Twenty-Four

Sutton

Jason animatedly kicked his feet in the car seat. He’d been talking to himself the entire way to Wright Construction. Morgan had reserved the entire top-floor restaurant for Landon and Heidi’s pregnancy announcement party. Announcement being an understatement since…everyone already knew about it. But whatever.

I parked out front and hurried around to get him out of the back. He was still mumbling nonstop about something or other. Most times, I could figure out what he was saying and carry on a full conversation with him about it, and sometimes, he was speaking complete gibberish. Today was one of those days.

“Are you ready to see your uncle Landon?” I asked as he helped me unstrap the car seat.

“Yep,” he said enthusiastically.

I grinned and helped him out of the car seat. He hopped down and started to rush toward the front door.

I shook my head, caught up to him, and grabbed his hand. “Wait for me.”

He gave me this wicked smile that looked just like his daddy. I sighed and then pushed the pain away. I wasn’t forgetting Maverick. I never would. I saw him every day in his son. And that was good.

I brushed back Jason’s unruly, dark curls. “Let’s go together, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

I hauled him back to the car, grabbed his bag, and then headed inside. We took the elevator to the top floor, and it opened up to the restaurant. All of the tables had been moved to the perimeter. A buffet had been set up along one wall, and a bar was on the other. Large floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the Lubbock landscape for miles. The building overlooked the Texas Tech campus, and downtown was visible in the other direction. Someone had draped a Congratulations banner over the bar.

Family and friends were gathered together in the space. Everyone looked so happy about the news. And I couldn’t deny that I felt the same way. There was something truly special about the possibility of new life. It, like the promise of new love, erased the malaise that followed death. A renewal. One I desperately needed.

“Bethany!” Jason cried.

Of course.

“Let’s go see her and Lilyanne,” I said.

I wandered across the room to where Bethany, Lilyanne, and Jensen’s son, Colton, were seated at a kids table. Colton seemed to be holding court over the others, and I was sure Jason was about to be pulled into his vortex.

“Have fun.” I kissed the top of his head.

Annie materialized at my side with a glass of wine.

“You’re a goddess,” I told her.

“Obviously.” She flicked her long red hair over her shoulder. “How awesome is this for Heidi and Landon? Are they finally going to tie the knot?”

“I don’t think so. Heidi seemed totally okay with having a kid before getting married. They’ve been engaged forever. I can’t see them rushing it now. If they’re happy, what does it matter?”

“It doesn’t. I was just curious. Where’s your man anyway?”

“He’s not here yet,” I said with a bubble of excitement and anticipation sweeping through me.

Both of us had been swamped all week with work. Plus, Jenny had finally decided to take the plunge to get into pharmacy school and was studying to take the PCAT, so she couldn’t take any extra night shifts. And I didn’t blame her one bit. She wanted to be a pharmacist, and the work was a lot. Just like Annie starting medical school next week. My two best friends were amazing. I dreaded the day that Jenny would leave me and Jason, but it had to happen eventually.

Either way, it meant that I hadn’t seen David since our last date, and I missed him. This would be our first event together as a couple. Officially.

“Okay, good,” Annie said conspiratorially.

I dragged my attention back to her. “Oh God, why?”

“Well, while I have you to myself, I want you to tell me everything you know about Jensen’s friend.”

My eyes swept the room until they landed on my oldest brother. He was talking to Emery, but standing next to them was a man I had never seen before in my life. But I knew immediately why he’d drawn Annie’s attention.

He was hot. Like on-fire hot. Greek god hot. Chiseled-out-of-marble, too-gorgeous-to-be-real, jaw-dropping hot.

My cheeks flamed as I looked at him. There was something about him that exuded confidence. The cut of his tailored black suit. The crisp blue tie knotted at this throat. The sweep of his cerulean eyes as he took the room in. An awareness of himself that was in every twitch of his jaw, quirk of his mouth, and movement of his hands.

He had a presence. I knew that people said that about my brothers, but I guessed I was immune to them. I was not immune to this guy. He had something. That it factor that could not be bought or learned. It was inherent. It was born and bred into the person.

“I don’t know who that is,” I finally said.

“Damn! I was hoping you’d offer me an introduction.”

“Didn’t you just sleep with my cousin?”

Annie shrugged. “That was, like…weeks ago, Sut. Plus, he’s back in Vancouver. What fun am I going to have with that?”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Duh. That’s why you love me.” She batted her lashes at me. “Now…introduction?”

“I cannot believe you’re dragging me into this. You don’t need my help to meet him.”

“No, but I’m not close enough to see if he has a ring on. And a guy that attractive has to be married, right?”

“I’ve no idea. But, honestly, when has that ever stopped you before?”

Annie thought about it. “Fair point.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes at her, but I was a good friend. I walked her over to Jensen and Emery to meet this mysterious man. He was even taller in person, and his hair shone from the afternoon sun. He was the kind of guy who could easily make you tongue-tied.

“Sutton,” Jensen said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here. I wanted you to meet a friend from when I lived in New York City. This is Penn.”

Penn extended his hand toward me, and I swapped out my wine glass to shake his. I noticed that his other hand had no ring on it.

“Penn Kensington, pleasure to meet you,” he said with a dazzling smile.

“Hi,” I said. Annie nudged me. “This is my friend Annie.”

He took her hand, too, and she simpered and smiled. But he was polite and ever the gentleman. At least he was acting like it…and he looked like it…but somehow, I knew he wasn’t. He most certainly was not a gentleman.

“How did you two meet?” I asked.

“We ran in the same circles,” Jensen said, not elaborating. That likely meant his ex-wife, Vanessa, had modeling connections to Penn or at least to the Kensingtons. “But we’ve kept in touch over the years. His mother is the mayor of New York City.”

“Wow!” I said. “That’s pretty incredible.”

Penn shrugged. “She enjoys it.”

No love lost there apparently.

“Penn was here for a philosophy symposium and gave a lecture at Tech today. He looked me up when he was in town. It was good timing.”

“I was trying to convince him to come back for the wedding,” Emery said.

“With your girlfriend?” Annie asked shamelessly.

“I hope I can make it.” Then, Penn smiled. “Though I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Emery added. “Jensen invited the entire fucking town, so…we have space.”

I snorted and then covered my mouth. Emery had made her distaste for the size of the wedding abundantly clear. It was going to be a behemoth of a thing, but everyone knew Jensen Wright. Hotels were sold out for the occasion. It was bigger than a Texas Tech football game. It was a good thing it was happening before the season started.

“That’s kind of you,” Penn said. “I’d love to be there.”

My eyes snagged over Penn’s shoulder, and I watched David walk in the room. My heart fluttered. He looked handsome in khakis and a button-up. His eyes were searching me out. I waved to draw his attention, and his return smile was gorgeous. It had been a long week without him. He rushed across the room toward me.

“Excuse me,” I said and then weaved around Penn and met David.

He pulled me into a hug. “I missed you.”

“I know,” I agreed. “Maybe we could go somewhere alone.”

He laughed. “That eager, huh?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I am,” he confirmed.

“What took you so long? I thought you left before me?”

“Katherine called. She keeps trying to get me to come see her, and I’m not ready for that.”

“I think you owe it to her to try. Just because she sides with your parents doesn’t mean you should shut her out forever.”

He shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“You don’t want to be estranged from your sibling. I don’t know how I’d survive without mine.”

“True. Your situation is really different,” he said with a wince. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I want you to be happy.”

Something shifted in his appearance. Like he wanted to say something more, but he held back.

“Everything else okay?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. Can we talk after this?”

“You can’t ask a girl that and leave her hanging.”

“It’s not bad,” he assured me with a laugh. “I want some more time with you.”

“Well, I have Jason.”

“It’ll be quick.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

Though nerves hit me in the pit of my stomach. He seemed…off. I’d never had this feeling from him before. He was always so calm and soothing. And, now, he seemed jittery. I didn’t know what to expect and hoped it really was nothing.

“In the meantime,” I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back toward Jensen, “come meet Jensen’s hot friend, who Annie is going to try to sleep with tonight.”

David laughed, all the stress leaving his shoulders again. “Who doesn’t Annie try to sleep with?”

“You, I hope.”

“No worries there.”

We walked back into the circle, and I opened my mouth to introduce David as the CFO of Wright Construction. But Penn was grinning from ear to ear, and he wasn’t looking at me. He was staring at David. And David was staring back in abject horror.

“What are the fucking chances of seeing you here?” Penn asked in shock. “I was just talking to your sister yesterday about how I haven’t seen you in so fucking long. And, now, here you are.”

“Uh…Penn,” David said. His eyes shifted from side to side, as if he was trying to find a way to escape this meeting.

“You know each other?” I asked in confusion.

I looked back and forth between them. How did Penn know Katherine and David? From San Francisco?

“Are you kidding?” Penn asked with a laugh. “We grew up together in New York. No one quite like David Van Pelt.”