Inked Persuasion (Montgomery Ink Fort Collins #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,82

eyed us, curious gazes on their faces. Marc stared at Archer as if he were the only thing in his universe, and it made me so happy. Archer was happy with the love of his life, as I was with mine. Somehow, we had both found our happiness, nearly at the same time. It made me so happy that Archer seemed to have found peace as I had.

“Marc is looking at you right now like he could lick you up,” I said, teasing.

Archer choked on his beer after he had taken a sip.

“Thank you for that image. You’re my sister. That’s gross.” He paused. “But you know Jacob’s doing the same to you. Now I need to scowl at him all big-brother-like.”

I elbowed Archer in the gut, and he laughed. “I’m the big sister. Remember? Five minutes before you.”

“Like you ever let me forget. You are seriously the middle child sometimes.”

I beamed. “Am I? Or am I just the best?”

“Why are you giving yourself delusions of grandeur over here?” Beckett asked as he strode over to my other side.

I wrapped my free arm around his waist and leaned into his massive chest. “I’m allowed to imagine that I’m the best every once in a while. But since this family dinner is for Jacob and me—mostly me—I can pretend I am the best.”

“And when our littlest sister decides to get married, do you think we’ll have the same type of party?” Beckett asked, his voice low.

I glared at him before risking a glance over at Paige and Colton.

They were talking in hushed tones in the corner, both of them smiling at each other as if they were the only two people in the world. If they weren’t careful, though, our father would go over there and drag Paige away by her hair, just because he could. Not because he didn’t like Colton. We all liked Colton.

“Why are you standing over here ignoring everybody?” Benjamin asked as he came slowly to our sides. He gently shoved Beckett out of the way so he could hug me closer. Beckett just sighed. Archer opened his arm and grinned. “It’s okay, big bro. Come over here, let me hold you.”

Beckett made a show of it and then went over and hugged Archer so the four of us were in a line, all cuddling and watching Jacob’s family, my parents, and the rest of our friends and family enjoying their dinner.

It wasn’t a true engagement party, more like a proposal party as I liked to call it.

A proposal and a thank-God-we’re-alive party.

And it had only been a few weeks since the kidnapping and shooting, so while I wasn’t nearly okay yet, I was much better than I had been.

We had more things to worry about, far more things to deal with. And we would. But for now, Jacob and I were fine, as was the rest of my family. We had made strides in our largest project to date, and we were working as a cohesive unit. We were doing okay.

And I was marrying the love of my life.

I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Before I could say anything, three kids, ages five to eleven, chased each other around the house and interrupted my thoughts. Archer laughed and then moved away so he could pursue them.

Clay, their cousin/dad/caretaker, ran after them, giving us all an apologetic gaze. “Sorry, they decided to play tag. In the house. Because this is my life.”

I laughed, and then Benjamin pulled away to join in on the fun, surprising me.

“Well, it’s good to see Benjamin out and about and smiling.”

I frowned, looking up at Beckett. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

Beckett shook his head. “Not right now. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all.”

“What’s ominous?” Brenna asked, pulling up to Beckett’s side. She only had eyes for him, even though I was her best friend, but I let it be. It was fine that my best friend was in love with my brother. He had no idea, though maybe one day things would change, and something would happen. Still, Beckett was a little bit obtuse.

Beckett patted Brenna on the head, and I groaned.

Okay, he was a lot dense.

“You cut your hair. I like it.”

“Did you just pat me on the head like a dog?” Brenna asked, huffing.

“What? It’s cute.”

She rolled her eyes, glared at me instead of him, and stomped away.

“What? What did I do?” Beckett looked honestly confused, and I wasn’t going to enlighten him.