“How many brothers do you have?” Sienna asks.
Two. Wyatt, the middle brother, and Finn, the youngest. I already know the answer because he’s mentioned them to me. I never met them, though I knew what they were like to some extent.
“Two brothers,” Connor says. “I’m the oldest.”
“Being the oldest child is not easy,” Sienna agrees. “Unless and especially if you have a Scarlett as your sister.”
“I’m delightful,” I say. “You’re grateful to have me and you know it.”
“You’re certainly a delight, angel,” dad says. “But you also got into a lot of fights in school, and you never listened to your teachers.”
“I was fighting bullies, and Miss Cartwright was having an affair with the principal, so I didn’t feel the need to listen to her.”
They laugh and I sip my hot chocolate. Connor and I are close enough that our hands keep brushing. I have this feeling like I’m playing with fire, but I can’t stop. When he wraps his pinky finger around mine, I don’t pull back.
“Oh, look at those pretty Christmas ornaments,” Sadie points out.
Just as we start to move toward a stall, someone calls out Connor’s name. We turn to see a middle-aged woman ambling towards us.
“Marion told me you’ll be around,” she says, beaming up at him. “Can you do me a favor? I need help getting something from the back and I don’t know where Mike’s disappeared to.”
“No yeah, lead the way.” He stops and turns to me. “I’ll be right back.”
I nod and watch him walk off with the woman. He’s stopped two more times by people who recognize him and also somehow need his help.
“I just realized that you dated the popular jock,” Sienna says. “You hated jocks.”
We enter the store where the rest of our family disappears into. Sadie and mom are inspecting Christmas ornaments while dad stands by, listening to their conversation. Sienna and I stand back from them.
“I hate the stereotypical jock,” I point out. “The kind who’s too dumb to survive or who’s smart but thinks he can do no wrong because he can throw a ball around or hit a piece of rubber with a stick.”
Sienna looks at me with introspective hazel eyes. “You really liked him, didn’t you?”
“I loved him,” I admit. I’m sure they’ve already figured it out and since I’m spilling all my secrets today, I may as well tell her.
“I can’t imagine how I’ll react if Luke suddenly left without a word,” she says, frowning.
I can’t imagine it, either. Maybe because I can’t imagine Luke leaving her. The way he looks at Sienna, I don’t think it’s even occurred to him that he might find someone else. It’s Sienna or no one else.
“He’ll be here soon,” I say, pushing my shoulder against hers.
She grins at me, her whole face lighting up. “I can’t wait. You and Sadie will definitely need some noise cancelling headphones.”
“Gross!” I shove her away, laughing. She shoves me right back and I lose my balance on my delicate heels, reaching out my arm to grab something. Sienna reaches for me just as my hand is gripped in a warm, calloused one, and my back meets a solid wall of a body.
“Are you okay, baby girl?”
I look up at Connor and find him frowning at me in concern.
“I’m fine,” I say. “She’s been trying to get rid of me since we were kids.”
Sienna laughs. “If only it was that easy.”
Connor doesn’t release me that easily. His arm is still wrapped around my waist, hand still in mine. My eyes drop to his mouth, and I can’t help remembering the kiss from this afternoon.
It made me realize that I miss the feel of his body pressed against mine. It always made me feel safe and protected. I take Krav Maga classes, and I can defend myself if I need to, but it’s nice knowing that I don’t need to when he’s with me.
That’s the kind of thing I shouldn’t be thinking if I hope to survive this wedding with my heart intact.
