Page 6 of Returning to Rockport

My brother had a tough go of things for a while. He couldn’t seem to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. One day he decided that what he did want, didn’t exist yet. He decided to raise a startup company from the ground. For a while, I didn’t think anything would become of it but he managed to make it work and became very successful. I couldn’t be any prouder.

The three of us sit on the couch and catch up a bit. He asks if we’re going to be staying with mom until Parker graduates from medical school – an idea I quickly knock down. It’s not that I don’t love my parents. I just know that if we continue to stay there longer than necessary, the closeness I have with my mom will start to become tainted. We’re two very stubborn people and even before I went away to college, that caused us to clash.

Footsteps coming down the stairs pull my attention away and I smile when Tatum enters the room. I usually don’t like red hair, but she manages to pull it off. It curls at the ends, the same way mine does, but hers is just a bit longer – going all the way down to her belly button. I don’t think I could handle my hair being that long.

“McKenna! It’s so good to see you.”

I stand up to give her a hug. “You, too.”

After she says hello to Parker, she grabs a large binder from underneath the coffee table and takes a seat across from Maverick. The two of them have been dating since their senior year of high school. We’ve had our fair share of differences. I was only fourteen when they met, and while my brother liked when I was around, she didn’t. It took until I was older before I understood her possessiveness. Since then, we’ve gotten along great.

“What is that monster?” I ask, referring to the book.

“Your wedding.” Maverick deadpans.

My eyes widen as I quickly become overwhelmed. She can’t possibly expect me to look through all of that. I think she senses my hesitation because she snorts.

“Relax, hun. It’s mainly just a bunch of choices and color swatches.”

“Oh.” I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

She gets right down to the details, getting them out of the way as soon as possible. “So, what date were you looking at again?”

“September 21st”

“Of next year?”

“No, this one.”

Tatum chokes on air and coughs. “And that’s not negotiable?”

I shake my head but Parker answers her with his typical professionalism. “My nan is not doing well, and I’d very much like for her to be in attendance at the wedding.”

Her eyes soften in understanding. “Okay, September 21st it is. It won’t be easy, but we can make it work.” She opens her phone up to the calendar. “Mac, I’m going to need to get you into a dress boutique within the next two weeks to make sure we have time for alterations.”

“That’s fine. Whatever you need, I’ll make myself available.”

She smiles, then turns back to Parker. “I assume you already have a tuxedo?”

“That’s correct.”

We go over a few more minor things, such as when we can go looking at venues. It needs to be soon in order to find somewhere that isn’t already booked for that weekend. In the end, we decide it’ll be best for Tatum and I to go on Tuesday. Parker will be at Harvard to handle some things with his enrollment, but he trusts my judgement.

Just as she slips the binder back where it was, the sound of the front door opening and closing has her looking at me like a deer in the headlights. It isn’t until I hear it that I understand why.

“Mav?”

My whole body tenses instantly. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. After all, I’ve spent enough time listening to it whisper sweet nothings into my ear.

“In here!” He yells back.

I’m not even sure if I’m breathing. Tatum is watching me carefully, being only one of few who knew about the two of us. Maverick, however, still has no idea. I try to play it cool but I’m dying inside.

Before I even have a chance to compose myself, he walks into the room looking every bit as gorgeous as I remember, yet still slightly different. His l

ight brown hair is just a little longer. He’s put on some muscle in his arms, but not too much. Stubble coats his cheeks, making him appear older. I guess technically he is. He’s four years older than the last time I saw him.

He smiles at Maverick and Tatum, but when his eyes land on me, they widen. “McKenna.”

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