Page 130 of The Other Guy

We walk into the house without knocking and the second we come through the door everyone stops talking. I look around, feeling awkward as ever. This just won’t do. I know I was nervous but if this continues, we’re in for an entire evening of torture.

I grab my phone from my back pocket and lift it up, take a picture of a few people then turn to Kyle. “For Mom and Dad. Since they couldn’t be here, you know?”

The tension is broken and everyone laughs.

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair points to me and says, “Oh, yeah. You’ll do just fine.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Jack pulls me to him and kisses the top of my head. “Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Sierra Harthorn. Be gentle.”

“You telling her or us to be gentle, son? ‘Cause it looks to me like she’s able to hold her own,” James jokes.

The woman from earlier walks over and shoves Jack aside, rolling her eyes. “Oh, stop, Jack. We’re not that bad, Sierra, I promise. I’m Aunt Tess, James’s way cooler sister.” She doesn’t hug me but does offer me a hand to shake.

She goes on to introduce me to the entire family. Her husband Barrett, a good looking man with salt and pepper hair, her daughter Maggie, son Cole and his wife Mia, son Grady and his wife Bri, who all appear to be about my age. “All the grandkids are outside playing. They’re excited to meet you but I’ll give you a warning, Hazel, the tail ender of the group who’s thirteen, is in a bit of a snit today because she’s been under the assumption that she was going to marry Jack since she was old enough to talk.”

Jack shrugs. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”

“Oh, geesh.” I roll my eyes.

“Hey, I got your attention, didn’t I?”

I don’t argue. I could sass him but he knows the truth. He did get me. But I got him, too. And I don’t take his love for granted.

“Hey, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Harper. I’m so, so sorry for taking your picture that day. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so stinking excited and you’re so pretty… but that’s not an excuse. I’m real sorry for doing that.”

“It’s fine. I think he was more upset than I was about it.”

“Really? I felt awful after I heard he yelled at Grady and Drew.”

I turn to Jack. “You yelled at them?”

“I didn’t yell,” he explains, “I just raised my voice a bit and told them to back off.”

Drew laughs. “Oh, you yelled. But it’s okay. We all needed a little come to Jesus meeting about how pushy we can be.”

“Well, thanks for being cool about it.”

“You’re welcome.”

“This is Grayson, my fiancé,” Harper says and beams, lifting her hand to show her ring. Grayson is incredibly attractive with perfectly messy, wavy dirty blond hair, several inches taller than Harper, and very much in love with his girl if the way he’s looking at her is anything to go by.

He steps forward. “Hi there. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too, and congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Harper and Grayson say at the same time.

“These are my parents, Willow and Mick. My uncle Walker and his wife Ellie. Their kids are out there running around somewhere.”

I blanch and take a step back. “Oh my gosh, Dr. McKinstry?” I turn to Jack. “This is Toby’s vet!” Then twist back to Ellie and Walker. “What are you doing here?”

“Think Grayson just introduced him as his uncle, sweetheart.”

Right. I can’t help it, though. I’m flustered, not realizing that I’d know anyone else here. “Wow. I’m just surprised.”

“Nice to see you again, Sierra. How’s Toby?”

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