Page 11 of Lavender Lake
Thankfully, I was spared from answering because a black SUV with Idaho plates pulled up to the curb and my sister waved excitedly from the passenger side.
The car had barely parked when her door opened and she all but fell out onto the sidewalk. “Easy there, tiger,” I said with a laugh, happiness bubbling inside of me at seeing my twin.
A grin spread across her face, and then she lunged at me.
I caught her in my arms. I was older by four minutes and five inches taller, but Hadley had always been the one to take care of me.
“Sorry we’re late,” she said, pulling back to stare at me. Her blue eyes drifted to my neck and I forced myself not to squirm under her gaze. “My fault.”
“Stomach or bladder?” I asked.
Her cheeks heated. “Both.”
I let out a laugh.
“Uh, Salem?”
“Yeah?”
“Who’s the guy standing behind you?” Hadley asked in confusion.
“Oh, funny story. That’s Bowman.”
“Bowman?” Hadley frowned. “As in Declan’s best friend from the circuit, Bowman?”
“The one and only,” Bowman said, taking a step toward us.
The driver’s side door opened, and my sister’s tall, dark-haired fiancé stepped out of the car. He came around the front of the vehicle and his jaw dropped open.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Declan demanded, a wide smile spreading across his face.
“Surprising you,” Bowman said easily.
“We met on the plane,” I blurted out.
“Did you,” Hadley murmured, her gaze bouncing between me and Bowman.
“Damn glad to see you, brother,” Declan said.
The two of them clasped hands in a shake, but then Bowman pulled Declan close for a quick man-hug. Declan had a couple inches on Bowman and was leaner.
They separated and Bowman looked at Hadley.
“So, you’re Hadley,” Bowman drawled.
“Yep.” Hadley smiled.
“You sure you want to marry this fucker?” Bowman asked, gesturing to his best friend.
She placed a hand on her belly that had just started to show. “Not really. But he kind of wore me down.”
Declan pulled Hadley to him, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That’s not what you said last night.”
She elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt, and then laugh. To me, she said, “Let’s get your luggage into the car.”
“That’s not a car, that’s an AT-AT,” Bowman said.
“A what?” I asked in confusion as Declan took my bag and opened the hatch of the SUV.
