“B, your leg has been jumping up and down a mile a minute since you got here. Would you relax? She’ll do great.” Duke sipped his beer and checked out a brunette at the bar. He’d come from the office, still dressed in his suit and tie. Duke was the sharpest dresser of the Ryder men, and Blue had come to realize that it didn’t matter if Duke was working or not. He was always dressed nicely, preferring polo shirts to T-shirts and slacks to jeans.
“I’m not worried about how she’ll do,” Blue said honestly, knowing she’d do just fine. “I’m nervous because I know she’s nervous about how she’ll do.”
Cash ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair. His eyes held Blue’s with an assessing gaze. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Blue shot a questioning look at Duke, who shrugged.
“You’ve fallen for her.” A knowing smile spread across Cash’s face.
Blue couldn’t hide the grin pushing at his cheeks. “I’m not even going to try to deny that.”
“Hot damn. Another Ryder man finds his woman.” Cash slapped him on the back.
“First you buy the property we were supposed to share, and now you’re in love with the woman I was going to ask out?” The raising of Duke’s brows told Blue his oldest brother was just giving him shit.
“You’re too slow, too old, and not quite as handsome as me,” Blue teased as he checked his phone for at least the tenth time since they arrived.
“Shit. I am in no way, shape, or form looking for love. You two enjoy that monogamy hell.” Duke lifted his chin toward the woman he was eyeing at the bar. “Plenty of fish in the sea.”
“You’re missing out, man. There’s nothing like having that one special person to share your life with.” Blue sucked back his beer. “Speaking of which, I can’t sit around here waiting for her to text. I want to be there when she comes out of the building. I’m going to head over now. Meet you at Mom and Dad’s?” He tossed money on the table and waved to Dylan behind the bar.
“Wait up,” Cash said as he and Duke joined him, as he’d known they would. “You’re only here for a few hours. Do you really think we’re going to go our separate ways? Duke’s going to drive us over to Mom’s. Let me just text Siena so she can meet us. Where’s Lizzie’s meeting?”
Blue gave him the address, and Cash texted Siena on the way outside. They walked the few blocks to where Lizzie’s meeting was being held, and on the way Blue stopped to pick up a Snickers bar and a bouquet of roses.
“Snickers?” Cash laughed. “What is it with girls and chocolate? Siena’s the same way. She loves it.”
“The Snickers is in case it didn’t go well. Roses are in case it did.” They passed a jewelry store and Blue stopped to look in the window, which took not only him by surprise, but his brothers, too. As he stared in the glass at the sparkling engagement rings, he had no doubt that a lifetime was exactly what he wanted with Lizzie. But buying one of these glitzy rings was not.
“Seriously, dude?” Duke slung an arm over Blue’s shoulder. “Look at you, all grown up. Damn. I’m impressed.”
Blue slid him a shut-the-hell-up look.
“Go on in. See how you feel.” Cash nudged him toward the door.
“Nah. I just wanted to look. I’m cool.” Blue began walking again, and his brothers fell into step beside him. Boy, he’d missed being around them, seeing their smart-ass smiles, and even just feeling their energy as they talked. It had been hard not to tell them about Lizzie’s webcast, but although Duke knew, he was professional enough to keep her business to himself, as he would any proprietary information. Blue knew Lizzie was nervous about the rest of his family finding out, and although she’d never asked him not to tell them what type of show she hosted, he respected her enough not to bring it up—even though he had complete faith in his family not to give her hell about it.
Just as they arrived at the building to meet Lizzie, Siena stepped out of a cab, looking as gorgeous as ever in a pair of skinny jeans, high heels, and an oversized knit shirt. She was one of the top models in the industry, but she was so down-to-earth and family oriented that she never flaunted it.
“There’s my man,” she said to Cash as she wrapped her arms around him and they kissed. Then she turned her crystal-blue eyes on Blue and hugged him, too. “I’ve missed you so much! And I’m so happy you’re bringing your girlfriend to the wedding!”
“Thanks, Siena. Me too.”
Siena stepped back and hugged Duke. “Even though I see you all the time, I still miss you.”
“How could you not?” Duke teased.
“Hey, babe, where are your bags?” Cash asked her.
“Oh, no. I knew I forgot something.” She crinkled her nose, and Cash tugged her into his arms and kissed her again.
“That’s my girl, never prepared. It’s a good thing I packed a bag in case you forgot. It’s in Duke’s car.”
“Aw, baby.” She pressed her lips to his again, and Blue felt a twinge of longing for Lizzie. “See? There’s a reason we’re together.”
“Yeah, you need someone to look after you.” Cash laughed just as Lizzie walked out of the building behind him.