“Oh yeah, Myles said you’re going to a spa.” He stands aside to let me in. “I think she’s upstairs. Or maybe in the kitchen.”
“I’ll find her,” I reassure him. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You, too.” He gives me the once over. I’m feeling pretty good today. I’m wearing a summer dress and a pair of heels because we’re having a late lunch before our treatments.
And yeah, I’m also aware that a certain other brother of Myles will also be here. And there’s no way I want him to see me in a pair of sweats and a tank. Let’s not make itawkward, right?
Ha.
Ava isn’t in the kitchen, but Myles is, along with his mom and stepmoms, as well as his two youngest brothers. Like Eli, I’ve only met them once before at the wedding, but they remember me and greet me like a long lost friend. I get hugs from all of them.
“Your dress is beautiful,” Linc, Myles’ second-to-youngest brother tells me. “You heading out on the town or something?”
“She’s going to the spa with Ava,” Myles says, shaking his head at Linc.
“What about after?” Linc asks. “You want to do something after?”
“She’s out of your league, Linc,” Myles tells him. “And out of your age range, too.”
“Age is just a number.” Linc winks at me. Damn, Myles has good looking brothers. “Let’s catch up tomorrow at the christening.”
His words trail off and I feel goosebumps break out on my back and bare arms. And when I turn my head I’m not at all surprised to see who is standing there.
Looking stupidly attractive in a pair of jeans and a tight black t-shirt, Liam Salinger’s dark brown eyes catch mine.
And my heart skips a beat.
“Sophie.” He nods at me.
“Liam.”
He says nothing for a moment but he also doesn’t pull his gaze away either. My cheeks redden but I refuse to be the first to blink.
Then he runs his tongue along his bottom lip and I swear my body reacts to him.
Ignoring it, I lift a brow and he finally looks away. There’s a smile playing at the corner of his mouth and I don’t feel the victory I expected to feel.
It’s aggravating.
“Is Ava ready?” I ask Myles, ignoring the way my heart is slamming against my chest.
“She’s just finishing getting ready. I’ll go get her,” Myles tells me.
“Thank you.”
“I hear you’re off to the spa,” Myles’ mom says. “That sounds lovely.”
“You can come if you’d like,” I suggest. “We have the whole place to ourselves.”
“Oh no.” She shakes her head, but looks pleased at being invited. “I think the plan is to give Ava a break from all us Salingers.”
Therearea lot of them. Before her wedding, Ava sat down and patiently described Myles’ family to me and Lauren. It’s complicated, but basically his dad has been married four times, but nobody speaks of the first wife or knows where she is. So for all intents and purposes Linda, Myles’ mom, is Rupert Salinger’s first wife. Together they had four boys, Myles, Liam, Eli, and Holden. They divorced and he married Deandra – who’s also here because for some reason she and Linda are as thick as thieves.
Deandra and Rupert had two boys. Lincoln and Brooks. And now Rupert is married to Julia and they have a little girl together.
And all of them are friends. And here right now.
Ava rushes into the kitchen, grinning when she sees me. She’s wearing a navy dress with spaghetti straps and she looks beautiful and glowing. She’ll complain that she still hasn’t lost her baby weight, but I ignore her. She always looks amazing.