Page 39 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

“Cass,” Tyler greets her casually as he shrugs off his navy blue suit jacket.

“Nice to see you again,” she replies, giving him a stiff smile. If she tenses up anymore, she’s going to shatter like glass.

“I see you’re already getting a tan,” I comment.

Cassidy lets out a dry laugh as she looks down at her faintly red arms. “More like a burn.”

There’s that smile.

My eyes roam over her for a moment while Ryan and Jackson talk. She’s wearing a thin-strapped, white sun dress with a V-neck, showing a little skin while still being classy.

“You look beautiful,” I whisper to her when no one is looking.

Her face flushes. “Marcus…”

“I won’t say any more. I just wanted you to know that,” I reply, our eyes meeting.

She chews on her bottom lip for a moment, making me want to kiss her even more. I meant what I said.

Though, now that I’m really looking at her, I notice the dark hue under her eyes. The heaviness of her lids. She looks like she could pass out in bed in under a few minutes.

The maid of honor responsibilities must be exhausting her.

“Want a glass of wine?” Tyler asks her as a waiter comes by with a bottle.

Cassidy shakes her head. “No, thank you. I’m fine with my water.”

Tyler flashes me a confused look. She wasn’t turning down any drinks in Las Vegas.

“Wine gives me a headache,” Cassidy explains.

“Do you want something from the bar?” Tyler asks her.

“I’m fine,” she assures him before looking across the table at Jackson.

When he only glances at her for a second, she deflates a little.

He needs to stop giving her the cold shoulder just because he’s afraid of getting hooked on her.

“Jax, did you tell Cass about that little boy you saved from that house fire?” I ask him.

Jackson’s jaw tenses as he passes me a hard look. He knows what I’m up to.

“Really?” Cassidy says, her eyebrows lifting. “What happened?”

“There was a young boy hiding in his bedroom closet. The fire was spreading fast, and the parents weren’t able to find him and carry him out with them. So, I crawled through the upstairs bedroom window, found him, and got him out of there,” Jackson replies, speaking casually like he’s talking about the weather.

“You don’t get scared while doing things like that?” Sarah asks him.

“It’s my job,” he says. “I’m used to it.”

Ryan chuckles. “Stoic as ever.”

“He can handle a fire, but he can’t take a compliment,” Tyler laughs.

Jackson smirks and shakes his head. “Whatever.”

“You’re a hero, Jax. You deserve the compliments,” Cassidy tells him.