Page 16 of Fake Hearts and Kisses

“That’s what she said,” Amber screams, throwing another.

Lily dodges the small ball and waves her arms above her head. “I surrender. I’m wet and tired.”

“That’s what she said,” Amber snickers as Forest shakes his head.

“Who won?” My father steps out from the warmth of the lodge with a steaming cup in his hands and an enormous smile on his face.

“We did.” Forest jogs up to the lodge, dragging Amber along. “Losers make the rest of us hot chocolate.”

“There is no winner,” Lily bellows. “We weren’t keeping score.”

“I was,” Forest says, sticking his tongue out at Lily. We all laugh because it’s so very Forest.

“I’m pretty sure we won.” Blake wraps his arm around my shoulder, directing us inside.

Grinning like an idiot up at him, I feel a blush heat my cheeks. Last night was intense. I woke this morning to Blake’s fingers trailing along my spine, a devious smile playing on his lips. I barely had time to absorb all we did last night before he flipped me over onto my back and moved inside me. We had slow, languid sex that felt so different but just as intense as the dirty things he’d done to me last night. And boy, did he do dirty things. Then watching him orgasm? Seeing how I made him come undone was the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed. The sexiest I’ve ever felt. Every time I think about it, which has been all day, between my legs throbs, wanting more.

“Your cheeks are rosy, pretty Daisy,” Blake says, “I have a feeling it’s not just the cold making you flushed.” Blake cups my face and leans down, placing a delicate kiss on my mouth.

“Can we not.” Forest hands us both a mug. “I’ve had to endure the sounds. I don’t need the visuals to go with it.”

My mother smacks his shoulder. “Forest, stop being rude.”

“What?” he asks. “You share a wall with them next time. They’re like bunnies.”

Amber slaps his arm and gives Blake an apologetic look. “Ignore him. Everyone else does.”

My father sinks into a large chair, and my mother rests on the arm. Lily grabs Kane’s hand, dragging him to the center of the room. He gets a big stupid grin on his face. I catch Forest rolling his eyes.Here we go.

“Kane and I have an announcement to make.” Lily grips his hand harder, bringing their intertwined fingers up to her chin.

Kane glances at my father. “I’ve asked Lily to be my wife.”

Everyone in the room hushes, eyes moving to my dad. He looks Kane up and down, then stands and walks to them. Lily shoots me a sideways glance, then looks to our mother for help.

“You asked my daughter to marry you?” he asks when he stops in front of them.

Kane opens his mouth, thinks twice,and shuts it.

Dad slaps him on the shoulder, letting out a loud laugh. “Good luck. She’s a pain in the ass.”

Lily flings her arms around our father’s neck. “I’m so glad you approve, Daddy,” she says. Lily melts into Kane, staring up at him with large teary eyes.

Erin erupts into a loud shriek and runs to Lily, pulling her into a hug. For a while, it’s just a frenzied conversation about who should make the dress, if Lily should design it, or hire someone with more fame. Amber even gets involved, suggesting places for the wedding and if it should be a destination wedding or closer to home. Forest declares that the wedding will be an official Conner Family Gathering, which makes Amber groan. My father adds that there should be games between the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Erin takes pictures of the ring. What plan Lily had concocted worked because Kane proposed last night. Everyone gawks at the size and cut of the diamond. My mother cries, but delicately so as not to ruin her makeup, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

“Who’s the maid of honor?” Amber asks Lily, winking in my direction.

“I mean, we all know who it will be,” Lily says with a grin. She stands up, wrapping her arms around Erin’s neck. “My bestie, of course. I already have the bridesmaids picked out, too.”

Erin bursts into a fresh round of tears, and everyone else looks at me as Lily hugs her friend.

Blake makes aharrumphingnoise next to me and scoots in closer. It’s no surprise to me, but her words cut deeper than I thought they would. I smile at everyone, silently letting them know how fine this all is, even though Lily hasn’t looked my way. I don’t think she even realizes maybe I should, or could, be involved in her wedding. Why would anyone even think I’d be my sister’s first choice for anything? With the many times in our lives that she’s referred to me as plain, uninteresting or something along those lines, it was a given it never occurred to her I’d even want to be involved.

Listening to Erin chatter in excitement, I’m surprised to find that I want to be involved. And the part that pisses me off even more, is even though she can be cruel, I still want her attention and approval. My emotions are all over the place, so I sit back and watch them all talk, trying not to be upset.

As happy as I am for my sister, I hate to admit that I have little faith in the relationship, which, given my current emotional state, gives me a small amount of satisfaction. I can be petty, too. Kane checks all the right boxes, but if I’ve learnedanything, whoever joins this family has to have a steel backbone. Amber barely survived the wedding. I chuckle to myself, remembering the wedding day and how Amber nearly called it off thanks to my mother saying her veil looked cheap, so it suited her well, and Forest threatened to throw our mother out of the church.

“What’s the laugh for?” Blake asks, brushing my knuckles to his lips.

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