Always The One. Tara Randel
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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 sent him a really? glance. “My point, exactly. You wield that coin to do your bidding.”
“Harsh.”
“The truth.”
“Then let me buck the system and call tails,” Derrick said.
“Magnanimous of you.”
With a chuckle, Derrick sent the coin into the air. It hovered. Dropped. Derrick eyed the metal and said, “Guess I had to lose some time.”
“Let me see,” Dylan said, reaching for the coin. Derrick snatched his hand away.
“Nope. Doesn’t work that way.”
“So you really lost?”
“You doubt me?”
“You’ve been known to cheat.”
Once again, Derrick went for hurt. “I’m wounded.”
Dylan crossed his arms over his chest. “Yet you haven’t confessed.”
Derrick shrugged.
“Fine. You win.” Dylan took a few steps back, then turned to leave. A couple of minutes later Jasmine reappeared.
“How did it turn out?”
“We decided I’d have the honor of walking you down the aisle.” He puffed out his chest. “I am the oldest, after all.”
“And this decision didn’t have anything to do with you manipulating the coin toss?”
His eyes went wide. “How…”
“You boys think you’re a step ahead of me.” She rolled her eyes. “That will be the day.”
Barking out a laugh, Derrick hugged the woman who had loved him since birth, the woman he’d be pleased to give away in marriage.
She pulled back, her eyes bright as she searched his face. “You’re okay with this?”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said.
“With the upcoming weddings and happily-ever-afters, I don’t want you to feel left out.”
His chest squeezed tight. He knew his mother was referring to Hannah. “I’m okay, Mom.”
She tilted her head. “Really?”
“Yes,” he lied.
While she continued to read him, he led her in the direction of the beach. “Yes, I’ve always been in love with her. And yes, I’ll continue to love her. But by her silence, Hannah’s made it clear she doesn’t feel the same way. I’ve tried to find her. Failed.” He ran a shaky hand over his closely cropped hair. “Maybe Dylan is right. It’s time to move on.”
A bright sheen brightened his mother’s eyes in the bonfire light. “I know how much this hurts.”
It did. Every day. But it didn’t change reality.
He swallowed hard. Forced himself to believe the words he was about to say. “I’m ready. Probably should have been years ago.”
“You never gave up hope.”
“Sometimes hope isn’t enough.”
At those words, his mother tightly hugged him. Then she stepped back and wiped her cheeks. “I’m happy about your decision. And that you’ll be here for the wedding.”
“I have vacation time coming. And believe it or not, I’m happy you found James.” He lifted his chin in the direction of her fiancé. “Go enjoy your night.”
“You promise you’ll be okay?”
“Promise.”
She frowned. “I worry about you. You talk a good game…”
“Go.”
At his directive, she made her way back to James, the smile from earlier returning to her lips.
He glanced around the crowd, catching glimpses of his brothers