Page 17 of Take the Bride (The Knight Brothers 1.5)
Together they carried supplies from the back of the cart to a place on the shore. They spread out a large blanket, put the picnic basket on it along with a cooler that, it turned out, contained Prosecco on ice.
Then they settled down on the blanket. She opened the basket and began taking out the assortment of food the resort had supplied. Everything from sandwiches to cheese and crackers, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and the wine.
“Sebastian called me earlier,” Ryder said, as he opened the bottle and poured the liquid into plastic cups.
He handed her one and she took a long, bubbly sip. “I know what he wanted. What did you tell him?”
Ryder glanced at her. “That you were fine. And here of your own free will.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Poor Sebastian. He must feel like he’s in the middle of something he doesn’t understand.”
Ryder shook his head. “He’s not in the middle. He’s all Team Sierra. If I hurt you again, he’ll kick my ass and not think twice.”
“He’s a good big brother. But he’s also your friend. You know that. Even after you broke up with me, you two stayed close.” As she spoke, the truth dawned on her. “Sebastian knew why you ended things, didn’t he? And he let me cry over you, knowing your feelings for me hadn’t changed?” she asked, her voice rising. “That’s not Team Sierra all the way.”
He took a large gulp of the drink, too. “Yes, it was. He wanted you to go away to school because it’s what you always said you wanted. He didn’t want you to have any regrets in your life, either. He was torn but he thought he was protecting you.”
She shook her head in frustration. “Why the hell don’t the men in my life think I can make decisions for myself?”
“You were too young to know what was best. And honestly, we can’t go back and change the past, so we have no choice but to live with it and move forward. Like we had started to. Can we do that?” He lifted his hat off his head, adjusted it, and slid it back on again.
She drew a deep breath, knowing he was right. “I’m trying.”
But there was a huge issue of the trust that had been destroyed in his making decisions for her and behind her back at the same time. His willingness to hurt her to give her what he thought she needed. That frightened her.
“That’s all I can ask,” he said, sounding and looking relieved.
Another question ran through her mind. “Did he say if Jason reached out?” She hated bringing him between her and Ryder, but she had to know.
Ryder shook his head. “He hasn’t heard from him. None of your brothers have.” He set his jaw, then said, “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t stop him from trying to talk to me.” Or from picking up where they’d left off in the ceremony, which she had asked him to do.
As much as she hated to admit it, Jason had done her a favor by walking out. She’d been settling, and by extension, so had he. As angry and hurt as she was, a part of her was coming to understand the way things had played out yesterday. Not that she wanted to dwell on it now. She’d promised herself these two days of respite and she planned to take them.
She breathed in deeply, then exhaled in an attempt to let the negative energy go.
“Take off your dress and let’s relax in the sun.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re pretty focused on seeing me in that bikini.”
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the edge of the blanket, drawing her gaze to his tanned, well-muscled chest. “You look pretty focused, too.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed as he broke the lingering tension.
Although they weren’t totally alone—a few couples were far away on their own spots around the lake—she knew nobody was paying attention to what she and Ryder were doing, too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to anyone else.
She shifted to her knees, lifting the dress, easing it off her head, and placing it on top of his tee.
He patted his lap. “Lie down and let’s chill.”
Scooting forward, aware of her skimpy suit, she positioned herself until she could place her head in his lap and stretch the rest of her body out on the blanket. She inhaled and took in his now familiar scent, the heat of the sun feeling good against her skin, and she sighed with pleasure.
“Remember when we used to do this under the big tree in your yard?” he asked, looking down at her.
She nodded. “It was hard to find places where we could be alone. Even there I was never sure one of my brothers wasn’t looking out a window, watching.”
