Page 50 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

For a long moment, my sister just sat there, staring at me with so many thoughts and questions running across her face that I could practically hear them, but then the door opened and Colin came in. He grinned at me but frowned at Jane.

“Hey, little brother,” he said, then turned to her. “Are you joining us for the meeting?”

“No,” she said quickly, then stood, glancing back at me when she reached the door. “Just be careful, Ryan, okay?”

“Always.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Since when?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but she shot me a look that said she meant it. Then she left and Colin dropped into the chair she’d vacated. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing,” I lied. “I guess she just wanted to have a big-sister moment before I leave again.”

His eyes moved from one of mine to the other. Then he sighed, making it clear that he didn’t believe me, but he also didn’t push. That was the great thing about the Thayers these days. We’d long since learned when to leave each other alone.

Well, mostly.

“Alright,” he said finally. “Let’s get started. I heard you brought a guest from New York with you and I’m sure you want to get back to her.”

I narrowed my eyes, flipping him off and immediately taking back every good thing I’d ever thought about our family, but then, true to his word, he dove in. We spent the next couple hours making sure I could eventually return to New York in somewhat peace. Then I went back to my apartment, expecting to walk in on a family fight, another unexpected visit from one of her brothers, or something like that.

Instead, Maggie stood in the kitchen wearing an outfit that wasn’t mine, cooking food that hadn’t been in the fridge earlier, and listening to music on a little speaker I didn’t own. I frowned, but it only took a second before I saw the mountains of shopping bags scattered around the living room.

She had her back to me, quietly singing along to the song that was playing from her new speaker, her hips swaying in time with the music. My mouth dried up as I watched her, a new pair of jeans framing her ass while her shirt clung to every curve like it’d been designed to tempt me.

My heart slammed against my ribs, but before my body could get too carried away, I cleared my throat and spoke up. “You went shopping?”

“Ryan!” she called excitedly, spinning to face me with a smile on her lips so genuinely happy that it almost knocked the air out of my lungs. “You’re back earlier than I thought you would be, and yes, I did. My dad seems to have kept his side of the bargain. I have access to my accounts again. For now, anyway.”

I stared at her, dropping my keys on the counter and wondering if this was the first time she’d ever been allowed to dress herself. The style I’d thought was hers, all the girly, frilly stuff, was not what she had on now, and while none of that did it for me on her, this? Well, it does. Let’s leave it at that.

“Why are you wearing a Cubs shirt?” I asked, clearing my throat again so my voice wouldn’t come out hoarse.

She grinned. “Oh, that’s because I got you something. You don’t have to take me, of course, but I thought I’d show my support anyway.”

“For the Cubs?”

“Yep.” She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out two tickets, handing them over with a ridiculously proud smile. “They’re for a local game tonight.”

I looked into those hazel eyes, wondering how she made it look like she didn’t even know how much drama she was responsible for, but then I grinned. Because baseball tickets were not something I could say no to.

“Okay, let me change. We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”

Her entire face lit up. “We? Really?”

“Yes.”

She threw her arms around me before I could prepare for it. “Thank you! I’ve never been to a baseball game before. I’m actually really looking forward to it, but make that thirty minutes. I made some pasta.”

I held myself together for all of half a second before my arms folded around her and I hugged her back, immediately much too aware of her soft body against mine and the inevitable reaction I would have if I held her much longer. “Okay. Okay. I need to change.”

She finally pulled back. “This is going to be so much fun. Hurry, okay? I guarantee the pasta is awesome. Much better than mac and cheese from a box.”

“I don’t doubt it,” I muttered, then strode down the hall to my bedroom to find that she’d taken it over entirely.

Her stuff was everywhere, her shopping trip obviously much more productive than I’d realized at first, but weirdly, I didn’t mind her taking over my space. Especially not when I got in my shower and found bottles of her stuff in there too.

After doing everything I could to make sure I wasn’t carrying any of the residual tension from last night and just a few minutes ago into the game with me, I shut off the water and got dressed. Maggie was still in the kitchen when I walked back out, smiling as she pushed an already dished up bowl of pasta toward me.