The scrutiny his cousin set on him put Reese more on edge than he wanted to admit, so he looked away. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he ignored the holes Mack was drilling into the side of his face.
His voice lowered. “Honestly, I don’t think there is anything you could say that would scare me off, Mack. The second I saw her, something hit me. Right here.” He rubbed at his chest, trying to dislodge the pressure he was feeling.
“Are you sure it’s not just heartburn?”
Reese snorted. “Shut up, Mack.”
His cousin laughed. “I mean, you could try. There’s no hurt in that. Just don’t make it too obvious. I doubt Jane would be thrilled to know you’ve put a target on her sister.”
This time, Reese rolled his eyes. “Don’t make it sound so crude.”
Serenity.
Even her name was perfect. He watched her stand up and move away from the group to head for the refreshment table, and Reese charged forward, ignoring the comments his cousin tossed at him as he made his way to the angel who had fallen to earth.
He sidled up beside her and grabbed a plate.
Serenity glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, offered him a shy, half-smile, then picked up the tongs to fill her plate with fruit.
“Hey,” Reese murmured.
She glanced at him again. “Hello.”
The corners of his mouth quirked upward. “So… you’re the sister of the bride, huh?”
That smile he’d been so desperate to see was even better up close.
“Yes,” she drawled. “And you are?”
He pointed to his chest. “Cousin of the groom.” He glanced over his shoulder to those attending the wedding reception. “I guess that means we’re meant to be, huh?”
She stared at him for what felt like a full minute, then she laughed, and he didn’t think anything could get much better than hearing that sound from her lips. “And why would you think that?”
Reese shrugged. “Why not?”
Serenity considered him, chewing on her lower lip. Then she shook her head. “You’re funny. But I bet you get told that a lot.”
“But it’s nice to hear it from a girl like you.”
Her smile widened, and she shook her head again.
“You here with anyone?”
Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and for a split second, he could see the hesitance in her gaze. It was almost as if she wanted to tell him she did indeed have a date, so he didn’t push her into anything uncomfortable.
But then something shifted. She lifted her chin and nodded. “Yep.”
Reese had to hold back the snort. He’d been watching her enough to know that was a lie. But he couldn’t tell her that. He’d scare her away. “Really? Can I meet him?”
Her smile returned, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Sure. He’s right over there.” She pointed, and his eyes followed the movement. When they landed on a kid who couldn’t be any older than eight years old, he chuckled.
“You like ‘em young, huh?”
She nearly choked on her laughter. “He’s myson.”
Reese knew this, too. He’d been observant enough to notice that there were children milling around. He just hadn’t seen any men showering her with affection. He grinned right back at her. “Dang. There’s no competing with that.”
There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she masked it far too quickly for him to understand where it came from. That was fine, because the smile she replaced it with was even better. “You’re absolutely right. Nothing compares to the adoration that little man gives me.”
