“I’m glad she finally saw the light.”
Ryder wouldn’t correct his assumption that McKenzie had ended the relationship. He’d made the same mistake.
“All of which worked to my advantage,” Ryder acknowledged. “If she’d been happy with the last guy I wouldn’t be in Tennessee.”
“True that.”
Both men turned to watch McKenzie slowly make her way up the aisle to the front. When she passed them, her gaze met Ryder’s, lingered a moment, then lit on her brother and she grinned.
Ryder almost thought she was going to bail on the wedding procession so she could fling herself at her brother, putting to rest any notion that the two weren’t close.
The wedding party went through another mock ceremony, without the bride and groom saying actual vows, then exited as they would the following day.
Ryder wasn’t surprised when McKenzie came barreling toward them and flung her arms around her brother.
“Mark! I didn’t know you were here.”
“Hey, squirt. Miss me much?”
“How embarrassing?” She wrinkled her nose. “Do. Not. Call. Me. That.”
He laughed. “Outgrown your nickname?”
“That has never been my nickname. Only you have ever used it and I’ve always hated it.”
Ryder watched the interplay between siblings and could see the closeness that as an only child he’d never experienced. Would he and Chrissy have shared such a bond if she’d lived? He’d have done anything for the chance to know.
Turning her big green eyes toward him, McKenzie smiled and unlike earlier, her smile was real. “Ryder, let me introduce you to the bane of my childhood and for the record if you ever call me squirt, you’re history.”
Her brother arched a brow. “That sounds painful on a lot of different levels.”
“Having you for a brother was painful.” But McKenzie was laughing as she said it.
The wedding coordinator clapped her hands and called for everyone to head toward the rehearsal dinner hall.
“As that woman is the bane of my present,” McKenzie sighed. “She is so organizing.”
“It’s her job. Dealing with bridezillas day after day, no doubt she has to be,” Mark suggested.
“Reva isn’t a bridezilla.”
On cue, their cousin burst into tears and sat down on one of the pews.
Mark gestured to their cousin. “You sure?”
“Positive, but that’s my calling card to go check on her.” She gave her brother a hug, then turned to walk away, and as if an afterthought, turned back, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the corner of Ryder’s mouth.
That was twice she’d kissed him. Once had been for the benefit of the women watching her greet them. That one must have been for her brother because Ryder wasn’t sure anyone else had been paying them the slightest heed.
He wasn’t complaining. This pretend boyfriend gig came with amazing perks.
Their eyes met, held.
“Sorry you keep getting abandoned.”
“You can make it up to me later,” he teased.
Her eyes widened with surprise, then after a nervous look toward her brother, she slowly smiled. “We’ll see.”