Page 27 of Rebel Secrets (Devils Hockey #3)

Chapter Eighteen

E rin

“You feel all right this morning?”

The kitchen had filled up pretty quickly after Ian walked in. Surprisingly, by seven-thirty, there were at least fifteen people having breakfast.

I’d made more than enough baked goods for everyone who’d stayed overnight, including the tray I’d made for the newlyweds and delivered to their home yesterday.

This week had been the busiest of my life and also the most fulfilling.

I’d gotten it all done. Everything I’d needed to do.

I’d had a schedule, and I’d stuck to it, and everything had gone to plan. Everything.

Except last night. Sleeping with Rebel had not been part of the plan.

I slid a quick glance at Rain, who’d plopped into the seat next to mine at the breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen. Everyone else had gathered around the island where I’d laid out the food and the coffee, talking and laughing and talking about the wedding and the reception.

So far, no one had asked why I’d left before the end of the party. Or where Rebel had been.

I glanced at Rain, who’d sat beside me with a glass of orange juice and a croissant, which she was dipping straight into a Nutella jar.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You’re kinda quiet.”

Yeah, because I’d been holding a silent conversation with myself for much of the morning while I made sure the trays stayed full and the coffee was made, though Rain and Rebel made sure they pitched in.

“Guess I just don’t have a lot to say this morning.”

“Hmm. You didn’t seem to have a lot to say yesterday either. Or last night. Something’s definitely going on with you.”

“You’re seeing things that aren’t there. Honestly, I’m just busy.”

I didn’t think Rain was going to let me off the hook.

She had that look in her eyes. Yesterday had been all about the wedding.

About making sure everything went off perfectly.

Or at least as perfect as it could. We’d all been working toward a common goal, which was to make Rowdy and Tressy’s wedding day the best it could possibly be.

“You don’t need to be this busy. The tough part is over. Take a break. Especially since you’ve got so much on your plate in the coming weeks. Camp. Book club. And that wedding.”

“You’re doing another wedding?”

I jumped a little to hear Rebel’s voice so close.

I hadn’t heard him come up behind him, but now he slid into the chair next to Rain.

He had a glass of milk and a cherry almond scone.

I made those specifically because he always ordered them.

His hair looked rumpled but not messy. And damn it, it just made him look sexier.

I dragged my gaze to somewhere over his shoulder and forced a smile that I hoped looked real enough.

“No, I’m not doing another wedding. My cousin’s getting married in August, and I’ve got to make a command performance.”

“Where’s the wedding?”

Was he really interested? And why would he be? But he kept staring at me with those intense brown eyes, as if I was the only person in the room. My lungs got tight, and my gaze dropped to his lips. And I thought about last night again.

My body flamed all over, heat rushing beneath my skin and making me want to fan my cheeks. I’m pretty sure they’d just turned bright red. If Rain had been looking at me, she’d definitely know something had happened between me and her brother.

But she was staring at Rebel, her brows arched.

“You know, you should go with Erin.”

My head whipped around, my mouth dropping open. Was she insane? What was she doing?

I thought for sure Rebel would immediately tell her off, tell her she was crazy. Why would she ever think he would want to go with me to a family wedding?

But all he said was, “And why should I do that?”

Now my head snapped to look at him. I was going to get whiplash.

“Because you won’t take any shit and, if you’re with her, they won’t say stupid shit to her. They’ll take one look at you and run screaming in the other direction.”

When she put it like that, I could see the reasoning.

She was right. Most of my family would take one look at Rebel and decide giving me grief for my life choices would be a bad idea at that moment.

Just to see the look on my mom’s face if I showed up with him might be worth it.

But there was no way he’d agree. I was insane to think he’d agree.

I mean, it was stupid insane to think Rebel would go with me to my cousin’s wedding. Why would he even consider it?

“Does your family say stupid shit to you a lot?”

My mouth dropped open, but I had no idea what to say to his question. Things between us were weird. Like, really fucking weird. Last night had made everything weird.

And yet I still wanted to answer.

“My family and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. We have different opinions on, well most everything.”

“Like you living here.”

“Yes.”

“So, when’s the wedding?”

Was he serious? Would he actually consider going with me?

“First weekend in August. In the Hamptons. But you’ll be back at practice, won’t you?”

He shrugged, looking like he was actually considering it. Which he couldn’t be. “Not then, no.”

“It’s a little late in the season for a society wedding, but…

” I shrugged and shook my head, my mouth feeling out of my control at the moment.

“The McNamara family doesn’t adhere to rules, at least, not anyone else’s.

Plus, I think she wants to nail him down before he changes his mind.

Ooh, that sounded petty, didn’t it? I’m not usually like that but?—”

I snapped my mouth closed. Damn it, I was babbling.

I’d been able to keep it under control for the past couple of weeks since I knew it annoyed Rebel.

And I knew it shouldn’t matter to me if I annoyed him or not, but I’d wanted Rowdy and Tressy’s wedding to be stress free, and I certainly didn’t want to be the cause of any stress if there was some.

So, I’d purposely tried to be, well, not so chatty.

It’d helped that I’d been hyperaware of Rebel for the past few weeks.

And look where that got you. In bed with the man and secretly wanting more.

I couldn’t look at him right now or everyone would know exactly what I was thinking. But I couldn’t not look at him. I flashed a glance his way and, yeah, he was staring at me, his expression considering.

Considering what? Me?

Oh geez.

I got up from the table, nearly knocking my chair over in my effort to get away.

“You know, I’m just gonna make sure the trays are refilled. I’ll be back…later.”

Then I headed for the fridge but not before I heard Rain say, “What did you do to Erin?”

I moved a little faster so I didn’t hear him lie.