From the Stars, to the Stars

From the Stars, to the Stars: Chapter Nineteen

Bronwyn breaks out in a big smile, drops the chain of Dandelions she's twisted for a crown, and pops up to peer over the hill at Garett's main gate. Seconds later, Tristan tops the rise with a boy I'd never met.

The new guy is a full head shorter than Tristan, but has just as much muscle. Spiky brown hair, and sweet, hazel puppy dog eyes, I think he could get most girls to do what he wanted just by batting his unfairly thick, curly lashes.

He sweeps Bronwyn up into a spin and blows raspberries into her neck. She kicks playfully, giggling louder than I've ever heard her before. "Put me down, you oafish peon!" she gasps between gulps of laughter.

The boy steps back, adopting a stiff posture, one arm bent behind his back. He bows formally, as if an officer reporting to his queen. His eyes twinkle, the corners of his mouth twitching with the grin he's trying to hold back.

"As smokin' as always, Madam Heiress," he drawls, giving Bryn a playful, pervy once-over.

Sebastien's grin is as sincere as his siblings'. "Where did you find the scoundrel, brother?"

Tristan slaps the boy on the back hard enough most people would get the breath knocked out of them, but this boy stands firm, smiling like an idiot, his arms crossed and bulging in front of himself.

"He had wandered up the drive when I came out this morning, and you know how I feel about strays."

The boy smacks his hand into Sebastien's and pumps his arm a couple times, hard. "Sebastien, my man, how's the haps?"

"Never better Mathias. What of you? Where have you been keeping your sorry hide?"

"You know how it is, dude. You shouldn't ask, but if I told you I'd have to kill you," Mathias says, then noticing me half-tucked behind Sebastien, adds, "So you're Seb's new sensation sweeping the nation. But lookit you. There's not enough of you to cause such a fuss, baby girl. Why don't you come give me a squeeze?"

He reaches for me, but Sebastien blocks him smoothly. "Find your own girl, Matty; this one's mine."

Tristan puts his hand on "Matty's" shoulder. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not polite to crush a girl without introducing yourself first, buddy?" He cocks his head as if to think. "Then again, with your ugly mug you p'robly gotta work fast before they faint dead away.

"Nah," Matty answers. "I don't mind. Makes it easier to weed out the ones with a weak stomach. Can't stand a sissy. My girl's got to have some spunk, y'know?" He looks Bryn up and down again, meaningfully.

Sebastien groans. "You can't have my sister, either . . . unless she says so, anyway."

"What do you think, Red? You wanna see how far we can push it?"

Bronwyn, still the queen, inclines her head. "Many thanks for the offer sirrah, but I have more serious affairs to which I must attend."

Matty shrugs. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he says before switching gears. "I heard y'all about to have yourselves a throw down, and I'm guessin' my invite got lost in the mail, 'cause I can't believe you'd party without me."

"We're not exactly broadcasting the situation, Matty," Bronwyn chides him.

He winks at her like they share a secret. "Only reason I haven't gone medieval on y'all for not callin' sooner."

I tug at the tail of Sebastien's shirt and stand on my tiptoes to whisper into his ear. "I think he needs to meet Delia."

Matty freezes suddenly, sniffing the air. "Dude! Is that funnel cake I smell?"