Page 44 of Somehow You Knew

Cashlynn smacks his chest. “Oh, behave.”

“Um, excuse me. Do you not remember how she meddled inourrelationship?”

She leans in closer to my brother. “I do, and I believe you benefited from her meddling, did you not?”

Parker squeezes her ass, grinning. “I did. But there’s something you need to understand about siblings, baby. All’s fair in making the other one pay for any minor inconvenience they cause.”

“Is that how the saying goes?” Gage asks, reaching for my hand. And even though I should protest, I don’t. The heat of his palm feels too good against mine.

It’s not about the fact that I actually have a person that’s on my side for once.

Nope. That’s not it at all.

“Speaking of minor inconveniences,” Cashlynn says, turning back to all of us. “Don’t make any plans the second weekend in August.” She looks back up at my brother with love shining in her eyes. “You all have a wedding to attend.”

“Ah!!” Willow, Astrid, and I scream in unison.

“Not wasting any time, huh?” Penn asks, patting Parker on the back.

“Nope, I told you it was happening this summer. It’s time to make this official.” Parker turns back to me and winks. “Hell, even Hazel beat us down the aisle.”

I roll my eyes. “Ha, ha.”

Gage clears his throat. “Congratulations, Parker,” he says, reaching out to shake his hand before facing my family again. “I have to say, today has been entertaining and a relief. It was a pleasure to meet you all, and I appreciate you for supporting Hazel and me throughout this journey. However, I can tell by the look on my wife’s face, that if I don’t get her out of here soon, she’s going to erupt like a volcano.”

Willow and Astrid giggle and my mother clasps Gage on the shoulder. “You’re getting to know her quite well already, it seems.”

“That glare of hers isn’t exactly subtle, Catherine.” Winking, he pulls me toward the house, keeping my hand in his as he waves to everyone. “See y’all next time.”

“Be prepared for a rematch!” Parker calls out as Gage leads me along the side of the house and back to my car, my mind reeling from everything that transpired since we arrived.

“I don’t know whether to thank you or be mad at you,” I say once we settle in and Gage turns out onto Bayshore Drive, the warmth of his hand fading quicker than I expected. Since I had a few glasses of wine and Gage didn’t drink at all, he insisted he drive us home.

“A simple thanks will suffice.”

“You’re good, I’ll give you that.”

“Good at what?”

“Putting on a show.”

Gage peers over at me for a split second before staring out the front window. “It wasn’t a show.” He huffs out a laugh. “Your family is something else, though.”

I sigh dramatically. “They’re a nuisance.”

“Nah. They’re just protective of you.”

Staring out the windshield, I swallow down my usual sarcastic reply. “Yeah, you’re right. We always look out for each other.”

And in that split second, it dawns on me—Gage will never have that.

Diane was his last living family member, and after these six months, when this is all over…

He’ll be completely alone.

Chapter eight

Gage