Help Me Remember (Rose Canyon, #1)(98)

The entire crowd is putty in his hands. They laugh, shake their heads, and clap for each outrageous comment he makes.

“However,” Emmett continues, “there is something I couldn’t stop thinking about the other day. We were twenty and Brielle was still in diapers.”

I roll my eyes. “I am not that much younger! It’s only ten years!”

“He’s nearing AARP, darling, trust me, you are.”

I rest my head on Spencer’s chest, hiding my laughter.

“See how cute she is?” Emmett asks, eliciting more clapping. “I digress. There was this one day when we all went out to the cliffs—not the make out ones, easy, Mama Davis—and were watching the sunset. A lot of times, Isaac, Holden, Spencer, and I would hang out there and talk about life. It was easy where no one could hear you talk about things that scared you. Anyway, on that day, we brought Brielle, and like she always did, she sat next to Spencer. She told us that she was worried her heart would never find the person it was meant to be with. I remember thinking, ‘What a weird thing for an infant to worry about.’” More laughter from the crowd. “But Isaac leaned over, looked at his sister, and said, ‘Your heart is meant to be with the person next to you.’”

Tears fill my vision as I look up at Spencer. “I remember that day.”

He smiles. “Me too.”

“Of course, we all laughed, thinking how funny it would be that Brielle and Spencer would ever be together. But it’s not that funny. In fact, I think it’s incredibly perfect. So, my dear friends,” Emmett says, as though Spencer and I aren’t having a serious moment, “while Isaac may not be here in body, his heart is here with us. He is watching, knowing his little sister and the man beside her on that rock is who will walk next to her for the rest of her life.” He raises his glass and everyone does as well. “To Brielle and Spencer.”

“To Brielle and Spencer.”

The clinking of the glasses tells us to kiss, and we do, both a little teary-eyed.

I hug Emmett after. “I can’t believe you remembered that day.”

He smiles. “I remember because we thought it was nuts, but I’m not the only one. About two years after it happened, I asked Isaac if he remembered saying it.”

“And?”

“He said he always thought you two would end up together someday. And he thought it would be funny to freak Spencer out.”

I laugh because that’s such an Isaac comment.

“He said a lot of things to me over the years, especially over the last few months.”

“Oh?”

He looks over at Addy. “He asked me to take care of her if anything ever happened to him. To make sure that she was always safe. He loved her more than anything, and I’ve let him down.”

I rest my hand on his arm. “You have never done that.”

“No? I didn’t catch his killer.”

Spencer shakes his head. “Let’s not go there. You did everything right and had our psycho GI Barbie over here not tried to test her luck, you would’ve.”

He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Yeah, don’t ever do that again.”

“I promise I won’t.” I have zero intentions of ever being that dumb again.

“Good. I’m happy for you both.”

Spencer and Emmett clasp hands. “Just think, you’ll get to do this again in a few months.”

“Do what?”

My husband grins with mischief in his eyes. “The speech. We’re having a big wedding.”

“Great.” He grumbles. Then Emmett goes stiff, staring at a beautiful woman with long brown hair.

“Who is that?” I ask.

Emmett doesn’t respond, he just stares at her. “Fuck,” he says quietly.

“Umm, Emmett?” Spencer grips his shoulder. “Is that—”

“Yup.”

Well, I’m so glad they know who it is. I gently slap Spencer’s chest. “Can you clue me in?”

“That’s Blakely Bennett. She was in the military with Emmett.”

My brows rise. “Oh? Are they friends?” Because it doesn’t really seem like it with the way Emmett still isn’t moving or responding.

“I guess, she was his captain.”

That snaps him out of his daze. “No, we were equal.”

“She totally was his boss,” Spencer says softly to me.

She makes her way toward us, and I’m struck by her natural beauty. She’s a good three inches taller than I am, slender, and has pouty lips, but if that wasn’t enough, her hair moves like those hair commercials as she walks.

When she reaches us, her smile is wide as she stares at him. “Hello, Maxwell.”

“Bennett,” he responds clipped.

She looks to Spencer. “I thought it was you, Cross. You look happy.”

He releases my hand and pulls her in for a hug. “It’s because I am. It’s good to see you, Blake.”

“You too, and I hear this is your wedding celebration?”

Spencer nods. “This is my wife, Brielle.”

Her warm gaze meets mine and she extends her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you. I know your husband from one of the training exercises we did. I wish you both much happiness.”