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No such luck. By the time I lifted my head to reassure Elise I was fine, the two had switched positions. Weston was now beside her, casually holding her shoulders, as if he hadn’t just been in an intensely intimate moment with his fiancée. Maybe they were always like that.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “I should probably start looking where I’m going.”
She beckoned me forward. “See yourself into the kitchen. I’m not a chef, but I can make a mean cup of coffee. I’m assuming that’s what has you down here this early.”
I shuffled into the kitchen, giving them space by settling on a stool at the far side of the island. “There must be something about the mountains. I slept so well, I woke up ready to go.”
Elise slid a mug filled with coffee in front of me, and Weston placed milk, creamer, and sweetener on the island. They went about doctoring up their own drinks, and I relaxed while the attention was off me.
It wasn’t that I was shy, I just wasn’t used to being accepted into a group this way. To me, it said a lot about their affection for Miles. He might not have seen it, and perhaps they did a piss-poor job of showing it at times, but they cared for him. Even I could see that.
Elise launched into the plans for the day. We were going to ride a gondola to the top of a mountain where there was an alpine coaster and other rides. I’d been skiing in Breckenridge with Andy’s family, but we’d never come during the off-season. This was all new to me.
“I hope you like wild rides,” Elise finished.
Weston huffed as he brought his mug to his mouth. “She must, being with Miles.”
Elise grinned. “This is true. There’s no predicting what he’ll do next.”
“He’s fun,” I agreed, because it was true. “I’ve known him a fraction of the time you have, but I also find him to be dependable and steady. It’s one of my favorite things about him.”
I would never break Miles’ trust and talk about his sobriety, but I had no problem hinting at it. I just hoped his brother picked up on it. Miles needed support, and Weston should’ve been proud of how hard he’d worked to turn his life around.
“I hope he stays that way.” Weston set his mug down on the counter and gave me a considering look. “Do you know if he’s been in touch with our parents?”
“He hasn’t mentioned them.”
Elise sighed, rubbing Weston’s shoulder. “No news is good news, right?”
His jaw rippled with sudden tension. “We didn’t invite them to the wedding,” he explained. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my mother tried to manipulate Miles into giving her information on the date and location. She knows how to incite his pity.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t noticed him speaking to your parents, and like I said, he hasn’t mentioned them. Are you sure they even know about the wedding?”
“Oh, they know,” he intoned.
Elise laid her head on his arm. “If they show up, they show up. All that matters is we’re married by the end of the day.”
A deep line carved between his eyebrows. “I want it to be perfect.”
“It will be,” she promised.
“I’ll keep my ears open,” I said.
Weston nodded. “Thank you.”
I sucked in a breath. I might not have another chance like this, talking to them with no one else around.
“You should keep a look out too.”
His brows shot up. “What?”
“Yeah. You should pay attention to what Miles is doing…and isn’t doing. What he hasn’t done for quite a long time.”
It was cryptic but heavy-handed at the same time. If Weston was any kind of brother, he’d pick up on what I’d laid down pretty quickly.
I slid off my stool. “I’m going to go check on Miles.”
I found him right where I’d left him, sprawled on his belly, his arms and legs at odd angles. He looked cozy, half under the thick duvet. Padding across the room, I left my three-quarters full coffee mug on the bedside table and climbed in beside him. As soon as I hit the mattress, his arms banded around my middle, dragging me into him.
