“Holy hell, Carly. That jacket is hot! I want to try it!”
Josie flung herself at me, and I barely had time to react and catch her. The moment I did, I knew exactly why she was so damn happy. She stunk like a brewery. It was a stomach-turning combination of tequila and something sickeningly sweet. Who knows what cocktails she’d been enjoying, but she’d certainly had her share.
Without waiting, Josie grabbed the zipper on my jacket and tugged it down. I wanted to argue with her and tell her this was my baby and she could back the hell off. I just didn’t want to be a bitch. Not tonight, anyway. Instead, I helped her get it off as delicately as possible. As soon as my arms were free, Josie had it on. Her boobs were bigger than mine and I worried about it being stretched. I’d barely had the chance to wear it. Love it. Adore it. I didn’t want it yanked out of shape.
I felt warm hands on my shoulders, massaging the knots forming there. “Just breathe, Carly. She won’t hurt it,” Connor whispered in my ear, the warmth from his breath tickling my neck.
I hated that he was the voice of reason and the angel on my shoulder all rolled into one. Why couldn’t he just agree with me, hold Josie down, and steal my jacket back? No, he had to be the good one. The one who didn’t cause a cat fight in the local cop’s driveway. Don’t think the thought didn’t cross my mind.
“Wow, Carly. This is so soft. Where’d you get it? I want one. Can I borrow it? It’s fucking hot. Nate will…”
“Nate will what?” At the sound of the deep voice, we all spun around almost in a choreographed move to find its owner.
Damn, the guys in this town were hot! Shame they were all taken. Nate strutted out onto the drive wearing a pair of faded jeans, a tight black t-shirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and swinging from his fingers was an almost empty Corona bottle. My mouth watered. I wanted one. With lemon. Nope, with lime. All I had to do was get my jacket back and find the esky.
“Nothing.” Josie bit her lip and thrust out her chest.
Nate didn’t stand a chance.
“What in God’s name are you wearing, Jo?” Nate growled as he stalked towards her, his eyes devouring her. He wasn’t even looking in my direction and my panties were getting damp. I have no idea how Josie was even standing right now. I thought for sure her knees would have buckled.
“You like?” She batted her damn eyelashes.
For a long moment Nate didn’t speak. No one did.
Then from out of the blue, he yelled, “Derek!”
A second later Derek and Mia came hurtling around the side of the house. The party might as well have been out here now. People were wandering out to check out what all the commotion was about.
“What’s up?” Derek asked.
Without warning, Nate prowled towards Josie, scooped her up, and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Where before it had only been Connor and I who’d inadvertently seen how little she was wearing under her dress, now it was the whole party. Snickers broke out and I couldn’t help but join in.
“What’s going on, Nate?” Mia asked, confused.
Nate didn’t slow down or turn around. With Josie tossed over his shoulder, and one hand dangerously close to disappearing up the hem of her very short dress, he called over his shoulder. “That niece of yours, the one you love so much. She’s having a sleep over at Uncle Derek’s house tonight.”
That brought raucous laughter to the night.
“Nate, put me down! You can’t just leave Matilda here…” Josie’s protests were cut off when Nate’s palm landed on her ass with a resounding smack.
Immediately I looked at Derek. His face was unreadable. Right up until Mia wriggled her way under his arm. “Pick her up at lunchtime tomorrow. We’re busy in the morning,” Derek replied.
It was that easy.
This, right here in the fading sun on the driveway with friends watching on, this was what family was all about. This is everything I was missing out on. Assholes. I needed a beer. After pushing my way through the crowd of spectators, I found myself in the deserted backyard popping the cap on my first Corona of the evening. After looking for a lemon wedge, maybe looking was a bit of a stretch. Giving up, I took a long gulp. It was perfect. Cold and refreshing.
“Ah, a woman with my kind of taste!” Turning around, I came face to face with Gage, his hand wrapped around the neck of his own Corona.
Eventually the driveway drama out the front must have died and everyone started making their way back out into the yard. Within minutes I was led away to the furthest corner of the yard, where Mia and I commandeered some sun lounges and laid back. As much as I loved my new boots, I was cooking. Checking my phone, it was already after nine and it was still hot. The breeze that had drifted across wasn’t helping, either. It wasn’t like one of those lovely sea breezes that ruffle the curtains and helped circulate the air, cooling everything off. No, all this did was replace the hot air with more hot air. It was gross. Toeing off my boots and socks, I lay back wearing nothing but my new ass-hugging jeans and a red tank top. The only disappointing thing about this ensemble was no one was really getting the opportunity to appreciate my jeans because I was sitting on my perky, perfect ass. Only in these jeans was it perky.
Noticing my beer was empty, I needed another. “Want a drink?” I asked Mia.
From the moment we’d sat down she’d started crapping on about the wedding and all the bullshit it encompassed. If I was supposed to be excited, then she wasn’t doing a very good job of selling the whole she-bang. If anything, I was already over it. I didn’t care what the caterers thought, or which beer they simply had to have—I wasn’t fussy. Free booze was free booze. I’d drink whatever. Even that girly shit champagne. God, I hated that stuff!
“No need to get up,” Mia slurred slightly.
I wasn’t completely sure what she was on about until a Corona, with a lemon wedge, was dangled in front of me. “You looked thirsty.” Gage shrugged like it was nothing at all.
Glancing over at Mia, her hand had been refilled with another fruity looking cocktail and Derek had moved her into his lap, slipping in behind her. “So, what are you girls talking about?” he asked.
Gage looked awkward and out of place. Tucking my legs up, I patted the newly vacated space and he sunk into it immediately. “Thanks.”
“None of your business,” Mia answered with a kiss on Derek’s cheek. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to sit here and stomach all this lovey-dovey crap.
When a girl with long brown hair passed by, Mia squealed loudly, causing her to spin around and me to go partially deaf. When she turned, I couldn’t hold back the gasp of shock. She had two black eyes, a split lip, and a cut on her nose. She looked like she’d been in a fight. And if that’s what she looked like, I didn’t want to see the other guy.
“Zoe!” Mia shrilled and it was so high pitched I think it hurt even dogs’ hearing.
“You’re looking happy, Mia.” She chuckled as she dragged a white plastic chair over to join us. Seemed like we were the cool kids and everyone wanted to hang with us.
“How you feeling now?” Derek asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.
“Like shit. Nothing I can do about it.”
“Stop looking at me like that, for one. You know it’s all your fault, anyway.”
I was waiting for an argument to break out. I had no idea what it was with these two, and I definitely didn’t want to be Mia sitting between them, but there was something there.
Derek didn’t seem offended by her blame, though. If anything, he seemed amused. “How do you figure that?”
“I came to see you, you shit head. And this is what I get for my troubles.” She pointed to her face and pouted, causing her lip to start bleeding again.
“So it’s my fault you hit a cow?”
“What? You hit a cow?” Shit, that was me. I hadn’t meant to say anything.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s all so funny, isn’t it. Zoe hits a cow and now loo
ks like this.”
“Oh, you’re still pretty, Zoe.”
“Thanks, Mia.”
“She’s still pretty, isn’t she, Connor?”
I looked at Gage, confused. Was Mia so drunk she was confusing the brothers? “She’s beautiful.” Connor was standing back, his arms folded across his chest, looking embarrassed.
“As long as you don’t look like that in my wedding photos, we’re sweet,” Derek taunted her. Zoe just poked her tongue out at him. They definitely had a strange relationship.
“Grab a chair,” Derek instructed from where he was. Mia curled even further into his lap and he kissed the top of her head. I was so finding someone else to be near come midnight.
“And another beer!” Gage called out at his retreating brother, waving his almost empty bottle in the air. Connor gave him the middle finger as he headed for the esky.
The six of us sat there chatting and drinking and just enjoying doing nothing. Occasionally the topic would circle back to the upcoming wedding of the decade, but Derek had this amazing ability to quickly redirect without Mia chucking a tantrum.
I wasn’t smashed, but I was definitely not driving home. Thankfully Payton was still out of town and she hadn’t asked me to return my key. I’d crash on her couch and ride home tomorrow. I had no idea how many drinks I’d had. It seemed like every time my bottle got anywhere near empty, another appeared. I didn’t even have to get up and get it.
Zoe was a blast. She was wild and gave Derek crap constantly. When she teamed up with Mia to start picking on him, I was shocked he didn’t get up and walk away. God knows I would have. He just sat there, quietly taking it all. I’d learnt so much about everyone. I had no idea that Zoe was going to be Derek’s best man and would stand beside him. I’d been to hundreds of weddings and not once had I seen a female best man, not that I hated the idea. I’d just never seen it before.
It was closing in on eleven and I was fading fast. I don’t know if it was the booze or the lack of food, but laying back on a lounger with my feet in Gage’s lap—yep I’d become that girl—I could quite easily drift off and fall asleep. My eyes closed for barely a breath before a piece of ice was slipped down my cleavage.
“What the fuck?” I sprung up from the lounge, kicking Gage in the balls as I did.
He doubled over in pain while I danced about like an idiot, trying to dig the titty freezing object from my bra. Bastard was melting though, leaving a damp spot between my boobs.
“So, this is where all the cool kids are?”
Turning around, there was Payton. My Payton. Forgetting about the ice in my top and the whimpering still coming from Gage, I threw myself at her. Just in time she let go of Beau’s hand and wrapped her arms around me, crushing us together.
“I missed you,” I admitted, not one bit embarrassed.
Payton was that person for me. Now more so than ever. And she was here. When I thought I’d be ringing in the New Year with only a handful of new friends, she’d appeared. I’d kick her ass tomorrow for the lack of returned calls, but tonight, tonight we’d just be Payton and Carly.
“Missed you too,” she whispered back, kissing my temple.
That was all it took for me to burst into tears. I heard Beau chuckle and move away, leaving me sobbing in my bestie’s arms. He’d had her for the last couple of days, now she was mine. He could wait
It took a minute but I managed to pull myself together, the combination of PMS and alcohol was dangerous. “Come on. Let’s go find something chocolatey to eat.”
“Chocolatey?”
“Yeah?”
Spinning around, I shot Mia my best death glare. “You never told me there was chocolate!”
Well, didn’t that earn me a laugh. Everyone was laughing. At me. Assholes. All of them.
“Ignore them. Let’s get dessert.” Payton took my hand and led me towards the trestle table which, even from here, I could see was covered in yumminess. I was going to eat it all.
Five steps.
We got five steps before my fingers caught something foreign on my best friend’s hand.
Stopping where we were, I yanked her hand up in front of my face and gasped.
“You’re engaged?”
Chapter Eleven
Gage
I heard Carly shriek, I mean I don’t think anyone in town could’ve missed that one. Searching for Beau, I found the smug asshole with his hands buried in his pocket and shit-eating grin on his face. Their secret was out and he wasn’t one bit pissed.
“Beau?” Connor questioned, rising to his feet, leaving the half empty bottle on the grass.
As I rose from my own spot, I winced. It hurt like a motherfucker. Behind Beau, Carly was marching Payton back across the yard, her hand stuck out in front of her like it was poisonous.
The moment Payton found her way back beside Beau, even I knew that was exactly where she belonged. They just fit. I have no idea how or why, and honestly I didn’t give a crap, they just did.
“Well, missy, start talking!”
Carly moved back to my side. With one hand, I shielded my balls, with the other, I touched the small of her back. I don’t know if I needed to be able to hold her back without notice or if that was just the excuse I was telling myself.
“What’s going on?” Holly appeared from nowhere, not looking at all like Holly. She had on a pair of three quarter black tights and a huge t-shirt, which I assumed was Derek’s. Her face had been scrubbed clean and she looked so…so young.
Without answering her, I tucked her under my arm and held her close. Her hair smelt like coconut as I breathed her in.
“Are. You. Two. Engaged?” Carly asked pointedly.
Everyone took a step forward.
If anything, the smile on Beau’s face grew even wider.
“No.”
“No?”
“No, Carly, we are not engaged,” Beau confirmed.
He might have been saying no, but there was definitely something he wasn’t saying. He was way too smug to not be hiding something.
“Then can you please explain to me what the fuck is that rock on Payton’s finger?” Carly demanded. This chick was great. For an unfiltered Carly, just add alcohol. It was comedy gold, really.
“It’s an engagement ring.” Payton shrugged.
Slipping my finger through the belt loop on the back of Carly’s jeans, I tugged her backwards. She was coiled so tightly I wasn’t sure if Beau was safe when she went off. We’d definitely progressed to a when situation, not an if. I don’t know if I was more amused by her reaction or by the coy way Beau was playing this whole thing.
“Wait!” Holly held up her hand and stepped over to Payton, taking her hand. I could hear whispering, but couldn’t make out the words. When she grabbed hold of Payton and hugged her, I realised it didn’t matter. Not one little bit. Engaged. Not engaged. Whose business was it, anyway?
When Holly made her way back to my side, I couldn’t help but notice the wide smile dancing on her lips. Connor stepped to her other side. I felt slightly guilty Ryan wasn’t here to watch this all go down. It would have been much better if he had been. We could have been one big happy family, at least for a moment, anyway.
“Are you fucking engaged or not?” Carly growled.
The entertainment was getting better with each passing moment.
“We’re not. I mean, we were…”
Zoe piped up. “You were?”
“We were, for what? Twenty-four hours?” Payton asked Beau, looking up at him with wide Bambi eyes.
I’d seen those eyes before. I’d seen her use them on him to get whatever she wanted. And my weak-ass brother caved every single time.
“Then what? You changed your mind but liked the ring so kept wearing it?”
I knew.
I don’t know how I knew, I just did.
Maybe it was watching the way Beau and Payton were taunting everyone. Maybe it was because I knew my brother so well, this was exactly something he would d
o.
“They got married.”
Even though I’d been the one to say it, it still surprised me.
“What?” I heard Connor gasp beside me.
All at once, everyone took a step towards the happy couple. I wasn’t sure if they were going to hug them or slap them. Either way, they probably deserved it.
“Pay-Payton?” Carly’s voice trembled.
I looked down at her and her bottom lip was quivering. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Yeah, Carls. We got married yesterday.”
Silence.
Nothing but silence.
The only sound was the radio playing some old Prince song. The song ended and it was like the catalyst to shock everyone into action. Everyone except Carly. Zoe and Mia were examining and critiquing the ring. Beau was receiving pats on the back and a beer stuffed into his hand. Holly was talking a million miles an hour about organising a party.
“Are you pregnant?” Connor asked bluntly.
Why wasn’t I surprised that Connor went there? I mean, it made sense. In the back of our minds we were all probably thinking it, even if we had more manners than some to keep our mouths shut. Why else the shotgun wedding? The engagement, I understood. I’d seen that one coming a mile away. Truthfully, when I saw the tiny silver box beneath the Christmas tree,, I expected a diamond inside. Even I was shocked though, by the elopement.
I stood back with Carly. She looked kinda lost. Like she could use a friend. Bending down I whispered into her ear. I didn’t want anyone to hear me. “Are you okay?”
A single, fat tear ran down her cheek as her face broke into a wide smile. “She got married.”
“Yeah, she did.”
“My best friend got married.”
“Yep. To my brother.”
“She got married without me.”
Oh shit! There it was. That was the problem. It wasn’t that Payton had married Beau. It wasn’t even that she’d gotten hitched. It was that she’d gone and done it without her. I got why Carly was hurt. I would have liked to be there to watch as Beau bumbled his vows and cried like a baby, but what’s done was done. Nothing I could do about it now. Nothing except be happy for them and make sure Payton, my new sister-in-law, felt as welcome in our family as I could.
Meet The McIntyres - The Complete Series Page 33