Page 16 of The Wrong Groom

“She’s been having a bit of a hard time at school lately,” I tell Tristan and Reid in an undertone, barely audible over the sound of laughter and splashing as Dominic launches his counterattack. “She’s been pretty shy with the other kids.”

“Really?” Reid’s eyes widen, and he glances at the pool, where Peyton is kicking waves of water into our brother’s face. “That’s… surprising.”

“Well, she’s not shy with you guys,” I point out. “She knows you and loves you. She’s comfortable around you. It’s new people and new kids that are tricky.”

Reid hums in understanding, and the three of us lapse into silence. In the water, Beckett joins Peyton in splashing Dominic. He splutters under their combined onslaught.

“Have you told her about the wedding yet?” Tristan asks, keeping his voice down.

I wince, a grimace twisting my face.

I haven’t. Truth be told, I’ve been trying my best not to think of the wedding at all.

It doesn’t seem responsible to dwell on it. Not when I’m unreasonably attracted to my bride-to-be. If I don’t think about it, I can keep that healthy distance between us. Once we’re sharing a house, it’s all going to become exponentially harder and more complicated.

She was so beautiful during our engagement shoot, the sea breeze playing with locks of her hair, the sun glinting off her bare shoulders. Being that close to her, in the intimate poses the photographer kept suggesting, affected me in ways I hadn’t been anticipating. Ways I’m not sure I liked.

Tristan and Reid are both looking at me expectantly, so I shake my head. “No. I haven’t had the chance.”

Reid huffs. “What do you mean, you haven’t had the chance? She’s six years old. She couldn’t pencil you in?”

I shoot him a glare. “No. I just… I don’t know how to explain it to her, you know? I’m getting married, which means one thing to a kid, but…”

“It’s transactional,” Tristan completes, nodding.

“Exactly.” I watch as Peyton jumps from Beckett’s arms onto Dominic’s head, tackling him under the water. “I have no idea how to explain this to her. What it all means.”

“Have you told her anything, or is it just going to be a surprise?” Reid asks.

“I told her that a lady is going to come live with us soon and that she’ll be staying for a while. She asked me if she was getting a new nanny, and I told her it’s not like that.”

Silence hangs over the three of us for a few moments. In the pool, Dominic comes up for air, gasping. He holds his arms up at head height, shaking water out of his eyes. “Alright, you win! I surrender!”

“I can’t believe our mother is doing this to us,” I growl under my breath.

“I know,” Reid breaks in. “It’s⁠—”

“No, you don’t,” I interrupt, more brusquely than I intended. “It’s different for you. It would be one thing if she was just messing with my life, with my emotions. But she’s fucking with my kid. A child.”

Reid makes a face. He opens his mouth, then closes it.

“Sorry,” I sigh. What is wrong with me? Of all the people in the world, Reid is one of the most likely to actually understand how I’m feeling right now. We’re in similar situations, since he’s subject to the same terms of our father’s will that I am. “I didn’t mean to take that tone. It’s just…”

“It’s okay,” Reid says reassuringly. “I understand. You’re trying to look out for your kid, and she’s making that hard.”

I nod, my throat feeling tight. “Yeah.”

“If it’s any consolation,” Tristan chimes in, “Peyton’s going to be okay. Kids are resilient.”

“Plus, she’ll have her four uncles looking out for her,” says Reid. “We’ve always got her back.”

I offer the two of them a thin, tired, yet honest smile. “Thanks, guys.”

I hear splashing coming from the pool, then the patter of wet feet on polished wood. Peyton comes running over, with Dominic and Beckett trailing behind her.

“You had enough of the pool for today?” I scoop Peyton up, holding her with one arm.

“Yeah,” she says, nodding. “Uncle Dominic didn’t want to keep playing.”