Page 39 of Fight from the Heart

“She sounds like a real hard-ass,” I tease.

“She can be.” He smirks and leans closer to me. “But she also has a great ass, so I’ll do whatever she asks.”

My face heats, and I turn away from pointing at people around the table. “You know Ethan. This is my sister, Tricia, and you mentioned you already know her fiancé, Leon Ramirez.”

Leon holds out a hand. He has cappuccino-colored skin with almost midnight eyes and a devilish smile. With tattoos on him, his dark look isn’t much different from Jacob, but Leon has a more relaxed expression about him.

“They aren’t so bad,” Leon teasingly tells Jacob, nodding his head at our family. “Have a drink.”

Jacob instantly relaxes under Leon’s easy welcome, and I mouth my gratitude to my future brother-in-law.

“So, we have something we’d like to tell everyone,” Tricia says, drawing the attention of all eyes at the table. They’ve already announced their engagement and pregnancy, so I can’t take much more sappy news. I’m not jealous, not in the traditional sense. It’s just that all my family members are finding their true loves, and I’m sitting next to someone I’ve been in love with for too long. For days, I’ve been wavering on his New York invitation, trying to convince myself not to accept. I’d only be setting myself up for more heartache.

“We got married,” Tricia states, excitement and hesitation in her voice.

The air wooshes out of me, and the rest of my family sits in various positions of shock and awe, stunned that we hadn’t all been included on this important day for them.

“Mom knows, and we asked Jess and Emily to be our witnesses,” Tricia explains. “We would have had Lys and Levi do it, but they aren’t old enough.” Lys is Leon’s youngest sister, and Levi Walker is the youngest brother of Tricia’s first husband. He’s like a child slash little brother she never had, and they have a unique relationship.

“I didn’t want to wait,” Leon says, lifting Tricia’s hand with his and kissing her knuckles.

“And I didn’t need the fanfare of a big wedding,” Tricia adds. She’s already had one with a man who turned out to be everything opposite we could want for our sibling. In addition, her life has been a whirlwind for the past six months or so. “We just wanted to keep it simple.”

“I wasn’t invited,” Tom states, a scowl on his face as the eldest of us.

“I’m sorry.” Tricia’s eyes shoot to Jess for support, but he shakes his head. It made sense to have Emily and Jess as witnesses as Leon and Jess have formed a new friendship, and Emily has grown close to Tricia.

“Well, I think it’s wonderful,” Karyn interjects, soothing Tom’s momentary pout.

“Please be happy for me,” Tricia whispers, and I look over to find her watching me. My sister and I aren’t terribly close, but we are still sisters, and I want what’s best for her. Leon is that best.

“Of course,” I say, reaching for her hand. I am happy for her. I’m only unhappy with me.

“You need a party,” Ethan suggests. “Let me throw you a reception.”

“Oh, man,” Leon mutters, looking over at Ethan. “You don’t need to do that.”

“That’s not necessary,” Tricia adds, smiling at Ethan for offering.

“I want to do it. You both deserve it, and I owe Leon for all his help with my place. We need to celebrate.” Party could be Ethan’s middle name, but I admit this is a show of acceptance. Ethan and Leon are good friends now. “I’ll plan everything.”

The suggestions break out, and the conversation shifts to when to hold the party and what to serve. Emily joins the exuberance as Jess and she are getting married this summer with an actual wedding on Ethan’s property at the old red barn.

With a focus on Tricia and Leon, I figure Jacob and I are saved from scrutiny. However, too soon, my family shuffles to my guest and me. The firing squad begins.

“So, how’d you meet Pammie?” Tom teases, calling me a name I haven’t heard since my dad.

“She works for me.”

“Sexual favors,” Ethan coughs into his hand like the teenager he once was.

“Ethan,” Ella shrieks, but a wide smile curls her lips.

“Things a brother does not want to hear,” Jess grumbles, but Emily smiles back at me as well. She winks. We’ve already discussed how her location app found me. I just happened to leave out the details of what I’d done at Jacob’s house.

“Because you’re the boss,” Jess states, recalling when he met Jacob at the house. After I drove myself home that day, I didn’t get the inquisition I expected from my brothers.

“I’m the boss,” Jacob states, his head turning to face me. A mischievous energy comes off him.