As weddings went, Sean figured this one would go down as a success.
“I did nossuch thing,” his brother slurred. Rob was looking flushed, but whether it was from champagne or the untold dizziness of his newlywed status, Sean wasn’t sure. Either way, he took big-brother pride in his little brother’s happiness, while also being simultaneously suspicious and—strangely—a tiny bit jealous of it.
He raised his eyebrows as he turned to Rob. “Yes, dear brother, you did. When you asked me to be your best man, I declined for all the sensible reasons we both understand all too well. But then you told me the ladies go gaga over a guy in a tux and the bridesmaids would be desperate to get in my pants, so I reluctantly capitulated. What you didn’t tell me was that, of said bridesmaids, one would be about-to-pop pregnant and the other would be jailbait.”
Rob swayed a little. “Yeah. Maybe I did. Sorry ’bout that.”
Sean straightened and slapped his brother on the arm. “Might want to take it easy on the grog, mate. Don’t want to disappoint your bride on her wedding night.”
Rob laughed. “Look at her. As if she isn’t going to pass out as soon as she hits the sheets.” There was an unmistakably fond warmth in his voice as he gestured to the dance floor, where Hailey was dancing with her friends. The flowers pinned in her hair were about to fall out and her frilly skirts were hitched up in her arms so she could show off all her steps to the ’80s retro hits the DJ had insisted on playing all night. If anything, she was drunker than Rob.
“Besides,” Rob said, awkwardly peeling off his black jacket, “when’ve I ever had to help you score? You do just fine on your own.”
Sean inclined his head in acknowledgment. Although he and Rob were close, they’d taken very different paths in life.
Rob and Hailey had met in their senior years of high school and there’d never been any question that they’d marry—it was just a matter of when. Sean knew that Rob had only slept with one other girl in his life—when he and Hailey had broken up for a few months during their university years—and Sean wasn’t sure if he approved of that. Surely it wasn’t right for a guy to commit himself to one girl—forever—without sampling more of what the world had to offer. But Rob insisted he knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was Hailey.
Sean’s life, in comparison was...different. Very different. Much to the despair of their parents. But despite all the family difficulties, they were still brothers, and so here he was. For Rob, he’d do just about anything—even face his mother’s frown and his father’s scowl and the general disapproving air from the rest of the snotty Paterson clan.
He scanned the room again. Weddings were so not his thing—family or otherwise. But there was—
“Who’s that?” Sean asked. He’d noticed the woman before, at the ceremony, but lost sight of her when he’d had to go with the wedding party and pose for a ridiculous series of photographs in ever-more-unlikely locations: the bustling kitchen of a Chinese restaurant, and on the tram tracks in the middle of one of Melbourne’s busiest city streets. For the couple of hours they’d been under the photographer’s control, Sean hadn’t been sure if she’d been trying to photograph them or get them killed.
“Who?” Rob asked.
Sean pointed with his chin across the room. She was hard to miss. Sitting at a table by herself, trying to look okay with that fact, but failing badly.
Bronzed brunette hair hung in waves down her back. Her burgundy evening dress was cut low in front and swept across her hips to fall in soft folds around her legs. They were great legs—Sean had noticed when she’d sat down in the church. From his vantage point, he’d had a great view of the generous split up the front that had parted and almost revealed all her assets before she’d primly pulled the two halves of the skirt together and covered herself from his sight.
It was one of those moments that Sean always noticed—a moment his writer’s brain took in and preserved for future character-revealing traits. Her little maneuver told him a lot about her: she’d worn an unmistakably sexy dress, and yet wasn’t quite comfortable in it. Intriguing.
“Oh, the brunette?”
Sean nodded.
“Yeah, that’s Hailey’s boss.”
“The vet?”
Rob nodded, his head bouncing as though it was attached to his neck by a spring. “Uh-huh.”
“Who’s she here with?”
“Oh, uh, I think she came on her own.” Rob was distracted by someone calling out to him from the other side of the room.
Sean stopped himself from rubbing his hands together. “Nice,” he said under his breath.
Rob heard and his attention abruptly returned to their conversation. “Sean, she’s Hailey’s boss.”
Sean didn’t miss the warning. “I’ll behave,” he said.
Before Rob could say anything more, the room was filled with the sound of cutlery clinking on glasses—a tradition that demanded the newlyweds kiss before the noise would stop.
“Oh, jeez, again?” Rob groaned.
The guests had been taking great delight in forcing Rob and Hailey to kiss as often as possible—and usually when they were on opposite ends of the room.
Sean gave Rob a shove toward the dance floor. “Better go do your husbandly duty.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Rob’s words were flat but his expression showed he was nothing less than thrilled about another chance to kiss his bride. He took a step toward the dance floor, but then paused and turned back. “Hey, man?” Rob settled a serious look on his brother. “Thanks. You know? Really. I know how much this sucked for you. I’m just glad you could be here.”
Rob grabbed Sean in a drunken embrace, and Sean found himself stepping into it, clasping his brother in return, slapping his back hard, then just hanging on. He’d had a key role in the wedding, but this was the first time they’d had the chance for a brotherly moment—every other minute of the day had been packed with tasks, obligations, and with Sean taking great care to avoid being alone with either or both of their parents.
Rob stepped back, blinking suspiciously.
Sean wasn’t about to get that soppy. Besides, unlike Rob, he hadn’t had much to drink—he’d learned from hard-won experience it was better to keep his wits about him when surrounded by his family.
He gave Rob another slap on the arm. “You’re welcome. Now go be a husband.”
Rob grimaced, but Sean watched his face transform as he headed to his bride, the frown turning into a goofy smile when Hailey did a clumsy pirouette and began to dance in his direction.
Poor sucker.
Sean turned his attention back to the room, scanning it before his gaze once again settled on the brunette. Hailey’s boss—she owned and ran the small vet clinic where Hailey was working while she finished her veterinary studies. Rob hadn’t told him her name. Oh, well, at least that gave him his opening.
* * *
JESS’S FEET WERE TWITCHING in their uncomfortable heels, and she hoped most people would mistake it as an urge to dance. Actually, it was an urge to get the hell out of here.
It had been a lovely gesture for Hailey, her veterinary nurse, to invite her to the wedding. It was wonderful to see Hailey looking so beautiful and so happy; she and Rob were the picture-book bridal couple. Jess had listened to all the wedding planning and prewedding nerves over the past few months, so it was nice to be here to see it all come together—especially