Page 21 of Falling for my Brother's Best Friend

“No. Savannah’s got a date.” Brooklyn’s proud tone makes my cheeks heat.

“Oh…” Wyatt’s eyes drill into Brooklyn as though he’s trying to convey something to her, but she’s too busy opening the door for me. “Brook?”

We both turn our attention back to him on the porch, but before he has a chance to say anything, a familiar muscle car comes roaring down the driveway.

“Why is Liam here?” I ask through clenched teeth.

Wyatt runs his hand through his hair and shifts his weight. “I asked him to help with the tent set-up.”

“Why?” Brooklyn screeches.

My eyes are trained on Liam, who has yet to get out of his car. He didn’t mention any of this earlier at the office.

“I just told you. I love that you think I can do everything, but you forget people were paid to do this crap for me my entire life. I just showed up to the events.” Wyatt’s frustrated tone says they’ve had conversations behind my back about Liam and me.

“It’s fine,” I say to stop the newlywed couple from arguing.

“Are you sure?” Brooklyn’s hand lands on my arm. I look at it then up at her concerned gaze.

Liam steps out of his car, looking just as gorgeous as he did at my office. His casual look of jeans and a T-shirt works for him. No other man in Lake Starlight makes a shirt stretch across his shoulders like Liam does. Then again, no one has the sex appeal of Liam, but I’d never tell him that.

“It’s fine. Whatever you guys heard, you’re wrong.”

“Buz—”

Wyatt shoots a look at Brooklyn to shut up. No one wants to be reminded they’re in that stupid Lake Starlight gossip blog.

“Let’s go get ready. Hey, Liam!” Brooklyn waves.

I’m sure he noticed my SUV in the driveway and it’s no surprise that I’m here, but he hasn’t looked our way. After Brooklyn’s boisterous hello, his attention falls to us on the front porch. My body ignites with heat as his smile shifts to his smirk, resembling that day in the bar when I stood up to play pool as Denver’s teammate. Like he’s cornered me.

“Brooklyn. Wyatt.” He raises his hand in greeting and sets his gaze on me, dropping his hand. “Sav.”

The use of my nickname reminds me of the times when we’re alone together. How my shortened name drips off his tongue like ice cream from a cone on a hot day, and I react like that drip, free-falling to the ground.

“Hey. Nice of you to help Wyatt.”

Brooklyn’s foot is tapping on the porch, her hand still on the doorknob. When she opens the door, Gizmo jets out of the house and leaps off the first step, thinking he’s a German Shepherd. He’s a husky and Corgi mix, so his short legs don’t go far, and he falls down each step like a ball, but before he drops to the gravel driveway, Liam swoops him up in his arms.

“I think my ovaries just exploded,” Brooklyn whispers.

Wyatt cocks an eyebrow at her. “Ease up.”

“What? Come on, he caught our little guy.” Brooklyn pushes past Wyatt and me and scoops up her little furball when Liam steps onto the porch, towering over her.

My eyes veer to his tattooed arms for a moment.

“Gizmo, you can’t go running like that no matter how much you love Liam.” Brooklyn pets under the dog’s chin and carries him into the house. She shoots me a look.

“See you guys later.” I step toward the front door.

“A word?” Liam’s brooding voice booms at my back.

Brooklyn whips around, probably giving Gizmo whiplash. His eyes bulge out of his head, but he sees Liam and his tongue falls out of his mouth. I get it, little guy. I totally get it.

“With who? We can go over your speech later,” Brooklyn says, looking panicked.

Liam’s confused gaze shifts from all of us and lands on me. “Savannah. We’re planning the charity event for the library together and I need to talk to her for a sec.”

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