Page 23 of Better Off Wed
Where had Gideon gone?
“Here,” Jack said to me as he handed me a crystal glass full of fizzy water. A juicy wedge of lime balanced on the thin edge. “Don’t mind them,” he said, tilting his head to the crowd. “They mean well.”
“Do they?” Gideon answered darkly. His gaze swept overthe room. I saw him glance at an antique mirror in a gilded frame beside us, then quickly away. He scowled. Because he’d seen his reflection?
“Cheerful as usual,” I quipped.
Jack barked a laugh. “She’s got you figured out already.” He threw his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “You’ll fit in just fine, Sadie,” he said.
Gideon’s gaze lingered on his brother’s hand on my shoulder for a moment, and then he sneered, “Date didn’t go well last night?”
Jack dropped his hand from my shoulder, his gaze sharpening. “My date was great.” He glanced at me, then away, and took a step to put some distance between us.
I glanced up in time to see Gideon’s jaw clench and release as he glared at his brother. Jack snorted and rolled his eyes.
Some unknown communication had just happened between them. I frowned, wondering what it was. Gideon was angry at his brother?
Jealous?
Surely not. He’d made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want me in that way.
“Are you not participating in the marriage scheme?” I asked Jack.
He gave me a tight smile that had none of the warmth he’d had a moment ago. “No. Grandma Mars knows I have a daughter to take care of.” He motioned to his daughter reading in the corner, under the leaves of a big plant. “I’ve already done my part in repopulating the town.”
“Any news on Mr. Titty?” Gideon asked, evidently wanting to change the subject.
“Nothing. And no sign of whoever punctured Sadie’s tire.” Jack nodded at me when he said my name. “The Blanchard mansion had an alert last night. Knox checked it out.” He tilted his head toward their other brother, the big, broad, silent one who reminded me of a bear.
Gideon touched my elbow and told me he’d be right back, and he and Jack went to the other side of the room to confer with Bennett and Knox. I watched the way they spoke to each other, and could tell by their body language that they were utterly comfortable with each other. Knox was a quiet presence, and Bennett was all quick smiles and sarcastic quips. At first glance, Jack seemed like the leader. He took control of the conversation, and the others nodded at his words. He was the face of the company—professional, charming, and put together. He was the one who was plastered all over their website photos. But Gideon was the eldest. When he spoke, the others listened and deferred to his judgment.
“They’re somethin’ else, huh,” a woman said to me. I turned to see a brown-haired woman with a kind smile standing next to me. She wore a plain white tee and jeans, and in her arms was the cutest, chubbiest baby I’d ever seen. “Wendy,” she introduced herself.
“Sadie,” I replied. “Your baby is adorable.”
“Do you want to hold him?” she asked, and she didn’t wait for an answer before passing the bundle of baby rolls into my arms.
I spluttered, heart taking off, and settled the baby in my arms after a moment of pure panic. He looked at me with big blue Mars eyes, then reached up to touch my mouth. Laughing, I gently moved his hand away. “Hi, buddy.”
My sister had two kids, but she’d never let anyone but my mom hold them when they were babies. Certainly not me, who wasn’t considered a fully functional human in the family. And after all my breakups, I’d mostly resigned myself to never being a mom.
Now, after last night, I was almost sure that was still the case. As I held the baby, my heart ached for what I would never have.
Wendy smiled. “He’s such a Velcro baby that I’ll take any chance I can get to have a minute to myself,” she explained, but her eyes stayed on her son. Then she looked at me. “I’m married to Gideon’s cousin, Ben.” She nodded at a slight, tall man who sat talking to another, older Mars man. One of the uncles, I remembered. Wendy touched her baby’s head, stroking his downy hair. “Sorry I couldn’t come to the wedding yesterday. Ollie lost it in the car on the way over and I had to bail.”
“That’s all right,” I said, not wanting to admit I hadn’t noticed her absence.
She kept her eyes on her baby and said, “Ollie is only the second baby born in town this year,” she said, then glanced at me. “Are you and Gideon thinking about kids yet?”
I blinked. We weren’t even thinking aboutfriendship, let alone children. “I mean, we got married yesterday,” I replied with a laugh. “We haven’t gotten that far.” But then I looked down at the warm bundle in my arms, and my heart went all gooey and soft. Baby Ollie had spotted my necklace and was busy grabbing and tugging at it. I pried his surprisingly strong grip open and distracted him with babbles.
“I always thought Gideon would make a great dad,” Wendy said as she watched me play with her son.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, flicking my glance from her to my new husband. He was frowning at something Knox said, shaking his head in response.
“He’s so reliable,” she replied, and a pain went through my heart. He hadn’t been reliable last night, when he’d taken off after rejecting me.
But he’d given me his jacket and taken care of the tire. He’d asked about my ankle and got me my favorite drink in apology.
