Page 11 of Not Quite Perfect

“I don’t care,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me.

His arms came around my waist then, and he squeezed me back. We stayed like that for a few long seconds until he shrugged out of my embrace. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?” He looked terrified, and that broke my heart.

“I’d never do that to you.”

He smiled, a sad little lift of his lips that didn’t quite reach his normally bright eyes. “I haven’t said anything to anyone in the family because I’m still trying to figure things out.”

I ruffled his hair lightly. “I know I’m just a big old nerd who’s not half as cool as you are, but I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

“I know,” he said, and this time his smilewasgenuine. “I love you, Vicky.”

“I love you too, Drew.”

After a few seconds, he glanced shyly at me out of the side of his eye. “Just tell me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Was it good?”

I didn’t have to ask what he was talking about. No matter what I’d just learned about my brother, he’d always been a little shit and I didn’t see that ever changing. And despite our age difference, he was the only one I could talk to about this stuff. Alex was too damn scary, and Theo was too damn uptight.

I nodded conspiratorially. “The best.”

He sighed dreamily. “I knew it.”

Six

David

The ceremony was setto start in less than an hour, but my father’s future wife still hadn’t shown up. Maybe she’d made a run for it.

Alas, I wasn’t that lucky, and neither was his bank account.

I could tell the old man was worried though. Currently, he was pacing the veranda and sucking down a cigar. The only other person who looked as nervous as he about the late arrival was his best friend, who also happened to be his divorce attorney. If the bride bolted before the deed was done, Bob wouldn’t make a dime off him when it all went south later on.

Earlier, I’d spent some time trying to calm my father down, but had given up when he’d begun extolling the virtues of his intended as though she were some sort of canine instead of the woman he was about to marry. I didn’t need to know about Roni’s sweet disposition or her loyalty in the face of adversity. While it was the first time he’d ever talked about a woman’s personality before her physical attributes, I still wasn’t convinced. Roni might have been different from her predecessors, but it’d be foolish to become too invested. She’d probably be gone in less than a year.

“They’re pulling up.” Dad grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the driveway.

“They?”

“Veronica and her kids.”

I stopped in my tracks. “Wait, what? You didn’t tell me this one had kids.”

“I wanted you to meet Roni first, but you canceled lunch with us so I never got the chance to explain. Honestly, I’ve only met her two oldest—Theodore and Alexander.” His face turned sheepish. “Everything happened so fast with us, but don’t worry. You’re going to love her boys. They’re great.”

I clasped my palm to the back of my neck and looked out over the ocean. I was an only child who’d stopped wishing for siblings when I was around ten years old. My dad was crazy if he thought I was going to play the role of doting big brother now.

I was about to put my foot down when he turned to me, his eyes beseeching. “I love Veronica. Truly. She’s it for me.”

I studied him for a few long seconds, weighing his words. He sounded sincere, but I’d heard it all before. If I wasn’t mistaken, that was the same thing he’d said when he’d run off with Jenny.

“Please, son.”

I let out a deep sigh. I might not like any of this, but I loved my father—his tendency to frequently marry the wrong type of woman notwithstanding. “Okay fine, but I’m not babysitting.”

His eyes brightened, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, leading me toward his intended and her brood. “Don’t worry. That won’t be a problem.”

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