Page 108 of Sunrise & Serenity

The truck door swings open, and when a grinning cowboy climbs out, Taryn launches herself at him hard enough to send him stumbling backward. He laughs, catching her against his chest, but when he hugs her back, his eyes squeeze closed for a brief moment, as if he’d missed her just as much. As soon as he lets her go, he’s engulfed in backslaps from his brothers, then his dad.

Harrison catches the back of River’s neck, giving it a rough squeeze before letting him go again.

“Sage!” Taryn waves at me. “Come meet my favorite brother.”

The other four McBride brothers break into a chorus of complaints as I make my way over.

River’s grin widens as I approach, and he presses his hand to his chest theatrically. “Well, damn. I’ve heard a lot about you, but nobody thought to warn me you were beautiful too.”

I laugh despite myself, making sure not to look at Holden. I very much doubt he was the one talking about me. If I had to guess, I’d blame Taryn. But Holden was right about his brother being a flirt.

River’s not quite as tall as Holden, but he shares his family’s good looks, with high cheekbones, pale, crystal-blue eyes, and hair that’s a little lighter and longer than his brothers’. Despite the resemblance, the sparkle in his eyes and the dimples framing his smile give him a more lighthearted appearance than the rest of the guys.

“It’s nice to finally meet the last McBride brother.” I hold out my hand.

Rather than shake it, he draws me into a quick hug.

The way Holden’s eyes narrow over River’s shoulder shouldn’t make my insides flutter, but it’s hard not to enjoy the possessiveness in his gaze. Feeling bold, I give him a little wink.

In response, a muscle jumps in his jaw. But it’s followed by the slightest lift of his lips before he ducks his head.

I pull back from River, unable to resist returning his smile.

Harrison claps once, then gestures for us all to head back toward the house. “Let’s get the guest of honor inside so he can clean up. Then we can all eat.”

Holden keeps his strides a little slower than the others, and I take my time too, so as the last brother ducks inside, we have a moment alone in front of the porch steps. “Enjoy that, did you?” he grumbles, but there’s humor threading his words.

I press my lips together to suppress a smile. “You’re the one who warned me he would flirt. Besides, he’s nowhere near as attractive as you.”

He snorts, but as our hands brush, he curls his fingers around mine for a moment before we pass through the doorway. My heart does a flip at the tiny but too-sweet gesture.

Just as I’m about to close the door, the crunch of tires on the driveway announces another arrival. I catch sight of a familiar truck. “It’s Mia,” I tell Holden.

He nods. “I’ll help the others get the rest of the food outside. You go and bring them through.”

I bounce back down the stairs to greet them as the truck pulls to a stop.

Greta hops out first. Mia’s aunt is a spry older woman with a schoolmarm hairdo and a colorful sense of style. Today she’s wearing a turquoise cardigan over a sunflower-print dress. With a wave at me, she opens the back door and smiles at Ruby.

Mia is next out, stopping to help her daughter climb out, then the three of them approach.

“Don’t you all look gorgeous,” I say.

Mia’s blond hair is down, and she’s wearing a pale green sundress that complements her eyes. Ruby is dressed in what looks like a long tutu with miniature cowboy boots on her feet.

Mia looks down at her daughter with a wry smile. “She can’t decide if she wants to be a ballerina or a cowgirl today, so she’s hedging her bets.”

Laughing, I crouch and give the little girl a hug. “Why not be both?”

She nods, her eyes bright. “Maybe I can dance on top of a horse.”

“Maybe not,” Mia murmurs.

I hide my smile as I straighten. “Come through. Everyone’s out back.”

As we walk through the house, Mia elbows me and moves in close. “Look at you fitting in with the family.”

I widen my eyes at her. “They’ve been very welcoming.”