Page 32 of Summer with a Brother's Best Friend
He laughs and I roll my eyes. “You’re such a romantic,” I muse as he holds my door open for me.
“I’ll do it right; don’t you worry.”
“I’m not worried,” I say, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down for a kiss. “All I need is you.”
“And most of the closet and dresser space. And another bookshelf and?—”
“Get in the car, Nowak. You owe your future wife some orgasms.”
Isaac laughs, walking around the hood of the car before dropping into the driver’s seat. Without a word, he cups my face and slants his mouth over mine in a searing kiss before resting his forehead against mine.
“Best summer ever,” he says quietly.
“Best summer ever.”
With my brother’s best friend.
EPILOGUE
ISAAC
THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER
“Do you think they suspect anything?” Reece asks as we line up the beach chairs under the tent. Her white sundress is covering the white bikini underneath, the one she bought especially for today. Her hair is pulled up into a ponytail, with little wisps falling around her makeup-free face—because this is how she wanted to marry me.
And I absolutely love it.
I can’t stop the grin that stretches over my face as I stare at her. “Pretty sure they’ll suspect something as soon as they get here.”
Coolers with chilled champagne and an assortment of easy-to-eat beach foods sit off to the side, a smaller one holding beautiful flower leis, all made by Vienna.
She’d agreed to officiate our impromptu ceremony and had been appalled when we’d told her we weren’t doing any of the traditional things—like flowers. She wouldn’t take no for an answer which is how we ended up with the floral-filled cooler.
“Hey y’all,” Vienna says, hustling across the sand, “they’re here!”
I expect Reece to look nervous, but she just flashes me the biggest smile as Maddox and Marigold come into view.
“Oh my God!” Marigold screeches, tossing her sand chair down before wrapping Reece in a crushing hug. She squeals again and does a little dance, and I can only assume she’s just agreed to be Reece’s maid of honor.
“What is…” Maddox starts before pushing his sunglasses up on the top of his head.
“Be my best man?”
“No fucking way, dude,” he says with a laugh and then wraps me in a hug and slaps my back. “I’d be honored.”
Vienna places a purple and white flower lei around Marigold’s neck before doing the same to Maddox, their cheesy grins a welcome reprieve as I spot Reece’s parents.
I brace for the worst as Bill and Candee stop short of the tent, their eyes taking everything in as Candee’s hand goes to her mouth.
I’d asked Bill’s permission, but Lord knows they weren’t expecting it to happen so quickly. My own parents had been disappointed but understanding when we’d called them earlier this week, their cross-country trip already in progress and making it impossible to get home in time.
But this was only the beginning. They’d be back for the reception and every milestone after.
“Mr. Baylor,” Vienna says, slipping the flower lei over Bill’s head.
“I was hoping you’dbothwalk me down the aisle,” Reece says quietly, her mother wiping frantically at the tears rolling down her cheeks as she nods.
“Of course! Oh my goodness, Bill, how is my hair?”
