“So you’ll stand here, Nick.” Eva, the wedding coordinator, jabbed her finger toward a spot next to the pond. They’d been at the ceremony venue for at least twenty minutes and so far, Nick had counted at least three places where he’d been told to stand.

But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he dutifully smiled and nodded at the wedding coordinator and moved to the new spot.

“Great,” Eva said. “I think that’s much better, don’t you, Jenny?”

“Absolutely. I really want the water in the background of our vows.”

“Of course. But not too close to the waterfall or your guests in the back won’t be able to hear you speak.”

Nick stopped listening. The two women had been discussing the various pros and cons for different locations for the vows. As far as Nick could tell, they were all the same with only the slightest modifications in where he stood.

And Missy.

He looked across the space to where Missy stood, looking equally checked out and lost in thought. She looked beautiful. He didn’t think it was possible for her to look prettier than she had that morning in the kitchen handing him a cup of coffee, but it was.

She wore a simple sundress and held a single daisy in lieu of the bouquet she’d likely be holding at the actual wedding. Her hair fell around her shoulders, soft and shiny, making him want to run his fingers through it. Her skin glowed, and her lips were a pale pink. And even from a distance, he could see the way they glistened with the barest shine that called to him to kiss them.

“Hey.” Jake elbowed him in the ribs and immediately guilt flooded through him.

Did Jake know what he was thinking?

Could he see the way he was looking at his little sister?

Nick turned and raised his eyebrows in response.

“Is this nuts?” Jake asked.

“Is what nuts?”

Jake sighed. “All of this. I mean, how hard can it be? I just want to be done with this already and get married.”

“You are getting married.”

“I know. But I’m ready now. I don’t see why we need to rehearse it. Let’s just do it.”

Nick patted his buddy on the arm. “Patience, brother. It’s going to be perfect.”

“I know.” He rolled his eyes. “But frankly, I think it would be perfect if we got married in a backyard somewhere. As long as I get to be with Jenny, I don’t care how it happens.”

Nick laughed and Missy glanced in their direction. She lifted her eyebrows in question, and Nick winked at her.

“What the hell was that?” Jake smacked him and across the aisle Missy laughed. “Did you just wink at my sister?”

Caught out, Nick brushed it off with a chuckle. “No way,” he said as he avoided her eyes. “I’m just so caught up in the love here I think I got something in my eye.”

“Right.” Jake joined him in a laugh and when he was sufficiently distracted, Nick finally risked a glance back in Missy’s direction. Her pretty mouth had dipped into a slight frown, her brow wrinkled in thought. And she wouldn’t look at him.

---

She tried not to let it bother her, but Marissa kept replaying the scene outside in her head long after the rehearsal was finished and they’d moved inside for drinks before dinner.

He’d winked at her. She’d caught him watching her, and it had made her feel all warm inside. And then he’d winked.

But that’s when the warmth faded, because a moment later Jake and Nick had obviously turned it into some kind of joke, and she’d heard him deny it.

Why?

Because she was still Missy. He still thought of her only as his best friend’s little sister.

And isn’t that why she’d hesitated telling Jenny the truth earlier? Because she was still so uncertain? Or because she already knew that no matter how things had changed, they would never really change?

“Hey kiddo.” Her dad joined her at the bar where she’d been watching the business of the room from afar. “What are you doing hiding over here?”

She leaned into his hug. “I just needed a little break,” she said. “It’s already been such a busy weekend.”

“That it has.” He took a sip of his Scotch. “That it has.”

“But it’s so great for Jake,” Marissa added quickly. “I mean, Jenny is great and this wedding is just going to be perfect. Really, it’s been so perfect already and—”

“I know what you mean, kiddo.” With his arm still around her shoulder, he gave her a little squeeze. “You don’t have to worry about me. I understand.”

She laughed a little.

“Just promise me when you get married, you’ll elope.”

Shocked, she pulled back and stared at her dad.

“I’m joking, kiddo.” He laughed. “I wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world.”

She shook her head, but suddenly didn’t feel like smiling. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anytime soon.”

Her dad tilted his head in question. “Still no one special?”

She couldn’t help it. Her gaze traveled across the room to where Jenny’s cousins stood around Nick, transfixed by some story he was telling. “Not really.”

“I see.”

“No!” She turned to her dad. “It’s not like that. Really, Dad. It’s not...I’m not...”

He chuckled and patted her hand. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Your time will come.” He kissed her on the forehead and moved away before she could say anything else. With a sigh, Marissa turned her back to the room and her life and caught the bartender’s eye. “A vodka soda, please.”

“Make it two.”

She stiffened at the sound of Nick’s voice, but then relaxed when he brushed up against her arm.

“How did you manage to tear yourself away from your admirers?” She accepted the drink from the bartender and lifted it in thanks as Nick paid for them both. “It looked like a pretty intense conversation.”

“Not really.” Together they turned to face the room, although neither of them were paying any attention to anything else. “I told them I had important bridal party business to attend to.”

Marissa couldn’t help but feel a flicker of disappointment that he hadn’t just told them that he wanted to talk to her. Why did they have to be a secret?

“Well, I guess that’s probably true,” she said after a moment. “Do we need to talk about the speeches or anything?”

Nick half turned so he faced her. “I just said that, Missy. But I really just wanted to come talk to you. I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Hi.” She refused to look at him.

“Hi,” he repeated. “How was your day at the spa?”

Marissa eyed him from the corner of her eye but still wouldn’t face him. “Really?”

“Really. I want to know.”

“No you don’t.” She shook her head and looked away.

“Missy.” He grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. “What’s going on?” His touch made her all warm inside, but as soon as her eyes met his, he dropped his hand. She shook her head and looked away. “Seriously,” Nick said. “What’s going on? This morning you were all—”

“I was what?” She hissed beneath her breath. “I was all into you? Is that what you were going to say?”

“Well...no...but...” He glanced around to see whether anyone was watching. “Keep your voice down, or—”

“Or everyone will hear?” She put her hands on her hips. Enough was enough. Whatever had happened between them obviously wasn’t anything important. Not to him anyway. Eight years ago, he’d laughed at her. This time, he’d treated her like a dirty little secret.

Either way, it wasn’t good enough.

“I don’t care if anyone hears, Nick. But obviously you do.” Her voice shook and she hated it, but she still needed to say everything she was thinking. She had to get it out this time. She could no longer keep it inside. “Because the truth is—”

“No,” he interrupted her. “Not here.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the bar and out a side door that led to a pathway that snaked around the building and into the surrounding woods. “Whatever you have to say to me, do it out here.”

“Because God forbid you’re seen talking with me in public. Right, Nick?”

“No.” He frowned. “That’s not what this is about at all, Missy. Just stop.”

But she couldn’t stop. She’d had enough and she was hurt and it was all too much.

“No, Nick. I just—”

“Missy,” he said again. “Stop. Please.”

She took a breath. And then another.

“This is Jake and Jenny’s weekend,” Nick continued. “I just didn’t want this to impact their weekend in any way or draw attention away from them.”

That was a good point.

Marissa swallowed hard. “Right.”

“Now what were you going to say to me?”