Wright Rival (Wright)

Hollin told them about the winery, which was a conversation we knew all too well. And by the time my dad and Abuelita came out with lunch, my entire family was enamored with him. It wasn’t hard. He was a people person to his core. Everyone loved him, except me…for the longest time. And now, even I’d been drawn in.

As we dug into the delicious food, Aly, still dressed in a tutu, as if she’d come straight from ballet class instead of Easter service, asked Hollin, “Are you going to marry my aunt Piper?”

Hollin laughed. “Uh…”

I choked on my sip of water. All eyes turned to the two of us. My face flamed.

Isaac laughed and slid an arm around his daughter. “Aly Cat, people don’t get married after dating them for a few weeks.”

Aly looked at him with wide, confused kid eyes. “But you and Miss Peyton did!”

“She has a point,” Peyton said. “Didn’t realize we were teaching her that.”

“I think you should get married,” Aly told him. “Then, I can be your flower girl. Do you know how pretty I look in my dress?”

“I don’t,” Hollin admitted, “but I’ll be at the wedding for your dad, and you can show me.”

“Okay!” she said, completely satisfied.

Hollin arched an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged. Kids. It was out of my control.

After lunch was finished, we all sat around outside, eating homemade ice cream. Hollin’s phone dinged three times in a row. He’d been ignoring it, but the last one finally made him pull it out.

“Excuse me,” he said and then got on the phone.

Peyton raised an eyebrow. “What’s that about?”

Her guess was as good as mine.

“No idea.”

But when Hollin came back, he was beaming. “Emery had her baby. A healthy boy named Logan Christopher.”

“Oh, lovely!” my mom said.

“I’m so happy for them,” Peyton added.

“Logan Christopher,” I said. “It’s a good name. And Emery is okay?”

“Totally fine.”

“That’s wonderful,” Abuelita said. “An Easter baby.”

We all celebrated the news, and after we ate more than our share of ice cream, I followed Hollin out the front door. We walked in silence to my Jeep, and I leaned back against it.

“So, that’s my family.”

“They’re wonderful.”

“Yeah?” I asked. “I mean, I think so, but…other people…”

“Don’t matter,” he said at once. “If anyone else has ever looked at your family and not thought they were incredible, they don’t matter. You’re so lucky to have been raised in a big family like that.”

“Well, thanks. You have a big family here, too.”

He shrugged. “Nah, not really. My mom died when I was in college. My aunt Lori only moved back and she married Vail. Campbell left after graduation. It’s just been me and my dad and Nora. I only recently got my cousins and Campbell back.”

I hadn’t known that. He didn’t exactly talk about his family, except how proud he was of Campbell and Nora. Almost as if he were their dad more than their older brother.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed your time.”

“I did.” He slowly threaded our fingers together. “Can I take you out on a real date now?”

“Right now?”

He grinned. “No. I’ll make it a real date. I’ll pick you up and everything. Your favorite flower is?” he prodded.

I shook my head. “Tulips.”

“Got it,” he said with a wink. He tugged me forward. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

Then, his lips were on mine, and all thoughts fled my mind. I’d kissed Hollin that day on the tour bus. But we’d been drunk and frantic. The entire purpose had been to get our clothes off. This was…not that. This was so much more. Sweet yet claiming, and soft yet unyielding. It was everything I wanted a first kiss to be and more.

And by the time he pulled back, I was breathless and leaning against him.

“I had a good time,” he said against my lips.

“Me too.”

“Friday?”

I nodded and met his baby-blue eyes. “Friday.”

22

Hollin

It had been years since I’d gone on a proper date. The kind that my dad had prepared me for as a kid. Not that I’d been a complete asshole, but flowers certainly hadn’t been in my repertoire.

So, when I knocked on the door to Piper’s place, holding a bouquet of tulips, I was definitely not prepared for Blaire and Jennifer to be standing there expectantly with wide, excited eyes.

“Oh my God, flowers,” Jennifer said.

“Those are beautiful,” Blaire said. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Me neither,” I admitted with a self-deprecating laugh. “Is…Piper here, or am I just seeing you two?”

“She’s still getting ready,” Jennifer said, opening the door wide so I could come inside.

Blaire took the flowers into the kitchen, where she arranged them in a vase.

“That doesn’t sound like her.”

Blaire grinned. “No, it doesn’t. She might be talking herself out of it.”

My eyes darted down the hall. “Uh, should I go say something?”