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“Seriously, I would never dream of doing anything to ruin Katrina’s special day. Friends don’t do that to each other. She was there for me when my ex broke off our engagement. Sheliterally picked up the pieces of my shattered heart and glued them back together.”
He blinked, his gaze sweeping over her. She trusted him enough to tell him and he was relieved by that. But he’d really like to know what happened, but that would have to wait for another time. They had bigger issues to worry about. They needed to figure out if Tina was the one who’d caused the problems in the first place.
Before he could speak, they were interrupted by the arrival of three people into the stable.
“There you are! I thought you’d left.” Katrina sidled up beside Becca. “I’d forgotten what a great dancer you are. It was fun to watch you have fun out there!”
Becca’s eyes darted to Simon, then to Katrina, and back to Ethan. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but it wasn’t like he could give her the answers either.
Ethan took in Andrew, still strapped into his sling with a great deal of pain written all over his face. Something was wrong, and it didn’t have anything to do with the gate being left open.
“We have a favor to ask,” Katrina chirped. She grinned at Ethan and shifted to stand beside her fiancé.
Simon nodded. “As you know, I don’t really have any family, except Katrina’s brothers. We’ve asked Andrew to do the welcome speech at the wedding, but he’s not really progressing well after the accident.”
Katrina rolled her eyes. “It’s not actually that he’s not progressing well. He wasn’t following the rules and he did something to his shoulder when he went riding the other day.He’s having surgery next week. That’s cutting it really close to the wedding, but that’s the soonest they can do it.”
Andrew’s pale, apologetic smile was the only thing Ethan could focus on. Already he could feel the sense of impending doom. Whatever reason they had for tracking him down wasn’t going to be good.
His heart hammered in his chest. He considered darting from the stable right then and there, but then Becca’s hand tightened around his, grounding him to his spot.
“What do you need?” she asked.
Andrew nodded to Ethan. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do the speech. I’ll still be on pain killers and I’m telling you… this injury has really taken it out of me. Standing in front of a crowd probably isn’t in the cards less than a week post-surgery.”
Simon patted Andrew on the back. “So what we’re asking is for you to do the welcome speech, Ethan.”
“He’d love—” Becca started but Ethan cut her off.
“Absolutely not.”
All eyes turned to him, pinning him like arrows to a bullseye.
“I mean, can’t you ask one of your brothers? There are, like, a dozen of you.”
Simon, Katrina, and Andrew all chuckled at his crack about their big family, but Becca remained unusually quiet beside him.
Simon shook his head. “Well, everyone else already has something to do. And we’d really like to include you. You’re family.”
Katrina nodded as she looked at Simon.
“I’m sure Daniel could?—”
“We want it to be you,” Katrina interjected. “You’re as much a part of this family as anyone else. Please say you’ll do it.”
“But I’m not great at public speaking.” That, and he didn’t have a prayer of reading a speech in front of all the guests who’d be in attendance.
Andrew chuckled. “Same, bro. You’ll be fine, though. I’ve already written it if you want to use it and adjust it a little.”
The lump in Ethan’s throat lodged hard and immovable. He dragged his gaze to Becca. Her eyes were bright and filled with promise. He could get lost in those eyes. He wouldn’t mind drowning in them. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening, he uttered his response.
“Sure.”
Simon clapped his hand on Ethan’s back. “Good man. You don’t know how much we appreciate it.”
Ethan still couldn’t drag his focus from Becca. Only one thought resonated within him.
He didn’t want to let her down.
