“By the way, I forgot to tell you. I’m the number-one informant when it comes to my sister. If there’s anything you want to know, you can ask me.” She said this with a straight face. I, on the other hand, could barely hold back laughter.
“Why not just surprise Skye?”
Tess waved her hand dismissively. “Surprises are overrated in my opinion. They can go so wrong if one doesn’t do their homework.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Now, excuse me, I’m going to catch up with the newly arrived,” Tess said.
I liked Tess very much, her vibrancy and zest for life. She was in a great mood, but then again, so was Skye. Being surrounded by family just made her happy. I liked her fierceness and strength, but at the same time, I wanted to keep her safe from everything too.
Skye captivated all my instincts and thoughts in ways I hadn’t allowed anyone to do before. I thought that would make me vulnerable, but I was changing my mind fast.
***
Skye
I absolutely loved having everyone here. I hadn’t seen Ian, Dylan, and Isabelle in ages and wanted to catch up with them. Theoretically, we could all keep in touch over social media, but there was nothing quite like gathering in person. I couldn’t really tell a person’s mood through a screen, even if we spoke with the camera on, which I did with Isabelle. Things were different face-to-face.
Isabelle was bubbly as ever. She’d recently colored her hair a vibrant red. Ian and Dylan looked very similar to me—they took after their dad and had dirty-blond hair and green eyes.
Rob was taking everything in stride, and I was quite proud of him for that. Currently, he was with Mom, who appeared to be talking his ear off. I was torn between rescuing him and focusing on Cole, who wasn’t his usual vibrant and funny self.
“Cole, what’s up with you? By the way, we’re still waiting on an update,” I said, looking pointedly at him.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Tess added. “You didn’t say anything after our theater visit.”
Cole’s demeanor changed.
“Wait a second, you’re glaring,” Tess said.
I nodded in agreement. “That’s definitely a glare.”
“What are you talking about? What did I miss?” Ryker asked.
“Oh, shit,” Skye exclaimed. “We weren’t suppo
sed to say anything in front of Ryker.”
“No, that’s not why he’s glaring.” Tess was looking at Cole intently. “At least... not the only reason.”
Cole shook his head, jutting his hands in his pocket. “She finally agreed to go out with me... and then I discovered she was dishonest about a lot of things.”
I winced. “Oh, you have shit luck, brother.”
Ryker looked stunned. “Wait a second... what do you mean, finally agreed to go out with you? You actually had to work to get a woman? Why didn’t I know about it?”
“Because I didn’t want you giving me shit.” Turning to Rob, Cole added, “My family has an uncanny memory for stuff that goes wrong but can somehow never remember my successes.”
“That’s not true,” Tess said. “It’s just easier to tease you with mishaps.”
“I’m a changed man now. In love with my woman, happy to tie the knot,” Ryker said slowly.
“Still doesn’t mean you won’t give me shit,” Cole said.
Ryker shrugged, but his serious expression had been a farce, because it morphed into a devilish grin. “True, but... I’ll give you a few days before I start.”
“How generous of you. Anyway, bachelor for life, right here.”