Page 85 of Save Me

Nodding, Patrick looked at Ryker. “If you want to go, make sure it’s just us guys. Arianna is crazy competitive and Ryleigh’s not far behind her. And they are both lousy winners.”

The image made him laugh. “I can see that.”

They both studied him and he kind of had a feeling he knew what was coming. “Okay, just go ahead and say what you need to say or ask what you need to ask. I can tell you’ve both got something on your mind.”

The brothers looked at each other before putting their focus back on him.

Liam went first. “Fine. Standard older brother question: Is this serious?”

Ryker nodded. “It is. I’ve been trying to get your sister to go out with me for months. I saw her and I just…I knew,” he said with a shrug.

“How’d you get her to change her mind?” Patrick asked.

Awkward.

Did he tell them the truth or…

Before he could answer, Ryleigh was back at his side, hooking her arm with his. “I kissed him in the parking lot of the pub to piss Mom off. Then he drove me home when I forgot my keys inside the pub after arguing with Mom, and…” She smiled up at him. “We’ve been together ever since.”

“Yikes, Ry. Even I knew Ryker was into you for a while. I can’t believe you’d mess with him like that,” Patrick said with more than a hint of disapproval. “What the hell?”

“I know Mom was making you crazy,” Liam commented, “but…jeez.”

He fought a smile when he saw her roll her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…I’m the bad guy,” she mocked. And before her brothers could say anything else, Ryker chimed in.

“Honestly, it was my idea. I mean…who wouldn’t want to help a beautiful girl in distress?” This time he did smile down at her. “And I’d do it again and again and again.”

“Aww…you are the sweetest,” she cooed up at him.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Patrick said. “No need to get all…you know…ga-ga with each other. This is a family dinner, you know.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Ryleigh told him. “And who knows? Maybe now that I’m happily involved, Mom can put her focus on someone else.”

Patrick’s eyes went wide. “Nuh-uh. Not me. She wouldn’t. Besides, I’ll bet it’s Jamie. He’s the one that needs the most help. I mean…think about it. He’s a serial dater, you know that’s got to make Mom crazy.”

“Dude, relax,” Liam said, patting him on the shoulder. “She’s just messing with you.”

“Yeah, well…it’s not funny. With Ry and Ari both in relationships, it is only a matter of time before Mom sets her sights on me and Jamie and I’m not looking forward to it.”

“Not looking forward to what?” Jamie asked as he walked over and Patrick shared the conversation. His eyes went wide for a moment, and then he seemed to collect himself. “Okay, no one needs to go there right now. I think Mom’s learned her lesson so…everything’s cool. No one bring it up, and everything will be okay.”

“What’s okay?” Arianna asked as she and Will walked over.

Now it was Jamie’s turn to share the whole conversation. “And if she starts sniffing around, Patrick and I are going to need one of you three to either set a wedding date or get engaged or have a baby. Preferably the baby because then she’s the baby’s problem.”

They all laughed at that.

“What’s so funny?” Kate asked as she walked over. “You’re all huddled over here like you’re sharing secrets.” Then she gasped and looked directly at Ryleigh. “Are you and Ryker getting engaged?”

“What?!” she cried. “No! Why would you even ask that? We’ve only been together a little more than a month! Why don’t you ask Liam if he’s going to propose to Tessa, huh?”

Kate turned to her oldest child. “Are you? Did you? Oh…oh…are we going to start planning a second wedding?”

“Wait…who else is getting married?” Jamie asked.

Arianna smacked him on the back of the head. “I am, you doofus.” She waved her engagement ring in his face. “Remember?”

“You’re just engaged. You haven’t set a date yet,” he corrected.

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