After ringing the doorbell, I slid an arm around Danielle’s waist and pulled her back against my chest. If I could keep her just like this for the whole weekend, I would.
“You don’t just let yourself in?” she asked.
“Like I said, it’s notmyhouse.”
I caught a glimpse of a woman through the thin windows that framed either side of the double doors, but I couldn’t tell if it was my mother or sister.
A second later the doors flew open.
“Hello, stranger,” Maggie said with a grin. “I was beginning to think you were going to bail.”
I grimaced. “I wanted to, believe me.”
She rolled her eyes at me before turning her attention to Danielle. “Hey, I’m Maggie. You must be the girl Hayden’s been hiding from us so well that I don’t even know your name.”
“Not well enough,” I muttered too quietly for the girls to hear.
Or at least Ithoughtit was too quiet. The look Danielle shot me over her shoulder suggested otherwise.
“I’m Danielle. It’s nice to meet you.” She forcibly removed my arm from her waist and stepped in to hug my sister.
Maggie returned the hug with a wide smile. “Hayden, she might actually be friendly enough to make up for you.”
I grunted because if I was already being accused, I might as well act the part.
“Do I dare ask if he blackmailed you into marrying him?” Maggie asked, pulling back to look Danielle in the eye.
“For goodness’ sake,” I growled, pulling Danielle back into my arms and away from my sister. “I’m not blackmailing her.” Ihadoffered to pay her, but that was beside the point. Danielle had refused my money. And was it really so unbelievable that she wouldwantto marry me?
Maggie laughed. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour of the house.”
“Or you could let Hayden do that.” My brother-in-law came into the entry from around the staircase that separated the space from the living room. Scott dropped a kiss on top of Maggie’s head before giving me a nod of greeting.
Scott Cavanaugh and I weren’t really friends, but I liked the man and believed he loved my sister more than anything.
“You’re ruining my fun,” Maggie informed him. “Danielle, this fun-sucker is my husband Scott. Scott, this is Hayden’s secret wife.”
“If she were my secret wife, you wouldn’t know about her.”
“If she weren’t a secret, I would have knownbeforeyou got married.”
“You’re just bitter that you weren’t invited.”
“Damn right I am. What kind of person doesn’t invite his only sister to his wedding?”
“I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
Danielle turned in my arms, giving me an amused smile. “I like her.”
“Of course you do,” I muttered. Forget my father, it would be a miracle if I survived the weekend living under the same roof as both Danielle and Maggie.
FOURTEEN
Danielle
Maggie ledus through the entry, which had a metal sculpture of either a crane or a flamingo—I wasn’t sure which—set on a pedestal in the middle, and into a large open living space.
