Page 18 of The Forbidden Note

“They say it’s bad luck to have a funeral after a wedding.” I wrap my fingers around the soda can, but I don’t drink. It doesn’t have the same kick as a strong, cold beer.

“Who’s ‘they’?” Finn asks, lounging in the pool chair with a book in his hand.

“And why the hell should we care whattheythink,” Dutch adds.

“You know, I actually haven’t heard that.” I lean back on my elbows. My legs, up to mid-thigh, are in the pool. “But it should be a thing. A wedding and a funeral on the same day feels like bad freaking luck to me.”

“We actually haven’t had the funeral yet,” Finn points out, flipping a page of his book. “We just identified the body.”

“Still bad luck.”

“I don’t believe in luck. I believe in Cadey,” Dutch says. “I believe in us.”

Finn makes a face.

I splash water in my twin’s direction. “You’re despicable.” I point a finger at the man who, hours ago, went from single to husband in a hot New York minute.

I swear, there was a point I thought Dutch wouldn’t ever get it together. Or maybe that heshouldn’tget it together.

But the impossible happened.

Dutch and Cadey are like oil and water yet, somehow, they figured it out.

My situation is different.

Vastly more complicated.

A spectacular crapstorm of ‘Do Not Enter’ signs.

Damn, but I do like trespassing in places I don’t belong.

“What’s wrong with what I said?” Dutch frowns.

“You’re being sentimental.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You like Cadence—”

“IloveCadence.”

I spray more water at him. “Get this married man away from me. He’s turned into a sap.”

Dutch jumps back to avoid getting splashed and scowls in my direction. “I can still break your neck.”

“You want to see more dead bodies today?” I fire back.

Dutch thinks about it and grunts, backing off.

Love should have softened him, but it hasn’t. At least, not towards us.

To Cadey?

Guy’s a doormat.

To everyone else, he’s just as snarly and gruff as ever. Maybe even more so now that he has the weight of a family to protect.

I know he takes that crap seriously—being a husband. Maybe even a father someday… hopefully soon.

---