I trailed behind him, carrying my bag and the gift I’d picked out—a beautiful sterling picture frame I’d found in an antique store near my apartment. The owner, Presley Dawson, had assured me it was the perfect gift for a newly engaged couple. I left my bag in the front hall and continued after Keston.
The backyard of the rustic cabin was expansive, and I stopped to take in the view. A heavy line of trees rose in the distance, while thick bushes surrounded the perimeter of the grounds. It was hard to see anything else but shapes in the darkness. A firepit was in the center of the outdoor furniture, the flames dancing. Grady and Lauren sat holding hands, and as expected, Weston and Brenner, along with Manny and John, were also present. Two women I hadn’t seen before sat sipping their drinks.
“Bailey, you made it.” Grady jumped up, pulling Lauren with him, and, still holding her hand, came to greet me. I hugged him and Lauren and handed her the gift.
“Just a little token.Mazel tovand congratulations.”
Lauren hugged me back. “Aren’t you the sweetest. Thank you.” She opened the gift bag right there and took out the frame. “Oh, Bailey, this is beautiful. Thank you. We’ll treasure it.”
“I’m told it’s from the early 1900s, so I hope you like that antique art-deco look.”
She kissed me. “I love it, and I’m definitely going to put one of our wedding photos in it.” Her ring flashed in the firelight.
“Let me see the goodies.” I caught her hand. “A beautiful ring for a beautiful woman. Grady, you’re a lucky man.”
He slipped an arm around her waist and hugged her close. “Don’t I know it. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” Weston shouted, and we all clapped until they locked lips.
“That was a nice gift,” Keston murmured from behind me.
“Thank you.”
We were doing an awkward dance, as if we were strangers and not two people who’d already lost themselves in each other.
A drink was thrust into my hand, and I sat beside Weston and Brenner. “How are the lovebirds?” In law school, I’d had many fantasies about each of these men, never dreaming that one day they’d be a couple. Their mutual dislike had been legendary, and for them to have fallen in love was almost like a Hallmark movie come to life.
Brenner’s expression was a mixture of tenderness and laughter. “We’re good. More interestingly, what’s with you and Keston? You two still a thing?”
I sipped my drink, my gaze finding Keston, who sat apart from everyone else with a beer in hand. “No. Not a thing. More like a thing of the past.”
Chapter Thirteen
Keston
It shouldn’t matter that he was here.
I didn’t care.
Really.
I’d figured Grady would invite him and had steeled myself for his appearance, but when I’d seen him, it had hit me like a punch to my gut. Those piercing blue eyes. The perpetual quirk of his lips as if he knew a secret and wasn’t letting the rest of us in on it. His quick, smartass comebacks. That tight, round ass.
I chugged my beer, keeping my butt planted firmly in my seat on the opposite side of the firepit. Where I belonged. On the outside, looking in.
Lauren sat beside me. “Why do I get the feeling you’re here under duress?” Her pretty brown eyes searched mine. “Are you having fun yet?”
I managed a smile. “Of course. I think you and my brother are perfect for each other. I’m happy for you.”
She shook her head, dark waves tumbling around her shoulders. “I know, but that’s not what I mean. Is it that painful being here with everyone?”
My grin was sheepish. “Is it that obvious?” I lifted a shoulder, doing my best to ignore Bailey across the fire from me. In his usual animated way, he was telling a story, his hands and mouth moving in tandem, keeping everyone laughing. “I’m okay. I’m just used to being alone.”
“In your head, right?” Startled by her observations, I nodded.
“Uh, yeah. After Carlos died…”
“You figured you’d be by yourself forever. I understand more than you know.” She put a gentle hand on my arm. “Let me tell you a story. In my early twenties, I was engaged. We were high school sweethearts, and he went off to Afghanistan and didn’t come home.”
