When I arrived, though, the place was packed. Just as I was debating what to do, a prickle of awareness skated down my spine. Even though I’d only met the man once, my bodyknewthat Cole Silver was nearby.
My head swiveled before I could think better of it. There he was. Our eyes locked. He met my gaze, a smile unfurling across his face. My belly did that swoony, flippy thing that only heseemed to elicit. My heightened awareness of him annoyed me, and yet, that didn’t dissuade my hormones.
“Hey, Adele,” he said easily as he stopped beside me.
I glanced to his other side when another man joined us. “This is Haven, my brother.” He thumbed toward the man.
“Hi,” I replied simply.
“This is Adele. She hasn’t been out to see the falls yet,” Cole explained, all casual and seemingly unaffected by my presence. All the while my body felt like it was about to short-circuit.
Haven looked remarkably like Cole—dark hair, blue eyes, similar handsome features with a few subtle differences. My body had absolutelynoresponse to him.
“You should come out to the falls,” Haven said warmly. “Cole mentioned he saw you out on the property and that you protected a snowshoe hare. We’re all hoping she’s still alive.”
A giggle slipped out, my cheeks flushing as Cole chuckled. “I guess maybe it was a little ridiculous, but Cole’s the one who tripped a wolverine,” I offered.
“I did,” Cole replied dryly.
“So, what brings you to the winery tonight?” Haven asked politely.
“I was planning to have dinner here, but”—I gestured toward the crowd—“the wait is almost an hour.”
“Oh, you can come with us,” Cole said.
“Um, what do you mean?”
“Our brother Jude got married. We’re having a celebration. Follow us.”
Next thing I knew, he and Haven led me into an event room. Cole’s presence left me off-kilter, as if my feet were unsteady beneath me. I couldn’t believe it, but he kept me hot and bothered. He was clearly a flirt. A teasing smile, warm quips with everyone. And yet, it felt like he gave me special attention.
Those flashing blue eyes. The way he said, “Adele Jacks,” like my name was a secret only he was meant to know. I silently convinced myself I was deluded. It was just my hormones misreading him.
In short order, I was seated beside him at a long table and met his whole family. It was safe to say the Silver family was easy to recognize. All six brothers had dark hair and blue eyes of varying brightness. Their mother’s hair was mostly gray, but she shared those same eyes. Maggie was warm and kind and insisted I come out to dinner while I was in town.
“You must,” she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “We’d love it. I’m so glad Cole found you.”
“Aren’t you glad I found the little trespasser?” Cole teased from beside me.
I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing, willing the heat rising in my cheeks to cool.
“She wasn’t trespassing,” Kendall said, rolling her eyes. The elopement celebration was hers and Jude’s. “Plenty of people hike on that property.”
Cole looked unabashed and unruffled. Meanwhile, I was ruffled. Very much so. And…hot.Stillhot. All over.
Chapter Two
COLE SILVER
Someone growls
“To the happy couple,” one of my brothers called out.
I lifted my glass to join in the toast. When there was a lull in the conversation, my brother Jude glanced around, his smile warm. “Thank you all.”
“We were all wondering how long it was going to take you to realize you’ve been in love with Kendall forever,” Grady teased from across the table.
Jude shrugged. “It took as long as it took.”
