Could a fairy-tale wedding...

...lead to her own love story?

Sparks fly when Piper Evans meets tycoon Caleb Martin on the way to her brother’s wedding. Gorgeous but uncompromising, he’s the kind of man heartbroken Piper has sworn to stay away from. Yet when the perfect wedding turns to disaster, Piper must search for the runaway groom—with Caleb’s help! Island hopping around Greece, Piper finds herself increasingly tempted by the man who’s totally off-limits...

Being an author has always been THERESE BEHARRIE’s dream. But it was only when the corporate world loomed during her final year at university that she realised how soon she wanted that dream to become a reality. So she got serious about her writing, and now she writes the kind of books she wants to see in the world, featuring people who look like her, for a living. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband and dogs in Cape Town, South Africa. She admits that this is a perfect life, and is grateful for it.

Also by Therese Beharrie

Tempted by the Billionaire Next Door

Surprise Baby, Second Chance

Her Festive Flirtation

Conveniently Wed, Royally Bound miniseries

United by Their Royal Baby

Falling for His Convenient Queen

Billionaires for Heiresses miniseries

Second Chance with Her Billionaire

From Heiress to Mum

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Island Fling with the Tycoon

Therese Beharrie

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09155-8

ISLAND FLING WITH THE TYCOON

© 2019 Therese Beharrie

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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For Grant,

who routinely helps me turn my dreams into reality.

Thank you for Greece.

And for our Greece group and the wonderful

tour guides in Mykonos and Santorini.

Thank you for making a dream—

and this book—possible.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

FIVE MINUTES.

It wasn’t long to wait. Things happened, even to drivers from five-star resorts. Or was it five-star accommodation? A five-star villa? Piper Evans wasn’t sure. Her brother Liam had used all those terms when he’d told her she’d be staying there. The name of the place was Pleasure Villas, though that wasn’t in any of the pictures he’d sent. Either way, Liam had hyped it up so much Piper could have sworn he was trying to get her to move to Greece rather than stay a week for his wedding.

But that was Liam. Or it had been Liam since they’d reconnected after their father’s death. Enthusiastic, sincere. Responsible...? She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that. He hadn’t been, once upon a time. He was getting married now, though, and marriage didn’t exactly scream irresponsibility.

And yet she was still waiting at the airport for a driver he had been meant to arrange for her.

Ten minutes.

Why had she left the task to Liam anyway? She knew how he could be. She had countless examples of him letting her down. Sure, it seemed like he’d changed. The getting married thing, and all that. Or had she only wanted to believe that?

No, she thought. He had changed. Mostly since he’d met Emma, his fiancée, but still. Before their father had died, she and Liam had been in touch once, maybe twice a year. Then Liam had started dating Emma, and he’d been in touch more. Piper occasionally met up with them for meals. She wouldn’t go so far as to say they were erasing the past, but this was a start. Enough of one that she could see how Emma influenced Liam.

Their relationship had lasted longer than any of Liam’s previous ones. The one-year mark had come quickly, and he was still deeply in love. Then the engagement, planning a wedding—all within six months—and her brother wasn’t running.

She tried not to feel resentment at that. Rather, she focused on the hope that surged inside her. Liam’s relationship with Emma proved people could move forward regardless of their past. Maybe that meant she could, too. One day, she might finally be able to erase the marks her father had left on her life, her relationships, like Liam had.

Except it was now twenty minutes since she’d arrived, and her driver still wasn’t there. Which meant her brother hadn’t organised her a ride to the accommodation, as he’d assured her several times he had.

She let out a breath. Forcibly relaxed her clenched jaw. She searched the car park of the small Mykonos Airport, looking for anyone who could be looking for her. But, as had been the case for the past twenty minutes, no one seemed to be there without a purpose. She walked back through the sliding doors, circled the small waiting area. She saw only one person.

He’d been there when she’d landed. He held a sign that said Sunset Resort and wore a glowering expression behind dark sunglasses. Something about him made her shudder, and she was immensely glad she wasn’t staying at Sunset Resort.

She pulled her eyes away from the stranger, sighed and pulled out her phone. She’d bought an international SIM card for this very reason.

Maybe you don’t believe Liam has changed after all.

‘Hello?’

‘Liam,’ she said, relief making her voice breathy. ‘I’m so glad you answered.’

‘Did something happen? Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine.’ She began walking to the sliding doors again, dragging her bag behind her. ‘I’ve just been waiting for almost half an hour for the driver you arranged.’

‘You have been?’ he asked. ‘That can’t be right. Are you sure?’

‘Considering I’m here alone—have been for the last thirty minutes—yes, I’m sure.’

‘I’m sorry, Pie,’ he said, using the name he’d given her as a child. She still hated it. ‘Someone should have been there right when you landed. I gave Caleb your flight details. He’s been tracking you, and there’s no way he’d make you wait.’

‘Caleb?’ she said, wondering why the name sounded so familiar.

‘Yeah, Caleb. Emma’s brother.’

‘Oh, Caleb,’ she said again, as if she knew the man and hadn’t only heard his name.

To be honest, Piper thought him a fantasy. Emma talked about her mysterious older brother whenever they got together, yet Piper had only met Emma’s younger siblings. For all she knew, Emma had made up this mythical tale of the protective, kind older brother who’d taken care of them after their father died.

Piper had done that with Liam. When her father had refused to let her leave the house or made her jump through hoops when she wanted to study, she’d pretended Liam hadn’t left home as soon as he’d got the chance. She’d told herself he was working hard to get her out of the situation he’d escaped.

She hadn’t indulged such fantasies for long. Maybe this wedding was finally the opportunity for reality to eclipse Emma’s fantasy, too.

‘Let me give him a call and find out what happened.’

‘Okay.’

Liam hung up without saying goodbye, which would have bothered her more if he hadn’t done so for her sake. A moment later, she heard a ringing from behind her. Close behind her. She turned. Found her head shifting up to look at the man with the sunglasses before he answered his phone.

‘Caleb,’ he said in a voice that made her skin feel prickly. He listened, then nodded. ‘I have it handled.’ He finished the call, though Piper could still hear speaking coming from the other end.

They looked at each other. Piper’s heart began to pound. It jumped into her throat when her phone rang. She brought it to her ear without breaking eye contact.

‘Yeah?’

‘Pie, Caleb says he has it handled. I have no idea what that means, but—’

‘It means he’s here,’ Piper interrupted. ‘My ride’s here.’

‘Did you say he’s here?’ Liam asked, tone incredulous. ‘As in, you think Caleb is there to pick you up?’

‘Yes.’

‘That can’t be right.’

‘Hold on.’ She lowered her phone, pressing it to her chest. ‘Are you Emma’s Caleb?’

‘Yes.’

‘You’re here to pick me up?’

‘Yes.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Yeah, it’s him,’ she said, speaking into the phone again. ‘I’ll see you soon.’

‘Pie? Piper!’

‘What?’

‘Be careful.’

‘Be...’

But her brother had already ended the call. This time, she didn’t mind because she barely noticed he had.

* * *

He was having a day. Caleb Martin did not have days.

He had successes. Wins. But this morning the catering company his sister Emma had hired to cater the rehearsal party—because a dinner was too small for her grandiose wedding—had cancelled because some pop star had hired their services instead. Emma had come to him in a panic and, though Mykonos wasn’t his home, Caleb had had to call in favours with every Greek contact he had to replace the caterer.

Since he didn’t have that many Greek contacts, it had taken nearly all morning to find someone else. Then, as if sensing his vulnerability, his driver had handed in his resignation. Apparently, the demands of the wedding were too much for the local to handle. The man clearly wasn’t used to responsibility.

Caleb hadn’t had the choice. He’d been forced into duty the moment his father had died and he’d been made guardian of his three young siblings. Perhaps that was why he didn’t have patience for the driver quitting. Or perhaps it was because the man had done so minutes before Liam’s sister was supposed to land. With everyone running around preparing for the party that was two hours away, Caleb had no choice but to do it himself.

But she’d been late. Or not late, he thought, looking at the woman peering up at him. Confused. Though how she could be confused when he was the only man standing in the damn airport, Caleb had no idea.

‘So, you’re picking me up?’ she said, bright brown eyes looking at him curiously. He couldn’t figure out if they were light brown or dark brown, or a mysterious mixture of the two. All he knew was they stood out against her skin—another interesting shade of brown—and that they tempted him into forgetting his annoyance.

‘Since I’m the only person in this airport with a sign,’ he said, voice harder than he’d intended, ‘the answer is obviously yes.’

She studied him before she answered. ‘Two things. One, you’re holding a sign that says Sunset Resort. The place I’m supposed to be staying at is called Pleasure Villas.’

Her cheeks turned a pretty pink colour. It almost distracted him from what she’d said. He looked down, cursed when he saw she was right. He’d grabbed the wrong sign from the seat of the car his driver had used.

Great.

‘Two,’ she continued as if she hadn’t paused to make him feel like a fool, ‘I was the only person standing out there for the last half an hour, too. If it was obvious that I should have noticed you, surely the same goes for you?’ Her eyebrows rose. ‘At least I have a legitimate excuse for not speaking to you. I didn’t know you’d be coming. But what’s your excuse? Didn’t you at least look at a picture of me?’

No, he hadn’t. Nor did he have an excuse, which she knew, based on that self-satisfied look on her face. He didn’t know how he could find the arrogant expression appealing. How he could be fascinated by the easy curves of her lips. He hadn’t even got to those intriguing eyes yet and he could feel his body leaning in, giving in to the desire to be closer to her.

He shut it down like a mousetrap on a mouse.

‘If you’re done, we can go.’

Amusement flickered in her eyes, but she was wise enough not to respond. She merely nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. He kept his complaints about the bad luck he was having to himself, though his mind went haywire, thinking about everything he should have been doing instead of fetching a snappy soon-to-be relative.

No, he thought immediately. She wouldn’t be his relative. Good thing, too, or the way his body was still demanding to be closer to her would be criminal.

Grunting, he took the handle of her bag. When he was met with resistance, he looked at her.

‘Is this going to be a problem?’

‘You tell me,’ she replied mildly. Which, of course, only annoyed him more.

‘I’d like to help you with your bag,’ he said through his teeth. ‘Would you give me the great pleasure of doing so?’

Her expression changed then. So marginally that if his attention hadn’t been focused on every twitch of her features he wouldn’t have noticed it. Her lips pursed for a second; the lines around her eyes became more distinct. Tension fluttered across her face, disappearing almost as soon as it appeared.

When she looked at him, her eyes were dull. Inexplicably, his stomach dropped.

‘Why?’ she asked him, her voice steady despite the tension. ‘Why do you want to carry my bag?’

‘Not because I don’t think you can do it,’ he replied, watching her closely. It caused another minute change—a ripple of pleasure. But surely she couldn’t take pleasure from him thinking she could do something as simple as carry her own bag? ‘I help my sisters with their things all the time.’

‘I’m not your sister.’

The words were soft. Softened something inside him, too. The annoyance went up another notch.

‘No, you’re not.’ He waited a beat. ‘Perhaps I wanted to be a gentleman.’

‘Something tells me being a gentleman isn’t a top priority for you.’

He didn’t wince, but he wanted to. She was right. He’d been acting like a jerk since they’d met. But the knowledge of it didn’t change that he was annoyed. That that annoyance wouldn’t allow him to be soft and kind with her. Although it did give him an excuse to give her what she wanted. What, apparently, was important to her.

‘Fine,’ he said after a beat, releasing his hold on her bag. ‘You can do it yourself. The car’s this way.’

He walked away, pretending not to notice her shocked expression.

CHAPTER TWO

EMMA’S BROTHER WAS not quite as mythical as she’d made him seem. He was very much human, Piper thought, unashamedly studying him as he drove.

His jaw was locked, the sharp angles of it more pronounced because of the tension. Most of his expression was still obscured by his glasses, though she could tell he was glowering. The glasses seemed necessary for that—or, rather, the expression seemed necessary. She hadn’t seen anything other than it since they’d met.

It wasn’t her fault he’d had the wrong sign. And maybe she should have asked him, but she never approached strange men. She steered away from men in general, actually. Found it to be a good rule since she didn’t trust her own judgement.

The first man she’d trusted had manipulated her whenever she’d allowed it. When she hadn’t, too. The second man she’d trusted had abandoned her; she still hadn’t forgiven her brother for that, if she was being honest. As for the third man...

She’d chosen Brad, and somehow he’d ended up being exactly like her father. She’d paid for that. Was still paying for it in the form of caution and rules and the constant fear of falling for the wrong person again.

She sucked her lip in, looked out of the window. Her trip down memory lane had extinguished her curiosity about the man beside her. Instead, she focused on the actual lane they were driving along. It was an apt description for the narrow road they were rattling down. Caleb handled it with a confidence she wasn’t sure the road warranted.

She wanted to tell him to slow down, to give way to the large buses driving the curves of the narrow road. To watch out for the scooters zooming past them at what felt like every turn. But her voice wouldn’t work. She suspected it had something to do with feeling vulnerable, and the fact that she didn’t want him to know she was.

It seemed to be an unofficial mark of their short relationship, this vulnerability. Her inability to speak because of it. Back at the airport, when he’d assumed she’d wanted him to carry her bag without asking, it had kept her from accusing him of taking control like the men in her past. It had also kept her from blurting out a thank you when he’d told her he believed she could do it herself, unlike the men in her past.

That difference was why she’d been surprised he’d given in so easily. Nevertheless, her entire body had braced for the argument she’d thought would come. They’d been inevitable before, with Brad. And he’d disguised control with gentlemanliness, which was part of why it had taken her years before she’d seen it. It wasn’t the only reason, but still, she was careful because of it. She didn’t take anything at face value any more. She couldn’t trust herself to.

The car jerked to the side as a bus took a narrow corner wide. A sound escaped from her lips.

‘We’re fine,’ he said curtly.

‘I didn’t say anything.’

‘You made a noise.’

‘It was involuntary.’

‘We’re still fine.’

‘So you say,’ she muttered, refusing to look out of the window on his side as the bus loomed over them.

‘You shouldn’t have come to Mykonos if you’re afraid of tight roads.’

‘I couldn’t get out of it.’

‘You tried?’ he asked, surprise making his voice lighter.

‘Everything. But Liam had an answer for every concern.’ She looked at him. ‘Some of that was because of you,’ she said accusingly.

‘I didn’t do anything.’

‘Aren’t you paying for the extravagant wedding?’

‘Well, yes, but—’

‘I couldn’t afford to come here by myself.’ She sighed at the idea. ‘It was a legitimate excuse. Then Emma’s magical unicorn of a brother swoops in and suddenly I have no reason to back out.’

Caleb made a strangled sound that would have been amusing had another bus not rounded the corner. She hissed out a breath.

‘You didn’t learn your lesson from the first bus?’ he asked darkly. ‘We’re fine. This is how people drive here.’

‘Doesn’t mean I have to like it.’

‘That’s true.’

He pulled back onto the road. She closed her eyes when it seemed as if he was still too close to the walls keeping them from falling off the edge of the cliff.

She had an intense wave of nostalgia for home. In Cape Town, South Africa, she had a choice about what kind of road she wanted to drive on. It wasn’t the standard, these narrow and inclined roads. No, the standard was wide open spaces with plenty of lanes to feel safe in.

‘Piper.’

She opened her eyes at the sound of her name. She hadn’t expected it. Hadn’t expected to like the way he said it either.

Piper.

She heeded the warning of her inner voice and steeled herself.

‘What?’

‘Worrying about traffic means you’re missing the view.’

‘I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I’ve seen views.’

‘Just look.’

She did, but reluctantly. Made sure he knew it, too, with a little exhalation and roll of her eyes. The sharp intake of breath she took once she looked out over the stone walls wasn’t contrived though. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Caleb about the Cape Town views, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate new ones.

This one was particularly stunning, the vast blue ocean stretching out, broken up by rocks and islands in the far distance. On the island itself, white buildings stretched up at different layers, marked by the blue shutters she associated with Greece though she’d never been there before. Interspersed were stretches of brown land, green trees, pink flowers. It was striking and, she had to admit, it distracted her from the drive.

When they went down a curving gravel road she held her breath. Moments later he stopped the car, and she exhaled.

‘What if the place had been further down?’ he asked dryly.

‘I probably would have fainted and you could have done the gentlemanly thing and left me in the car to fend for myself.’

There was a beat before she thought she heard him chuckle, but he climbed out of the car before she could check. Good thing, too. If she saw him smile, or do anything other than glower, she might have to pay attention to the buzzing that had been in her body since they’d met. At the moment, she was blissfully ignoring it.

She’d practised hard on that ability for the last two years. She was pleased it was working.

‘Would you like me to get your bag out, or do you want to do it yourself?’ he asked when she joined him at the back of the car.

Oddly, the question touched her. It made her feel...understood, though that made no sense.

‘I’ll do it,’ she answered, to be safe.

She climbed in, pulled at the bag. Pulled again when it didn’t budge. It took her a second to realise it was stuck. Panic made her fingers clumsy as she tried to loosen the bag. Pride prevented her from asking for help.

She waited for Caleb’s sigh. For the dip of the car that told her he was coming in to help. To take over because, obviously, she couldn’t be trusted to do anything herself.

‘This is why you should leave things to me, Pipe,’ Brad had told her whenever something like this had happened. ‘You can’t do it by yourself.’

It was funny that she’d heard versions of that from her father all her life. When Brad had outright said it though, she hadn’t listened to the alarm going off in her head.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled with all her strength. The bag came loose, but the momentum had her falling back. A hand pressed against her back, but was removed as soon as she was steady. She got out of the car, her face burning despite the triumph of exiting with her bag.

‘Nice job.’

She lifted her chin. ‘Please don’t make fun of me.’

‘I wasn’t,’ he said sincerely.

There was a shriek from somewhere behind them, ending the conversation before she could think about why his answer warmed her.

* * *

‘Caleb, you did it!’ Emma exclaimed, launching herself at him as he turned to face her. ‘The caterers arrived an hour ago and everything seems to be going smoothly.’

He pushed at a braid that had flown over her face when she finally let go of him, and smiled. ‘Of course, Em. What choice did I have?’

‘Ha,’ she said, poking him in the stomach. Then her eyes moved to Piper and softened. ‘Piper! It’s so lovely to see you!’

Emma went to hug her future sister-in-law. Caleb expected Piper to wince. To put distance between her and his affectionate—sometimes overly so—sister. But she opened her arms and squeezed Emma tight. His heart squeezed, too. He ignored the sensation.

‘Em, you look beautiful,’ Piper said when she leaned back.

Emma beamed at her, smoothing the strapless blue dress she wore before flipping her hair over her shoulder. ‘I still have to have these styled,’ she said, lifting a free braid.

‘And I have to have the whole of this styled,’ Piper replied, waving a hand down her body.

Emma laughed.

‘Em, it’s less than an hour before the party starts,’ Caleb said. ‘You need to get your hair done and leave. Your guests will start to arrive soon and you and Liam have to be there.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Emma said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. ‘It’s not like my hair is going to take long.’

‘Is Jada doing it?’ Caleb asked, thinking of his baby sister.

‘Yes.’

‘Then you need as much time as you can get.’

Emma’s expression turned thoughtful. ‘True.’ She kissed Piper on the cheek before doing the same to Caleb. ‘Show her to her room, please, Caleb. Liam’s already at the beach, welcoming guests.’

She stuck her tongue out before Caleb could say anything, leaving behind a restlessness in the silence.

‘You should probably show me to my room,’ Piper said eventually.

He acquiesced without reply.

He heard her intake of breath when they walked onto the Pleasure Villas property. It was like when she’d seen the view of the ocean, the island of Mykonos earlier. A gasp at the beauty. So simple, too, as if she hadn’t seen something like it before. Or perhaps as if she could still appreciate beauty like it, despite seeing it in her home, as she’d claimed.

But even he, jaded as he was when it came to beautiful places, appreciated Pleasure Villas. Tall white buildings with blue shutters surrounded a bright blue pool. At almost each of the assortment of buildings, green leaves and pink flowers pressed against the white paint. Some crept up, along pillars. Others stretched over from one building to another. The greenery around the pool created an oasis he’d never had the opportunity to enjoy, too concerned with privacy than to strive for relaxation.

He wondered if that would be the case for Piper. She seemed closed off, private, though her tongue was sharp. But then he thought of how eagerly she’d opened her arms to his sister, how she didn’t seem to be hesitant or resistant with Emma, and he didn’t know. His first impression of her was challenged by almost every other moment he spent with her. As someone who prided himself on reading people quickly and efficiently, he didn’t like that she was such an enigma.

Then again, he wasn’t buying property from her as he did in his business. That was where he relied on his people-reading skills. Perhaps he needed to calm down. Not that thinking that helped him to calm down.

‘Here you go,’ he said, taking the key from on top of the door frame and opening the door.

‘You left the key there?’

‘It’s safe.’

‘Hmm.’

It was the only comment she made as she pulled her bag into the house.

There was another gasp when she was inside, and he felt a strong sense of satisfaction. He’d done some work on the inside of the villas when he’d bought them. Not enough to change the feel of them, but enough that he could be proud when someone liked them.

It had been no small feat to get Adrian Anagnos to sell this place to him. In Mykonos, businesses remained locally owned for the most part. There were none of the fast food places that had taken over most of Europe. Most of the restaurants and properties were family owned. It was how Mykonos had survived the recession, a fact they were quite proud of.

When he’d learnt of this, Caleb had been determined to get a foot in the door. He’d worked with Adrian when the man had come to South Africa, interested in investing in property. Their relationship had been purely professional until, one day, Adrian’s daughter had been robbed in Cape Town. Adrian had been in America on business. With no one else to assist her, Adrian had called Caleb, who hadn’t given it a second thought.

Things changed then. Adrian invited Caleb on a boat trip one day in Cape Town to thank him. Dinner became more frequent, and Adrian became a mentor. Caleb didn’t use that term lightly—it felt like a betrayal to his father, whose business Caleb had taken over when Chad Martin had died thirteen years ago. But Caleb had grown to like and respect Adrian. The older man felt the same about Caleb.

When Adrian had invited Caleb to Greece for his daughter’s wedding, Caleb had stayed at this very property. It was one of several Adrian owned on the island. Caleb had liked it so much he’d enquired about purchasing it. It had taken two years before he’d finally worn Adrian down. Eventually, the man had stopped laughing at Caleb; now, Caleb was the owner. It was a deep disappointment that Adrian couldn’t make Emma’s wedding.

‘This is... Wow,’ Piper said, drawing him from his thoughts.

‘Yeah, I thought the same thing when I first saw it.’

Piper ran a hand over the couch, looking from the cobbled tiling up to the sea-themed décor. She took the two steps up to the open-plan kitchen, walked out to the small courtyard at the back, then into the main bedroom with its en-suite bathroom. With wide eyes she walked out and stared at him.

‘Are all the rooms in the villa like this?’

‘Pretty much, yeah.’

‘Wow,’ she said again, setting her hands on the small blue table in the kitchen. ‘How could you afford to rent this place?’

His lips twitched. ‘I didn’t rent it.’

She gave him a look. ‘Liam told me you arranged for accommodation.’

‘Technically true, although I didn’t have to arrange much. I simply didn’t hire it out for this week.’

‘You didn’t...’

He could see her brain working as she trailed off. Enjoyed that brief moment of shock when she realised what he meant.

‘You own this place?’

She spoke in a whisper. He smiled.

‘I do.’

‘Holy cow.’ She blinked. Repeated the action in rapid movements. ‘I...guess I understand why Emma went so extravagant with the wedding now.’

‘Liam wanted the wedding to be big, too,’ Caleb reminded her, as if he had to defend his younger sister.

‘Yeah, but Liam wanted it because Emma wanted it.’

‘Why do you sound so judgemental?’

‘I’m not judging anyone,’ she said, straightening her spine. ‘I’m only saying that if I had access to literal paradise—’ she lifted a hand, gestured around them ‘—I’d want to have a big destination wedding, too.’

‘You’re definitely judging her.’

She met his eyes. ‘If you tell me you’ve never once judged Liam because of his choices, personal or professional, I’ll tell you the truth about whether I’m judging her.’

Caleb thought back to all the things he’d seen Liam do—things he hadn’t agreed with. Two failed business ventures in the year and a half since he and Emma had started dating. A lack of a spine when it came to even the vaguest prospect of conflict.

The only reason Caleb had felt comfortable with the wedding going ahead as planned was because Liam was completely in love with Emma. And he made Emma happy. Otherwise, Caleb might have had to step in, like his father would have, had the man still been alive...

Piper was smiling when he looked at her again.

‘I’m going to get ready for the party. Please close the door on your way out.’

* * *

Piper dusted a hand over the olive-green dress she wore. It was simple, with thin straps, and revealed more of her breasts than she’d ever shown before. But it had pockets, ended mid-shin, and the colour popped against her skin. She couldn’t bring herself to change, despite the situation with her breasts.

She lifted her hand to her hair, which she’d had to tie up into a ponytail since she’d worn it that way on the flight over. There had been no time to wash and blow it again. She’d tied it up, flattened the front of it with gel and straightened her ponytail until it was a sleek curtain to her mid-back. With one last look in the mirror, she grabbed her clutch and opened the door.

Right to Caleb Martin.

They both took a step back. Both sized each other up in the silence that followed. He wore light blue pants and a white shirt. It accentuated the brown of his skin, the broadness of his shoulders, the dark black of his hair. He’d shaved since they last saw one another, so the sharp angles of his face were even more striking than they’d been that afternoon. Or perhaps that was because he no longer wore sunglasses, and for the first time since they’d met she could see his eyes.

When her stomach flipped at them—they crinkled at the sides as he patiently waited for her to finish her perusal, done with his own—she wished he’d brought the glasses again. His eyes were kinder than she’d thought they would be. They were also sharp, light, and the combination of that expression as well as his outfit...

It was a good thing she’d practised her self-control. Fanning herself would have been inappropriate.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked when she was finally done staring. No, that wasn’t true. She wasn’t done. She simply knew what was proper.

‘Emma asked me to escort you to the party.’

‘Why? Is it complicated to get to the beach?’

‘It is not.’ Amusement shimmered across his face, a potent addition to the gorgeousness she was already distracted by.

‘Is she trying to set us up?’

His eyes widened comically, the determined shake of his head following in a similar manner. ‘No. No, of course not.’

‘You’re denying this a lot.’

‘Doesn’t mean it’s not true.’

It would probably annoy him if she disagreed—so, of course, that was what she wanted to do. She walked out of the door, closed it behind her. Primly, she folded her hands around her clutch.

‘I don’t know. You came to fetch me from the airport. You showed me to my room. Now you’re escorting me to a party. This must be a date of some sort.’

‘It’s not a date,’ he said. ‘It’s...being courteous. Which I’m deeply regretting.’

‘You’re the least courteous person I’ve met, Caleb. You telling me you regret being courteous proves that.’

‘Has anyone ever pointed out how contrary you are?’

Why can’t you do as you’re told, Piper?

A question she’d heard far too often in her twenty-six years, in various forms.

‘All the time,’ she said lightly. Fighting for that tone. ‘Though you think it an insult. It’s not. I try to be contrary whenever I can, so someone pointing it out to me is a compliment. Shall we?’

She started walking, not bothering to check if he was following. She could almost hear his irritation with her. It thrilled her in a way it shouldn’t have.

To be fair, some of what she’d said had been for the sake of contrariness—he was so easily riled!—but some of it had been true, too. She’d spent most of her life obeying people. Her mother had died when she was young, leaving her and her brother with a father who didn’t want to be one. Keaton Evans had never said so, but she could only assume that was the reason for his awfulness. People who wanted children didn’t force them into behaving in certain ways, did they? Surely they allowed their children to become whoever they wanted to be. They let them test the boundaries, drawing them in when the child went too far.

But not Keaton.

Keaton had a strict routine for them to follow. So strict, in fact, that if either of them strayed from it they were punished. No outside time. Food in their rooms. Being kept separate from one another. Since they had no friends, not really, Piper and Liam had become friends. At least they had been in those first few years. Not talking to one another was torture then, which their father knew. It was how he’d kept them in line.

There was no testing the boundaries in the Evans house. There were only the boundaries. If they were broken, Piper or Liam would be punished. At least Keaton had been simple in his cruelty.

As they’d got older, Liam began to rebel more, and things got bad. Eventually, Liam had got a bursary to university and moved out. Their father had forbidden him from coming back. Forbidden her from seeing him. They’d lost touch, even when she’d joined Liam at university two years later. By then she’d allowed her father to crush her spirit of rebellion. Of independence. She’d only got it back three years later, when Keaton had died.

Then she’d welcomed another manipulator into her life.

‘It’s hard to insult someone who doesn’t have the decency to be insulted by things that normal people are insulted by,’ Caleb commented from beside her. She hadn’t even noticed he’d caught up. Now that she had, she could feel his presence like the light breeze caressing her skin.

‘That’s the point,’ she replied. ‘I don’t get insulted, and that way I take away the power from the person trying to insult me.’

‘Sounds like you’ve practised it.’

‘I have,’ she told him simply, before stopping at the top of a steep decline. She let out a breath. ‘I knew these heels were a bad idea.’

‘I wouldn’t say so,’ his voice rumbled.

Her flesh shot out in goosebumps. And she remembered, for the first time, that she’d forgotten to put on the nipple covers she’d bought for the dress when she’d realised she couldn’t wear a bra with it. She resisted angling her body away so he wouldn’t know the effect his flirtatious remark had on her. It would be giving him power. On principle, she couldn’t allow that.

‘Well, I do,’ she said determinedly. ‘How am I supposed to make it down this path without breaking an ankle?’

‘Take them off.’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Then I’d have dirty feet when I have to wear my shoes again.’

‘You could wipe them off.’

‘That won’t help.’

He stared at her for a moment. ‘You’re strange.’

‘Tell me something I don’t know.’

‘Well,’ he said, ‘you do have another option, though I don’t think you’re going to like it.’

‘What is it?’

He turned to face her, his expression so satisfied that she wanted to give him whatever answer he didn’t expect from her. Until she heard his suggestion.

‘I could carry you.’

CHAPTER THREE

HE’D DONE IT on purpose. He wanted to ruffle her feathers when she seemed so composed. Perhaps not his most honourable decision in life, but he’d been honourable enough. When his father had died thirteen years before, he’d stepped up and taken care of his siblings, who’d been eleven, nine and seven years old. He’d only been eighteen at the time—he’d been the result of a teen pregnancy, the cause of a quickie marriage, and his parents had only had his siblings once they were more settled—and he’d been forced into being a guardian and entrepreneur when he’d taken over his father’s business.

So he could afford a little dishonour. Particularly when it came to a woman who intrigued him.

Piper stared at him, those beautiful eyes big and bright and bold against the odd green of her dress. If he’d seen that shade in a store somewhere, he wouldn’t have taken a second look. Or he might have, but only to be offended by it. Now, though, on Piper... It made her skin look as if it had been bronzed. And it flattered a body he’d been trying not to pay attention to since they’d met.

Her breasts were full and out on display, though he was trying not to pay attention to them either. He wasn’t sure if it was because it would get him into trouble if he did, or if he was trying to be polite. But the straps of her dress rested over smooth, strong shoulders, the waist of it clinging to her ribcage then flaring out. The heels he’d teased her about earlier did excellent things to the legs the dress revealed, though there wasn’t much of them to see.

She wore no jewellery, only the lightest of make-up, and the way her hair was tied up accentuated the angles of her face. It made her look innocent, despite her pink lips curving. Despite her high cheekbones, almost demanding her eyes to crinkle even when she wasn’t smiling. When she did and those cheeks lifted, her eyes narrowing... He’d learnt his lesson after the first time. Now, he simply braced for the breath he’d lose.

‘You’re teasing me.’

‘Maybe,’ he answered.

‘Not maybe—yes.’ Her eyes flickered to his face before moving back to the steep path. ‘This is payback for me not being offended by you.’

‘What is?’ he asked innocently. ‘This decline? I don’t control landscape, my dear.’

‘Don’t call me that,’ she said, though her words lacked heat. ‘It’s condescending.’

‘It’s not. “My dear” is a phrase of affection.’

She snorted. ‘Now I know you’re being condescending. You certainly do not feel affection towards me.’

He wasn’t sure how to respond. The truth was there was a slight niggling in his chest that made him feel something for her. He didn’t know if it was affection or if he’d merely suppressed his annoyance.

‘Okay.’

He blinked. ‘What?’

‘Okay, carry me.’ She stepped closer to him, giving him a whiff of a scent that reminded him of wild flowers. ‘You’re still offering, aren’t you?’

‘I—Yes, of course.’ He cleared his throat. Did it again.

She smirked. ‘Something wrong, Caleb?’

In one quick movement he scooped her into his arms. Her hands went around his neck with a quick exhalation, and he caught the smell of mint on her breath. It made his body tingle—though that might have been due to the fact that she fitted in his arms perfectly. He tried not to think about the soft flesh of her thighs against his bottom arm, or his hand on her perfect waist.

While he was at it, he resisted the desire to put his nose in her neck, to get more of that intoxicating perfume she was wearing. Or did she simply smell that way? Could someone’s natural scent be this heady?

Caleb.

He kept himself from groaning now, too. His entire body had gone tense from the control he was exerting. But he thought of all the times he’d had to exercise control in his life. It was interchangeable with responsibility in his family, it seemed. Like during that phase when Tate, his brother, had refused to eat anything besides pizza. Caleb had refrained from buying anything else—including pizza—if Tate didn’t eat at least one nutritional meal a day. There’d been a week where things had been touch and go, but it had worked out.

Then there was that time Jada had consistently got up late for school. No matter what Caleb had done, they’d arrived anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes late. Jada had got detention and Caleb had received numerous notes about punctuality. Eventually, he’d refused to put the hot water on in the mornings if she didn’t get up by six. He’d stood guard over the switch since it meant the entire house didn’t get warm water. After three days of the Martin siblings going to school without showers, the collective effort of him, Emma and Tate had forced Jada to get up on time.

He smiled at the memory.

‘You’re enjoying this?’

It took the question to realise his trip down memory lane had distracted him from the woman in his arms. Now that she’d spoken, he realised it wouldn’t work again.

‘No.’ He took the first tentative step down the hill. Once he got his grip, he took another. ‘I was thinking about how my sister’s getting married.’

‘No, you weren’t.’ She continued before he got the chance to ask how she knew. ‘What are you feeling about it?’

‘Affectionate. Nostalgia.’

‘That’s it?’

He looked down. ‘What are you feeling?’

‘I don’t know.’ There was silence as he took the next few steps. ‘I’m happy for Liam and Emma. They obviously care about one another. Liam’s changed a lot since they’ve met.’

Caleb tried not to snort at that. Piper narrowed her eyes.

‘See, you’re not only feeling affection and nostalgia. You don’t like my brother?’ she asked after a beat.

‘I do.’ He took a breath, another step. ‘It’s not that I don’t like him. I certainly wouldn’t have allowed him to marry my sister if I didn’t like him.’

Her body stiffened. Even when he looked down at her, saw her face taut, saw her actively try to relax it, he still felt her tight muscles in her arms.

‘What?’ he asked. ‘What did I say wrong?’

Her eyes met his. There was an inexplicable disappointment there. His stomach turned.

‘Nothing,’ she replied. A bald-faced lie. They both knew it. Neither of them addressed it. ‘Are we done?’ she asked quietly a moment later. Caleb turned, saw they were, and lowered her gently.

‘I didn’t mean to upset you,’ he said when she was on the ground again.

‘It’s fine.’

‘It’s not fine, clearly.’

‘It’s not fine,’ she told him, giving him a sad smile. ‘But it doesn’t matter.’

He wanted to tell her it did, but he had no reason to. He locked his jaw. Didn’t bother prying it open when she’d obviously made up her mind. Nothing he could say would make her more receptive to his words. He was sure of it because that stubborn furrow in her brow told him she didn’t only feel sad.

He started walking again, along the narrow path that led to the beach. It was covered with sand, more so the closer they got, but he didn’t turn around to offer assistance. If she wanted to be stubborn, she’d have to deal with the consequences of it.

Again, not his most honourable decision, but something about Piper rubbed him up the wrong way.

Or the right way.

He grunted at the voice in his head. He didn’t need a reminder of the attraction he felt for her. He could still feel her body in his arms. Could still smell her. Still had the desire to bury his nose in her neck. Maybe brush her pink lips when he drew back, taste that mouth, the curve of it—

His thoughts abruptly stopped when he got to the beach. There were people here and if he continued down that path he’d surely embarrass himself in front of all of them. He glanced over his shoulder to check that she was still okay. She seemed to be, though the pull of her lips made him think she wasn’t pleased.

Good. Neither was he.

He grabbed a glass of champagne from the nearest waiter and drank.

* * *

Piper had to give it to Emma and Liam: extravagance could be quite beautiful.

Once she’d got over being left to fend for herself down that sandy path—which, in hindsight, was probably fair. What could he have done, carried her the entire way?—she was able to enjoy it.

The setting was magnificent. An entire stretch of the beach had been reserved for the party, which allowed for generous decorations. Emma and Liam had taken advantage. A large portion of the beach had been covered in wooden planks. A long table sat on the planks, decorated with greenery and candles, along with a bar and round cocktail tables.

On the sand beyond it were wooden squares, stacked and decorated to form smaller tables. The area was full of them, scattered with round comfortable-looking cushions as seats. Candles and fairy lights illuminated the area, which would need the light in a few moments. Currently, the sun was lowering in the sky, casting an orange glow over the ocean. It was breathtaking.

‘Pretty, isn’t it?’

Jada, Emma’s younger sister, came to stand beside her. She was a picture in a light blue dress, her short hair straight around her face, large navy earrings in her ears.

‘It is,’ Piper said with a smile. ‘So are you.’

Jada blushed. ‘You’re just saying that.’

‘I happen to mean it. But what does it matter if I’m just saying it?’ she asked, bumping her shoulder against the young woman’s. ‘I’m surprised you were allowed to wear blue.’

Jada laughed. ‘I had to. Not the same shade as Emma’s dress, of course, but since Emma wanted the wedding’s theme to be “shades of blue” this worked.’

‘It certainly does.’

Piper scanned the small crowd. Most of the people she didn’t recognise. Her mother had been an only child and she and Liam had never got along with their father’s siblings or their children. Unsurprisingly, Liam hadn’t wanted them at his wedding. Surprisingly, he had wanted her there.

She supposed that might be too harsh. They’d seen each other often enough in the last five years that her invitation was warranted. The surprise? That was her resentment talking. Her memories of how he’d abandoned her to fend for herself for two years.

It slipped in, even when she was trying to be positive.

The truth was that if it hadn’t been an all-expenses-paid trip to a Greek island during the school holidays when she wasn’t teaching, Piper would have stayed at home. In some ways then, she was glad she’d been forced to be there. She needed to move on. Her father was dead. Had been for five years. That time long surpassed the time she’d spent alone with her father after Liam had left. She had to let it go.

She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t.

‘Where are they?’ she asked suddenly, not seeing them in the crowd.

‘Over there.’

Jada pointed to a section of the beach that wasn’t a part of the evening’s celebrations. Piper clearly saw the two of them—Emma in her blue dress, Liam in a blue shirt and black pants—but something about it didn’t feel right.

‘Are they...are they arguing?’

Jada sighed. ‘For the last ten minutes.’

‘Did something happen?’

‘Nothing I can think of. I mean, Em did get really quiet while I was doing her hair, but I thought that was nerves.’

‘Cold feet?’ Piper wondered out loud.

‘I don’t think so. I’m sure Emma would have said something. She’s not exactly a great keeper of secrets.’

Piper studied the couple. It was clear they were arguing. Her brother’s shoulders were squared back, as they always were when he felt attacked. She’d grown used to the stance. Had used it as a warning sign to stay out of his and their father’s way.

‘You’re staring,’ a quiet voice said from her side.

Piper turned to see Tate join them. He followed their gaze.

‘You are, too, dummy,’ Jada said without heat. Her tone was laced with worry.

‘It’s obvious.’

‘Should one of us go check it out?’

‘No,’ came a new voice. Piper hadn’t needed Caleb to answer his sister’s question to know he was there. She’d felt him join their group. Her heart had sped up. Her body had become a little more aware. ‘Let’s give them a moment to sort this out.’

There was a long silence as they heeded the instruction. Piper didn’t do so happily. She was worried by the disappointment that had washed over her earlier. When he’d spoken about ‘allowing’ Emma and Liam to marry. Before that moment, she’d almost forgotten she wasn’t supposed to be interested in him. She’d been too distracted by the easy strength of his arms. By how he didn’t only seem to be carrying her because he’d provoked her, but because he was a nice person.

But nice people weren’t controlling. That trait reminded her too much of her father for her to make that evaluation. It was too much like her ex-boyfriend, too. The blurred lines with Caleb meant she needed to keep her distance. She couldn’t repeat the mistakes of her past. She couldn’t let her mind linger on niceness.

‘Should we stop staring?’ Jada asked into the quiet.

‘Yes,’ Piper replied. No one moved.

Then it happened.

Liam’s hand paused as it ran through his hair, before dropping with such a force Piper didn’t know how it hadn’t taken him to the floor. Emma took a step forward. Liam didn’t move. She took another, resting her hands on his chest. Liam stepped back. There was a beat. Then her brother turned and ran.

Through the tables on the sand, past the wooden planks and all the guests who were there to celebrate with him and Emma. Past his future in-laws, who were staring at him in bewilderment. Past Piper, who watched him with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

But not surprise. No, not surprise.

Moments later, they all watched as Liam jumped onto the dock, onto a boat that had just been untied. He exchanged a few words with the man at the helm. Soon he was gone.

An uncomfortable silence settled. Then came Jada’s trembling voice.

‘Did he...did he just run away from Emma?’

CHAPTER FOUR

SHE WAS GOING to kill her brother. She’d make it swift, painless, because he was family. But he deserved death for this. Running away from his fiancée on the evening of their rehearsal dinner. Four days before their wedding.

Since she was the only one of his family there, it automatically put her in the spotlight. Taking in the three pairs of eyes staring at her, she finalised the plans for his death.

‘Did your brother run away from our sister?’ Jada demanded now, a clear distinction between them and Piper in that question.

‘I was watching, same as you were,’ Piper said with a calm she didn’t feel. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She forced herself to take a breath when she realised she’d stopped inhaling and exhaling.

‘Why?’ Tate asked.

‘Why was I watching with you?’

‘Why would your brother leave our sister?’

‘Tate.’

Caleb spoke softly, but the twenty-year-old reared back as if his brother had shouted. They exchanged a look, and when Tate looked back at Piper there was shame in his eyes. She wasn’t sure if she felt sorry for him or if she was impressed at Caleb’s nonverbal abilities.

‘Do you have any idea what happened?’ Caleb asked her.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen my brother since arriving. I have no idea. But you know who does?’

She gestured to where Emma was standing. The Martin siblings’ heads collectively turned, looking in that direction, as if they’d just realised she was still there. They all moved towards her, before Caleb stretched out an arm, stopping his siblings.

‘At least one of us has to stay here.’

‘Tate will,’ Jada said.

At the same time Tate said, ‘Jada.’

Caleb lifted a brow. They both sighed.

‘Fine.’

‘I can stay,’ Piper offered, suddenly wanting to make herself useful.

The bond between the siblings was obvious, and it was making her nostalgic for something that had never been in her past. Or perhaps it had, after their mother had died and she and Liam had still sought comfort with one another.

‘No,’ Caleb said. ‘They will. Help smooth everything over here, distract people. Pretend like what Liam did and everyone saw was part of the plan.’

‘What should I do?’ she asked in a small voice, emotion hammering into her like a battering ram. It broke down the defences she’d put in place, and she couldn’t fight her instincts without them. Unfortunately, those instincts had been built and honed during her childhood. When she’d reverted to her father because he’d demanded she do so.

‘Come with me,’ Caleb said, interrupting her thoughts. ‘You’re his family. You deserve to know what happened.’

She didn’t think she agreed with that, but she was touched by the sentiment. Enough that she obeyed, ignoring the whirlwind inside her. The war, really, between the part of her wondering if she was obeying because she wanted to or if it meant she was doing it again.

She’d ignored her feelings with Brad, had obeyed. Things had snowballed during their relationship. Two years later, she was still cold from being buried under the avalanche.

She wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to hide the shudder that had gone through her body. Caleb didn’t seem to be paying attention to her though. His eyes were on Emma, her hunched-over frame keeping his focus. She glanced back at where she’d seen her brother disappear. The boat was gone, the ocean calm, as if the turmoil of the last few minutes hadn’t happened.

You’d better have a reason for running, Liam, Piper told him silently.

* * *

Emma went into his arms the moment they reached her. His heart ached and he tightened his hold before leaning back, keeping his hands on her arms.

‘We saw what happened, but a lot of the guests didn’t,’ he said, knowing his sister needed him to take control. All of his siblings needed him to, in emergencies. ‘I told Tate and Jada to pretend it was part of the evening’s festivities. If you’d prefer we tell the truth, we’ll do that. But I wanted to give you a moment to recover before you have people rushing to your side.’

Emma’s lip wobbled but she nodded, stepping out of his embrace and straightening her shoulders. Pride filled him. He folded his arms to keep from reaching out to her anyway.

‘What happened?’ he asked after he’d given her a moment.

‘He ran.’

‘Yes, we know that. But you were fighting before. What about?’

She pursed her lips, taking a shaky breath. ‘He has cold feet.’

Caleb barely kept himself from growling.

‘We made an offer on a place back in Cape Town and the estate agent called to say they accepted the offer. It freaked him out.’

‘So he ran?’ Caleb asked, incredulous. He wanted to wring Liam’s neck.

‘Well, he started freaking out. Pacing. Breathing quick.’ She dug a heel into the sand. ‘It made me freak out and...and I told him something that made him run.’

‘What?’

Her eyes met Piper’s. Piper looked back steadily. For some reason, it made Emma’s eyes fill. Before he could curse that he didn’t have a tissue for her, Piper handed Emma one.

‘Thanks,’ she said, blowing her nose. She took a deep breath. ‘He isn’t ready for marriage.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Caleb demanded. ‘He asked you to marry him. Hell, he asked me if he could marry you, which we both know takes guts.’

Piper blinked at him in surprise. He merely lifted his shoulders.

‘He loves you, Emma,’ Caleb said with a shake of his head. ‘There’s no way he doesn’t want to marry you.’

If he didn’t, Caleb would kill him. Then bring him back from the dead and force him to do right by Emma.

‘It’s true,’ Piper said softly. It was the first thing she’d said since they’d arrived. He supposed he should be happy she’d contributed at all. He was particularly happy she’d contributed with this.

Emma breathing began to sound like sobs. Caleb angled his body to keep her from the guests’ view. Piper did the same.

‘He panicked,’ Emma said. ‘About the house and—’ She broke off again.

‘It’s a big commitment,’ Piper said. ‘Especially for him.’

‘I know. But I didn’t force him to marry me. I didn’t give him an ultimatum or anything. I didn’t even tell him I wanted to buy a house.’

The more Emma spoke, the guiltier Caleb felt. He should have asked more questions. Done more than a credit check on Liam. He hadn’t protected Emma, and now she was hurt. What kind of a brother did that make him? What kind of a father figure? He could almost hear his father’s voice from the grave, asking him those questions. Hell, if his father had been here, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

He quelled the guilt with anger.

‘Did he force you to do this, Em?’

‘What? No, no. No,’ she said again. ‘I wanted to do all this.’

‘You signed the pre-nup, didn’t you?’

‘Caleb,’ Emma said sharply, her first show of emotion apart from devastation, ‘Liam wasn’t doing this for the money.’

He didn’t reply.

‘Really.’ Emma’s voice softened. ‘He ran because...because I’m pregnant, and it freaked him out. We never spoke about starting a family, and I think because of how he grew up...with your father,’ she said to Piper, ‘I think he’s scared to be one. Or he doesn’t know what kind of father he’ll be. I don’t know. I... I...’

She started crying in earnest now, and Caleb set aside his shock and admonishments—hadn’t he had the sex talk with all his siblings; what didn’t they understand about possible pregnancy and STDs?—and drew her into a hug. Her body shook in his arms. His heart shook along with it. And he got more and more upset. More determined that he should have protected her from a man who could be so careless with her heart. Guiltier that he hadn’t acted like their father would have.

‘Em,’ Caleb said softly, running a hand over her hair. ‘It’s going to be okay.’

She said something, but it was muffled since she was crying into his chest. He looked at Piper, who was staring at them both a little helplessly. He knew it was irrational, but he was suddenly angry with her, too.

She should have warned Emma her brother would be so reckless. She should have warned him at the very least. He could have warned Emma. Banned her from seeing Liam. Anything to keep this moment from happening.

Then she met his eyes and his heart flipped at the pain he saw there. At the extent of that helplessness. Something about it made him want to reach out and take her into his arms, too. Involuntarily, his muscles spasmed. Emma drew back and looked at them both. Her make-up was still flawless. He was glad that ridiculously priced make-up artist they’d hired was worth the money.

‘You have to find him,’ she said, blinking up at him. ‘Please. He’s scared, and I’m worried he’ll do something dangerous.’ She looked at Piper. ‘You know why he did this. He needs you to bring him back.’

‘He... I...’ Piper stammered. She gave a quick shake of her head. ‘No, Emma. He doesn’t need me.’

‘He might,’ Emma said softly. ‘He definitely needs me. He just doesn’t know it yet.’

Caleb admired his sister’s quiet resolve. He didn’t appreciate that it was days before her wedding, and it came courtesy of a runaway groom.

‘Emma—’

‘Please,’ his sister interrupted, aiming the full force of her puppy dog eyes at Piper. He silently wished Piper luck. He hadn’t been able to resist that look since...ever. ‘Please bring him back.’

‘I... Okay,’ Piper said hesitantly.

‘Thank you,’ Emma said, hugging Piper. Then she broke away from Piper and drew him into a hug. ‘Thank you, Caleb.’

‘Why are you thanking me?’ he asked, though he patted Emma’s back.

She aimed the puppy dog eyes at him now. ‘Because you’re going with Piper. You’re going to help her find Liam.’

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