Chapter Sixteen
“I love weddings.”
Gavin Fortunado glanced at his sister Schuyler, who stood next to him in the ballroom of the Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, her long blond hair pulled into an elaborate braided updo. The understated opulence and elegant decor of the historic venue only made the starched collar of the tuxedo he wore feel even stuffier.
“I know you do.” Gavin drained the glass of bubbly champagne he’d raised after his father’s toast to another sister, Maddie, and her new husband, Zach McCarter. The fizzy liquid churned in his stomach, and he looked toward the crowded bar, mentally calculating how long it would take to get to the front of the line and order a whiskey neat. He had a feeling he’d need something more substantial than champagne to make it through this evening.
He placed his empty glass on a nearby table as Schuyler wrapped her elegant fingers around his arm. “Maddie is a beautiful bride,” she said as she leaned against him, dabbing at the corner of one eye with her free hand.
“Yep.” He patted his sister’s hand. “You were, too.” Schuyler had married Carlo Mendoza, vice president of Mendoza Winery, last spring in the sculpture garden at the winery in the Texas Hill Country outside the city. Just as he had this weekend, Gavin had flown in from Denver for Schuyler’s big day. He loved his three sisters and appreciated that two of them, who were now married, had picked great guys. He liked and respected both of his brothers-in-law. Any guy who was man enough to take on Schuyler or Maddie was definitely ready to join the family.
Speaking of Schuyler’s husband, where was Carlo now? Gavin could use a diversion before Schuyler started in on him.
Too late.
“I’m sure you’ll find a beautiful bride, as well.” Schuyler gave his arm a squeeze. The touch was gentle, but somehow Gavin felt like an animal caught in a steel trap. Sweat beaded between his shoulder blades and rolled down his back. He groaned inwardly as he noticed the line at the bar had gotten longer.
“You did a great job with all the wedding planning,” he said, ignoring his sister’s comment. “I know Maddie appreciated it since she’s so wrapped up in the Fortunado Real Estate Austin office right now. I don’t know how you convinced Mom to allow another wedding to take place here instead of in Houston. I thought she’d pressure Maddie and Zach to get married closer to home.”
“It’s only a couple hours’ drive from Mom and Dad’s house, but Maddie couldn’t spare any extra time. She and Zach are burning the real estate candle at both ends these days.”
Gavin loved all his sisters and brothers, but he and Maddie were only nine months apart in age, so they’d always been especially close. Her relationship with Zach had gotten off to a rocky start last year, as both of them had been vying to be named the new president of Fortunado Real Estate, the company Kenneth Fortunado had founded and devoted his life to for years.
Of the six Fortunado children, Maddie was the one most invested in the family business, although the baby of the family, Valene, was quickly coming into her own as a real estate agent. Their oldest brother, Everett, was a successful doctor. Connor worked as an executive at a corporate search firm in Denver so Gavin hung out with him on a regular basis. Ever since coming to Austin last year, Schuyler had joined the staff of the Mendoza Winery, heading up branding for the company. Gavin had spent his entire career with a corporate law firm headquartered in Denver. He knew his parents were proud of all of them, but Maddie had the same passion for real estate as Kenneth, and she’d gone toe-to-toe with Zach until they’d fallen in love.
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
