Page 2 of No Way Home
I dugmy toes into the sand, sweat beading between my shoulder blades as I watched my oldest brother, James, smile for the camera, his arm around his wife.
Wife.
I’d officially been a brother-in-law for forty-two whole minutes.
“Tip your head toward her,” the photographer said. “A little more.” Click. “Great. Now take a couple of steps back, feet in the water.”
James nearly tripped. Sucker couldn’t take his eyes off of Sage. And could I blame him? The man had been waiting a long time for this. They’d been together since their junior year of high school.
My mom walked up, now in a pair of shorts and a tank top. It was way too hot to keep that sparkly gown on from the actual wedding. Too hot for the linen pants and long-sleeved button-down I was still wearing—my groomsman get-up.
Mom said something to the photographer. I couldn’t hear what because of the breeze—and because I’d purposely situated myself far enough away that everyone would get the hint that I wanted to be alone.
While they were chatting, Sage gazed up at James, and he took it as an invitation to steal another kiss. I stared off in the opposite direction. A girl in a bikini gave me a small finger wave. She was cute. Really cute. Thick, wavy brown hair that hit right at her shoulders. Curves inallthe right places. She’d been checking me out for the last ten minutes.
I glanced away like I hadn’t seen and went back to watching my brother.
A minute later, I realized I was scratchingitagain. My vertical eyebrow piercing. Or what had been my brow piercing. I’d taken it out right after The Three-Second Kiss That Cost Me Everything. Even a year later, I still scratched it. Out of habit, maybe? No, out of punishment.
My hand dropped to my lap when I heard someone walking up. I looked over just in time to see my cousin Charlie plopping down next to me in the sand. Her gauzy periwinkle-colored bridesmaid dress pooled around her.
“Went to tug your man bun and remembered it’s gone.” Her blue diamond wedding ring nearly blinded me; the sun glinted off it straight into my eyeball. “You could’ve left a little something for me to hang onto.” I chopped my hair last week for the wedding. “What’re you doing way over here?” Her gaze flashed past me…to the bikini babe. “Oooh, gotcha.”
“Nada.” I clicked my tongue. “Just chilling.”
She leaned over and placed a juicy kiss on my cheek. I tipped away, looking at her like she was nuts. We were huggers, not cheek-kissers.
She snickered. “She looked like she was about to come over and talk to you. Just thought I’d help you shake her loose.”
My gaze skittered to the brunette…who must’ve seen me lean away from Charlie because her eyes were still curious. Interested.
I wound an arm around my cousin like we were a couple, a low chuckle escaping my chest.
“That did it,” Charlie announced. I turned and sure enough, the girl was stalking off in the other direction. “I dunno.” Charlie whistled. “She was a looker. Sure you wanna let that one get away?”
I grunted and picked up a shell, rubbing it between my fingers.
“Let me guess.” Charlie nudged me with her knee. “You’re not into brunettes.”
I gave her a healthy dose of side-eye. “Get thee behind me, Chuck.”
Her jaw jutted. “Wow.”
“Admit it.” I booped her on the nose. “Youare a troublemaker.”
She snorted. “Andyouare what your own mother calls emotionally constipated.”
True. But… “She’s usually saying it about my dad. I get it honest, I guess.”
She chewed her lip, and I could see thatsomethingwas about to burst out of her mouth. “I ran into Maggie yesterday. In Charlottesville. When I stopped at Target after my doctor’s appointment.”
I groaned. “No.”
“Just let me finish.” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was within hearing range. “She’s hurting. Still. You should talk to her,” she said conspiratorially, as if we were planning a coup that might get us killed.
Which is exactly what talking to Maggie would be.
“You know I can’t.” I gave a firm head shake. “Don’t want to. Not interested.”
