Priceless (Forbidden Men 8)

Patting his cheeks, Reese chuckled and nudged him out of the room. “All the more to tease her date with.”

“Tease?” he echoed, cranking his head around to gape at Reese. “Wh-wh-why would there be any teasing? There doesn’t need to be any teasing.”

“Oh, pish. She’s twenty-two. Stop worrying so much.” With that, she smacked his butt to urge him along.

He looked as if he wanted to argue with her before he glanced my way and must’ve seen the ache in my eyes. Shoulders collapsing with defeat, he blew out a breath and then turned away, asking his wiggling kids, “Who wants ice cream?”

Their cheers echoed down the hall as he carried them away. Reese groaned as she returned to me. “Yeah, that’s what they need,” she lamented. “A sugar fix to make them more hyper.”

“He’ll probably give them cookies too,” I felt the devilish need to add. Because it was true. Mason spoiled his children rotten. I thought it was an adorable look on my brother. Reese moaned about it, but I knew she loved it too, mostly because she loved everything about him.

She scowled at me a moment before breaking into a reluctant grin. “I’m sure he will. The big softie.”

Oh yeah, she definitely liked his kid-spoiling side. I would too if I were married and my husband’s biggest weakness was our babies.

A pang of loss but also anticipation coursed through me. Realistically I knew I’d probably never experience that for myself, but...maybe. If tonight went well—

Ack, I needed to stop thinking that way. Poor Seth. If he only knew what kind of dreams and expectations I was already pinning on him.

Which I was going to stop doing. Right...now.

Or now.

Ugh, this dream-stopping business was hard stuff.

In front of me, Reese rubbed her hands together with relish, looking at my face like an artist gazing upon a blank canvas.

“I think we’ll start with a blue-based silver in the corner of your eyes, then some navy underneath.” Flinging open the makeup kit that looked more like Barbie’s dream tackle box, she reached in for half a dozen eyeshadows. “Then dust with some peach and rose plum...”

She lifted one color to my face and shifted her gaze between my eyes and eyeshadow case before tsking and shaking her head. “No. Maybe...aha. Rose gold. Ooh, yes. That’s perfect.”

I sat as still as possible, which wasn’t still at all

, but Reese was used to putting makeup on me by now and was a pro at prettying me up, regardless of my constant wiggling.

For a couple minutes, neither of us spoke as she did her thing. My mind wandered to what was about to take place in less than thirty minutes as my stomach pitched with nerves, the good kind and the bad. I couldn’t calm the shaking in my limbs. I almost wanted to vomit and yet the hope inside me had sprouted such huge wings, I was sure I might start floating any second.

“I feel like Pinocchio,” I said, needing to say something because I feared I might burst if I contained everything bubbling inside me.

Reese paused from applying blush to my cheeks so she could send me an odd look. “You’re lying about something?”

“No.” I laughed. “I’m finally going to get to be a real girl.”

Instead of sharing my excitement, Reese’s eyes fill will sorrow. “Oh, Sarah...sweetie, you’ve always been real.”

I shook my head. “No. Not really. I mean, I’ve always been a spectator. Aside from furthering my education, I’ve never really gone out and done something. This feels like my first chance to do something. To live.”

She still didn’t get it, though. “I...I’m so sorry. I never realized you felt that way. I mean, both Mason and I have always tried to—”

I caught her hands to stall her. “Reese. You and Mason are amazing. I could never deserve everything you’ve ever done for me. But this is something I’m finally doing for myself.”

“Oh,” she whispered and her eyes went dewy as if she were about to burst into tears. Then she lunged forward and threw her arms around me to give me a huge hug. “I’m so proud of you, Sarah,” she said into my ear. “For everything you’ve accomplished and everything you’re still accomplishing. You’re the best sister-in-law and aunt to my babies a woman could ever have. I wish you all the happiness in the world tonight.”

When she pulled back, her eyes were no longer dewy. Now they were swimming with moisture. “Damn it.” She wiped the wetness away. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.”

Plucking a tissue from the box she’d been using to perfect my makeup, I handed it to her. “Is it my turn to remind you I’m twenty-two?”

“As if age has anything to do with it,” she mumbled, snagging the tissue and blowing her nose. “This is your first date. I’d have been weepy if you were ten or thirty.”