Always The One. Tara Randel

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СКАЧАТЬ merriment. They’d exchanged class rings junior year and she’d been excited to wear the necklace that held his ring around her neck. Every year they’d celebrated their birthdays on the same day. He’d always said she was the best birthday present he’d ever received.

      They’d started hanging out when they were eight or nine, became an item at thirteen and planned to run off and get married the day after their eighteenth birthdays. Except when he showed up that special morning to whisk her away, she was gone. Her entire family vanishing into thin air.

      If Hannah could, or wanted to, wouldn’t she have contacted him by now?

      That was the part that tripped Derrick up, because bottom line, the real reason he’d never found her might be because she didn’t want to be found by him.

      “What’s changed?” Dylan asked, drawing Derrick back to the conversation.

      “I guess seeing my brothers have fulfilling lives. Even Mom. After years of being a widow, she found love again.” He turned to his brother. “I want that.”

      “Then go for it.”

      Easier said than done. He’d only ever loved one woman in his thirty-five years on earth. Didn’t know if he had it in him to try with another.

      As if given a silent cue, the crowd started moving toward the gingerbread-decorated gazebo outlined in twinkling lights located just off the beach. Derrick and Dylan got up and followed the others. His mother and James stood in the center of the structure, his arm around her waist, his mother smiling into James’s eyes. Yep. Didn’t have to be a crack FBI special agent to realize it was time for the big announcement.

      Rather than hang around his brothers and their girlfriends, he lingered in the back of the crowd, staying in the shadows. The wind whipped through again. It was a cold January evening, even for Florida standards. They’d gotten together to usher in the new year, but when their mother asked them to stay a few extra days, they knew Jasmine Matthews was up to something.

      “Thank you for coming tonight, all our family and friends.” Jasmine’s eyes glowed with a barely contained joy. As Derrick glanced at the couples around him, he noticed a similar theme.

      The envy kicked up again.

      “As you know, James and I were lucky to find each other. And we’ve been even more fortunate to have your support.”

      A snort escaped Derrick.

      When he and his brothers had confronted James last autumn, they’d gotten two big surprises. One, James admitted his past as a con artist but confessed he’d been on the straight and narrow for a very long time. His mother ordered Derrick and his brothers to back off and they had. He kept waiting for one of his brothers to come up with a plan to break up the couple, but so far nothing had come to pass. At least nothing they were telling him since he’d landed on Team James.

      And second, they were going to gain a sister. James’ daughter Serena had become good friends with his mother. Which was a plus because that helped keep Jasmine from worrying about his private life. So if Mom and James got married, there would be one more sibling in the family. And even Serena had found her great love with Logan Masterson, the PI hired to dig up information on Stanhope.

      It was like the universe was conspiring against him.

      Weird, the thought of having a sister after a lifetime of brothers. But again, his mother was ecstatic and Serena was pretty okay, so he’d show up at his mother’s wedding and smile, even though he and his brothers would never shake their suspicions of the man she intended to marry.

      “I’m sure it won’t come as a news flash that we’re getting hitched,” she told the crowd.

      Cheers and claps echoed in the night.

      “So, mark your calendars for the second weekend in February.” She grinned. “The sooner the better.”

      Voices rose in celebration. His mother’s gaze caught his and with a small lift of her chin, she motioned him over. He skirted the outer rim of the crowd to find his brothers already behind the gazebo with their mother.

      “I have a request,” she said as the four circled her. Derrick could have sworn he heard Dante groan.

      She looked each of the grown men in the eyes. “I love you boys too much to decide who will give me away at my wedding. So I’ll leave the decision up to you.”

      “Are you sure?” Derrick asked.

      She cupped his cheek with her warm hand. “I’m sure.”

      After winking at him, she strolled away.

      Reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, Derrick withdrew a worn coin. He ran his thumb over the warm metal, the raised edges smooth after years of being handled.

      “Okay, guys. What do you say we decide who gives Mom away in the Matthews’ family tradition?”

      Dante rolled his eyes. “I hate this tradition.”

      “Poor loser?” Derrick asked.

      “No, so far I’ve been fortunate, but the anticipation is agony.”

      Dylan slapped Derrick on the back. “What do you say we let those two go first.”

      “Works for me.”

      “Heads,” Dante called.

      Deke shrugged.

      With a flip of his thumb, the coin sailed into the air then landed in Derrick’s palm. He looked at it for a long time, stretching out the suspense, a grin curving his lips.

      “Oh, for the love of…” Dante griped.

      “No worries, little bro. Heads.”

      Dante blew out a breath and turned on his heel.

      “Escaping so soon?” Deke called after him.

      “I’m going back to Eloise where it’s safe.”

      Deke turned back to the bearer of the coin. “Heads.”

      “You sure?” Derrick asked.

      “Let’s keep the good luck rolling.”

      Once again, Derrick made a show of letting the coin twist in the air. The wind picked it up, but after it came down, he winked at his brother. “Safe.”

      “Good,” Deke replied, then narrowed his eyes. “By the way, I’m onto you.”

      Derrick’s hand flew to his chest, and he projected an air of innocence. “Me?”

      Shaking his head, Deke walked away but not before Derrick glimpsed a small smile.

      “That just leaves us,” Derrick said to Dylan.

      “Why bother? The coin is double-sided.”

      “How do you know? You’ve never seen it.”

      Dylan СКАЧАТЬ