Page 2 of Seven of Hearts

Make it to thirty without messing up.

At eighteen, thirty-year-olds seemed to have it all together. At eighteen, thirty was ancient. Sure, it was a pretty arbitrary age to set as the end date of my singular goal of adulthood. But it represented something bigger.

I, Logan Solomon, had not fucked up.

With only three months to go until I hit the big 3-0, the end was in sight. It wasn’t like I would go bananas once the clock struck midnight and I turned a decade older. But I could breathe easy knowing that I had done my best to honor the sacrifices that Kristin and Will made to raise us four younger kids.

My world had been turned upside down the day my parents were arrested and sent to prison. I had been a kid—the oldest one still at home, but a kid nonetheless.

Kristin, the oldest out of the five of us siblings, had been away at college. In the blink of an eye, her world changed too. She went from being a college senior to being “mom” to us four younger ones. Zoey had been a baby. Not even a year old at the time.

But we had made it. All of us.

We made it through the years when we were rifling through the couch cushions to put together a grocery budget. Kristin had sacrificed everything for us. She went without so we didn’t have to. I owed her everything. I owed Will too.

Kristin kept us together. She guided us through the fear of the unknown when Will came into our lives, and helped us navigate all the changes that their partnership brought.

Slowly but surely, life got good again.

“I need a drink,” Leah said as she pushed away from the long tables where the bridal party had been seated for the reception.

The blonde hair that had been pulled into a complicated updo was now loosely curled and bouncing across her shoulders. A small gold pendant dangled against her collarbone.

I always knew Leah Holloway was a pretty girl, but I had stifled any lingering thoughts about her because she was Kylie’s best friend. At the time, I was just glad Kylie had a friend.

But Leah, as a grown woman? She was a fucking knockout. Full breasts and an ass that matched. Gentle curves and soft skin. Bubblegum-pink lips and doe eyes I could get lost in.

Her satin dress spilled down her body like flowing merlot. I never had much of a taste for wine, but I could have gotten drunk just looking at her.

I couldn’t help myself. I watched her ass swish and sway as she waltzed to the bar. Somewhere between the ceremony and reception, she had lost her high heels.

I scanned the room. Kylie and Bryan were dancing beside Kristin and Will. My younger brother, Hunter, was tucked away in the corner with his girlfriend. Zoey, my youngest sister, was dancing with the punk she had brought as her date.

But as quickly as I had clocked them all, my attention to my family disappeared, and I was drawn toheragain.

Leah was resting her elbows on top of the slick bar top and had one ankle tucked behind the other.

What the hell? One drink couldn’t hurt.

I sidled up to her and caught the bartender’s eye. “Rum and Coke, please.”

Leah lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t have you pegged as a pirate.”

The bartender slid her a glass. “Four Roses, neat, for the lady.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile as she slipped a tip into the jar.

I lifted an eyebrow. “You’re a whiskey girl?”

“You don’t have to look so surprised,” she said as she brought the glass to her lips.

I watched curiously as a drop of golden liquid escaped the plump pillow of her lower lip. It fell, splashing between the V of her dress, right onto her creamy, decadent cleavage.

I couldn’t peel my eyes away. Before the bartender could grab the rum, I said, “On second thought, I’ll have what the lady’s having.”

Her mouth twitched at the corner. “So,” she said as she rolled one ankle, then the other, curling her toes as if to ease the ache from being on her feet all day. “Are you planning to stay in town for a while, or are you leaving when the wedding’s over?”

“I’ll be gone on Tuesday,” I said. “Kristin convinced me to take some time off and stick around for a couple of days.”

---