Mr. Swoony (The Nest, #3)

by Piper Rayne

His eyes are a light brown and laced with mischief that makes good girls do bad things. But not this good girl.

“I figured.” He glances at the stain on my sash. “I came over because I’m a fixer.” I choke on my water but manage to swallow it before spitting it in his face. “That’s your profession? A fixer?” “Not my actual profession. But it’s who I am to my core. I like to fix people’s problems.”

We stop in front of the other bridesmaids, and the guys they’re with corral around Conor, competing to shake hands with him first. Each of them fawns over him as though he’s The Bachelor, and it’s episode one.

“The earth is spinning,” Penelope whispers. Her eyes fall closed, and her body goes limp right before she sways. Conor rushes over, catching her before she crashes her head onto the cement. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. I can’t possibly carry Penelope around once it’s time to get out of the cab. I consider calling Tristan for only about half a second. He’ll be pissed if I interrupt his bachelor party with the guys, regardless of the situation.

Once Penelope’s head hangs out the window like a dog with her tongue out of her mouth, though without the excited car trip energy, I turn back to Conor. “You’re not coming to our room.”

I lose the fight inside me because I’m defeated in more battles than just getting Penelope up to the hotel room tonight. Somehow, my life has spun out of my control, and I’m not sure how to right myself. Lately I feel as if I’m on the teacup ride, and it just keeps spinning and spinning, and there’s no chance to get my bearings. Maybe it’s just wedding jitters, and once it’s over, and we’re on our honeymoon, all this dread and anxiety will go away. I sure hope so.

“I’m not. But I’d be lying if I told you anything other than the more time I spend with you tonight, the more I wish I had met you first.”

“We don’t even really know each other,” he says. “Maybe it’s just hormones.” I turn to face him and stare into his eyes. “Do you believe that? That it’s just a physical attraction?” I can’t tell if I’m hoping he’ll say yes or no. My head is so messed up. His chest rises and falls with a deep breath. “I am attracted to you.” “But?” He sighs, and his vision strays to the water before returning to me. “It’s more.”

“I meant what I said. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I don’t want to say good night. I want to talk to you all night and learn more about you, even though it somehow feels like I’ve known you for years. I’ve never felt this before, and I’m trying to navigate these new feelings, but I feel lost in the middle of the woods without a compass.”

“Go watch the sunrise with Tristan. Fight for the relationship you want, Eloise. Expect more from him and leave him if he can’t put you first. I’m not saying leave him for me but find someone who will love you how you deserve.”

“Have you ever met someone and instantly felt like there’s something between you? Not to sound stupid, but a spark that just feels different. A familiarity?”

“You don’t want to hear this, but I felt something similar with your sister.” I blow out a breath, but Rowan continues. “I wanted to see her again, and then I wanted to talk to her, and then I couldn’t get enough of her. But if you really want to know, that first night at that wedding, I was completely obsessed with her before we ever left the venue.”

“Go get your girl. You can’t ignore these connections. That’s how people end up like my parents. Unhappily married and yearning for other people,” Theodore says.

Standing in front of the mirror again, I gaze at my reflection. “Do I even know you anymore?” I whisper to myself.

Yes, people will be upset, and yes, people will be nasty, but it’s okay. You’re not a monster for changing your mind.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She squeezes my hand. “You’re welcome. I know there are a lot of big and powerful people in that church, but you have an army behind you too, Eloise. An army of people on your side.”

Halfway down the aisle, Tristan finally looks at me. His lips part in a big smile. I’m sure he has some love for me, but I doubt it’s enough to ever put me first. Sometimes I think he likes the idea of me and the fact that I make things easy for him most of all.

The officiant asks whether anyone objects to this union, and I open my mouth to put an end to this, but the church doors burst open. Everyone turns in the direction of light pouring in at the end of the aisle. Conor. He bends over and heaves for breath before raising his hand. He searches me out, and when our eyes lock, a smile creeps up his lips, wrapping around his face as though I’m his sunshine after a destructive storm. “I object!”

“You let him come here?” Rowan asks Tweetie. Tweetie raises both his hands. “Listen, I’ll admit that something like this has me written all over it, but I swear I had nothing to do with it. It was the chipmunks. They got him shitfaced and talked him into it. Even I wouldn’t let him do something this stupid.”

Her eyes soften, and there she is. I get a glimpse of my Eloise. Then her eyes narrow, she lifts the skirt of her dress, walks down the steps, and grabs my hand. “Come with me.” She pulls me down the aisle and out the doors. This isn’t exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

“I thought⁠—” “You thought what? That I’d run down the aisle, and you’d catch me? That I’d link hands with you, and we’d run out of the church and disappear to some island?” My voice raises. A hard knock lands on the door. “Eloise!” Tristan shouts. “Kind of.” Conor looks sheepish now.

Tristan stomps toward us and raises his fist, but when Conor ducks, Tristan’s punch lands on Kyleigh’s cheek. “You’re a dead man!” Rowan tackles Tristan.

I didn’t think today would go as planned, but I’ve made a huge mess. All because I put everyone else’s needs ahead of my own. No more.

“You know what, assholes?” I stand from the couch and walk into the kitchen. “Fuck you. I know it wasn’t my brightest decision to run into her wedding and do what I did, but what I feel for her is real. I’m not five and so jealous of some other kid’s toy that I want to steal it away. You.” I point at Rowan. “You said yourself that you had a connection you couldn’t explain with Kyleigh. You just had the benefit that she wasn’t getting married to someone else.” Rowan crosses arms but doesn’t say anything. “And you.” I point at Henry. “Lucky bastard, you met the love of your life at ten years old.” “Seven,” Henry corrects me.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” She shakes her head. “Don’t be. I only want you to be happy. I’ll go through all the storms and be by your side as long as you come out happier. That’s a mom’s promise.”

The scariest steps to take are the ones where you can’t guarantee the outcome.

“But I’m not really single.” “Yes, you are.” She shakes her head at me. “I’m taken. I’m just not dating her yet.”

“Fuck, you really like her.” Now Tweetie looks horrified. Henry elbows him. “Where the fuck have you been? He ran into her wedding and objected.” Rowan shakes his head. “I thought it was a drunk thing.” Tweetie shrugs.

She thumbs in my direction. “I didn’t realize I was going to have competition.” I point at my chest. “Are you blaming me for something?” Jade scoffs. “If it was only me, she would’ve understood. She’s only reacting this way because of you being all overprotective.” “Overprotective? I’m here for the same reason you are.” I scowl at her. “Let’s remember you started a fist fight in the foyer of a church.” Jade crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows.

“I’m not getting into the whole thing, but there wasn’t lingerie or fuck-me heels. We didn’t even kiss, but the gist is I told her she wasn’t ready.” They both rear their heads back, look at one another, and burst out laughing. Assholes.

“Time is relative, Conor. I’ve known people who fall in love in a month. I’ve known couples where it takes longer. Sometimes people are enemies at first who find themselves falling for each other.” She shrugs. “There’s a reason why there’s not one true definition of love.”

You guys know how to navigate your career, but no one knows how to navigate love because it takes blind trust.”

“This chemistry. This desire. And it’s not just sexual before you say that. It’s more. So much more that I can’t explain. So, I don’t want to be your rebound guy. I want to be your guy, period.”

“I want the job. I want to be the one to calm your fears, to empower you, to be the one you seek out to find refuge.”

“I know you shitheads want to know what happened between Tedi and me, but it doesn’t matter, our time has passed. Regardless, I still have one huge regret from the end of that relationship.” We all share a look since we’ve all been waiting for any information about the breakup that seems to have broken Tweetie. “I didn’t fight. I sat back and convinced myself that she needed space. That things would turn out okay. That was the wrong fucking decision. So if you really have this instant connection like you keep bragging to everyone about, you should be on your knees, fighting to keep it alive.”