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Both men watched her rush over to the bride-to-be and kneel next to her, along with the groom and two other bridesmaids.
“That was interesting,” Mark mused.
“Your cousin having prewedding nerves?”
“My sister having pre-you nerves,” Mark clarified. “Despite the fact my mother threw you in the same bedroom, you’ve not had sex, have you?”
Leaning back a little, Ryder eyed the man. “With all due respect, whether I have or haven’t had sex with McKenzie really isn’t your business.”
Mark laughed and play punched Ryder’s shoulder with a little more zest than just for fun but not meant to truly inflict much pain. More of a warning shot.
“For the record,” he cautioned. “Everything to do with McKenzie is my business. I wouldn’t take kindly to anyone hurting her.”
Admiring McKenzie’s brother for his protectiveness of her, Ryder nodded. “Noted, but I don’t foresee that being a problem.”
After this weekend of pretense, they’d likely go back to rarely seeing each other.
“Also, for the record,” Mark continued, his eyes glittering as if he was about to impart great knowledge, “that wasn’t boredom flashing in my sister’s eyes just then.”
Ryder’s heart pounded harder than usual at her brother’s observation. She was just acting, keeping up the pretense, he tried to tell himself, but didn’t believe.
Which meant he needed to be all the more diligent in keeping their boundaries in place when they were alone.
He watched as she wiped a tear from her cousin’s now-smiling face. Within seconds, bride and groom were hugging and McKenzie was shooing everyone still there to leave.
“Come on. Let’s go find some of this overpriced food,” Mark told him as McKenzie rejoined them, giving them curious looks as if wanting to know what they’d been discussing.
“Sounds good.” Ryder placed a possessive hand on McKenzie’s lower back as they headed in the direction the others had gone. “I’m starved.”
He’d meant for food and not McKenzie, right? But the smile she was
giving him had him wondering if he was just fooling himself, if he’d just been fooling himself from the beginning, that he could spend a weekend with McKenzie and it all be pretend.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MCKENZIE HADN’T THOUGHT about how much Ryder would have to be alone due to her duties as part of the wedding party.
Now, for instance, she was seated at the wedding party table rather than next to him for the rehearsal dinner.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—her brother had taken it upon himself to keep Ryder entertained.
Or perhaps her brother was entertaining himself at her expense.
Certainly, Mark had taken great pleasure in torturing her throughout their childhood and teen years.
She also knew her big brother would feel it his obligation to thoroughly interrogate Ryder and no doubt already had. What was Ryder telling him?
Or worse, what was Mark telling Ryder?
She shot them a worried glance.
Both men looked relaxed, deep in conversation, and to be enjoying the moment. Mark threw his head back with laughter at something Ryder said.
Interesting. Mark and Paul had gotten along okay enough when Mark had flown into Seattle and they’d all gone to dinner. But she couldn’t recall them ever sharing any laugh-out-loud moments. She’d always thought they mostly tolerated each other for her sake.
“Reva’s not the only lucky woman here tonight.”
Surprised at the comment, McKenzie glanced toward Callie.
