Lanie turns in her seat and follows her father’s gaze. Unlike Aidyn, her entire face lights up when she sees me. I grin. Coming home again is worth it just to see my niece. Lanie reminds me so much of Emily. She waves, and I wave back. Aidyn pulls her arm down.
I return my focus to the bride and groom. Isaac and Jane stare lovingly at each other throughout the ceremony. The entire thing doesn’t last long. And although a VFW hall seems unimaginative, it’s at least practical. Isaac is a nice guy. And I can’t wait to spoil my future nephew. Unless they have it wrong, and the baby is a girl. Not that it matters. I’m happy for Jane. And her new family.
I join the procession line to wish the new couple well, ignoring Aidyn and the way he towers over everyone. He hugs Jane and shakes Isaac’s hand. Isaac says something that makes him laugh, and my breath catches. When was the last time Aidyn laughed?
When it’s my turn, I hug my sister. “Congrats, Jane. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, Garrett.” She holds on a second longer and whispers, “Please stop scowling at Aidyn.”
For fuck’s sake. “I’m not.”
She pulls back, her smile in place, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I know you’ve never liked him, but just for today, pretend. Okay?”
I nod, but her words spark something I can’t focus on right now.
Isaac is of average height, so shorter than my six feet, with blond hair and blue eyes. He grins as he shakes my hand and turns away from Jane, who has moved on to the next person. “Keep doing what you’re doing, Garrett. When you and Christy fight, he forgets how sad he is.”
His words stay with me as I step outside for air. And fewer people. As a marketing strategist, I work with people all the time. But this is different. The people in Mule Creek are all connected to memories of my sister. Sure, Mrs. Weppler is the town librarian, but shaking her hand reminds me of all the times I had to gather Emily from the library because she’d been studying. Or more likely, getting so caught up in books about faraway places that she forgot to come home. She’d flash me a quick smile that mirrored the fond look in her eyes. My heart aches at the memory. Why did she have to die? Car accidents happen all the time, and I get that. But Aidyn survived. And yes, it’s a blessing Lanie didn’t lose both parents, but my sister made everyone’s day brighter. Charmed everyone who met her. While Aidyn?—
My thoughts shift from there. I can’t think about that. Jane’s words light up like a marquee in my brain. “I know you never liked him.” Does everyone think that? Does Aidyn think that?My anger was about losing Emily. Aidyn was driving. And then he chose to take her off life support. Before that?—
My mind stumbles like a reel from a super eight movie projector. Memories flashing. The first time I met Aidyn.
The summer after she graduated from high school, Emily and I took a trip to Ireland. We explored Dunbar Castle. The cliffs in Dublin. And we did a pub crawl. But when we got to Christy’s Restaurant and Bar, everything stopped. The young red-haired lumberjack, the owner’s son, was loud and boisterous. So full of life that my breath had caught. He was like a beacon, commanding all to see, and he was absolutely stunning. My heart pounded thunderously, drowning out the bar music. He challenged me to a game of darts, his green eyes dancing. I was so nervous that I missed the board on my first throw. He laughed, and the possibility of this being something made me lightheaded. But that all changed the moment Emily returned from the restroom. Her gaze locked on his, and our game was forgotten.
I was forgotten.
As their whirlwind romance took off, I buried that memory as far down as I could. And now, like a time capsule, the memories are unlocked, and they stretch out before me. My unfortunate attraction to my sister’s husband. Wanting Aidyn so much it almost broke me. The jealousy that tormented me as he swung her around and kissed her. As he cradled her face in his large hands and whispered words of love. As he introduced her to his family and his life, and asked her to stay.
And while I was happy for my sister—as happy as I could be—it devastated me.
Which was ridiculous. I barely knew this man.
The distance made things easier. Until Lanie came along and they moved back to Mule Creek.
The more I was around Aidyn, the more I wanted him. So I did what I had to do. I packed my desire away, along with the shame. Only opened on special occasions. Mostly when I want to torture myself.
But how could anyone think I didn’t like Aidyn? I hadn’t treated him any differently. I’d been polite. Maybe a little standoffish. But getting closer to him would not have been in anyone’s best interest. And when a job opportunity came up in New York, I grabbed it with both hands. It was easier to breathe in New York. I could work and live and even date without thinking about Aidyn Christy. Or my sweet sister, who deserved to be happy.
The heat drives me back inside with my shirt sticking to my back. I grab a cold beer. There’s also champagne for later. Thank God, I’m not doing any of the toasts. All I have to do is get through this wedding for my sister, not get into a fight with Aidyn, and go back to my uncomplicated life in New York.
That’s not as easy as it sounds, especially when I’m accosted by Lanie at the dessert table. Lanie throws herself into my arms.
“Hey, Tato,” I say, squeezing her tight and kissing the top of her head. This is who I miss most. My niece. “How have you been?”
“Good. But I never get to see you anymore,” she says with a pout. Her red hair and freckles are from her father, but the sunshine and zest for life are from Emily. She’s growing up fast. I need to come home more often, or I’m going to miss it.
“Leave your poor uncle alone, lass.” Aidyn stands beside her, his eyes roaming over the dessert table—is he avoiding looking at me? But no. He probably made everything on the table. Ramon might be the main cook for the diner, but Aidyn loves to bake. Emily used to gush about it all the time.
The fancy-looking cupcakes are decorated with delicate roses in pink and purple. The wedding cake is gorgeous. A minimalistthree-tier cake with white icing and purple roses winding down. I have to admit, the man is talented.
If Aidyn’s trying to be civil—for Jane and Lanie, of course—then I can do the same. “She’s fine.” I’m talking to Aidyn but smiling at my niece, so I don’t get the warning I need before his next words.
“That fancy job he has in New York is important. More important than his family.”
All thoughts of being civil fly out the window—not that there are any windows in this place—and I turn toward Aidyn Christy, prepared to give him my opinion with a decade’s worth of rage behind it.
3
