“That’s one way to look at it.” Steph’s hands went back to her hips. “But he’s also the father of your child.”
“That’s…not how that works.” She frowned. “Okay,technically that’s true—maybe, I mean, pending the paternity test results—but not even remotely in the way you’re insinuating.”
“Sure. Whatever you say.” She picked up the hand steamer and gave it a test blast. “But I’m not wrong.”
Since the steamer was ready and Siobhan would take any distraction she could get in that moment, she lifted the plastic off Steph’s dress. It was a gorgeous pale yellow, with a fitted sleeveless bodice and a flared skirt that hit midshin. It was summery and shimmery and she was definitely letting Steph do the actual steaming. She’d hold the hanger and offer moral support.
“I can’t believe how perfectly your dress complements mine,” Steph said as she gingerly steamed the few wrinkles in the dress from traveling.
“Right?” Hers was similar, though not quite as fitted in the bodice, and the skirt was knee-length. The pastel floral pattern included yellows that matched the bride’s dress perfectly. “You’d almost think they were bought together.”
Steph stood back to give the dress a final looking over, and then glanced sideways at Siobhan. “I should tell Rob to get a photo of Brian’s face when he lays eyes on you.”
“Stop!” Her cheeks were so hot, it felt as though Steph had given her a shot of steam in the face. “My former brother-in-law doesnothave a thing for me. He’s barely come around to even liking me.”
“Oh, he came all the way around to liking you and then kept right on going.”
“And don’t youdaresay anything to Rob. Or anybody else, for that matter. The last thing I need is to be the center of more drama.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “Of course I won’t. But peoplewill notice on their own because it’s like a miracle to see him like this again. He’s been so…flat.”
“Flat?” Siobhan finished smoothing the plastic over the freshly steamed dress and hung it back up. Then she grabbed the groom’s pants.
“Emotionally, I mean. He was pretty wrecked when Kelly left him. He never saw it coming.”
Siobhan was silent, focusing all of her attention on the pants. Not only because there was nothing she could say to defend her sister, but because she wanted to hear Brian’s side of the story, even if she didn’t get it from him.
“I mean, I didn’t see it myself. He’s not great at letting people see how he’s feeling, but he’s super close with his brothers and word filters around the family, you know?” Steph sighed, running the steamer over one of the legs. “Brian loved her so much and he didn’t see it coming. One day he came home and she told him she was in love with somebody else and was leaving him.”
“He didn’t fight for her,” Siobhan said quietly. “He just let her go. When I went to pick up her stuff, he just opened the door and ignored me. He didn’t ask about her or anything.”
“If it had just been her being unhappy, he would have. He would have done anything for her. But she’d been cheating and was in love with somebody else, and there’s no coming back from that, so he just…shut down. Everybody was relieved when they bought this place, even though it was stressful, because they were afraid he was turning into some kind of angry hermit guy. Except for Stella, of course. I think getting her kept his heart from totally shriveling up.”
“She’s a great dog.” Siobhan wasn’t sure what else she could say.
“So Brian lighting up when he sees you? Yeah, we’re going to notice, but I’m probably the only one who’s going to say anything to you. I’m the bride and you’re my maid of honor, so I get to be nosy.”
Siobhan laughed, even though the idea of his entire family watching them made her mildly uncomfortable. “Was there a wedding etiquette book I missed? I don’t remember that chapter.”
“Maybe you’ll start dating. That would be perfect, wouldn’t it?”
On the surface, Steph sounded like a woman who thought her cousin dating her friend would be fun, but Siobhan didn’t think that’s what she meant. Oliver was probably the reason she thought them dating would be a good idea, because them being a couple would make things easier for everybody.
Right up until it didn’t work out and then it was ten times worse. She snorted. “Like I’d date a guy who’s still hung up on my sister.”
“I don’t think he’s still hung up on her so much as he was grieving the life he thought he’d made for himself.”
And having Siobhan and Oliver would be an insta-family to fix that? She didn’t want any part of that. On a conscious level, anyway. Clearly on some subconscious level, she was attracted to Brian because she’d kissed him under the fairy lights.
But they’d both known that was a bad idea and they’d been right. They didn’t need anybody else’s opinion on it.
“Getting this campground ready to open and then running it snapped him out of it, really,” Steph continued. “He’s been a lot more like himself all summer, and Rob said he’s actually seemed happy.”
She felt a pang of guilt over having been a part of whatKelly did to Brian, but she forced herself to acknowledge it and then dismiss it. Yes, she’d had Kelly’s back through the divorce and been cold to Brian because they were sisters. That’s what was expected of her. But she hadn’t had all of the facts—and the few she did have had been outright lies—so it wasn’t really her fault.
What she could do, though, was make sure that another Lowe sister didn’t put him through the emotional wringer again. No more lingering looks. No more small yet sizzling touches.
And definitely no more kissing.
