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“What?” I snapped.
Calista glanced over, her usual smug look on her face.
“They’re going to get us in trouble.”
“No, they won’t.” He waved away my concern, but I knew it wasn’t a good idea…
The next night, my brother Fisher walked me into the sheriff’s station after we were caught sneaking into other people’s houses, watching things on their Netflix accounts as a joke so that it would change the algorithm and suggest they watch weird stuff.
Declan leaned forward and looked at the girls, then at me. “Just relax, my dad is a lawyer. They have no proof.”
“No matter what, I’m screwed. My brother is the sheriff, and my dad and mom are probably already on their way down here.” I crossed my arms and glared at Declan, but beyond him was Calista, and she offered me a soft smile as though she felt bad for me. I inwardly rolled my eyes.
The entire night, Declan had been trying to impress Calista and it’d been getting on my nerves. We should’ve been done two houses sooner, but he’d insisted we keep going. Then Mato, another officer, found us sneaking out a window.
A while after he’d left us to stew, Fisher came out and pointed at the other three. “You go with Mato. Rylan, you’re with me.”
“Told you,” I mumbled, following my older brother.
Fisher rambled on, saying pretty much what I expected from him. “How could you do this? It’s disrespectful to our family.”
“Declan likes Calista,” I admitted, and Fisher’s face fell. My whole family believed I liked her, and unfortunately, they were right, but I wasn’t about to tell anyone that.
Minutes later, my dad and mom knocked on the door of Fisher’s office and he pried it open. “Here’s your felon. Going to check on the others.”
He left and I got Dad’s disapproving glare while Mom was glancing at Calista talking to Fisher.
All in all, our parents came to get us, which was humiliating. On the way out, Declan shook his head at me while his parents talked to mine.
“What?” I asked.
“Her friend said Calista likes you. Of course she fucking does.”
“Bye, Declan,” Aubrey says, her dad glaring over while he had one hand on her upper arm, leading her to their car.
“See you, Aubrey.”
Calista was already in her dad’s truck. She sat in the front seat, looking stoic as her dad kept turning to talk to her. I gave her a small smile and she shared her own with me.
“Aubrey’s cute, right?” Declan interrupted. “She’s hot. Do you like her? Because if you don’t, then…”
My gaze stayed on Calista before her dad turned at the light. “Go ahead, Declan. I don’t like her.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Awesome. Thanks, Ry!”
By the end of the week, Declan had gotten Aubrey’s phone number and asked her out.
I shake my head from the memory when my phone buzzes on the console.
Declan: Best man duty #1 - get your ass to Lucky’s in Lake Starlight.
Instead of continuing to Sunrise Bay a few exits down, I get off in Lake Starlight.
I park and jog across the street of their small town that is quaint and touristy like my own. Declan hasn’t shown yet, so I take a stool at the bar and ask for a beer. Any one of Calista’s relatives could walk in here. Hell, maybe even she could. My heart leaps with hope, which makes me a very stupid man.
“What’s up?” Declan says from the door. You’d think he was a Lake Starlight lifer the way he seems so comfortable here. He comes over and we shake hands then hug. “Damn, it’s been too long. You’ve been slacking on your best man responsibilities.”
I nod, feeling a little guilty. “I’m all yours now.”
