Page 107 of Unraveling the Truth About Love

Dane shook his head to clear his thoughts. Rex was a year and a half younger than him and had worked their family ranch for years, which was apparent in his brawny cowboy build. Dane turned to face his brother with a joking sneer.

“Isn’tJade around here somewhere?” Dane asked.

A year earlier, Rex had fallen in love with Jade Johnson, and their love had brought a long-standing family feud to a head—and then to a long-overdue end. Dane had never seen his brother so happy. Rex and Jade had bought the property in between the two families’ ranches in Weston, Colorado, and had recently built a house there.

As he stared into Rex’sdark eyes, he had a momentary flash of unease. His height matched Rex’s six-foot-three inches, but his brother’s arms were as thick as tree trunks, and the way his tux stretched tightly over his massive chest would turn on any woman. He knew his brother’s ever-present five-o’clock shadow and longish hair gave him a bad-boy quality that had sent even the strongest women into a state of rapture. ButDane also knew that there was no need for a silent warning, or even a hint of possessiveness where Lacy was concerned. Rex had eyes only for Jade, and he was all too aware that Lacy wasn’t his to possess.

“Step aside.” Rex pushed his massive forearm across Dane’s chest and held out a hand to Lacy. “I’m Rex, Dane’s brother. You must be Lacy.”

Lacy blushed. “Yes, hi,” she said. Her eyes dartedto Dane, and the surprise in them was blatant. “He’s mentioned me?”

Rex laughed. “Oh, he might have mentioned you once or twice.” He cracked a crooked smile at Dane. “Pleasure to meet you, Lacy. No wonder Dane was so distracted during the ceremony. Well”—he let out a dramatic sigh—“you two kids have fun. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find my girlfriend.”

“Bastard,” Dane whispered as Rex passedwith a sly grin and gave Dane a playful shove. The room emptied quickly as the guests moved toward the reception hall. Dane turned his attention back to Lacy.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Lacy smiled. “Your brother seems nice.”

“Yeah, he is,” Dane said. The image of Lacy wearing the tiny bikini she’d worn in Nassau came rushing back to him. He swallowed hard to repress the memory beforeit could excite him the way it had over recent nights, when he knew he’d be seeing her again.

“Save me a dance?” The anticipation of seeing Lacy had been mounting for weeks, but he hadn’t expected his nerves to be strewn so tight, or the desire to kiss her to be so strong. He stood so close to her that all it would take was the slightest dip of his head to settle his lips over hers, to tanglehis hands in her hair and pull her against him.

“Sure,” she answered, and he’d almost forgotten that he’d asked her a question.

“Dane.”

His father’s deep voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Hal Braden took a couple steps toward them. He stood a few inches taller than Dane. His skin was a deep bronze, rivaling Dane’s rich tan. Fine lines snaked out from his father’s eyes and mouth, and a deepvee hunkered between his thick brows. “Excuse me. I’m sorry for interrupting.” He held his hand out to Lacy. “Hal Braden, Dane’s father.”

Lacy shook his hand. “I’m Lacy.”

“Dad, this is Lacy Snow.” Dane watched his father’s dark eyes change from serious to warm.

“Lacy Snow. Related to Blake’s wife, Danica?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m her half…her youngest sister.” She flushed again.

Dane had an urgeto put his arm around her and comfort the nerves he heard in her voice.

Hal nodded. “Well, any sister of Danica’s is a friend of ours. It’s a pleasure to meet you. They’re taking pictures, Dane. Don’t be too long.”

“I’ll be right in, Dad,” Dane said. He watched his father walk away and felt pride swell in his heart. He’d always had a good relationship with his father, and now, in his midthirties,he found himself seeing his father in a different way. Dane’s mother had passed away when he was only nine years old, and his father had raised him, his four brothers, and their sister. And to this day, when he spoke of their mother, the love he exuded hadn’t dimmed. Dane hadn’t thought of marriage very often, but lately he wondered—no, he hoped—that one day he’d find whatever it was that hisparents had found together. He wanted to experience that love.

“You’d better go in,” Lacy said. She blinked her long lashes several times and fidgeted with her hands.

She’s so cute when she’s nervous.Dane wondered if she could tell that he was just as nervous as she was. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her side, but the sooner he got those pictures over with, the sooner he could bewith her again. “Yeah. I’d better. Remember our dance, okay?”

“I look forward to it.”