Bound to be His: The Archer Family

Chapter 1

I t is now safe to turn on electronic devices and unfasten your seatbelts. Thank you for flying Hawaiian Airways, and aloha from Oahu, the cool female voice hummed over the intercom. In seat 9B, Shay Meyers breathed a sigh of relief .

After six hours spent gently nudging off the sleep-cuddler beside her, she was overdue for a crack at some fresh air and freedom, and the fact that she'd also be in Hawaii with her best friend would make the respite that much sweeter.

As the plane continued to glide into the gate, she pulled her cellphone from her fire-engine-red clutch and slid it out of airplane mode.

Then it happened.

The phone shook so many times and so violently that the woman snoozing beside her clutched Shay's bicep in her sleep and muttered something like, No, Mommy. Make the earthquake stop.

We're here, Shay said back, but rather than jarring the woman awake, it only seemed to ease her momentary distress and send her back into another round of snores.

Good talk, Shay murmured, and then glanced down at the list of missed texts on her phone. A few were from clients—the sports publicity company she ran with her best friend had taken off in the past few months—and some were from Andy, too, wondering which gate to meet her at. But the rest...

Shay's thumb hovered over one of the messages. Her stomach clenched as she tried to determine if she should read them now or wait. As soon as she opened the chat window, her mother would know that she'd read everything. And then there would be no avoiding her.

No ignoring her.

But then maybe it was better to just rip the Band-Aid off, handle whatever lunacy was waiting for her, and then start her vacation with a clean slate.

Swallowing hard, she swiped her thumb across the screen, and a veritable slew of messages popped up in front of her. She scanned the first one quickly and then groaned.

Hey, honey. Hope your flight goes well. Listen, I know it's a little early, or maybe a lot early, to be asking, but I was wondering if you might want to spend Christmas with me and Phillip this year? Of course, it doesn't have to be Christmas. It can be any time of year. It's just been so long since I saw you, and since you couldn't make it to the wedding—

Shay closed her eyes and stuffed the phone back into her purse. Why did her mother insist on doing this to her? Making her into the bad guy? Either she played along with the delusion that husband number seven would still be around for Christmas, or she was the one person who had to say let's play it by ear and then allow the conversation to spiral into the fact that she didn't, in fact, plan on getting to know yet another stepfather before he inevitably hit the bricks.

She could already hear her mother practically sobbing like a sixteen-year-old. He's different, Shay. You don't understand. He's different.

Yep, Shay never understood. At least, not according to her mother.

Not that being right ever left her feeling satisfied.

The only difference was that now she was old enough to choose not to be around to pick up the pieces.

Momma, Momma, the rabbits, the woman next to her muttered, and then snored so loudly that a few passengers turned around to glance at her. Luckily, that was when the aisle began to fill with passengers grabbing their luggage and making their way out of the plane.

Um, excuse me, Shay tried again, and then tapped the woman's hand.

She started, sending a mess of red spirals bouncing in front of her heart-shaped face. Oh, God. I didn't— The woman gasped, her cheeks turning the same scarlet as her hair.

It's okay. Happens to the best of us, Shay said.

The woman closed her eyes and shook her head. I'm so sorry. I normally fly with my husband and he—

Wrangles the rabbits for you? Shay offered her a warm smile, and the woman grinned back.

Exactly. Ugh, I owe you one.

It's really okay. Shay shook her head and was saved from the woman's next apology when the line beside them began to move. Looks like that's us.

Quickly, she gathered her things and practically sprinted to the baggage claim, only stopping momentarily to text her gate number to Andy. In the brief moment that had taken, she'd spied a new message from her mother—this one undoubtedly asking why she hadn't bothered to respond to the message she'd clearly read.

There was no time for that now, though. Not when she had a whole two weeks in Hawaii with her best friend, the last two weeks they'd have before Miss Andy Archer became Mrs. Andy Grant.

Then there Andy was, waiting in front of the baggage claim in a casual green dress and jean jacket, her dishwater brown hair shoved into a sloppy ponytail.

Shay rushed toward her, crushing the bride-to-be so hard against her that she nearly cut off her own breath in the process.

How is it? Shay asked. The house, I mean. Is it everything you could ever have wanted?

Oh my God, you're going to die. It's incredible. Andy prodded the large purple bag beside her and then said, I've already got your bag. Ready to go?

All the way from the airport to the main road, they chattered about the trip and the decorations in Andy's new summer home—the little Hawaiian getaway that had come as a bonus along with Andy's hunk of a husband-to-be.

Then, out of the blue, Andy said, So, how is your mom?

Shay rolled her eyes. Did she text you?

Only once. Andy shrugged. She was worried.

No, she wasn't, Shay said. She was manipulating.

What did she want this time?

She and Phillip want me to come visit.

Ah. Andy nodded but didn't meet Shay's eyes.

What?

Well, it might be nice. It'll have to wait until after my honeymoon, but it could be good to see her.

Listen, I love you, but you have no idea what you're talking about. And I really don't want to talk about her right now. I'll send her a message when I get to your place, but that's the last I'm hearing of it for one trip, okay? Shay cocked an eyebrow.

Fine, fine. You got it.

I want to focus on what's important. We've got one whole weekend together before the boys get here, and I intend to make the most of it. Now, I have a couple of things already lined up—

Right. About that. Andy turned onto a street speckled with little open-air villas. All of them looked out onto a private beach where thatched umbrellas and pretty flowered trees dotted the crisp white sand.

What? Shay asked, but when they pulled into the driveway of a little blue house, she already knew what her friend was going to say.

There, running across the sand, were two men in the midst of what looked like a heated Frisbee battle.

The first was tall and muscular, with a mane of shaggy black hair and eyes to match. Logan Grant, Andy's husband-to-be.

With him, Andy's male counterpart, complete with freckles and sandy, brownish-blond hair. Of course, instead of Andy's curvy build, Matt was lean and toned, the perfect body for a professional athlete. And for a professional pain in the ass.

"They're here," Shay said blankly.

Okay, okay. They showed up last night to surprise me. I didn't know anything about it. You have to believe me. Andy offered her a pleading smile, but before Shay could answer, she spotted Matt running toward the car, his Frisbee held aloft.

Aloha, he shouted, and then bent down to Shay's window and added, Has anyone offered you a lei yet?

Andy rolled her eyes, and Shay looked from Matt to Andy and back again. Where is...—she frowned at Matt—"this staying?"

Um. Andy offered her another nervous smile and Shay's jaw dropped, but then Matt was opening the back door and lugging Shay's purple case from the seat.

Come on, lovely, I'll show you where you're staying. She watched him walk for a little bit, unable to do anything but blink after him, but then he called, Are you coming or not? and she scooted from the car.

Andy followed one pace behind her, her eyebrows still knit together.

You promise you didn't know about this? Shay hissed.

I swear, Andy said. Logan thought it would be nice.

Right. That was... sweet of him. She said it For Andy's sake. From Logan’s perspective, Andy would be spending the two weeks before their wedding surrounded by the four people she loved most in the world—Shay, Logan, and her two brothers, Matt and Derrick.

From Shay's perspective, however...

This is it. Matt chucked her case none too gently onto the bed. Don't worry, if you need anything in the middle of the night, I'm right next door.

You're... She blew out a breath.

Andy let off a little nervous giggle. Three bedrooms. Perfect, right?

Perfect, Shay said.

This was just what she needed. Not only was she hounded by her mother and dogged by her maid of honor responsibilities, but now she'd have Andy's scoundrel of a brother to manage, too. She could practically already hear him, teasing her about things going bump in the night and offering her cherry pie whenever they were in the kitchen together.

Suddenly, two weeks sounded so much longer than it had before.

Okay, well, if you need me, you know where to find me. Matt strolled from the room, and when the door was safely closed behind him, Shay flopped onto the bed and stared up at her friend.

Well, she said after a pause. I guess our plans have changed.

Yeah, I guess so. Andy scratched her head, her mouth quirking to the side.

Shay sat up straight, panic suddenly seizing her heart. What?

What what? Andy asked.

We've been friends for how many years and you think I don't know that look? Shay asked.

Okay, okay. Well, I was going to wait to ask you this...—Andy leaned back against the wall—but, um, I sort of kind of need a favor from you.

How big a favor?

Not colossal. But not, you know, tiny. A medium favor. A favor like—

Will you just get on with it? Shay cut in.

I was training my assistant before we left, but I don't think she's ready to handle all the high profile clients, so I'm wondering if you could handle the details while I'm on my honeymoon?

So... you want me to cover Logan's case? The press coverage for the wedding?

No, no, that's all handled. It's actually... Andy's mouth quirked to the side again, and suddenly realization pooled in Shay's stomach like a noxious poison, dripping down and then spreading out to burn her insides.

No, she said. Not him.

Come on. Matt isn't that bad. I'll ask him to be on his best behavior.

"Rabid raccoons have better best behavior," Shay shot back.

Okay, okay, I know. But... please? Andy batted her eyelashes. As a wedding gift?

What's in it for me?

I'll go with you as your date to your mom's next wed-ding, Andy sing-songed.

And you pay for the gift, Shay said.

Deal.

Deal. But as soon as the word was out of her mouth, Shay knew she was going to regret it.

Stagnating improvement.

The words burned through his mind, projected onto the table in front of him, spilled out of the mouths of