Page 89 of In a Pinch

Once we sit, the venue coordinator nods to me, letting me know it’s time to give the speech. Butterflies fill me. I practicedso many times, I probably don’t need my notes for the highlight reel on what to say. However, when twenty people’s beady eyes are staring at you, it’s easy to forget.

“Thank you all for joining us today. A special congratulations to my best friend and soul sister for marrying the love of her life. It brings me so much joy that my best friend has found her person and her other third. Not half, because I own one-third of her heart, and he cannot take that from me.” I turn to mean mug Cal, which makes the room bust out in laughter. “I’d threaten him, but I have it on good authority that he is already afraid of me. Which, who could blame him?”

Settling into the speech, I take one last look down at my notes and drive the speech home. “But on a more serious note, as a best friend and unofficial sister, it’s scary watching your best friend fall in love. Especially when it’s some ‘hot guy’ she met on vacation, her words not mine.” The small crowd laughs.

“But, as it turns out, my best friend has good taste because Cal has shown up for her every single day. It makes me so happy to see her be loved the way that she deserves.” My eyes turn to her and Cal, with his arm draped around the back of her chair, and the contentment is clear on her face.

“Cal, you’re one lucky guy. But you know that. I cannot wait to see where life leads you two, but so long as you have each other, you can get through it all. Here’s to the Reynolds.” I raise my glass and the rest of the room takes a swig.

The night goes on and everything goes perfect, to the point where I am a little nervous, like something has to go wrong. But it doesn’t.

Drinks are had, laughter is echoing, and my Isla is grinning from ear to ear. What a perfect day.

“Can I have this dance?” Sam’s voice fills my ear, his cheek sliding against mine. His hands pull the back of my chair out.

“I guess. Got to shimmy off some of this champagne.” His hand joins mine as I stand. He pulls me to the dance floor, giving me a little spin, before starting the slow dance.

“You seemed to be having a good time today. Are you doing okay with everything?” I say, more of a question, but watching him laugh with his siblings settled a piece of me. It hurt me that he was hurting and so guarded from the people who are supposed to love him the most. I think a little piece of him is healing him in a big way.

“How could I not? My brother is dancing with the love of his life and I’m dancing with mine. Sounds pretty good to me.”

My heart stutters a little.Love of your lifeis a pretty big claim. But looking at him, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he is mine.

Gone is the asshole I first met. This Sam is my favorite. Not that I don’t love when he is an ass; it’s kind of amusing, so long as it’s directed at someone else.

“He’s done and said all he can to make up for the past. So, I think it’s only fair I give them all a fresh start.”

“Happy looks good on you.” And it does. My thumb rubs where the permacrease used to be between his eyebrows. Everything about him seems a little lighter. He is still rough around the edges, but in a way that fits perfect with mine.

“It’s really nice being in a room with both my siblings and to feel like one of them. Thank you for that.”

“I didn’t do anything. You worked it out all on your own.” My arms tighten around his neck, and the closeness gives me a whiff of his cologne. I close my eyes and savor it. And the moment.

“Nah, you helped pull my head out of my ass, and once it was out, I could see all the good that was around me. I found that everything I ever wanted was everywhere I wasn’t looking.”

“You were doing just fine before me. But I’m glad you think so highly of me. I’m pretty fond of you, too.” His lips find mine,sealing everything I have ever known. I’m going to love this man until my dying breath.

Sam pulls back and spins me around, a laugh falling from my lips.

As I sway in Sam’s arms, laughing while he spins me round and round, I cannot help but smile like a fool. A few short months ago, I thought life was over. I thought I was losing the race and that all was lost. Who would’ve thought that the shattering of all that I knew was necessary for all the pieces to fall right where they should? Me, here with Sam. Sam, finally laughing and enjoying his family again. I guess I wasn’t broken after all, just a little lost.

Epilogue

Sam

“Please buckle your seatbelts, secure your trays, and make sure all bags are under the seat in front of you. We are beginning our descent into Denver. The temperature outside is a toasty 98 degrees.”

Buckling my seat, I look over to Addie, who is growing more excited by the minute. If I wasn’t nervous before, I am now. What if all her family hates me? I don’t have a whole lot of experience with a normal family.

Addie’s hand finds my knee, settling the anxious bouncing of it. “There’s no need to be nervous. They’re going to love you.”

Looking over at her, I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “If you say so.”

Though I am less of an asshole these days, thanks to the pretty little thing sitting next to me, a lot of people take time to warm up to me. And we’re only here for four days. Addie’s sister had her baby two weeks ago and we’re finally visiting. She’s been talking nonstop about this trip since we booked it when we got home from Hawaii.

She wanted to meet the baby, and her family wanted to meet me. So, it all works out. Though things are going much better with my siblings, I’m not used to the big, happy family. There’s a war inside me of being excited and scared shitless. Partly due to the fact that I’m not really sure what a normal family dynamic looks like. I’ve met her parents and siblings over FaceTime, but in person takes the stakes up a notch.

I stretch my neck from side to side, trying to relieve myself of the pressure building there.

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