Page 10

Sebastian

T hat’s what I get for telling the world’s biggest lie.

No way would I have wanted to tag along with my sister to pick up her wedding dress. Not because I didn’t love her. I adored my sister.

When Savannah and her fiancé Brandon had gotten to the hotel, my future brother-in-law looked happy to be the aloof groom.

I watched longingly at Brandon sitting in the hotel lobby with Tristan and Grayson while my parents, sister, Aunt Marissa, and Kennedy shuffled to Luke’s limo.

When I got in the stretch and Kennedy’s thigh brushed against mine, I wished the trek out to Brooklyn would last forever.

But Savannah eventually wedged herself between me and Kennedy and yapped on and on about the wedding details.

I tipped my head back hoping to catch a power nap.

Zelda, the mean-looking wedding planner sat behind the limo driver barking at all the wedding vendors on her speakerphone.

She better not think she could boss Luke around.

If she tried, I hoped I would at least have a chance to watch.

Luke was as wound tight as they come and, well, a guy like that was begging to be challenged by someone who wasn’t afraid to put the bossy pain in the ass in his place.

Zelda’s harsh calls, however dissolved Savannah’s spirit as she whined more and more concerns to Kennedy.

My wife calmed her down, speaking so softly and lovingly.

Kennedy managed Savannah flawlessly, impressing the hell out of me.

The kindness in her voice sounded far from fake reminding me how much Kennedy truly cared for my family.

At Kleinfeld’s in Brooklyn, my mom, dad, and my Aunt Marissa sat on a white silk sofa swooning over Savannah in her ball gown. The bright white monstrosity made her look like an hourglass-shaped marshmallow.

Even though my late Uncle Larry, my dad’s only brother had divorced Aunt Marissa, she’d stayed in touch with my mom and never stopped being an aunt to me or Savannah.

Kennedy sat on the couch between my mom and Aunt Marissa as if the last six months never happened, letting my mom hold her hand. It wasn’t lost on me that Kennedy was just like Aunt Marissa. Not letting our problems affect my family.

Kennedy and I had been through so much to get where we were, medical school, the boards, residencies, I thought it’d made us bulletproof. If nothing else, Kennedy’s father was a doctor too. How could she not have been prepared for the life we would have?

I grumbled, thinking of those damn divorce papers. Getting them out of nowhere had torpedoed my pride. When the option to lead the surgical team in the new San Francisco center came up, I agreed, all while knowing I’d be killing any chance with Kennedy.

Chance... Kennedy’s last name was Chance, yet she wasn’t giving me one.

After leaving the couch to go in the dressing room, Kennedy sauntered out and my blood spiked in my veins, heating me up.

Jeez! Where? When? Had I seen a picture of that dress?

That was a maid-of-honor dress. While I preferred her naked and spread out for me so I could touch and kiss every delightful inch, that emerald green gown was way too tight and low-cut. It showed off every curve that belonged to me.

Used to belong to me. Until I let my job get in the way and she left me.

No. No. No.

“Who the hell picked that dress out?” I bellowed, turning heads everywhere.

“I did,” Savannah said, pushing her veil away, panic rising in my sister’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

I snapped my fingers at Zelda making more angry calls. She better help my sister, but my dad was there to calm his daughter down.

Kennedy rushed up to me. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Do you really expect me to keep my hands off you wearing a dress like that?” My eyes raked over my wife.

“Sebastian!” my mother yelped from the couch. “What’s wrong with you?”