“Funny how my little sis ain’t wearing the googly-eyed look of a woman wildly in love. She looks like she wants to punch you in the face,” Cam McKay commented behind Jack.
Fan-fucking-tastic. “You know Keely. She gets mad first, listens to reason second. She’ll be fine once we’re alone to hash it out.”
“That being said… I’m speaking off the record, not as a deputy, but as Keely’s brother.”
Jack waited.
“If you cause her a second’s pain, I will gut you. Understand?”
“Loud and clear.”
Cam grunted and shuffled off.
Imagining his bloody guts dragging in the dirt was getting old. Maybe no one would notice if he snuck out, since most of the attendees were Keely’s family and friends.
What did that say about him?
A hand landed hard in the middle of his back and Carter McKay sidled up beside him. “So you and Keely, huh? Gotta admit, I didn’t see that one coming.”
“I did,” he grumbled. “I’ve had it bad for her since the first time I met her at your house when she was jailbait.”
Carter laughed. Not pleasantly. “Good thing you never told me that before you put a ring on her finger.”
“Why?”
“She’s my baby sis. I gotta look out for her and make sure she isn’t hooking up with some scumbag.”
Jack bristled. “You suggesting I’m not good enough for her?”
“Yep. If I ever get the barest whisper you’ve hurt her in any way, well, fair warning, I’m gonna gut you, Donohue, old friend or not. Dig?”
“I dig.”
“Good.” Carter clapped him on the shoulder again. “Smart man. I see the boys are back to sneaking cookies. Gotta bust them.” And Carter was gone.
Could this day get any more bizarre?
Another set of footsteps stopped behind him. Jack braced himself for a new “friendly” warning from another male member of the knife-happy, psycho McKay clan. But his mother’s sweet voice rang out. “It’s a lovely party, isn’t it?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve heard.” Jack hugged her tightly, feeling ridiculous at the boyish need for his mother. He was immediately comforted by her presence, her softness and the familiar scent of her always-present Jean Nate perfume. “Sorry I was gone this week when you were here.”
“No worries, son. For all intents and purposes, I’m retired. I know you’re a busy man. I enjoyed spending time with Keely. Such a ball of fire, that girl. And her family is wonderful.”
Yeah, they’re a swell bunch when they’re not threatening to gut you.
His mother picked a piece of lint from his lapel. “I’m thrilled you’re marrying such a perfect woman for you.”
Jack’s gaze zeroed in on tantalizing Keely, gesturing wildly as she talked to cluster of white-haired women. Young. Old. Male. Female. Didn’t matter. She was always surrounded by people. Keely drew them to her like bees to flowers. Man, she was sweet. And hot. And pissed as hell at him.
Keely caught him looking again, and not so subtly scratched her cheek with her middle finger.
His dick stirred and he grinned at her.
Yeah, he had it bad that it turned him on when she flipped him off.
“I see you watching her all the time.”
Guiltily, he returned attention to his mother. “She’s my intended. Naturally I’m looking at her. Do you find that odd?”
“No. I find it sweet. You don’t show that side of yourself often these days and I’m glad you’re sharing it with her.”
Before Jack formulated a response, his mother added, “But I am surprised you are insistent about starting a family right away.” Her gaze drifted to the band of McKay offspring running amok through the crowd.
His eyes zoomed to hers. “Where’d you hear that?”
“Keely told me.”
“When did Keely share that tidbit?”
“Earlier today. She said you weren’t getting any younger and she didn’t want people mistaking you for your kid’s grandfather at school events.”
What a troublemaker. That little snot-nosed cowgirl had earned serious payback.
“I recognize that mind your own business scowl, Jack.”
Ah hell, now he’d hurt her feelings. He was batting a thousand today. “Mom—”
“I didn’t mean to speak out of turn. And I understand how much you value your privacy. But to be honest, I can’t wait for grandchildren to spoil. The sooner the better.”
“I’m planning on getting a lot of baby-making practice in. Soon.” Jack grinned when his mother gasped and whapped him on the arm.
His brother inserted himself into the conversation. “Well, ain’t this just great? Us all together celebrating how my big brother stole my girl away for himself?”
“Justin David Donohue. What a horrible thing to say to your brother.”
“It’s true. Jack wanted, no, he encouraged me to break up with Keely so he could have her. Tricky, huh?”
“Get over it. That was years ago. Whatever happened between you two—” he warned Justin not to put Keely in a bad light in front of their mother, “—is over and done with. Keely and I crossed paths long before you entered the picture, so technically, she was mine first.”
Justin belligerently folded his arms over his chest. “You must’ve worked some serious magic on her because Keely hated you, Jack. She called you—”
“Every name in the book, I know. We laugh about it now, actually. Sometimes Keely even uses it as a term of endearment.” He smiled and gave his mother a one-armed hug. “Speaking of…I need to have a word with my soon-to-be blushing bride.”
Jack felt Justin’s glare singeing his hair as he wandered toward Keely surrounded by her friends. Too bad, bro. You f**ked up. She’s mine now. He hovered on the outskirts of the circle, waiting for his beloved to acknowledge him.
She didn’t.
So Jack set his chin on her shoulder and palmed her hips, trying not to be distracted by that damned lilac scent. “Hey, baby.”
Keely immediately stiffened up.
Everyone in the group noticed. He half-chided, “Relax. I won’t tickle you in front of your friends.” He dropped his voice. “All my favorite ticklish spots are strictly between us.”
Muffled laughter.
“Anyway, can you all excuse us? I need to steal her away for a minute.”
Murmured assent followed. And miracle of miracles, Keely didn’t argue.