Page 39 of Attached At Heart
“Okay, that’s enough,” Natalie intervened, and I’d never wanted to hug my sister more than I did right now. I had no doubt in my mind that my name had been the one about to come out of my brother’s mouth. “Chloe, can you start passing the salad around before your uncles derail the entire dinner?”
Chloe giggled as she picked up the salad bowl and passed it to Gemma, who gave her a little wink when she took it. I chanced a glance at Delaney as Theo switched the conversation to the NFL draft, asking Noah for his thoughts on the Knights’ picks. Delaney gave me a reassuring smile, and I reached over to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear just like I told her I would.
Except no one was really watching us, and it was probably bad timing if the point was to be convincing newlyweds. I needed to be better about this, more intentional, instead of just taking advantage of all the opportunities to touch her.
I’d spent years tiptoeing around my attraction to Delaney.Yearscarefully ensuring I never crossed a line that would ruin our friendship. And while I was selfishly enjoying this little scenario where I got to pretend she was mine—even if for only a few hours here and there—I was cognizant that I could still accidentally cross that line.
When she brought up boundaries in the car on the way here, I thought that was exactly what had happened. I’d been momentarily gutted when she’d brought up the kiss, at least until the groan of frustration she let out told me I was reading the situation wrong. But I wasn’t sure I read the situation right, either, and I was still on edge, still worried I’d do something wrong, even though all of this felt so right.
“Hey,” she said because I was still looking at her.
I liked that I had an excuse to do that now.
“Hey,” I murmured, my lips tugging up into a smile that she owned. She saw it, too. I could tell by her expression that she saw the difference between how I looked at her and how I looked at everyone else. She knew we understood each other in a way no one else did, and to her, that was all this look was—an inside joke, a trading of secrets, an insider glimpse that only two people who’d known each other for years and had gone through the worst of it together would understand.
Funnily enough, she was the only one who didn’t know my biggest secret—as evidenced by how Sully had almost just blurted it out like it was common knowledge.
It practically was.
“What are you newlyweds doing for your honeymoon?”
I froze. Delaney’s eyes grew wide, and I forced myself not to react before turning toward Noah, who had asked the question.
“Oh, I…” I hesitated to clear my throat, hoping the answer would come to me. And, of course, my youngest brother took that opportunity to pounce.
“You didn’t plan a wedding, so I sure as hell hope you’re planning a honeymoon, Blakey.”
“Sullivan,” Natalie hissed, and I decided I owed my sister an entire week of babysitting. Maybe a month. “You’re about to get kicked out of family dinner.”
“I’m sure he has something planned,” Noah cut in, trying to smooth things over, and then Delaney attempted to do the same thing, which genuinely pained me.
“You know, it’s not easy for two cardiologists who just started new jobs to find time for a honeymoon. It’s just not really in the cards for us,” she said with a dazzling laugh, attempting to appease my family and give me an out. And she wasn’t wrong; Natalie nodded across the table with sympathy, knowing the truth of Delaney’s words all too well.
But something about it didn’t sit right with me. The way Delaney shrugged off the idea of ever being able to go on a honeymoon reminded me of how she talked about her wedding dress, the one she liked but didn’t love because it was a repurposed debutante gown. I knew this marriage was fake, but that didn’t mean it had to be a disappointment. I didn’t want it to be a disappointment.
“But we’ll have to manage it because I already booked our flights for next week,” I lied before I could think too much about it, and Delaney whipped around, her eyes scrutinizing me in a way the rest of her expression couldn’t in front of our audience. But her shock was still apparent enough that I had to smother a chuckle and add, “It was going to be a surprise. Sorry, sweetheart.”
Her lips parted as her eyes bored into mine, trying to figure out if she could lie over my lie. She reached out, her hand slipping onto my thigh in a way that caused a jolt of heat to course through me. She squeezed my leg, and while it probably looked affectionate to the rest of my family, I knew it was awhat the fucksqueeze.
Her lips pulled into a confused grin, and I had to give it to her—she was playing the part well. “What are you talking about, Blake?”
All I did was smile. “You have a passport, right?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, I have a passport.”
“Perfect.”
“Where are you going?” Noah asked through a bite of chicken, and Gemma promptly elbowed him hard enough that I heard him grunt.
“Maybe he wants it to be a surprise,” she hissed.
“It’s okay,” I laughed because there was one place I’d always wanted to take Delaney. And suddenly, I didn’t have to worryabout what to say at all. “Delaney had an obsession with this puzzle all through med school.”
“It was not an obsession,” she muttered, even though I glanced over to see her looking a little dazed. She still had her hand resting on my thigh, and I reached down and curled my fingers around hers, squeezing them.
“It was, but it was a cute one, Lane. You did that puzzle until the cardboard edges were fraying.”
Her lips twitched like she wanted to smile but was too confused about what was going on to let herself.
