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Forty
Nick didn’t get his Friday night date. He’d been called in and recruited to help with the last-minute wedding preparations.
For his niece Nikki—not his brother and Glenna.
Robin had taken it as a reprieve—but it was just temporary. The man was plotting her downfall, her seduction.
And those wicked hands and kisses of his were his weapons of Robin’s destruction.
She just…absolutely loved kissing that man.
That was what had had her saying yes to being his date to his niece’s wedding—even though she’d received an invitation from Nikki herself at church personally.
She’d been to plenty of weddings before. But nothing like this.
This was the craziest circus she had ever been at. Robin looked at Rory and knew the other woman was thinking the same. She felt like a gate crasher, even though she had been invited by the bride herself.
Robin didn’t have any business here.
Especially since she was meeting a man here she had no business even thinking about that way. But Nick had convinced her to come with him.
Nikki was marrying a Hollywood mega-star. Robin had no business dressing her three children up in their Sunday best to attend. And she was bringing an extra guest. Rory had shown up on her doorstep at eleven the night before, tired, and hurting, after a case gone horribly bad back home.
Robin didn't know what else to do with her—when she'd told Nick, he'd said to just bring Rory along.
The Tylers always had room for one more. But did Hunter Louis Clark?
Talk about intimidating. The most famous person she had ever met had been Tucker Barratt, a music and video executive from Finley Creek who'd stopped by the women's charity she'd volunteered at to pick up his sister-in-law one day. Well, she’d met the governor of Texas once, too.
Robin hadn't made a fool out of herself those times, she had no reason to think she would now. She would just keep the kids under control and escape as soon as she could.
But then...there was Nick. He looked good. Much better than some Hollywood actor ever could.
He was strong and rugged and just a little untamed. And he was looking at her like he’d been waiting for her forever.
Rory had made a point of fanning herself behind his back when he'd come to the door to help her usher the kids and their tagalong to her van. Robin drove—he didn't have seating for everyone. She was used to being the queen of kid-taxis. And driving gave her something to focus on instead of him.On the one fact she hadn’t missed.
Nick was on the hunt. She was the prey.
She pulled in at Chandler’s ranch he shared with his brothers. It was about forty minutes from town and a good fifteen minutes from Phil's. She hadn't been there before, she didn't think. Maybe when she'd been a kid. She couldn't really remember and there were a lot of Tyler ranches around the county.
There was a big red barn that looked like it belonged on a postcard. Cars were parked everywhere. Far more than she had expected. And there was a large tent erected behind the barn. "Wow."
"It got a bit out of hand, I think. Everyone wanted an invitation to see Hunter Louis Clark get married—well, to see him get married to Nikki. She's a well-liked kid. And there might be a few people from Hollywood, I heard. That could be why all these cars have out-of-town plates," Nick said, coming around to get Becky out of her arms. Nova was already reaching for Robin's hand. Rory kept up a running conversation with the twins and Noah.
Noah had taken to Rory quickly.
But when they saw the sheer quantity of cars all three boys crowded closer. Her kids weren't big on crowds. Nick's weren’t, either. Robin pulled Nova closer and put one hand on Wesley's shoulder. He was the more timid of the boys, and this could very well overwhelm him. Nick said something to Noah, his own hand on Noah's shoulder, keeping him close.
"Nobody move!" Rory ordered. She stepped in front of them, holding her phone up. "That just looks too good for words. Pull Philip in a little closer, Robbie. Everyone say cheese!"
Robin obeyed without thought, pulling Nova closer as well, when Philip crowded between Wesley and Noah. A hot hand landed on her waist. And then Nick was pulling her toward him, until she was just a few inches in front of him, her back pressed close to his chest. Four of their five children were crowded in front of them, and little Becky was still on his hip.
Robin knew exactly what they probably looked like—her, him, five stair-stepped, blue-eyed kids crowded around them.
They looked like they belonged together.
Finally, Rory smirked at her. "I think I got a few great ones. Now...let's go see what famous guys are inside."
