go.
“Who’s the cute couple?” one of the men approaching
asked.
He recognized all four men as her three brothers and
father. Her mother came up behind the men wearing an apron. Andy didn’t
recognize the fifth man in the group. There were no photos of him. The other
woman beside her mother was Bethany.
“Hi, Dad, I’d like you to meet Andy.” Sara pushed her
sister out of the way. She pulled him up to the group of men. “Andy, this is
Danny, Jake, and James. They’re my older brothers, and that there is my mother,
Harmony, and with her is my soon to be sister-in-law, Bethany.”
Her introductions took some time.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” he said to her father. Martin
glared at him and then offered his hand. Her father gave him a firm handshake.
Andy kept a firm grip knowing he was being assessed by each of the men present.
Each of her brothers shook his hand firmly. When he
turned to Harmony his hand hurt. “Thank you for having me this weekend, Mrs.
Carroll. I know we haven’t got the chance to meet before, and it’s a pleasure
to finally meet you.”
He took Harmony’s hand and kissed her knuckles. Her
mother chuckled at him.
“You’ve both got a lot of explaining to do,” Harmony
said.
“I can’t believe little sis has brought a date into
the pit of hell,” James said.
Andy held onto her hand. “This here is Champion, our
dog.”
Champion barked at all of them.
He felt the brothers’ glare focused on him.
“Will you guys stop glaring? He’s my boyfriend, not
the enemy,” Sara said, glaring back at her brothers.
“We’ll assess that.” Danny, the oldest brother, spoke
up first.
Silence descended on the group. Andy glanced over at
the blond guy with the boy-next-door look to him. He instantly didn’t like him,
and he had no clue why.
“Aren’t you going to introduce your boyfriend to your
ex?” Harmony asked.
Sara’s cheeks filled with the blush that he found so
tempting. He cupped her cheek with his palm. She smiled up at him. “Andy, I’d
like you to meet Dylan Cross.”
The name made him angry. That man had put his hands on
his woman. He turned to look at the man with the blond hair and a scowl.
“Nice to meet
you.” He held out his hand. Dylan took the hand, and they
both squeezed each other’s hands. The battle was on, and Andy knew in that
moment that Dylan was after Sara. The bastard had lost five years ago, and now
he was back to take her again. The coming weekend was going to be interesting.
“I think we should all take this into the house.”
All of the family walked back to the front door. The
instant they were alone he turned to her. “That’s your ex?”
She nodded. “I think you handled that well.”
“They are all trying to think of ways to kill me. They
think I’m bad news for their little sister.”
“Ignore them, Andy. We know the truth, and don’t let
any of them get to you. You’re fine the way you are.” She went on her toes and
kissed his cheek. “I promise I’ll make this up to you. Come on, we’ve got to go
inside.”
“What about our bags?” he asked. The idea of going
into the lions’ den filled him with dread.
“We’ll get them later. More people will be arriving
later, and we’ll have plenty of time for everything.”
“More people arriving? Where are all the cars going to
fit?” He followed her inside the house. Sara was going to owe him big time for
this.
****
The introductions were out of the way. They’d survived
their first grilling from her family. All they needed to do was survive the
rest of the weekend and then the wedding in a month’s time. Seeing Dylan for
the first time in over five years had been a shock. There had once been a great
deal of attraction between them, which she no longer felt. When she watched
Andy and Dylan shake hands she’d been overcome with euphoria. Andy was the man
she wanted, not Dylan. She quickly pressed her hand to her rapidly beating
heart before they walked
“Who’s the cute couple?” one of the men approaching
asked.
He recognized all four men as her three brothers and
father. Her mother came up behind the men wearing an apron. Andy didn’t
recognize the fifth man in the group. There were no photos of him. The other
woman beside her mother was Bethany.
“Hi, Dad, I’d like you to meet Andy.” Sara pushed her
sister out of the way. She pulled him up to the group of men. “Andy, this is
Danny, Jake, and James. They’re my older brothers, and that there is my mother,
Harmony, and with her is my soon to be sister-in-law, Bethany.”
Her introductions took some time.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” he said to her father. Martin
glared at him and then offered his hand. Her father gave him a firm handshake.
Andy kept a firm grip knowing he was being assessed by each of the men present.
Each of her brothers shook his hand firmly. When he
turned to Harmony his hand hurt. “Thank you for having me this weekend, Mrs.
Carroll. I know we haven’t got the chance to meet before, and it’s a pleasure
to finally meet you.”
He took Harmony’s hand and kissed her knuckles. Her
mother chuckled at him.
“You’ve both got a lot of explaining to do,” Harmony
said.
“I can’t believe little sis has brought a date into
the pit of hell,” James said.
Andy held onto her hand. “This here is Champion, our
dog.”
Champion barked at all of them.
He felt the brothers’ glare focused on him.
“Will you guys stop glaring? He’s my boyfriend, not
the enemy,” Sara said, glaring back at her brothers.
“We’ll assess that.” Danny, the oldest brother, spoke
up first.
Silence descended on the group. Andy glanced over at
the blond guy with the boy-next-door look to him. He instantly didn’t like him,
and he had no clue why.
“Aren’t you going to introduce your boyfriend to your
ex?” Harmony asked.
Sara’s cheeks filled with the blush that he found so
tempting. He cupped her cheek with his palm. She smiled up at him. “Andy, I’d
like you to meet Dylan Cross.”
The name made him angry. That man had put his hands on
his woman. He turned to look at the man with the blond hair and a scowl.
“Nice to meet
you.” He held out his hand. Dylan took the hand, and they
both squeezed each other’s hands. The battle was on, and Andy knew in that
moment that Dylan was after Sara. The bastard had lost five years ago, and now
he was back to take her again. The coming weekend was going to be interesting.
“I think we should all take this into the house.”
All of the family walked back to the front door. The
instant they were alone he turned to her. “That’s your ex?”
She nodded. “I think you handled that well.”
“They are all trying to think of ways to kill me. They
think I’m bad news for their little sister.”
“Ignore them, Andy. We know the truth, and don’t let
any of them get to you. You’re fine the way you are.” She went on her toes and
kissed his cheek. “I promise I’ll make this up to you. Come on, we’ve got to go
inside.”
“What about our bags?” he asked. The idea of going
into the lions’ den filled him with dread.
“We’ll get them later. More people will be arriving
later, and we’ll have plenty of time for everything.”
“More people arriving? Where are all the cars going to
fit?” He followed her inside the house. Sara was going to owe him big time for
this.
****
The introductions were out of the way. They’d survived
their first grilling from her family. All they needed to do was survive the
rest of the weekend and then the wedding in a month’s time. Seeing Dylan for
the first time in over five years had been a shock. There had once been a great
deal of attraction between them, which she no longer felt. When she watched
Andy and Dylan shake hands she’d been overcome with euphoria. Andy was the man
she wanted, not Dylan. She quickly pressed her hand to her rapidly beating
heart before they walked
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