Page 129 of Runaway Bride and Prejudice

“Greyson,” I growl. “I swear …”

Movement catches my eye, and Greyson belly crawls out from the bushes between my house and the next door neighbor’s wearing a camo suit. Her face is covered in greasepaint, really almost invisible except for the white of her smile. She’s even got on some kind of fancy goggles covering her eyes.

This is why Grey is the one people should be the most afraid of.

She stands, slinging the gun over her camo-clad shoulder.

Here’s the thing: this is all ridiculous. I’m upset about Amelia and about Coach. My teammates all seem ready to kill me. I shouldnotbe in the mood for my sisters’ teasing or their paintballing.

But this issofamiliar. Not the specifics of being stalked and shot with paintballs by Grey. In the general sense, though, this is how we operate—all up in each other’s business, being supportive and also unrelenting.

Maybe my life is still the same mess it was five minutes ago, but there’s a sense of lightness now I didn’t have before.

“Someone found the army supply store,” I say, looking her up and down. “And my paintball gun.”

“I actually brought the suit with me. You never know when you might need it.” Greyson lifts the goggles, perching them on top of her head as she hops up the steps and gives me a side hug. “I didn’t get to do this earlier,” she says, like she didn’t just shoot me up with a paintball gun. “Good to see you, big brother.”

“I guess it’s good to see you too.” I hug her back, then ruffle her hair, distracting her as I disarm her.

“Hey!” she protests as I take the gun. “No fair.”

“All’s fair in love and family.”

When I glance up, Callie and Lex are in my doorway. I can’t tell if they’re trying to present a united front or just blocking me from entering my own house.

“Who gave you a key?” I ask.

“Parker told us where you keep it,” Grey says cheerfully. “I like her, by the way.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t think she likes me very much,” I say, shaking my head.

“Come on,” Grey says, resting her cheek on my chest and getting greasepaint all over my shirt. “Let’s go inside and discuss your heartbreak and your quickie marriage?—”

“How was it even legal, by the way?” Lex wants to know, ever the lawyer. “Florida isn’t Vegas. There are waiting periods and fees.”

I’ve wondered this myself. “The officiant worked for the resort and had a certificate we signed. He said something about residents and non-residents and … I don’t know. Amelia has the paperwork. Unless she threw it away. Which at this point is highly possible,” I mutter.

“Come on,” Callie says. “Stop standing on the porch.”

“Do you promise to be nice? No more paintballs?”

“No promises,” Callie says as she and Lex step back, making space for us to enter the house. “But we promise we’ll still be family in the end.”

“Family first,” Grey says, and I drop a kiss on top of her head. She smells like greasepaint and dirt.

“Family first,” I echo, then lean down and whisper to Grey, “But I will get you back for this.”

“Counting on it,” she says with a smile.

It’s amazing how my sisters, in a few hours, can make my house feel like theirs andI’mthe visitor. The three of them are lined up on my couch with me in an armchair. They look a little like a tribunal about to come down with a verdict. Except I guess Grey’s paintballs satisfied their anger with me over keeping this secret.

Now, they’re concerned.

“So, that’s it? That’s the whole sordid tale?” Callie asks.

Once we sat down and Grey washed her face, I told them everything. Start to finish, from meeting Amelia the very first night in the restaurant—which they knew about, just not the details—to waking up alone and then the kiss in the stairwell followed by Amelia reiterating that it’s over.

“That’s everything.”

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