Michelle Major - A Deal Made In Texas

It made Gavin smile to see his practical, pragmatic sister head over heels, especially since Zach was the perfect partner for her, as driven and dedicated to the business as Maddie.

“Maybe you’ll be the one to tie the knot in Houston,” Schuyler suggested cheerily. “I could see it at—”

“Stop.” Gavin managed to extricate himself from his sister’s grip without having to resort to chewing off his own arm. “I’m not getting married. What is it with everyone and this obsession with weddings? Mom and Dad have been dropping not-so-subtle hints since I stepped off the plane.”

Schuyler sighed. “We want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Gavin insisted.

She arched one delicate brow in response. “You could be really happy.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. He wasn’t about to get into an argument about his level of contentment. Of course he was happy. Why wouldn’t he be? He had a great job working with a prestigious law firm and was on track to be named partner within a year. He owned a fantastic loft in the bustling Lower Downtown neighborhood. The city was a perfect mix of urban and outdoorsy, with enough cowboy left to appeal to his Texas heart. Plus, Colorado offered almost limitless opportunities for the adrenaline-pumping adventures Gavin couldn’t seem to get enough of during his downtime. He rock-climbed, mountain-biked and skied every weekend throughout the winter. Well, not this January weekend since he was at his sister’s wedding, being subjected to the third degree by his well-intentioned family.

“Look at Everett,” Schuyler continued, pointing across the room to where their brother stood talking to a friend of their parents’. His wife, Lila, was at his side, Everett’s hand on her back. “He’s happy.”

As if on cue, Everett glanced down at Lila, and the tenderness in his gaze made Gavin’s chest ache the tiniest bit. Lila smiled up at him, practically glowing, and he drew her in closer. Gavin studied the couple, high school sweethearts who’d reunited last spring after years apart. There was something different about them tonight, a new kind of energy to their already strong connection.

Schuyler nudged him, drawing his attention back to her. “Don’t you want a woman to look at you like that?”

“What I want is a drink,” he told her. “And for you to drop the subject of my love life.”

“When was the last time you had a serious girlfriend?”

Never, Gavin thought to himself. He only dated women who wanted the same things he did: fun, adventure and a good time. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Schuyler placed her hands on her slim hips. As Maddie’s matron of honor, she wore a burgundy-colored cocktail dress and matching heels that gave her a few extra inches of height. At six feet two inches tall, Gavin still towered over his petite sister. Her classic features and tiny frame made her look like any other beautiful young woman, but Gavin knew underneath the subtle makeup and coiffed hair beat the heart of a tenacious fighter. Once Schuyler latched on to a cause, she gave “dog with a bone” new meaning. It had been that determination that had led the Fortunados to the discovery that they were actually part of the famous Fortune family.

Schuyler loved a challenge and a quest, and Gavin didn’t relish being her next one.

“Who says I don’t have a serious girlfriend?” he countered, willing to say just about anything to make her drop the subject. “Maybe I just didn’t want to subject her to my crazy family.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Doesn’t make it less true. If you all weren’t such true-love tyrants, I would have told you about it before.” Gavin smiled to himself. That should be enough to keep her occupied for a while.

He realized his mistake as her eyes lit with excitement. “Who is she? How long have you been dating? Why didn’t you bring her to the wedding?”

“I’m heading to the bar,” he said, invoking his big-brother selective hearing. “I’ll get you a glass of Chardonnay. Oh, and it looks like Maddie is having trouble with her train. You have work to do, sis.”

“Gavin, I want to hear about your lady.”

“Maddie needs you. Gotta go.” He moved around her, dodging like he was back on the high school football team when she reached for him.

“Valene can help. Wait... Gavin.”

He waved over his shoulder and called, “Back in a sec,” having no intention of returning to his sister. She’d regroup soon enough, anyway. Another glance over his shoulder showed Schuyler following him.

He tugged at his collar and glanced around, catching the eye of the slim redhead standing near the corner of the bar. Not exactly catching her eye, as he got the impression that she’d been watching him approach. Either way, she was a friendly face and he’d take it.

“Christine,” he called, not daring to check on Schuyler’s approach. He wrapped an arm around Christine Briscoe’s shoulders. “Great to see you. How have you been? You look lovely. Shall we dance?”

“Um...” Christine, who’d worked for his father’s real estate agency in Houston for close to a decade, seemed at a loss for words. That was fine. Gavin didn’t need her to speak. As long as she came with him.

The man standing next to her, average height with dark hair and the start of a paunch that indicated he’d done too many keg stands back in college, frowned and made to step forward. Gavin took an immediate dislike to the guy but flashed a grin and held up one finger. “You don’t mind if I steal Christine for a dance, right?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He grabbed Christine’s hand—soft skin and fine-boned, he noticed—and tugged her toward the dance floor, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw that Schuyler had been waylaid by a distant cousin on their mother’s side of the family.

The music changed from an up-tempo dance number to a slow ballad. Automatically, he wrapped his arms around Christine’s waist, careful to be respectful of her personal space since he’d basically hijacked her for this dance.

She lifted her hands to his shoulders and glanced up at him.

“Hi, there,” he said with his most charming smile.

“Hi,” she breathed. “You, too. Well. Thanks. Yes.”

He felt his mouth drop open and closed it again. “I think I missed part of the conversation.”

She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth and his mouth went dry. He’d known Christine for years, but how had he never noticed the way her mouth was shaped like a perfect Cupid’s bow, the lower lip slightly fuller and damned kissable, if he had the inclination?

Which he didn’t. He couldn’t. She was a cover to save him from his sister’s meddling in his private life. Clearly, Schuyler had messed with his head because he’d never thought of Christine as anything more than a casual friend before this moment—never gave her much thought at all if he had to admit the truth.

“I’m responding to your comments,” she answered, somewhat primly. “It’s great to see you, too. I’m well. Thanks for the compliment. Yes, I’d like to dance.”

“Ah.” He felt one side of his mouth curve. This time the smile was natural. Why did it feel so unfamiliar? “You’re precise.”

She frowned. “Oh, you weren’t looking for a response? The questions were rhetorical.” Color flooded her cheeks and it fascinated him to watch the freckles that dotted her skin almost disappear against the blush. “I should have figured.”

“No... I...” He shook his head. “I’m a little bit off my game tonight.”

“Your game,” she murmured.

“Not that this is a game,” he amended quickly. “It’s a wedding.”