Honor surveyed her sister, who wore a pair of navy shorts that highlighted her incredible legs. The shorts were complemented by a silky beige sleeveless top. She’d pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and wore her slip-on tennis shoes. Her trademark bracelets were her only jewelry, which was all she needed, since her sister was absolutely beautiful. “You are gorgeous.”

  Brenna smiled. “I’ll take it.”

  “I think all three of you are beautiful,” Alice said as she came over and put her arms around Erin. “And that maxi dress is to die for.”

  “Thank you. I bought it on our honeymoon, and it’s so hot today I just knew it was the perfect day for it. It’s loose and comfortable and I’ll be able to wear it all through my—”

  She stopped, then smiled at Alice. “All through the summer.”

  Alice nodded. “It is a perfect summer dress. Excuse me, I’m going to go fix something to drink.”

  Alice wandered off and Erin exhaled. “I’ll be happy once I get to make the announcement, so I don’t have to keep stumbling over my sentences. Or sucking in my stomach.”

  “At least you wore the right dress today,” Brenna said.

  Honor nodded. “Yes, no one can see your bump. When do you plan to announce?”

  “As soon as everyone gets here. That way I can relax and enjoy the party. Jason says I’ve been jittery and cranky the entire week.”

  Brenna cocked her head. “And have you?”

  Erin shrugged. “Probably. I’m not good at keeping secrets.”

  Honor knew all about the secret thing. The three sisters had always shared everything—all their secrets. And Honor was keeping a big one from her sisters. Her stomach ached just thinking about it. She wished she could tell them, but the repercussions could be devastating. So despite not wanting to keep her relationship with Owen and their marriage from Brenna and Erin, it was for the best.

  And soon enough their marriage would be over, and no one would ever have to know.

  That made her stomach hurt even worse. She rubbed her hand across her middle.

  “Honor, are you feeling all right?” Brenna asked, a look of concern on her face.

  Erin had that same look, and Honor realized she’d been rubbing her stomach. She snatched her hand away.

  “Oh, uh, yes, I’m fine. Just hungry. I didn’t eat much today and I can already smell whatever Jason’s grilling out there.”

  “Well, come have some snacks.” Erin dragged her over to the table where there was an amazing spread of food. A beautiful woman Honor recognized as one of the docs from Jason’s practice hovered over the table, her plate loaded with vegetables and some kind of dip. She was very obviously pregnant.

  “Oh, hey, Erin. I swear, I can’t stop eating this veggie dip. It’s amazing.”

  “Honor, Brenna, do you know Maggie Whitehall? She’s a veterinarian at Jason’s practice.”

  “Of course.” Honor held out her hand. “We met at Jason and Erin’s wedding. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You, too. Hi, Brenna.”

  “Hi, Maggie. How’s your husband?”

  “He’s great, thanks. No doubt trying to help Jason at the grill. I was just telling Francine here that I’m more interested in the food.”

  “Francine is married to Mike Randall, another vet that works with Jason.”

  They all made introductions and then Honor put a couple of snacks on her plate. After that, a few other women wandered in and everyone chatted about everything from kids to husbands to fashion.

  “Oh,” Honor said. “That reminds me. I have sangria in the cooler. Both alcoholic and non. Let me get it out.”

  Erin went over to help her and soon they were filling glasses with ice and handing them out. Erin grabbed one of the nonalcoholic ones and took a sip.

  “Mmm, this is delicious and just what I was craving. Thank you for making these.”

  Honor made herself a drink of the nonalcoholic variety. “You’re welcome.”

  “Hey, it turned out so well,” Brenna said. “We should start making these every night.”

  Honor thought about all the fruit she’d sliced to make these batches. “Sure. You come over and slice the fruit. I’ll pour the wine.”

  “Oh, you’re funny. But since I run the vineyard, how about I choose the wines, and you slice the fruits?”

  She pursed her lips and glared at her sister. “You think I can’t choose wine? Who just said she loved the sangria? Oh, wait, it was you.”

  Brenna started to object, then said, “Fine. We’ll switch off.”

  Mae arrived and everyone hugged her.

  “Did you come by yourself today?” Brenna asked.

  “Yes. Just me.”

  “Where’s the hot guy from our get-together at the Screaming Hawk?” Erin asked.

  “Oh, he was just a one-off. Nice, but I don’t get involved. And I wanted to free-wheel it today. Just drinks and barbecue with friends, ya know?”

  “Do I ever,” Honor said, grinning. She wandered off, making her way to the back door where all the guys and some of the women were talking outside. She searched the crowd, immediately spotting Owen talking with Clay and Finn and some guy she didn’t recognize. She heaved in a deep breath and sighed.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t he?”

  Her eyes widened as she turned to Erin. “Who?”

  “Dave Asher, the new veterinarian they just hired over at Jason’s clinic. He’s awesome, Honor. Very nice, has two dogs, a house of his own and he’s single. Want an intro?”

  Oh, hell no. She’d already gone through the fix-up. “You know, I don’t think I do. What I do want is a refill on my sangria. How about you?”

  Erin looked over her shoulder to Brenna, and she could see the confusion on her sister’s face. “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  She hurried away and poured herself another drink. By then, her sisters were occupied in conversation with Mae and others, so she hightailed it out to the backyard, immediately slammed by heat and humidity. But at least she was away from the fix-her-up sisters.

  Where had all these good-looking, available guys been when she’d actually been single? Not that she hadn’t dated, because she had. But she’d admittedly picked some not-so-great guys. Now that she was married—okay, technically married—she was suddenly bombarded by very attractive, successful men.

  Men she wasn’t the least bit interested in. How could she be, when she was married to such a smart, sexy man like Owen?

  You do realize you don’t get to keep him, right?

  She shrugged, as if that motion could get rid of the voice in her head reminding her of the reality she’d just as soon ignore. Instead, she moved around, saying hello to people she knew, taking sips of her drink, engaging in conversations while she gradually made her way toward Owen. Unfortunately, her sisters were also outside now, and Owen was standing with a group that also included Dave, the handsome new vet.

  She was about to turn and head in the opposite direction when Brenna grabbed her arm.

  “Dave, this is our sister, Honor. Honor, this is Dave Asher.”

  Shit. She smiled and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Dave.”

  “You, too, Honor.” He looked over at Erin. “Wow, what an amazingly beautiful group of sisters. And you all work together?”

  “Yes,” Erin said. “You’ll have to stop by the winery sometime.”

  Brenna nodded. “That’s right. We give tours and our wines are incredible. We have several kinds here today if you want to try some.”

  “I love wine, I’ll definitely do that.” He turned to Honor. “What do you do at the winery?”

  “I’m the wedding planner and coordinator.”

  “Oh, yeah? That must keep you busy.”

  “Very.”

  “What are you drinking?”

  “Sangria. I made some, it’s in the house.”

  “Really? I think I’m going to start out with some of the infamous Red Moss Vineyards wine Jason and Erin have been telling me about. Recommendations?”

  “You can’t go wrong with any of them, honestly.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure.” He had a gorgeous smile, perfect white teeth and incredibly thick dark blond hair. As she watched him walk away, she noticed his muscular build. He was her exact type, and still, she felt . . . nothing.

  “Another potential boyfriend?”

  She whirled around to see Owen standing behind her. “Another potential fix-up by my sisters.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Relentless, aren’t they?”

  She was relieved that he wasn’t upset with her, and that he didn’t think she was hitting on Dave. “Like you would not believe. I don’t know what it is with them lately. They’ve never tried to fix me up before.”

  He had maneuvered her out of the sun and toward the shady part of the backyard. “Yeah, but you were typically always dating someone before. Now you’re not. They probably think you’re lonely.”

  “That might be it.” She sipped her drink. “Maybe I should tell them you need a fix-up.”

  He looked around, then teased his fingertips along her arm, making chill bumps pop out on her skin despite the heat. “Yeah? You think I need a fix-up?”

  “I absolutely do not. I was just joking. Do not give my sisters ideas.”

  He laughed. “So, you don’t want your sisters parading a bunch of gorgeous eligible women in front of me?”

  The thought of it made her physically ill. And mightily irritated. “I do not. You are a married man, Owen.”

  “That’s true. Which is why I don’t want your sisters fixing my wife up with a different guy every week.”

  His wife. The words curled around her stomach and traveled upward, settling somewhere in the vicinity of that soft, marshmallowy place in her heart. She reached out and was about to touch him when Jason’s voice rang out.

  “Okay, so, since everyone’s here, I need you all to come inside for a minute.”

  Owen frowned. “I wonder what this is about?”

  She knew, but she couldn’t ruin the surprise. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  They followed the crowd into the house and Honor was relieved by the cold blast of the air conditioning.

  “Gather round, y’all,” Jason said from the living room. “Take a seat if you can find one. Erin and I have something to say.”

  Jason looked over at Erin, who smiled and said, “First, thank you all for coming. I hope you’re enjoying the snacks and drinks. We’ve wanted to do this for a while now and we’re so glad you’re all here. Especially since we have some exciting news to share.”

  You could hear a pin drop, it had gotten so quiet.

  Erin looked to Jason, who grinned, then turned to everyone. “We’re pregnant!”

  “Actually, I’m pregnant,” Erin said. “He is not.”

  The whole room erupted in laughter, cheers and applause, and then the couple was surrounded by hugs and kisses.

  “Wow,” Owen said. “Did you know?”

  “I did. But I was sworn to secrecy.”

  “Can’t believe you didn’t even tell your husband.” He winked at her, then went to join the throng of people congratulating the couple.

  Honor stayed back until most everyone had gotten their hugs in, and then she went to hug both Erin and Jason. “You know how happy I am to be an aunt. And so excited about this baby.”

  Jason couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Thanks. We’re just happy Erin and the baby are both healthy, and now we don’t have to keep the secret anymore.”

  “Yeah, man, keeping secrets is hard,” Finn said, slinging his arm around Honor’s shoulders. “Isn’t it?”

  Her face flamed hot, but she smiled at Erin and Jason. “I’m sure it was so hard not to scream this thrilling news out to everyone. But now they know and we can all celebrate tonight.”

  “Speaking of that,” Jason said, “I’d better get back to the grill.”

  Finn kissed her cheek, winked at her and followed Jason out the door.

  Owen gave her an apologetic look and went with them.

  Erin blew out a breath. “Well. Now that’s over with. I need some water and then we’ll get the plates and everything else ready. Jason said the chicken and ribs are almost done.”

  Erin wasn’t the only one exhaling. Finn’s remark about secrets got to her. At least he was the only one who knew. At least she hoped he was the only one.

  He had to be. If he’d told Brenna about it, Brenna would have said something. She’d have more than said something. There likely would have been lectures and yelling. So, no, he hadn’t told Brenna. He was probably keeping their secret out of some sort of man code or something.

  Whatever. As long as no one found out, they’d be fine.

  Just fine.

  In the meantime, she was going to enjoy celebrating tonight with her sisters, and not think about anything else. And maybe later she could figure out how to carve out some alone time with Owen.

  CHAPTER

  eighteen

  IT HAD BEEN awesome getting to hang out with his buds, but what Owen really wanted was some time with Honor. Time he was unlikely to get. He’d barely gotten to talk to her today, since practically everyone they knew was at the party.

  So, basically, this whole day had sucked. Okay, maybe it hadn’t been entirely bad. There’d been beer and barbecue, and that part had been good. And he’d enjoyed the company of his friends. But he had to watch Honor—from afar—and not touch her, or smell her sweet scent, or kiss her. That part definitely sucked.

  He’d thought that maybe somehow he could find a way to steal some time with her, but between hanging with the guys and Honor being surrounded by her friends and sisters, it was like there’d been a wall separating them. If they’d been an official couple, it would have been easy enough to walk over there, put his arm around her and steal a kiss or two, just like the other couples had done.

  But no. He’d had to act as if they were just friends and nothing more. He was getting kind of tired of this act, because they were more than just friends. They were married, dammit. He just wanted to be with her.

  The party started to break up around eleven and everyone began to head out. He caught sight of Honor packing up her things. She saw him and sent him a regretful look, so he knew she missed him, too.

  He said his goodbyes to Jason and Erin, congratulated them again on their good news, then left. But instead of heading back home, he hung out on a side road and waited the appropriate amount of time for Honor to make it home. It was late and maybe he should just go home. But then again, he wasn’t one to sit on his feelings, so he sent her a text.

  I need to see you.

  She replied right away: I want to see you, too. Where?

  He thought about it. It was a thirty-minute drive to his place, and it was late. Her place was out of the question since her parents were there. But he had an idea. He sent her the location.

  It took her a few minutes to answer, and then she texted back with: I’ll be there in ten minutes.

  “Oh, yeah,” he whispered to himself. Adrenaline pumping, he put his truck in gear and headed out. It didn’t take him long to get to the parking area by the lake.

  It was a moonless night, which made it an even better night to meet someone in the dark.

  He thought about that and laughed out loud. That sounded nefarious, like he was up to no good, when in fact it was more the hot-deeds-in-the-dark scenario that he had in mind.

  He saw headlights coming down the road and tensed, hoping no one else was coming. Or, even worse, what if a cop was patrolling the area. Not that he was doing anything wrong. This area didn’t close at a certain time so he knew they’d be okay, but it would be nice to not be questioned as to what he was doing there.

  Fortunately, Honor’s car pulled up alongside his and he exhaled. She got out and climbed into his truck, giving him a spectacular glimpse of her amazing legs. She tossed a bag into the back, closed the door and turned, smiling at him. “What, no movie?”

  He laughed. “Damn. I didn’t think of that. Let’s go—”

  She grabbed his hand. “Not a chance. I’ve waited hours to get my hands on you.”

  In what he considered one hell of a gymnastic move, she vaulted over the center console and settled herself on his lap, then winced.

  “Your steering wheel is hitting my ass.”

  He reached down and slid the seat all the way back, giving her—and him—more room.

  “Mmm,” she said, leaning against him. “That’s much better.”

  It sure as hell was. He smoothed his hands over her ribs, grasping her hips. “You feel good—right here.”

  “I’ll feel a lot better once your dick is inside me.”

  He cocked a brow. “Ma’am. Do you have wicked intentions?”

  “Not at all. My only intent is to use my husband for sex. Have you got a problem with that?”

  He was already hard and throbbing. “No complaints.”

  “Good. I brought condoms.”

  “Multiple? Are we camping out in the truck tonight?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Good thing I have a full tank of gas.”

  She kissed him, and it was a long session of hot lips and tangling tongues. She tasted sweet, and her movements were urgent as her hands roamed over him and her body undulated against him. The feel of her on top of him made him wish they were somewhere stretched out and naked, so he could put his hands—and his mouth—all over her.

  But they’d make do with what they had. And having her on top of him like this? No complaints.

  He slid his hands under her dress, surprised but also pleased to discover she’d left her underwear at home. The feel of her soft skin nearly undid him. He swept his fingers across her sex. She arched and moaned, shifting her body backward, giving him access.