If Nash doesn’t remind Aria why she used to like spending time with boys, no man will.
Yes, indeed, I think as I pour myself a glass of the Chardonnay Nash brought and get both of the boys set up with a beer. Aria is going to love this one.
As if summoned by my thoughts, Aria appears in the doorway with Felicity balanced on her hip. She’s wearing a burnt orange sleeveless sundress that brings out the auburn in her hair. She’s actually wearing makeup, for once, and her chunky turquoise jewelry emphasizes her green eyes. Best of all, she’s smiling her big, bright, unguarded Aria smile down at Felicity.
It’s a rare smile these days, but it reminds me of why, when I was growing up, I always wanted to look like my big sister. When Aria smiles she’s more than just pretty, she is break-your-heart stunning.
There isn’t a man alive who can resist her.
I peek over at Nash to see if his jaw has dropped, to find an unexpected frown pulling at his handsome face.
“Hey, Lark, I turned on the bug lights, but I can’t reach the torches. Daddy put them up so—” Aria looks up, breaking off as her gaze skims over me and Mason to settle on the man beside us, her eyes widening with shock before her brows pull together in a frown that matches Nash’s to a T.
Chapter 17
Lark
“What’s he doing here?” Aria’s voice is cold enough to make me wish I’d grabbed a light sweater before coming downstairs.
Something is definitely wrong. Very wrong.
My nerve endings are sending out red alert signals even before Nash drawls, “Nice to see you, too, Aria.”
Mason and I exchange panicked glances behind his back.
Aria and Nash know each other? How?
Crap on a cracker, what have I done? My sister isn’t going to be distracted by a handsome single guy; she’s going to be livid with me for inviting someone she obviously can’t stand to a family barbeque.
“Looks like motherhood’s been good to you,” Nash continues. “Pretty as ever.”
Aria’s eyes narrow, but her lips stretch into a tight smile. “And it looks like you’re still a gym junkie. Still measuring your thighs every night before you go to bed?”
Nash chuckles, a warm sound that fills the kitchen, banishing the prickle left behind by Aria’s words. “Nah, now I measure my biceps. It’s harder to get the tape around my arm with one hand and you know how we backwoods hicks love cheap entertainment.”
Aria visibly bristles, like a hen ruffling her feathers.
I jump in before my sister can lob another verbal hand grenade.
“I invited Nash, Aria. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I say with an apologetic smile. “He’s an old friend of Mason’s and we thought we might need some help eating all the steak. You know it’s never as good the next day.”
“That’s all right.” Nash sets his beer on the counter, shooting me a warm smile that makes me want to beg his forgiveness for exposing him to my sister in her current, caustic state. “I can go. It’s no big—”
“No, stay,” Aria says calmly, making Nash turn back to her with eyebrows raised. “I’m sorry I was rude. I was surprised, but that’s no excuse,” she continues, making my eyebrows shoot up right along with Nash’s.
Who is this woman, and what has she done with my refuses-to-apologize-unless-she’s-caught-with-her-hand-in-the-cookie-jar-sister?
“We’re not kids anymore,” Aria says as she shifts Felicity to her other hip. “There’s no reason we can’t all have a nice evening together. Especially since Daddy won’t be home until next week.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Nash says, but he makes no move to reclaim his beer, obviously still on the fence about whether to stay or go.
I honestly can’t say which I’d prefer. I don’t want to offend one of Mason’s friends, but I can’t deny I am dying to know what the backstory is between Aria and Nash.
Why do they despise each other?
And what the heck does Daddy have to do with it?
“I honestly had no idea this was your house,” Nash says, a hint of embarrassment in his deep voice. “Mason didn’t mention his girlfriend’s name, just gave me the address and a time to show up.”
“Don’t worry about it. Stay, eat with us,” Aria says in a breezy tone only a sister could tell is forced. “Come on into the backyard. You’re tall enough to light the Tiki Torches, and I’ll introduce you to Melody, my other little sister.”
“All right.” Nash grabs his beer and slips by Aria, out into the backyard.
Aria waits until he’s out of earshot before whispering through clenched teeth, “I’m going to kill you.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper back. “I had no idea. I didn’t—”
Aria stops me with a hand in the air, rolls her shoulders back and sashays into the backyard. A moment later, I hear her introducing Melody and Nash, then telling Nash how to light the torches and thanking him for sticking around to enjoy the evening.