Jealousy hit Heather at the same moment as the urge to defend Zach did. Clearly, he could have—and regularly did have—any woman he wanted. Heck, as they’d been watching the game hadn’t every woman in their section been drooling over Zach, with Sophie’s good-looking husband coming in a close second?
“Trust me,” Lori continued, “I totally get why you don’t want to date Zach, but I have a couple of other great brothers who are single. Smith and Ryan are total catches, if you ask me.”
Heather was flattered, but couldn’t imagine being with a movie star or a professional athlete. “Thanks, but I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” Or ever.
Before Lori could get in one more word about her brothers and what great catches they all were, Heather turned to Sophie and asked her about her pregnancy. Heather loved kids as much as she loved dogs and as she edged closer to thirty, she was thinking more and more about when she was going to try to have them. She was beyond glad that there were so many options for a single woman, between in-vitro and adoption.
“Are you excited about having twins?”
Sophie lit up. “Yes. When I’m not terrified about having them.” Her face went all dreamy. “Jake is going to be a great father.”
Lori made a puking sound. “It’s bad enough that you’re all over each other like Saran Wrap. Save us from the love is perfect soundtrack, would you?”
Even though she silently agreed with Lori on the whole love thing, Heather was amazed that Sophie didn’t look the least bit insulted. Instead, she started singing, “Love is perfect, oh so perfect,” to the tune of I Feel Pretty.
Lori covered her ears and started singing Love Bites in a perfect imitation of Def Leppard’s singer until the three of them collapsed into giggles.
Suddenly, Heather actually wished she could date Zach. Not just because her hormones wouldn’t leave her alone, but because there was no doubt in her mind about how fun it would be to be a part of the Sullivan family.
But, even as she let herself envision that for a brief moment, she knew the reality was nothing like the fantasy. Regardless of how well things might start for her and Zach, no matter how much he seemed to like her and want her in the present, she knew with utter certainty that he wasn’t the kind of man who would ever commit to one woman forever.
So if a part of her was at all envious at the way Jake had continually kissed his pretty wife, if she secretly longed at all for a man to look at her with such complete adoration, all she had to do was remember the vow she’d made to herself when she was seventeen and had found out the truth about the extent of her father’s lies.
Never. She would never put herself in a position to be treated like that. Because she would never make the mistake of letting herself fall in love.
* * *
“Heather’s a pretty girl.”
Zach tugged Atlas away from the lamp post he was admiring and directed him toward a bush. “Pretty? Are you blind? She’s gorgeous.”
Jake nodded his agreement just as Cuddles got into a position that had Zach groaning. The blue bags were burning a hole in his pocket and he really wanted to keep it that way. It was one thing to clean up after the puppy in his backyard...
He muttered a curse that perfectly described not only what the puppy was doing, but Heather’s huge dog as well. Jake hadn’t stopped laughing at him since they’d left their seats and he only laughed harder now.
“So Heather’s just training the puppy?”
Zach wasn’t going to admit to his closest friend that he’d struck out with Heather a half-dozen times already and that the only way he’d gotten her here today was by tricking her into it.
“She’s one hell of a dog trainer.” And one hell of a woman, too.
Lord knew she had him wrapped so tightly around her little finger that he barely knew which way was up anymore. He only knew he wanted her more with every passing second...even as she tried to push him farther away.
Jake nodded in the direction of the dogs, both of whom were frisky now that they’d taken care of their important business. “Looks like you’ve got some cleanup to take care of.”
Zach still wasn’t completely okay with the fact that Jake had gotten his little sister pregnant on the sly. Which was why he shoved a blue bag in his friend’s hand and headed for Cuddles’s pile. Jake could deal with Atlas’s mess in the name of payback.
Chapter Thirteen
The second Zach sat between Lori, Sophie, and Heather, he could tell something was different. It was like they’d gone from being strangers to becoming friends.
Who knew what his little sisters had told her? All he needed was for some of his crazier exploits to get back to Heather and she’d grab her dog and start running.
“Everything go okay with Huge and Tiny?” she leaned close to ask him when Atlas plopped down across their feet and closed his eyes. Cuddles had already curled up against his chest, which was quite clearly the pup’s favorite place on earth, considering how much time she spent there.
“Those blue bags came in handy.”
He loved her smile and soft laughter. “Good,” she said, still chuckling. “Thanks for taking Atlas with you.” She looked at him almost shyly. “And thanks for changing my seat, too. I’ve really loved getting to know your sisters.”
Her sweet words landed straight in the center of his chest. He leaned closer, close enough that he could have easily taken her mouth with his.
“Whatever they’ve told you, it’s all lies.”
He expected more laughter, but her eyes were dark instead of filled with humor, and her breath was coming faster, her gaze trained on his lips.
“I hope not,” fell from her lips, and he would have kissed her right then and there, his lookeeloo family be damned, if she hadn’t jerked back sharply.
She focused her entire attention on the game after that, and the second it finished, she stood up. “That was fun. So nice to meet you all, but I should really be going—”
Lori cut her off. “Wait, you have to meet Ryan.” Before she could protest, his sister shoved past Zach, picked up Atlas’s leash, and slipped an arm through Heather’s. “You’re going to love him.” She winked over her shoulder at him before saying, “He isn’t anything like Zach.”
Okay, so Zach had been irritated with his sister earlier, but now he recognized Lori for the jewel she really was for not letting Heather run from him so fast.