Page 48 of My Last Fling

“I’m Claire,” the red-haired woman says, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” I say. “I’ve heard a lot about you. All of you.”

Claire rolls her eyes. “It’s all exaggerated, I promise.”

Just then, a boy runs up to Claire and skids to a halt beside her.

“Aunt Claire!” he practically shouts. “There’s a pool. With a slide. Can we swim later?”

Claire laughs. “If it’s okay with your mom,” she says.

“Will you come with me?”

The eager excitement in his voice makes me smile. It’s clear this kid loves his aunt.

“Sure,” she says, ruffling his hair. Leaning down, she says in low voice, “But only if you stop running in the lobby of this nice hotel like a heathen child from the sticks.”

He gives her a sheepish smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

The boy walks over to where Piper is standing and starts talking animatedly to the blonde woman who I’m assuming is his mother. Which must make her Hannah. The wedding coordinator. As I look around the room and try to match Piper’s description of Luke’s extended family with the faces of the strangers before me, I find myself overwhelmed.

“That was Liam,” Claire says. “His mom is Hannah.”

I nod, looking around at all the people talking and laughing. Coming from a small family, it’s a little overwhelming to be surrounded by this many people who are all family.

“How do you keep them all straight?” I say, turning back to Quinn.

She laughs. “It’s easy once you get to know them. Finn is the responsible one.” She points to the tall, dark-haired man in the button-down shirt and slacks who’s standing near Hannah.

“Then there are the twins,” she says, pointing to Van first and then Wyatt who’s got his arm around a short, dark-haired woman in a pretty sundress.

“They might look like total opposites, but they’re practically inseparable,” Quinn says.

“I’m surprised they didn’t find a set of twins to marry,” Claire jokes.

“They settled for two best friends,” Quinn says, laughing.

“That just leaves Ronan,” Claire says. “The grumpy one.”

“Hey!” Quinn says. “That’s my husband you’re talking about.”

Claire eyes her. “Was I telling any lies?”

Quinn rolls her eyes. “He’s not grumpy. He’s just quiet.”

“Hmm,” Claire says.

I follow Quinn’s gaze to the two men standing near the registration desk. One of them is unmistakably a King. He’s got the same nearly black hair and muscular build. A baby with matching dark hair is asleep on his left shoulder, his thumb tucked into his mouth. The man beside him has a stockier build and sandy brown hair. He’s got several tattoos on his arms, disappearing under the sleeves of his t-shirt.

“And that’s Garrett,” Claire says, nodding at the man standing with her brother. “My fiancé.”

“Congratulations,” I say, smiling at her.

She grins. “Thanks. He’s pretty great.”

The two men turn as one and I watch Ronan’s eyes search the room. Something about his gaze is intimidating. I see what Claire meant when she called him the grumpy one. But when Ronan’s gaze lands on Quinn, his entire demeanor shifts. He doesn’t smile, but something in his face seems to relax and his eyes soften when he sees her. Even if I didn’t know these two people were married, their connection is obvious for anyone to see. When Ronan reaches us, he leans down to give his wife a quick kiss before turning to look at me, a small smile on his lips.

“Ronan, this is Layna, Piper’s sister,” Quinn says.