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Amidst his happiness for his brother, Jackson’s gut double-knotted. When their mother was done with the requisite shrieking over gaining a daughter-in-law, Jackson was going to be on the frickin’ hot seat.
Again.
“Not yet.” Dylan shook his head. “I wanted to tell you first.”
“You know you’re making me look bad,” Jackson said, only half-joking. Their mother had been after all four of them to fall in love and settle down ever since Jackson could remember. And now everyone was on board except him.
Of course, he was the only one who knew firsthand why that version of happily ever after was as impossible as moving the moon. He might’ve discovered it ages ago, but he’d have to be dead in the ground to forget why staying out of love was the smartest thing he could do.
And the safest.
“I know the nagging gets old, but Mom means well. She only wants all of us to be happy.” Dylan’s eyes grew a shade more wary as he ventured into touchy-topic territory.
Ironic that Catherine Carter wanted all of her children to find happiness through marriage when the only way she’d been able to find it herself was to end the one marriage she’d ever had.
Stuffing down the sudden flash of bad memories, Jackson worked up his trademark easygoing smile. He sure as hell didn’t want to go down that road, especially not in the face of Dylan’s good news.
“I’m alreadyhappy,” he pointed out, draining his beer. “Come on. Let’s eat these burgers before they get cold.”
It seemed that Jackson’s aversion to commitment was going to come back and bite him square on the ass. But come on. Was it such a big deal that he was happy just being single? It wasn’t like he never had sex. He was terminally unattached, not terminally celibate.
“Oh, it’s about time! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two were dawdling out there.” Jackson’s mother drew a sharp brow inward, but there was a twinkle behind her sky blue gaze as she waved her sons into the house. The kitchen bustled with pre-meal activity, both of Jackson’s sisters chasing their respective children to the bathroom for a good hand washing as the last of the side dishes found a home on the already crowded table.
“I don’t dawdle when food is involved. Where do you want these burgers, Ma?”
“Right there is fine, honey. Oh! Let me grab these baked beans out of the oven, now.”
Fitting the platter into the only empty spot on the worn farmhouse table, Jackson retreated to the fridge for another beer. He had a feeling he was going to need it, a hunch that was cemented in place when Dylan cleared his throat with purpose as soon as both of his sisters made their way back to the kitchen with their kids in tow.
“Before we eat, I have an announcement to make.” The room grew uncharacteristically quiet, the only sound coming from Brooke’s youngest daughter cooing to her spoon in her highchair. Jackson’s pulse popped as if it was being directed by the conductor of a marching band. What the hell washenervous for? He wasn’t the one getting hitched.
Dylan gave up a boyish grin, and Jackson was struck by the fact that his brother barely looked old enough to buy beer, let alone get married.
“Last night, Kelsey did me the honor of saying she’ll be my wife.”
Time hiccupped for just a fraction before the pandemonium of joyous squeals split the stunned silence of the kitchen. Thankfully, everyone in the room descended on Dylan and Kelsey, leaving Jackson to sneak to the edge of the room like a commitment-phobic Ninja.
“Oh! Oh, sweetheart, I’m sohappyfor you,” Jackson’s mother gushed, her eyes glistening. “This is just wonderful news!”
Jackson’s gut jangled with guilt. Okay, so it was good to see his mother happy. God knew those moments of undiluted goodness had been too few and far between for her, raising the four of them by herself. Jackson watched from the periphery as everyone hugged the happy couple, then finally started to move around the table to fill their plates. Another Carter wedding wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. After all, he’d survived both of his sisters’ weddings, as well as his cousin Lisa’s, without too much damage. Surely he could handle this.
Just as long as he wasn’t next.
“We’ll have a party to celebrate, next Saturday night,” Jackson’s mother declared, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
“Next Saturday is the Fourth of July.” Dylan’s complaint fell flat when their mom shook her head, resolute.
“All the more reason for us to have a party. It’s about time we had everyone together, anyway.”
“Ma, we’re all here now,” Dylan protested, but he was clearly outnumbered, and Jackson wasn’t dumb enough to jump on a sinking ship. Plus, considering there’d been a foot of snow on the ground the last time he’d gone on an official date, the less attention he got with the old marriage spotlight flying around, the better.
“Oh, but we should include all the cousins. And it wouldn’t hurt to invite the Griffins…and of course, everyone from Kelsey’s family. It’ll be our first gathering with the new in-laws. How exciting!” Mom’s eyes lit up like Christmas morning, and Dylan promptly caved.
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to see everyone.” His reluctant agreement sent everyone into full-on planning mode. Jackson surreptitiously made his way to the table to fill a plate while everyone else chattered and laughed, but it wasn’t like being six-four made stealth a natural asset.
“Guess you’re the only one left now, hmmm?” His oldest sister, Autumn, reached up to pinch his ear with a sassy grin.
“Yeah. I’m thinking of it like the Marines. The few, the proud. That kind of thing.” Jackson heaped enough macaroni salad onto his paper plate to make it droop under the weight.
