Playing for Keeps (30 page)

“What?” I glanced at Pete.

He squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll go get her a glass of water.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at him before returning my attention to my idiot sister. “Okay, what’s this about the wrong man?”

“I made a mistake,” she wailed. “A huge mistake. I can’t marry Riley.”

I sighed. Hadn’t we gone through this before? “You love Riley.”

“But he’s all wrong for me.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and they began to streak down her cheeks. “I need a manly man. Someone who’ll take charge so I don’t end up having a wedding without someone to conduct it. Like Daddy. Or Pete.”

“What?” I didn’t have to turn around to know Pete approached us from behind.

“Just like Pete.” She hiccupped again. “His gray eyes are so piercing—”

“He has blue eyes.”

“—and his voice gives me shivers, and that tattoo—”

“Pete doesn’t have a tattoo.” I knew. I’d examined every square inch of his body.

Nell stomped her foot. “Well, I want him.”

I felt Pete stop, his eyes on me, waiting to see what I’d do.

At one time I would have calmed Nell down and then tried to figure out how to get her what she wanted, no matter what it’d cost me. I glanced at Pete, and then back at Nell, and then back at Pete.

I couldn’t do it.

Taking Nell by the shoulders, I leaned down and looked into her eyes. “You can’t have him.”

She blinked. “What?”

“You have Riley. Pete is mine.”

Her nose wrinkled and then suddenly she bust out in laughter. “Oh, that’s funny, Gracie.”

“I’m not kidding. Pete and I are dating.”

Her laughter trailed off. “You’re serious.”

“Yes, I am.” I gazed at Pete.

His smile was like dawn.

Nell recoiled from me. “I can’t believe this. My sister stole my boyfriend.”

“Pete wasn’t your boyfriend. You’d tossed him back like he was chopped liver.”

“Gee, thanks,” he said dryly.

“Any time.”

He pulled a lock of my hair but then he left his hand on my back, so I didn’t complain.

“I can’t believe this.” Nell tottered back and forth in the hallway, unsteady on her heels. “He was
my
boyfriend.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about? You’re engaged to another man.”

“That’s beside the point.”

I rolled my eyes. Sure it was.

“The first cardinal rule of sisterhood is that you
never
go out with your sister’s boyfriend. Especially ex-boyfriends.” She stopped right in front of me and poked me with her unmanicured finger. “You broke that goddamn rule.”

“No one ever gave me the rule book.”

Her voice rose a couple decibels. “This is not a joking matter. This is my life you’ve screwed up.”

“What the hell is going on out here?”

We turned to find my dad and Clarice. Daddy’s hands were fisted, like he was ready to take someone out.

Nell jabbed me with her finger again. “She stole my boyfriend.”

Daddy goggled at me. “You’ve been messing around with Riley too?”

Clarice scowled and elbowed him in the ribs. Hard.

Brows furrowed, he rubbed his side. “What?”

“Grace would never do such a thing. You should be ashamed of yourself to think that.” Clarice folded her arms and glared up at him.

Daddy looked abashed. “I’m sorry.”

“You should apologize to your daughter, not me.”

Maybe having her around was a good thing.

Daddy faced me and mumbled what I guessed was an apology. I was so astounded I mumbled right back at him.

Clarice eyed Nell. I swear she figured up the whole situation in that one glance. “Nell, why don’t we find you a hot cup of tea?”

“I don’t want a goddamn cup of tea.” She stomped her foot again. “I want Pete.”

Four pairs of eyes swung to him.

He shrugged and held his hands out. “I’m just an innocent bystander in all this.”

Everyone looked at Nell.

Fortunately, she loved having an audience. She was more of a ham than most Hollywood stars. She pointed that accusing finger at me again. “She stole Pete right out from under me. As if it wasn’t enough that she’s sabotaged my wedding.”

Everyone looked at me.

I looked back to make sure Riley hadn’t joined the party. He didn’t need to hear his fiancée claiming she wanted his best man. “Nell, just calm down. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“The hell I don’t know what I’m saying.” She tottered on her heels. “You’re a fricking albatross around my neck, Gracie. You stole my dog. You stole my boyfriend. What’s next? At least we don’t wear the same shoe size.”

Okay, I knew I deserved some punishment because I’d neglected getting an officiant for the service. And for all the little things—like the invitations and such. Maybe even because I didn’t actually get the caterer Nell wanted.

But I didn’t deserve this much torture. I’d worked hard to insure Nell had a great wedding. So some of it didn’t go the way I would have liked. Even Mom would have to agree that I’d tried my best.

So I did the only thing left for me to do. I snapped.

“You ungrateful”—I sputtered, trying to find the right word—”
bitch
.”

Someone gasped. It sounded like it was Chloe, but I didn’t turn around to check. Nell had my attention.

Inching closer to her, my anger escalated with every step. “I’ve worked my butt off organizing this wedding for you. I’ve done everything in my power, even when I wasn’t thrilled that you were marrying Riley. But you know what?”

She opened her mouth but no words came out.

“I’m through.” I poked my finger at her. “I’m absolutely finished with your bullshit. You’ve been a prima donna from the beginning and I’ve had it. I’ve put up with your antics. I’ve taken on everything you’ve asked me to do even when it was your responsibility. I’ve soothed Riley when you’ve treated him like crap. I even took in your dog when you knew I didn’t want him.”

Nell took a deep breath, like she was gearing up to cut loose on me.

But I beat her to the punch. “But how do you pay me back? You home in on the one mistake I’ve made. You complain that your dog likes me more when you’re the one who abandoned him in the first place. Now you try to make me feel guilty that I’m in love with a guy you dumped after three dates two years ago?” I stepped up to her face and whispered, “I don’t think so.”

I turned around and glared at Pete. Then I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulled him to me, and laid a big one on him right there in front of everyone.

When I broke away from him, I was panting—from anger or passion, it was a draw. I looked into his bright blue eyes. “We’re out of the closet.”

His grin widened and he rubbed my neck with his thumb. “Yes, I’d say we are.”

“I can’t believe this.” Nell banged a fist against the wall. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Nell. “Do what? Find happiness for myself?”

She hit the wall again and sputtered.

“I’ve lived behind you guys since Mom died, because I was scared. Scared to go for what I wanted, and scared that you guys would leave me too. Scared to live, scared to love.” Fists on my hips, I faced Nell. “But I’m done living in a cocoon.”

“You—”

“If you can’t take that I want my own life, tough luck, Nell. Get used to it. I’m turning over a new leaf, right now. It’s time you stepped up and took responsibility for your own happiness too.”

“I’m happy,” she snarled.

“You are, if you’d only admit it to yourself.” I looked at my family, who gaped at me. “So this is it. I’m out.”

Nell glared. “What the fuck do you mean,
you’re out
?”

“I mean you’re all on your own.” I stalked out, dragging Pete along behind me. The silence that followed us was deafening.

Finally, Chloe broke it. “Hot damn. Gracie said ‘bullshit.’”

“That was some scene back there.”

I glanced at Pete. “Over the top?”

“It needed to be said.” He squeezed my hand as he led me through the parking lot. “Do you regret it?”

“Actually, I feel pretty good.” Light. Free. The fear was still there, but there was hope keeping it in check. Grinning, I faced him. “I feel really good.”

He chuckled. “Hold that thought.”

I realized we were in front of his car. I frowned and looked around. “But my car is on the other side of the lot.”

“We’ll pick it up tomorrow.” He trapped me against his car. He held me by the hips and pressed his arousal into me. “You’re staying with me tonight. All night.”

I read every deliciously naughty thing he wanted to do to me in his eyes, and it made me tingle all the way down to my toes. “It turned you on to see me all forceful, huh?”

His reply was a nip on my neck, on the sensitive area right below my ear.

“Take me home,” I whispered.

Pete opened my door and waited to close it. When he climbed into the driver seat and slipped the key into the ignition, I put a hand on his arm. “Can we make a stop first?”

He looked at me, his eyebrow raised in question.

“The Pearl District.”

“The Pearl District?” He watched me carefully.

“To visit my flower shop.”

His smile was slow to bloom, but when it unfurled completely, it took my breath away. “You’re on.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Using order to deal with the disorderly, using calm to deal with the raucous, is mastering the heart.

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Saturday arrived bright and clear. The sun rose and streamed into Pete’s bedroom, lighting the space in a golden glow. Of course, it might have been my mood that made everything seem so perfect. I lay on my stomach, snuggled in the pillow. Pete’s arm lay around my waist, holding me loosely.

I loved that. I loved the way he held me close even in sleep.

Rolling onto my back, I faced him. My heart caught in my throat. This man was mine.

He opened an eye. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” I smiled, wide and silly but I couldn’t seem to help it. I burrowed my head in his neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” His arm tightened around me, and I felt the press of his arousal.

“Didn’t you get enough last night?”

“I’ll never have enough of you.” To prove his point, he ran his hand over my butt and squeezed.

Sighing, I slipped my leg between his. “Okay. You win.”

He chuckled and rolled on top of me.

And someone knocked on the front door.

We looked at each other. “Who could it be?” I asked.

“I’m not expecting anyone.”

The banging continued, sharp and insistent.

He groaned and dropped his head onto my chest. “They aren’t going to go away, are they?”

The rapping got louder.

I shook my head. “I’d say no.”

He bit the inside curve of my breast, licked my nipple, and said, “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

“I can do that.”

He grabbed a pair of jeans off a chair and pulled them on. I propped myself on an elbow and watched in fascination. No underwear. Interesting. “Do you go commando often?”

He glanced at me as he slipped a T-shirt over his head. “Go commando?”

“Sans undergarments.” I waved in the general direction of his crotch.

“I will from now on, if it turns you on.” Laughing softly, he left the room to go put whoever was at the door out of his misery.

Or her misery, as it turned out. It was Nell.

Pete walked back into the bedroom and sat next to me. “Nell’s here. She said she needs to talk to you.”

I frowned and looked at the time. “I don’t have to submit myself to wedding torture yet. It’s too early.”

“She seems upset.” He traced a finger down my cheek. “I think you should talk to her.”

“I’d rather stay in bed.”

“That’s fine,” Nell said from the doorway. “You can stay there.”

Pulling up the sheets, I scowled at her. “Hey, I’m in bed.”

“Master of the obvious, that’s my sister.” From the way she crossed her arms, I knew she wasn’t going to budge.

Pete leaned down to kiss me, light but lingering, on the lips. “I’ll make coffee. Take your time.”

I pouted as he left. “This better be important, Nell.”

“It’s damn important. It’s about the wedding.” She stalked to the end of the bed and stood there, as intimidating as a five foot four person in pink could be. “I have some things I need to say to you.”

“Then say them and get out.”

She glared at me, and then to my surprise all the starch went out of her. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Excuse me? I rubbed a finger in my ear, knowing I must have heard wrong. “What?”

“I’m sorry.” She sat on the end of the bed. “I’ve been such a selfish asshole, demanding everything from you. I’m sorry I took you for granted.”

I sat up, holding the sheet against my chest. “Are you okay? Do you have a fever?”

She either didn’t hear or chose to ignore me. “Everything you said last night was true. I was such a bitch, and I’m so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

I opened my mouth but I couldn’t make a peep.

No matter. Nell kept going. “I’ve been so self-absorbed. But it wasn’t only that. I’ve been scared.” She gazed at me steadily, speaking slowly, which was so unlike her. “I’ve been afraid I’d die young like Mom. I guess that’s normal, isn’t it?”

I nodded. Oh yeah. Been there, done that.

“I think I compensated by trying to cram everything in.” She frowned introspectively. “I really did want to marry Riley. I really do. I love him so much. I think I flipped out because I was afraid I was going to be too limited. Too—I don’t know. Too stuck.” She looked at me. “You know what I mean?”

Taking her hand, I nodded again. “I know.”

She clutched my hand, tears shimmering in her eyes. “We’re okay, aren’t we? You don’t hate me, do you? I
do
want you to be happy. I love that you and Pete hooked up. Pete’s great. You and Pete belong together.”

I hugged her. She held me tight, in a way she hadn’t since our mother died. “I love you, Nell. Of course we’re okay.”