Finn chuckled. “Hello, Cooper. How’s it going?”
Lachlan nudged Cooper—none too gently—out of the way. He held out his hand. “Great to see you, Finn.”
The firefighter yanked him in for a hug.
The clearly stunned Lachlan caught my gaze. He quirked an eyebrow even as Finn gripped him.
Ah. So he sees what I’m seeing…Finn trying to make me jealous. Or at least to catch my attention. Well-done, Finn. Because I’m jealous as hell…
Finn gestured to an empty booth. “May I join you? Oh, I meant we.” He pivoted to me. “This is Ulysses. Ulysses, this is—”
I waved him off. “I think I’ve got it figured out.”
Marc sidled up to the group. “For six?”
Finn nodded enthusiastically. “That booth. Thanks!” Then he shepherded everyone in.
I snagged his arm and whispered, “What if they didn’t want you to join them? How do I know they want me to—”
“Finn, get over here.” Cooper patted the bench next to him. “And Ulysses as well. Cool name. I want to hear all about it.”
“Yes, Finn. Please join us. And your friend.” Taryn’s green eyes sparkled with pure joy.
Like I was going to turn down this offer. More people to meet—possibly from Mission City. Catnip for the editor of the local paper. And if they knew Finn, they might know some of his secrets.
Chapter Two
Finn
Yeah, okay. So railroading the Gander and Briggs siblings into accepting me as a fifth was bad enough. Shoving Ulysses between Cooper and me was either going to prove to be brilliant or a big mistake.
Cooper was a hoot. Hooking up with him had been great. Discovering we weren’t compatible because we bothreallyliked taking it up the ass had been a disappointment. Seeing him marry stuffy Lachlan Briggs made me happy because I’d never seen Cooper light up like he did when he was with his husband. And that said something since Coop was a firecracker and beacon of light on the darkest winter days, even without Lachlan.
“Hey, what did you all settle on for last names?” I nudged Ulysses’s shoulder with mine. “Taryn and Lachlan are brother and sister. Cooper and Stephanie are brother and sister. Taryn and Stephanie got married and—” I gestured between the two men. “—I thought you were antagonistic to each other right up until you gotmarried.”
Lachlan cleared his throat while a rosy blush stole across his cheeks.
Cooper flung an arm around his husband. “Yeah. I’d love to say we had the world fooled—but I really couldn’t stand this guy. All stuffed shirt and no sense of humor.”
“Hey!” Lachlan pushed out the word, but without much heat behind it. He cleared his throat. “I just saw a different side of Cooper. During the wedding preparations and, uh, during the actual ceremony.”
“Oh!” Cooper reached into his back pocket to retrieve his phone. He tapped, swiped, and then showed it to a very surprised Ulysses. “Finn’s seen these wedding photos.”
“I don’t mind looking again.”Especially if it means I can get up close and personal with this enigmatic man.So I leaned over and pressed myself against Ulysses. And, of course, had to put my arm around his shoulder to get even closer.
The first photo again had me burst out laughing.
In a good way.
Stephanie in a light-blue-and-white-checked dress with black boots.
Taryn in an elaborate crushed-velvet outfit.
Cooper wearing a red-and-black patterned dress as well as a crown.
Lachlan wearing bunny ears, a white face, and a matching suit.
“Uh—” Ulysses scratched his nose. “Alice in Wonderland?”
