Page 14 of Best Man
The girls reacted to this news with a stir of excitement and cheer.
“Ugh, you too?! Everyone’s so baby crazy lately!” Emma laughed. She reached for her husband’s hand. “Y’all are making me want another.”
Niko grimaced. He refused to believe his teammates actually wantedchildren. He was certain they were simply giving their wives what they wanted. Why would anyone in their position want a baby and all the sleepless nights and diaper changes and everything else that came with it? That kind of thing waspoisonfor an athlete’s performance.
“Isn’t it great?” Katerina replied, a sparkle in her eye. “We’re going to have a whole bunch of baby Devils on the way soon.”
“It’s going to be a bumper crop, for sure,” Piper said with a giggle.
Niko tried not to gag or roll his eyes. Some people just wanted babies, man. He didn’t understand it, but hey, whatever.
Everyone filtered through the sliding door and into the backyard, where the tour concluded. The cozy patio lounge boasted a massive fire pit and plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. Stone retaining walls elegantly ensconced the entire patio in tiers, giving the lounge a warm and private vibe.
“Make yourselves comfy, guys,” Jax said. “We’ll chill until the wedding coordinator gets here.”
The girls flocked straight to the outdoor sofas shielded from the sun by a pergola. The men followed.
Piper bit her lip. “Has anyone seen Paulina?”
Niko whispered to Jax. “Paulina? Is that her sister?”
“Yeah,” he whispered back.
Piper’s mom answered, “She wanted to change after we finished in the barn.”
“Hopefully she’ll be here soon,” Piper said. “I don’t want to risk Veronica’s wrath.”
“Who’s Veronica?” Niko whispered to Jax again.
“The wedding coordinator. She’s a real taskmaster.”
“Oh.”
A set of heels began urgently clicking on the stone steps that led from the backyard down into the patio.
“Speak of the devil,” Jax said with a grin. “That’s her.”
Armed with a clipboard, the wedding coordinator looked all business in a navy pantsuit, a silk scarf tied neatly around her neck. After a quick introduction to the group, Veronica scanned the faces present. “Is this everyone?” She answered her own question before anyone else could. “No. The maid of honor is MIA, I see.” She swiveled on her low heels and turned to Piper. “Where’s your sister?”
Piper already had her cell phone against her ear. “She can’t be far. Hold on.” She paced while the phone rang and ended up leaving a flustered message on her voicemail. “Hey, Paulina, it’s five o’clock and everyone’s here. We’re all in the backyard waiting for you . . .”
Piper was still talking into her phone when a girl appeared at the top of the stone steps. No one noticed her but Niko. The strawberry blonde in the tight jeans would’ve caught his eye anywhere.
????????,growled his primal inner voice. The word translated roughly to—what else?—hot babe.
She came bounding down the stone steps, perky breasts bouncing in a cute ruffled blouse. She moved quickly but nimbly, her long legs a blur and her shoes silent. Despite her rush, she moved with a seductive sway in her hips, and suddenly, the baby madness phenomenon made a tiny bit of sense to Niko.
I’d gladly put a baby in her,he thought—a crude thought which surprised and shocked him.Whoa, what the hell? No.
Regardless, Niko had seen enough—he knew in an instant this cutie was Paulina. He tapped Piper on the shoulder and pointed her out. “Pst.Your sister’s here.”
Piper was too relieved to question how Niko knew someone he’d never met. She hung up her phone and ran to meet her sister.
“Hi. Sorry I’m late,” Paulina said as the sisters embraced in a quick hug.
“No worries!”
Niko studied the girls, trying to solve the mystery of what made them so similar. Sure, they looked a little bit alike, but that wasn’t what made them instantly recognizable as sisters. And yes, they moved, talked, and walked the same way, but that wasn’t exactly it, either. It was somethingmorethan that, but he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what. All he knew was that Paulina was imbued with an aura of familiarity.
