“Dammit, I’m here. He needs to cool his fuckin’ jets already. I said I would do it, and I did.” While she gaped, her brother shoved a small white card at her. “Read that.”
Chapter Fifteen
Vicky stared at Bryan’s outstretched hand as though he’d presented her with a live grenade. “What is that?”
“A card, last I checked. Open it.”
“Wait a second.” Vicky set down her carry-on. “Why are you here? The team—”
“Our game’s Monday night. I’m flying back in the morning to watch from the sidelines.” Bryan smiled at her in the faint glow from the porch light. “I’m fine,” he added when she just continued to split her stare between the card and Bryan’s tired eyes. “Really.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“Gee, thanks. Considering I just got off a plane that was delayed twice due to thunderstorms, and also considering your man’s been blowing up my phone with demands I stop ‘fucking with his plans,’ I think I look pretty damn good.” He dropped his duffel bag between his feet and pushed a hand through his sandy hair.
He was right. While he didn’t look like the grinning, carefree Bryan she’d always known, he still had those rugged, handsome looks that drew women to him in flocks. Like her best friend. Jill had caught a couple glimpses of him over the years, and though the two had never even talked, she couldn’t stop working his name into not-so-casual conversation. That was Jill. Always on the make.
Then the rest of Bryan’s statement sunk in. Her man?
“Do I have a man?” she whispered.
Bryan waved his phone. “I have about thirty texts that say yes. Now will you read that damn card so you can get a move on and I can use your damn bathroom? A man’s bladder is at stake here.”
She had to laugh as she opened the card with fingers that shook. One glance at Cory’s neat, precise handwriting and she wanted to laugh harder—or hurl in sheer terror.
Romance in public, or romance in private? If you’d choose private, turn to page two. If you’d choose public, turn to page three.
Bemused, Vicky turned to page three. Would you prefer a big gesture, or something more intimate but in a public setting?
She flipped to the page of the answer she chose. What kind of big gesture would you prefer? An extravagant display of romance or a dramatic getaway for two?
This question had three options. Option one, option two, or both. She picked both and then stared at the words blurring in front of her tired eyes. Please return this card immediately for prompt romance gesture handling. Thank you. See you Saturday night.
Belly trembling with a mixture of excitement and nerves, she shot her gaze to her brother, who was watching her with wary green eyes. “What the hell is this? And what does he mean, he’ll see me Saturday night? It’s Saturday night right now, and he’s not seeing me. I’m on my way to South Carolina—”
“Yeah, and Jill told him that as soon as you told her you were leaving town for a few days. She’s been helping him out with this romance business.” Bryan rolled his eyes. “And so have I, though not to his liking.”
“We faked the relationship, Bry. We were never really together.” Though they had been, in all the ways that counted. They’d just been too stubborn and blind to admit it.
Bryan barely flinched. “Yeah, Cory told me all that when he called me to get my ‘blessing’ to be with my sister. Which I told him was pretty freaking redundant, considering he’d already humped you in front of the whole world and I hadn’t blessed any of that crap.”
A giggle escaped her, but her brother wasn’t done yet.
“Cory shuffled his plans after he made sure I was still coming in for the party and for a special meet-up with Dr. Garvey tomorrow. Now I’m here, so fuckin’ late the party’s probably almost over and he’s busting a nut trying to make sure he meets you at gate C.”
“I’m pretty sure you don’t mean he busted a nut over this. That has a very different connotation.” Vicky’s lips twitched as she accepted the e-tickets Bryan handed her. “Bora Bora? Four days from now?”
“Yeah, guess he’s going with you to South Carolina. Jill helped him book a ticket on your flight. Then he booked tix for Bora Bora for a few more days, which was his plan before you screwed things up by setting up your own trip and not going to the party.”
If her head spun any more, it was going to topple right off her shoulders. No doubt about it.
“He’s losing his shit because I was late,” Bryan continued, oblivious to her mental turmoil. “He’s already at the airport and refused to leave in case you showed up. I told him I could just stay there and he could try to find you here, but he has a precise order he needs stuff done in and I guess I messed it up. Like I control the weather.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Whatever. The dude needs to chill. It’s just a vacation.”