Page 53 of Unforgettable

Even though both Oz and I aren’t working till tonight, we agree to meet at V and V before we go shopping for his sister’s wedding. Since there was no reason for me to bring a suit to Vermont, I accept, after a long, informative discussion about dress codes with Oz’s sisters, that I would need to purchase one. And soon.

But instead of going with Oz or on my own, Kat, Dixie, and Maddy insisted we should all go together. It’s ridiculously cute, but also extremely unnecessary.

As much as there is fanfare over Dixie and Archer getting married and the arrival of their baby, it’s hard not to miss how over the moon they all are about their baby brother having a boyfriend.

Even Maddy, who is actually in on the whole thing, ramps up her enthusiasm when she’s around her sisters.

It’s kind of beautiful but one hundred percent complicated.

I hate lying to them. The more comfortable I am in their presence, the more I wish Oz and I were real. They love him, and in turn, every single one of them has made a concerted effort to include me in their family fold.

This shopping trip is the perfect example of that. And while I was prepared to spend the day with them, I was not expecting to see every woman in the Walker family walk inside V and V with Oz. Including his mother.

“Hotcakes,” Murph whispers from beside me. “I know you said you were playing pretend, but this looks alarmingly real right now.”

Rising up off my stool, I turn, giving Murph my back, a clear indication I don’t want to hear his accurate, yet unwelcome, observation and focus on the four of them.

Every one of them is laughing, as if someone has told them a great joke, and like little kids, they can’t seem to control themselves. It’s a testament to their relationship, and another reason I love being around them.

Oz catches my gaze and winks as he walks toward me. His gait’s relaxed, and his expression is carefree. His family stays a few feet behind, their laughter subsiding, but their smiles remain, and every single one of them is aimed at me. It makes me feel both giddy and nervous for the day ahead.

When Oz reaches me, he leans over, kisses me on the lips, and then casually greets Murph, who must be still standing behind me. The gesture is so painfully perfect, it hurts to think about all of this coming to an end.

While, after three weekends of catching Oz and me in public displays of affection, this looks “normal” to his family, I can feel the eyes of all the surrounding V and V staff boring into us.

Murph lets out a fake cough from behind me, and I watch Oz’s eyes move to the noise and catch the exact moment he acknowledges what he’s done and where he’s done it.

The slightest blush rises past his clipped beard as his gaze returns to me. Wanting to hold his face between my hands and kiss him, I greet him softly instead. “Hey.”

“I think I just fucked up,” he whispers. “I wasn’t thinking.”

I love that. I love that it was so effortless for him, like it was a habit. But instead of confessing to that, I rest my palm against his chest, smiling softly. “Let's just get out of here.”

When I drop my hand, he surprises me by threading his fingers through mine. My chest squeezes and I wordlessly let him lead me to his family and then out of V and V.

The second I’m outside, my phone vibrates in my pocket and I justknowit’s Murph enforcing the rules that I am so hell bent on breaking with Oz.

Choosing not to check it, I observe as Mrs. Walker sidles up to Oz’s other side and links her arm with his.

“It looks like a wonderful place to work,” she compliments. “I wish I would’ve come and seen it sooner.”

Oz’s grip on my hand tightens, and my worries about Murph fade into the background, because I know how much of a big deal this is for Oz. “You can come and see the place anytime, Mom. The drinks”—he glances at me— “and the books are top quality. The crowd is really friendly too.”

“A few people who I assume are your colleagues seemed to be shocked that you and Reeve are together,” she tells him. “Did they not know?”

“We were trying to keep it to ourselves,” Oz lies. “There wasn’t a clear ‘dating in the workplace’ policy, so Reeve and I decided to play it safe.”

“I guess they all know now,” she muses.

I can’t tell if she’s caught us out or she’s genuinely curious, so I attempt to change the conversation as quickly as possible.

“Is there any particular shop you have in mind, or are we browsing till something catches our attention?” My voice is loud enough that all his sisters can hear me, and Mrs. Walker thankfully tables her inquisition.

“Oz wanted to stay close by to work in case either of you got called in early,” Kat explains. “So we’ll just visit the few boutique shops in the area and if we have to, we’ll figure out another day we can all venture out.”

It’s not unheard of that either of us gets called in to work, more so Oz than me, but even so, I raise an eyebrow at him. He glances over at his mom, who is still holding on to him, and I assume he means he doesn’t want to explain in front of her.

The conversation flows easily between the six of us as we walk to the first store, each sister insisting on telling me embarrassing stories about Oz in his youth.

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