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I look up at Ky, who is watching Finn and Lauren with narrowed eyes. “Babe, who is Finn, and why would Lauren care if he’s back?”

He exhales loudly before clasping our hands together and bringing our joined knuckles to his lips. “He’s the love of my sister’s life. Well, he was. Come on, let’s go say hello to some more folks.”

It hits me like a ton of bricks that Finn Reynolds is who Lauren was talking about last night. He was her once-in-a-lifetime love. But if I had to guess just from this interaction just now, I think it’s safe to say their story isn’t quite over yet.

Kyler and I are deep in conversation with his Uncle Ed and Aunt Carmen, who traveled here from New York. His aunt is telling us about how she accidentally killed all the koi fish in the pond in their backyard when I feel two hands gently touch my shoulders.

I look up to find my brother smiling down at me. Even with these wedding shoes on, he still towers over me. “Sorry to interrupt, but any chance I can steal my sister away for a dance?”

Kyler laughs. “Of course, just remember to give her back.”

He leans down and presses a brief kiss on my lips.

“All right, all right, you two. There’s plenty of time for that,” my brother jokes.

I turn to face my brother raising an eyebrow. “Says the man who just disappeared with his wife for twenty minutes.”

Kyler throws his head back in laughter. My brother has no shame. He just shrugs before leading me to the dance floor.

Zach spins me around the dance floor to the sounds of “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers before pulling me into his arms. I watch various couples dancing, but one couple catches my attention. I find the last two people I expected to see. Lauren and Finn. I notice the way they sway side to side with Lauren’s head on his chest. Yep, I will definitely be asking her about him.

“You know, I’m proud of you, little sister.”

I tilt my head to the side. “You are? For what?”

The smile on my brother’s face widens. “Yeah, I am. I mean, look at all you have overcome these past few years.”

I chuckle. “I could say the same about you too, Zachy. You’re married and a father. We’re both happy.”

Happiness.

If you had told me six years ago that it would be an emotion I would feel every day, I would probably have laughed, but that is what Kyler Lawson brought into my life. I was lost, lonely, and too selfish to realize that life was moving on whether I wanted it to or not. I had pushed everyone from my life away, and it didn’t matter to me that we all were dealing with the same loss. I missed out on so much, but I’m so thankful that I came home when I did and met Kyler. Sometimes I wonder, had I not left or come home, would we have still ended up together? I remember his words that day sitting on my parents’ porch that makes me believe that everything honestly did happen to bring Kyler and me together.

“But…if we had met then, I would have been attracted to you. That much was clear the moment I opened the door when you were standing on the porch, but you weren’t ready then.”

“And you think I’m ready now?” I sat up straight and turned my head toward him, looking deep into those chocolate-brown eyes. Seriously, those babies should be illegal.

“Yes, baby, I think you are. It’s not always easy, but no matter what, I’m here for you to get you through the good days and the bad. I’m not going anywhere.”

My brother leans down and whispers in my ear. “He’d be happy for us, you know.”

My grip on my brother tightens. A part of me will always love Emmett, which will never change, but my love for Kyler runs stronger and deeper.

The only words I can find are, “I know.”

I soak in this moment as we continue to sway.

There is a throat-clearing behind us. “Mind if I cut in?”

A smile crosses my face, as I know that voice. I turn around to find my sexy husband standing there with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up his forearms. I look him up and down, and he seriously looks like sex on a stick.

I am so lost in my perusal of him that I don’t even notice that my brother has walked away until strong arms wrap around my waist and I am tugged into the hard chest that I had so much fun exploring yesterday morning.

“Hey, baby. I missed you.”

I blush. “You’re so cute. How could you miss me? It hasn’t even been five minutes.”

Ky shrugs. “I just did. You know I always miss you when we’re apart. You’re the other half of my soul.”


Tags: Stefanie Jenkins I Never Romance