower or a very hot one, but neither was possible at the moment. In the silence that followed Dare’s retreat dow
n the hallway, Evan wondered what Dare was doing. He pushed away images of Dare filling the house with candles, both practical and romantic. Wishful thinking. It had clearly been too long.
Evan dressed quickly and, uncertain of where to put his stuff, carried it and the lantern with him back to the living room where he stopped abruptly at the sight of Dare setting down a newly lit candle. Just like his fantasy. Well, in his fantasy Dare’s gaze had been more smoldering and less harsh, but close enough. Evan shook his head to bring himself back to reality and set his bag on the couch.
“Did Mindy give you the house tour?” Dare asked.
“An extremely brief, vague, and fairly useless tour. As evidenced by stealing your clothes instead of Cole’s.” Evan couldn’t read Dare as the other man finished lighting several more candles. He moved fluidly, not like a dancer, though he had a kind of grace Evan couldn’t define. No movement was wasted, and other than the brief flash of anger when he’d scared the bejeezus out of Evan…after he’d scared the bejeezus out of him pinning him up against the wall…Evan hadn’t been able to discern any emotion on his face. The man was like a wall himself. A smallish, tightly built wall.
Dare set the last candle down and brushed his hands on his jeans. “Ready for a real tour?”
Evan held back his normal snarky response, a leering up down look and a “tour of what?” Normally he only let those comments out around his closest friends and it was completely in jest. Right now? He would have difficulty hiding his earnestness. Even though he was more than slightly terrified of Dare. Neither Cole nor Mindy had ever said anything about their brother as anything other than a normal, slightly overprotective brother. His intensity on finding a stranger in his house was understandable. Evan would have been more likely to start throwing whatever he could get his hands on with varying accuracy and screaming like a crazy man. He had a feeling Dare’s response was slightly more effective in the long run.