“No way,” Liam countered. “I want to know how you ended up dating a world-renowned concert pianist.”
I cuddled closer to my boyfriend and got a chance to just talk to my brother like we used to.
* * *
Later that night,when Jeremy was lying in my arms, he said, “Your brother’s very brave.”
“Yeah, he is,” I replied. “He’s one of the bravest people I know. I just wish he’d be brave closer to home.”
He shifted closer and kissed my neck. “He’ll be back in two months. I look forward to meeting him in person.”
I brushed my fingers through his silky hair. “Oh yeah?”
He smiled and snuggled even closer. “Yeah.”
THIRTY-ONE
JEREMY
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I looked at my best friend’s worried expression and nodded. “I’m sure. Stop worrying. I’m not hiding away. I just need a quiet day. You know what I’m like the day before a performance.”
He pulled me into a hug. “I know.”
He stepped back and gave me a mock glare. “Just make sure you remember to eat.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Mom.”
Evan put his hands on his hips. “Do I have to call Sean?”
“No,” I replied. “Besides, he’s out for a while. One of the orders for tomorrow came in wrong, and he went up to North Jersey to pick it up.”
I saw a brief moment of panic in Evan’s eyes, but he took a deep breath and blew it out. “Yeah, okay. But lordy, I hope he gets done before the Friday shore traffic starts.”
“He left early, so I think he’ll be okay.”
Evan kissed my cheek. “All right then. We’re going to spend a few hours on the boardwalk. We’re taking Raphael’s niece and nephew to that cute little water park. We’ll get some lunch, do some shopping, get some ice cream—all the touristy stuff. We’ll be back in plenty of time for the rehearsal dinner.”
“All right.” I gave him a light shove. “Now go have fun with your families.”
Once he was gone, I made my way down to the dining room. The piece I wanted to practice most was the one I’d written for Evan and Raphael. I had been playing the other three pieces for years—I could play them in my sleep. The one I wrote still wanted to be a bit wonky.
The dining room was already set up for the rehearsal dinner, the tables set with crimson napkins on ivory tablecloths—Evan and Raphael’s wedding colors. Everyone staying at the hotel would be there—mostly Evan and Raphael’s families, plus a few close friends. Raphael’s brother, Luis, was his best man, and I was Evan’s. There were no other groomsmen because they wanted to keep the wedding party small. It would be a bit of a dance for me doing double duty, but the ceremony was going to take place close to the piano, so it wouldn’t be too bad.
I warmed up by playing through the wedding pieces first. Then I spread out the newly printed sheet music and painstakingly played through each page. I finally put the sheet music aside and played it through from memory. At last, I felt the music flow freely through my fingers to the keys.
A grin spread across my face as I imagined playing this for Evan and Raphael the next day. Evan had been my rock for so long—almost from the first day we met. Nothing I could give him would ever truly repay him for what he had done for me these past fifteen years. And that included the gentle but firm push that brought me to Moonlight Inn and Sean O’Neil.
Warmth spread through me as I thought of the man who had quickly and completely become so very important to me. We’d known each other for a month, but I felt like I’d known him for years. We’d both acknowledged this was more than a summer fling, and I looked forward to seeing where life would take us. I finished the piece with a flourish and rested my hands on the keys.
The sound of slow clapping startled me out of my pleasant reverie. I stood and turned to find the source of the sound, and my stomach twisted.
“Pierce.”
He looked as he always had—perfectly styled blond hair, steely-blue eyes, a gym-honed body, and a supercilious smile. He wore tan chinos, a pale-blue polo, and the requisite boat shoes.
My voice was flat and cold. “What the hell are you doing here?”
His lips thinned, and for a moment, his eyes flashed with anger. Then his expression cleared. He shook his head and made a tsking sound. “Such language, Jeremy. I came to see how far the mighty hath fallen.” His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and a sneer curled his upper lip. “Far indeed from what I can see.”
