Take the Bride (The Knight Brothers 1.5)

Tears filled her eyes as she met his gaze. “I hate you.”

His chest squeezed at her blurted-out words. “No, you don’t, but I understand why you want to think you do.”

She glared at him. “So what are you suggesting?”

“Let me get you out of here. Give everyone a chance to calm down and think. Let cooler heads prevail.”

She glanced toward the sanctuary, where the sounds of chaos still carried to them.

“Come on.” He held out a hand, and this time she placed her palm in his, the warmth and electrical connection between them instantaneous despite the wary expression on her face and the emotional walls between them.

Before her brothers could burst into the room, he led her outside and toward his car, helping her climb in and tucking her dress inside before shutting the door.

He had her where he wanted her. He just didn’t know what he was going to do next.

* * * *

With no destination in mind, Ryder drove them over the George Washington Bridge and out of New York City. Beside him, Sierra sat, her dress fluffed around her, staring out the window, not saying a word.

Except to hand her his phone and tell her to text her brothers and let them know she was okay, he left her alone, hoping she wasn’t stewing and building up a case of righteous anger against him. He wanted the chance later for them to really talk.

He was surprised when, after about half an hour, she fell asleep, leaving him to his own thoughts and self-recriminations, and he had many, not all revolving around his actions at the wedding.

He glanced over, taking in her delicate profile, noticing the freckles on her nose, remembering how he’d pretend to count them, one by one. He swallowed a groan, not wanting to wake her up, but asking himself, how the hell had they gotten to this point?

He gripped the wheel tighter, the past coming back to him. As Sebastian’s best friend, he’d been around the Knight house all the time when they were growing up. Two years apart, he couldn’t help but notice as Sierra matured into a gorgeous woman. He’d been attracted to her and knew better than to screw around when it came to his best friend’s sister, but when they finally did get together, it was in a relationship.

And her brothers, knowing him as they did, had actually approved of them as a couple. They’d trusted Ryder to do right by her. Crazily enough, knowing that had played into the decisions he’d made.

Although his family wasn’t as wealthy as Sebastian’s, his dad had done well until a market crash hit and his business took a dive. He should have gone away to school, but his dad had had a heart attack before he could leave and Ryder had stayed home to help run the family business with his older brother, Andrew. His father had developed a weak heart, resulting in many hospital trips over the years, and Ryder had never regretted his decision.

At his older sibling’s urging, Ryder had gone to school at night, earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees, but during the day, he’d worked overseeing the day-to-day construction side of the business while his brother handled the office management part of the company.

And during the summer before Sierra’s senior year, they’d first gotten together. As the school year began, she’d applied to college, always planning to go to school away from home. Even before they’d been a couple, she’d talked about how eager she’d been to finally get away and have independence without three older brothers watching over her. But their romance had taken a turn neither had expected, getting hot and heavy quickly.

He’d fallen hard and fast for the girl with the beautiful face and the big heart. They’d both lost their moms at a young age, hers to cancer, his to a freak car accident, and they’d had that loss in common. Because her family had money, which included having a housekeeper and a cook, there was always food left over after dinner. And she’d insisted on bringing meals to his dad when he came home from one of his frequent hospital trips.

Before Ryder knew it, they’d found themselves making plans for the future. She’d detailed the wedding of her dreams and he hadn’t freaked that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He’d wanted the same thing. There’d been something deep and meaningful between them from the beginning that had only grown over time.

Except that Sierra had started to talk about staying home and attending a local college instead of going away and being exposed to all the things she’d wanted before they’d gotten together—college, independence, life, and yes, dammit, other guys. She needed to experience more before she committed to him. She needed to be certain of what she wanted, and as a senior in high school, she couldn’t possibly know what was best for her.