I feel an itch of jealousy in my veins.
He’s leaning against the wall beside her, looking relaxed—and hot as ever. She’s wearing a vintage-print dress and lace-up boots, with choppy dark hair in her eyes, and as I draw closer, she reaches up to ruffle Ryland’s hair affectionately.
See, a voice crows triumphantly. You knew he was bad news. He’s probably got a hundred girls on speed dial. What made you think you were so special?
He looks past her and sees me. “Tegan,” he calls, breaking into a grin. “Third day running. I’m beginning to think you don’t hate me as much as you say you do.”
“I never said I hate you,” I protest. The girl looks down at me curiously.
“You’re right,” Ryland agrees, teasing. “You just said you never want to see me again.”
“See?” I reply lightly. “Totally different thing.”
I turn to the girl, waiting for an introduction. Ryland pauses a moment.
“Tegan, this is my baby sister Brit.”
“His wiser, more stable, infinitely more talented and intelligent baby sister,” she corrects him, jabbing an elbow in his ribs.
I laugh, with relief that she’s not Ryland’s super-hot new girlfriend, and with recognition over the tone. “I have three older brothers,” I tell her in sympathy. “Believe me, baby isn’t the worst thing I’ve been called. Dex called me ‘munchkin’ for years in front of all my friends until I threatened to break every last one of his guitars.”
Brit’s eyes widen. “Dex as in Dex Callahan, lead singer of The Reckless?” she asks.
Immediately, I get guarded. “Yes,” I say slowly, wondering if she’s a super-fan who’s going to ask me for his autograph or something.
“I know him,” Brit says happily. “Well, I know Alicia. They came to my wedding.”
I relax. “That’s great, I didn’t realize.”
“That makes two of us,” Ryland adds, fixing me with a curious stare. Between him and Brit’s assessing stare, I suddenly feel like I’m under the microscope.
“Anyway, I just came by to see about the car. Ryland’s fixing it,” I add, explaining to Brit. “I brought pie, in case you were, you know, hungry. But I, uh, should get going.” I place the bag down and back away. Stop babbling, Tegan!
“Wait a minute.” Brit slides down. “What size clothing are you?”
“Ummm…?” I look to Ryland. He just shrugs as Brit comes over. She grabs my arms and lifts them out, looking at my body.
“You’re what, five seven?” she demands. “And your waist… Yes, you’re perfect! What are you doing this afternoon?” she demands, not pausing for breath. “Could you help me out with a fitting? I’m designing this wedding gown for a client in Atlanta, only she’s missed the last two fittings, and I can’t do anything else unless I know the hem is right,” Brit explains, still clutching both my hands. “You’re her size, I can tell. Please? Pretty please?”
“Umm, sure,” I agree quickly, since it doesn’t look like I have any other option.
She lights up. “Thank you!” Brit cries. “You’re a lifesaver, really. Can you come now?”
“Now? OK. I mean—” My hesitance is lost under her enthusiasm.
“Perfect! I have a studio set up at the ranch, it’s not far. I can drive, it’ll only take a couple of hours, and you just have to stand there. Totally painless, I promise. Unless you move and I stick you with the pins, but that almost never happens.”
“Almost?” I echo, as Brit steers me towards her car.
“Well, there was this one time Juliet swore I was trying to kill her, but that was her fault,” Brit says cheerfully. “She moved.”
“I’ll consider myself warned,” I reply faintly. I send another confused glance back at Ryland, but he’s already digging into the pie.
“Don’t look at me,” he grins. “My sister doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. It runs in the family,” he adds with a wink.
Before I know what’s just happened, I’m strapped in the passenger seat, hurtling along the back roads out of town. Brit drives like it’s an offensive sport, wrenching the wheel around every turn as she quizzes me about Alicia and Dex.
“They’re on tour now, South America, then onto Europe, I think,” I reply, trying to hang on to the inside door.
“I’m really glad it worked out for them,” Brit replies. “And now you’re in town, right when Ryland’s back too. Did you meet him at the garage then?”
“No,” I grip the door tighter as we hurtle around another bend. “We met in Vegas the other month.”
“Vegas?” Brit’s head snaps around. “What was he doing there?”
I pause. If Ryland hasn’t told his sister where he’s been the past few months, I don’t want to be the one to break that confidence. “I don’t know,” I answer truthfully. “We barely saw each other. Just one of those chance meetings,” I add, trying to be vague.
A chance meeting that went from zero to hot makeout in about ten seconds flat.
“Hmmm.” Brit makes a noise, but she doesn’t press it. “Well, you have perfect timing, helping me out like this. I’ve been leaving messages round the clock for this client, but apparently she’s at some spa retreat all week and won’t pick up her phone. I would tell her to go stuff her wedding dress someplace uncomfortable, but honestly, it’s too beautiful not to finish.”
He’s leaning against the wall beside her, looking relaxed—and hot as ever. She’s wearing a vintage-print dress and lace-up boots, with choppy dark hair in her eyes, and as I draw closer, she reaches up to ruffle Ryland’s hair affectionately.
See, a voice crows triumphantly. You knew he was bad news. He’s probably got a hundred girls on speed dial. What made you think you were so special?
He looks past her and sees me. “Tegan,” he calls, breaking into a grin. “Third day running. I’m beginning to think you don’t hate me as much as you say you do.”
“I never said I hate you,” I protest. The girl looks down at me curiously.
“You’re right,” Ryland agrees, teasing. “You just said you never want to see me again.”
“See?” I reply lightly. “Totally different thing.”
I turn to the girl, waiting for an introduction. Ryland pauses a moment.
“Tegan, this is my baby sister Brit.”
“His wiser, more stable, infinitely more talented and intelligent baby sister,” she corrects him, jabbing an elbow in his ribs.
I laugh, with relief that she’s not Ryland’s super-hot new girlfriend, and with recognition over the tone. “I have three older brothers,” I tell her in sympathy. “Believe me, baby isn’t the worst thing I’ve been called. Dex called me ‘munchkin’ for years in front of all my friends until I threatened to break every last one of his guitars.”
Brit’s eyes widen. “Dex as in Dex Callahan, lead singer of The Reckless?” she asks.
Immediately, I get guarded. “Yes,” I say slowly, wondering if she’s a super-fan who’s going to ask me for his autograph or something.
“I know him,” Brit says happily. “Well, I know Alicia. They came to my wedding.”
I relax. “That’s great, I didn’t realize.”
“That makes two of us,” Ryland adds, fixing me with a curious stare. Between him and Brit’s assessing stare, I suddenly feel like I’m under the microscope.
“Anyway, I just came by to see about the car. Ryland’s fixing it,” I add, explaining to Brit. “I brought pie, in case you were, you know, hungry. But I, uh, should get going.” I place the bag down and back away. Stop babbling, Tegan!
“Wait a minute.” Brit slides down. “What size clothing are you?”
“Ummm…?” I look to Ryland. He just shrugs as Brit comes over. She grabs my arms and lifts them out, looking at my body.
“You’re what, five seven?” she demands. “And your waist… Yes, you’re perfect! What are you doing this afternoon?” she demands, not pausing for breath. “Could you help me out with a fitting? I’m designing this wedding gown for a client in Atlanta, only she’s missed the last two fittings, and I can’t do anything else unless I know the hem is right,” Brit explains, still clutching both my hands. “You’re her size, I can tell. Please? Pretty please?”
“Umm, sure,” I agree quickly, since it doesn’t look like I have any other option.
She lights up. “Thank you!” Brit cries. “You’re a lifesaver, really. Can you come now?”
“Now? OK. I mean—” My hesitance is lost under her enthusiasm.
“Perfect! I have a studio set up at the ranch, it’s not far. I can drive, it’ll only take a couple of hours, and you just have to stand there. Totally painless, I promise. Unless you move and I stick you with the pins, but that almost never happens.”
“Almost?” I echo, as Brit steers me towards her car.
“Well, there was this one time Juliet swore I was trying to kill her, but that was her fault,” Brit says cheerfully. “She moved.”
“I’ll consider myself warned,” I reply faintly. I send another confused glance back at Ryland, but he’s already digging into the pie.
“Don’t look at me,” he grins. “My sister doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. It runs in the family,” he adds with a wink.
Before I know what’s just happened, I’m strapped in the passenger seat, hurtling along the back roads out of town. Brit drives like it’s an offensive sport, wrenching the wheel around every turn as she quizzes me about Alicia and Dex.
“They’re on tour now, South America, then onto Europe, I think,” I reply, trying to hang on to the inside door.
“I’m really glad it worked out for them,” Brit replies. “And now you’re in town, right when Ryland’s back too. Did you meet him at the garage then?”
“No,” I grip the door tighter as we hurtle around another bend. “We met in Vegas the other month.”
“Vegas?” Brit’s head snaps around. “What was he doing there?”
I pause. If Ryland hasn’t told his sister where he’s been the past few months, I don’t want to be the one to break that confidence. “I don’t know,” I answer truthfully. “We barely saw each other. Just one of those chance meetings,” I add, trying to be vague.
A chance meeting that went from zero to hot makeout in about ten seconds flat.
“Hmmm.” Brit makes a noise, but she doesn’t press it. “Well, you have perfect timing, helping me out like this. I’ve been leaving messages round the clock for this client, but apparently she’s at some spa retreat all week and won’t pick up her phone. I would tell her to go stuff her wedding dress someplace uncomfortable, but honestly, it’s too beautiful not to finish.”
