Mac winked at Gavin. “Best class we’ve had in a while. Well, next to Maggie’s aerobics workouts. Do you know how many gym memberships we got after I put her, then you guys, to work?”
“Well, yeah.” Gavin nodded. “Maggie’s hot. Of course membership increased. Then you have me to balance out my brother’s fat head. He’s big, but I’m fast and handsome. Sobam, your female membership goes through the roof.” Not that Gavin believed most of the bullshit he spouted, but it seemed to aggravate Shane, who rolled his eyes. “Enough to give me a raise?”
Mac scoffed. “Dream on. No, but enough to give you the weekend off to go to your cousin’s wedding.”
“Huh?”
“Landon said to make sure you had the weekend off. Something about your mother throwing a fit if you even think of getting out of Mike’s nuptials?”
Mike McCauley—one of the prodigal McCauleys, Aunt Beth’s brood. Not that he didn’t love his cousins, annoying as they were, but Gavin had already been to more than his share of social crap since being back home. He swore. Stupid Landon. “Thanks for nothing, Mac.”
Before he left the locker room, Shane called out, “Nothing on the back of your shirt this time,littleman. You’re welcome for looking out for you.” More laughter.
Gavin didn’t deign to answer and left to finish his shift. Unfortunately, he got mobbed by a bunch of women heknewto be familiar with the equipment they asked about, as well as a few guys who wanted to know where they could purchase gym shirts.
But of Zoe, he saw no sign. And his mood went downhill from there.
* * *
Five days later, Gavin sat in a grand reception hall and watched as the oldest of his McCauley cousins twirled his new bride around the dance floor. Damned if he wanted to admit it, but Mike and Del made a nice-looking couple. Mike looking buff and shiny in a tux, while his new wife wore the hell out of a white wedding dress, with colorful sleeves of tattoos and her hair done up in some twisty braid. Gavin definitely approved. Nothing the McCauleys needed more than some fresh blood to dilute their straight-laced gene pool.
Yep, there went more McCauleys spinning around their significant others. In the nine months since he’d been home, Gavin had attended two weddings, a pre-wedding party, and this shindig. All of his cousins maturing and getting responsible.
He’d grown up hearing how Aunt Beth’s kids could do no wrong. So it had been up to him and Landon to get good grades and kick ass at sports, setting the way for their younger sister and brother. His mother had some kind of weird need to be better than her sisters in all things, including the achievements of her kids. Or so it had seemed at the time. Gavin knew his mother to be ultra-competitive, but she cared about her family first and foremost. Her need to one-up Aunt Beth and Aunt Sophie came second. Mostly.
He saw his mother and father standing at the periphery of the dance floor holding hands. They smiled and laughed a lot, while his mother kept talking to Landon next to her. Landon had his arm around Ava, the pair of them sickeningly in tune. Ava smiled at Linda every time Landon looked like he’d eaten a lemon.
Landon caught his gaze, gave a subtle glance at their mother, and rolled his eyes.
Gavin grinned. Oh yeah, his mother’s competitive streak still ran deep. Of course, Linda had managed to do the one thing her sisters hadn’t. He glanced away from his mother and spotted Hope—the lone girl in a family that only made boys.
To his relief, his sister left the buff, dopey guy staring after her and joined him at the table. Fortunately, he and his family, including Aunt Sophie and her date, had been seated in a corner, away from most of the noise.
Hope flounced next to him, looking beautiful in an aqua-colored gown that came to mid-calf. It didn’t show too much cleavage or thigh, though too much shoulder, in his opinion. “Oh man. My feet hurt in these heels.”
“So why did you wear them?”
“Um, hello? It’s a wedding? I had to look good.” She narrowed her gaze at their parents. “Wouldn’t want to embarrass Linda.”
Gavin sighed. “Hope, forget Mom and enjoy yourself.”
“I’m trying to. But she ordered me—ordered me, Gavin—to stay away from some of the bride’s guests. Like I need to be told who to socialize with. Del’s friends are perfectly nice.”
“But are they housebroken? That’s the question,” he murmured, eyeballing the guys with myriad tattoos and arms as big as Landon’s.
Hope continued to rant. “Give me a friggin’ break. When will she learn I’m a grown woman? I’m twenty-nine years old.”
“With a history of dating losers,” he said bluntly.
“You’re really going there?” A pause. “The guy who slept with Michelle and half her bitchy groupies?”
“Oh yeah. I’m a moron. I admit it. Hey, I already hit rock bottom. Drank myself silly, slept with the wrong people, and still have nightmares about crap I want to forget. My shit is hanging out there for all the world to see.” He sighed, sounding pitiful.
She frowned, looking remorseful. “Gavin, I—”
“I’m not upset about it.” Truth was truth, though he hated his family worrying about him. So he forced a grin. “And that big old pity card helps me get the girls like you wouldn’t believe. Marine with a sob story—A-plus, baby.”
Her pity cleared up, as he’d hoped it would. “You are such an ass.”
