Eye Candy

Riley shows off her ring to the girls, the group of them screaming, hugging, and crying. Arms around each other in their little squad—the one Riley couldn’t wait to be a part of.

I can’t stop looking at her. She’s so fucking happy.

The guys congratulate me with slaps on the back and handshakes. Reed tells me he captured it all on his phone, even my tears.

Feeling too good to fucking care, I let that one slide and thank him for doing that for us.

I’m sure Riley will want to watch the video every chance she gets. I tell him to send it to us both, then feeling a tap on my leg, I look down, finally pulling my eyes off Riley and giving Nolan the attention he’s seeking.

I got my entire life to look at her. That’s the only reason I do it.

“What’s up, man?” I ask, smiling at his hair, wet and sticking up all wild. When he waves me closer, I bend down, grinning when I see what he’s holding in his hand.

“Is it okay if I keep this?” he asks.

“Yeah, sure. What do I need it for?”

“Yes!” Nolan pumps his fist into the air, then peers around me, holding up the ring box. “Mommy, look what CJ said I can keep! Now I just need a ring and I’m set!” He rushes around me to show Mia, who walks over with the rest of the girls, smiling and wiping tears from her eyes.

“That’s great, baby,” she says, cupping his cheek before giving me a look of appreciation.

Nolan rushes off toward the apple-bobbing set-up at the bar, squeezing in between people to get through.

Ben throws his arm around Mia’s shoulders and kisses the top of her head. He’s holding Chase now, who’s still passed out. I’m surprised the commotion didn’t wake him.

“This place just got even more awesome,” Tessa says, stopping beside Luke. “You did good, Tully.”

I lock eyes with Riley when she finally pulls her attention off her ring. “Yeah, I did.”

She smiles, rushing at me, and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss.

“So, when’s the wedding going to be?” Beth asks, leaning back against Reed when he steps behind her and holds her swollen stomach.

I look down at Riley, brow raised. “Your call, darlin’.”

She pulls her lips between her teeth, thinking for a second before informing the group, “Maybe this summer after I graduate? I don’t want to wait too long. And I’d really love to do it at the beach.” Riley peers up at me. “Would that be okay?”

“You wanna do it at Sparrow’s Island?” I ask.

“Hey, that’s our beach,” Reed says.

I glare at him. “You don’t own the beach.”

“I didn’t say we own it.” He rests his chin on Beth’s shoulder, smirking now. “We just . . . made a lot of memories there.”

Beth turns bright red.

“So did we,” I argue, watching Reed stiffen.

Fuck that.

I’m sure Reed and Beth did make a lot of memories at Sparrow’s Island, considering that’s where they spent their wedding/honeymoon, but that’s where Riley and I began. We met for the first time officially that weekend. We fucked for the first time there too, and if that’s where she wants to get married, Reed can take his memories and fuck right off with them. I’m getting that beach.

Riley tenses in my arms while Ben and Luke crack up laughing, watching Reed grow increasingly uncomfortable.

“You guys are funny,” Mia says. “I’m pretty sure we all made a lot of memories there . . .”

All eyes widen and turn to Mia. She never says shit like that.

She shrugs, leaning into Ben and laughing. “I’m just saying. If that’s all it takes—Ben and I own that beach too.”

“Yeah, us too. We own a lot of that beach,” Tessa adds, biting Luke’s jaw.

“Fine,” Reed grumbles, looking around the group. “But Beth and I own McGill’s. We’re the only ones allowed to make memories here. So no couple bathroom breaks, and stay the hell away from the storage room. We own the shit out of that after what went down in there earlier.”

Danny stops behind Reed, glaring at the back of his head.

Everyone tries containing their laughter as Reed stays unaware.

“This is going to be good,” Riley whispers, leaning back against me and drawing my arms around her tighter.

“You wanna see him get his ass beat?” I ask against her ear.

“If it means we get Sparrow’s Island, then yes.”

I chuckle and kiss her cheek.

Realizing something is up, Reed slowly turns his head, spots Danny and smiles wide. “Hey! You know, I was just coming to look for you.” He releases Beth and puts his arm around Danny’s shoulders, leading him away. “Let’s talk about all those renovations you were wanting to do here, and how it’s not gonna cost you a damn thing . . .”

Beth throws her head back and laughs, then everyone joins in.

I guess Tennyson Construction will be footing that bill.

“Come on. Let’s order some food,” Ben suggests, motioning toward the table they left that’s still vacant.

I turn Riley in my arms when the group leaves us in the middle of the dance floor. “You happy?” I ask her.

Beaming, she looks from my face to her ring, letting go of my neck to study it. “You could’ve tied a string around my finger and I would’ve been happy,” she says, gripping hold of me again and smiling up at me, her sinful body tucking closer. “It’s beautiful. It’s so beautiful, and I’m so happy, Cannon.”

Cannon.

Fuck. What it does to me to hear her call me by my real name.

Growling, I let my hands travel lower, settling at the top of her ass. “Don’t be calling me that here,” I say. “Unless you wanna go find out what the fuck is so cool about the storage room.”

Giggling and rolling up on her toes, she offers me her mouth, and I take it in a long, slow kiss, getting rock hard by the end of it.

“Where are we going?” Riley asks, startled, when instead of leading her toward the table and our friends, I pull her in the direction of the door, shoving people out of the way when they aren’t moving fast enough on their own.

“My truck. Your brother didn’t say shit about making memories in the parking lot.”





NOLAN


Two days later

I punch my finger against the screen of Mommy’s phone, making sure I’m hitting the right numbers this time. I studied them good off the paper.

“Oops,” I say when I hit one too many. I lift the phone to my ear, breathing faster and faster like I do when I’m running when I hear it start to ring.

My eyes open all the way up.

“Holy crap. This is it,” I whisper.

I’m actually calling her.

“Hello?”

A man answers the phone. He sounds probably as old as my dad, so I know exactly who it is. I got this.

“Hi, Ryan’s dad. This is Nolan.” I sit on the edge of my bed, listening.

I don’t hear anything except his breathing. He’s breathing a lot. Then I think he says something like “Handle this,” but I don’t know what that means.

I pick at the edge of my shoe.

“Nolan? Is that you, sweetie?”

This lady sounds just like my mom. I bet they’re the same age and everything. I remember her from the wedding. She was really nice to me.

“Hi! Can I talk to Ryan, please?”

Daddy told me to make sure I asked nicely. He said it’s good to get in with the parents.