shocking me to my core.
“What?” I screech. “When, how—what?”
He laughs. “I’m not happy about it, but I love her and want her to be happy. We visited Jaxon tonight, got a few things straight.”
“You mean you threatened him.”
Dad sighs, exasperated. “I’m not a violent person, Hayden.” He takes a deep breath when I snort. They nearly killed Jaxon when they overreacted. “Lily doesn’t know and we need all the help we can get.”
“All right.”
I’m all for giving Lily a happily ever after. It was my dad, uncles and cousins who hadn’t seen how in love the two were or how happy he made her.
“Oh, and I’ve done a timeline on who was in the house last week. It’s only you who could have eaten those muffins.”
“Dad!” I snap, pissed he brought it up. “You can’t prove anything. Whoever ate them—and I’m not saying I did—clearly enjoyed them. They didn’t save you one. You need to move on.”
“I’ll get you back for this if it was you. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that it was you who ate the last of the pigs in blankets at Christmas.”
“Dad, just hurry up. The new year starts in a few hours and it seems we have a wedding to plan.”
“Kids. I told your mum, if we didn’t wrap it—”
“Dad!” I screech, before ending the call.
*** *** ***
I discretely wipe away the tear that slips free. No fucking way am I showing these fuckers the wedding got to me. They’d never let me live it down. I could blame it on all the alcohol I’d consumed, but I’d be lying.
Seeing Lily find her happy, warms me. She’s always been a kind soul, and just like the rest of our family, I treated her like she was made of glass. I regret that. Because maybe we held her back from finding her freedom. She’s the strongest of us all. And Jaxon made us see that.
“You know what they say about weddings,” Reid Hayes drawls, stepping in front of me and blocking my view.
This should be good.
I cock my eyebrow at him. “If it was a funeral, I’d say, you’re next, because if you spout some cheesy line at me right now, it will be your funeral next.”
He grins, flashing those pearly whites. “I think they only say ‘you’re next’ to couples at weddings. But if you want to get busy—”
“The fact you said ‘busy’ puts me off,” I interrupt, not even turning to look at him. Instead, I take in Faith’s home and huge land. It’s a beautiful four-bedroom house. A little outdated, but with the work they’re putting into it, it will have the upgrades it needs to look perfect.
If it wasn’t for the work they had put into her new practice for stray animals, it would already have been completed. I’m kind of jealous she has it. She’s worked her arse off to get where she is. That said, I’m really glad I’m not the one who has to mow the grass every two weeks.
Everyone is still partying away, even though Lily and Jaxon left. I thought for sure once the ceremony was over, the Hayes family would have gone home, but their mum, mine, and Aunt Teagan are having an animated conversation near the gazebo, laughing and joking.
Reid interrupts my musings. I had forgotten he was even here. “You’ll give in eventually. You can’t resist my charm.”
I size him up, slowly scanning his body, taking in his ripped jeans and black jacket that has been left open to reveal his black T-shirt, his abs tensing under the tight material. His body is lean yet muscular, his tanned skin covered in tattoos. But it’s his eyes that draw you in. His smoky, dark green eyes hold intelligence, and no matter his mood, they always show his easy-going, light personality. They shine bright and are pure sex.
It’s hypnotising.
I flick my top lip with the tip of my tongue, drawing his attention to my mouth. “You couldn’t handle me, Hayes.”
He smirks, raising his hand to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. The touch is gentle, smooth, and I can’t help but look more closely at him, giving him a second thought. “Something tells me you’re too scared. You’re worried you can’t handle me.”
With a flick of my hair, a flutter of my lashes, I step closer, straightening my back so my breasts jut out, brushing up against him. “Really? Or are you just hoping I don’t say yes, so you don’t make a fool of