This Can't Be Love (Whispering Bay Romance 5)

He exchanged an uncomfortable look with his sister.

“Momma,” Mimi began, “Sarah is—”

“You mean she’s not good enough for me,” Luke said.

“Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice, Luke Michael Powers. I’m not a snob.”

“Yeah, you are,” Mimi said firmly.

“Sarah and I went out on one date,” Luke said, trying to be diplomatic. “A date, I might add, that you bulldozed me into when you volunteered me for that silent auction. Sarah and I are friends, nothing more.” Friends who are now banging each other’s brains out. He loved his mother and his sister, but his sex life was none of their damn business.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Mom said.

“You should bring Sarah to Claire’s going-away party at the end of the month. If you’re still here, that is,” Mimi pointed out.

Ethan had emailed him this morning to get Luke up to speed on the Alaskan project. It looked as if there was a delay with the announcement of the contract, something that just last week would have made Luke a little crazy. He’d planned to stay in Whispering Bay until they knew about the contract, but he was going on his fourth week here. He should go back to Atlanta and catch up on some of their other projects, but it wasn’t as if Ethan couldn’t hold down the fort in his absence.

“Sure. Sounds like fun.”

“Good. Because we’re going to kill three birds with one stone at that party. We’re going to celebrate Claire’s eighteenth birthday, do her big send off to Duke, and we’re going to do a baby reveal.”

“A baby reveal? What on earth is that?” Mom asked.

“Zeke and I are having an ultrasound to find out the baby’s sex next week but we don’t want to know just yet. The ultrasound tech will put the results in a sealed envelope which I’ll give to Heidi over at the bakery. She’ll put either blue or pink confetti in a big balloon, which Zeke and I will pop in front of everyone. Blue for boy and pink for girl. That way everyone will know at the same time. It’s the latest craze. Fun, huh?”

“That’s how people are finding out if they’re having a girl or boy these days?” Mom shook her head as if to say what next?

His sister began wolfing down her fish burger. “God, I’m so glad I can eat again.”

“Are you sure you should be eating all that bread?” their mother said, eyeing Mimi’s belly with a critical eye. “The older you are the harder it is to lose the baby weight.”

Mimi caught Luke’s gaze and shook her head as if to say Mom. His baby sister had always marched to her own private drummer. She loved and respected their parents but she’d had the courage to follow her heart, especially in matters of love. Eighteen years ago, Luke would have said that Mimi was making the biggest mistake of her life by marrying Zeke Grant. But now? Now, he couldn’t help but look at his sister and see a woman who definitely had her act together.

His life, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different than hers…

“Luke, have you heard a word I’ve just said?” Mom asked.

He blinked. “Sorry, I was just—”

“Daydreaming?” Mimi supplied, looking at him oddly.

“Thinking about work,” he lied. Although, it was partially the truth. His life might be totally different from his sister’s, but it was the life he’d worked hard to build. A pretty damn fantastic life, if you asked him.

“Well, I’m glad you and Sarah aren’t romantically involved,” Mom said, “because, as I said in my text, Victoria has a friend for you.”

“Momma,” Mimi said, “Don’t you think it’s a little creepy that Victoria is trying to fix Luke up with a friend of hers at her own wedding? She’s his ex-girlfriend!”

“Not in the least. What I find creepy is this newfangled way you young people meet nowadays. Swipe right or swipe left. What does that even mean anyway?”

Mimi smothered a laugh.

“Mom,” Luke said, “I’m not trying to meet anyone. And as for going to Victoria’s wedding, I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

“Oh, I definitely think you should go to the wedding,” Mimi said, stabbing him in the back. Or rather, the front, since she wasn’t even trying to hide what she was doing.

His mother’s face split into a triumphant smile. “Finally! Someone in this family is on my side.” She turned to Luke. “It’s Victoria’s big day and she wants you there. Plus, your father and I aren’t going. It would simply be too hard for us when everyone knows that it should have been you getting married. Besides, someone has to be there

to represent the family.”