Forever After All - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,3
more than I ever could have asked for. Now, I’m just hoping you’re willing to give me the rest of yours. I want to spend a lifetime with you. Will you marry me?”
My sister drops to her knees in front of him and pulls him into a kiss. “Yes!” She tilts her head back and shouts at the night sky, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She pulls him into a kiss that I’m not sure I should be witnessing from my little sister.
They stand, and Colby pulls her close. The smiles on their faces are matching, and I couldn’t be happier for the two of them.
Damn, my little sis is getting married.
“Hell yeah! Welcome to the family.” Corbin rushes to them and hugs them both. When he steps back, I step in and do the same, followed by McKenna.
“Congratulations, man.” I shake Colby’s hand. “Lara,” I say, my throat growing thick. I pull her into a hug. “The first of our group to get married,” I muse, releasing her back to her fiancé.
“Oh, no, they’re not the first,” Corbin says, holding his hands up in the air, one of them holding a bottle of beer. “That title goes to the two of you.” He points to McKenna and me.
“You might want to slow down on those, bud.” I aim to the bottle of beer in his hands. I’m pretending like I don’t know what he’s talking about, yet the memory is my most vivid from my childhood.
“Do you two remember the day I walked in on you two—” He gestures to McKenna and then me. “—in the treehouse, and you were getting married?” He laughs.
“Stop.” McKenna laughs with him. “I was seven.”
Corbin gives me a mischievous grin. “It’s been what? Sixteen years? You think you two still have it in you?” He wags his eyebrows. “I’m thinking we need a reenactment.”
“I think Lara and Colby should do the reenactment,” I speak up, turning the heat from McKenna and me.
“Nope. That’s bad luck,” Corbin fires back.
“No, it’s not,” McKenna argues.
“Yep. It’s bad luck to pretend to marry the person you’re actually going to marry,” Laramie explains. I can tell by the look in my sister’s eyes that she knows she’s talking shit and no such theory exists. I mean, that’s what wedding rehearsals are for, right?
“Colbs, I think we need to cut her off.” McKenna makes a slashing motion across her neck. “She’s had enough.”
“Hush.” Laramie’s grin grows wider. “Besides, it’s not a true reenactment unless it’s the original actors.”
“We’re not actors,” I counter. My sister waves her hand in the air. “And we’re already married,” I say, joking.
“Nope. Single as a Pringle.” McKenna holds up her hand, showing she’s not wearing a ring. That pleases me more than it should.
“What’s the matter, Callahan?” Corbin goads. “You afraid to catch McKenna’s cooties?”
“Are you twelve?” I ask him. My heart races at the thought of my lips touching hers. One time in my life, I kissed her. I was nine years old, and the memory is one I will never forget. I’m twenty-five. What does that say about me?
He brings his beer to his lips and makes a show of draining the bottle. “Nope. Are you a pussy?” he asks.
From beside me, McKenna bursts into laughter.
“Really?” I ask her. I’m trying very hard to remain stone-faced, but I can’t do that when she laughs like that. So carefree. So beautiful.
“If I remember correctly, you volunteered to play with me that day,” she muses, tapping her index finger against her chin.
“You really wanna do this?” My eyes stay trained on hers. There’s a part of me that wants her to say yes, and a part of me that is worried that I won’t be able to stop once my lips mold with hers.
She nods. “I mean, unless you’re scared?” The corner of her mouth tilts up in a smile.
“It’s just a show for our fans,” I say, making them all laugh. “I’m only getting married once in real life. It’s definitely not going to be some snap decision at a bonfire,” I tell them.
“Oh, hush.” My sister laughs. “Just humor me.”
Fuck it. Reaching over, I take the new beer that Corbin just opened out of his hands and down the entire thing. “Let’s do this,” I tell them.
Corbin claps his hands together, as does my sister, as I’m placed on one side of the fire, while McKenna is led to the opposite so she can “walk down the aisle” to me, or at least that’s