Sweet on You (The Wilde Sisters #1) by Marianne Rice

his hands through Rayne’s hair and getting a rockin’, so he pushed a button and changed to classic rock.
    Nothing like a little AC/DC to kill the mood. If she noticed the tension in his body she didn’t say anything. In fact, Rayne was unusually quiet. Nervous maybe? Had she brought any other men to meet her parents? Probably, considering she’d been engaged. Twice.
    “So your parents…they know you’re bringing…me?”
    Rayne nodded. “I told my sisters I baked the cake and they threatened not to come. So I told them you helped. Which you did. A lot.”
    Interesting. So did they know who he was already? How exactly did she describe their friendship? If Sage was as direct and surly as Rayne had described her, he figured she’d tell him exactly what Rayne thought of him.
    “And your parents?”
    Rayne snorted. “I could have told them I was bringing the Portland Symphony Orchestra and they would have said, ‘Great, honey.’ They’re so wrapped up in each other it doesn’t really matter what my sisters and I do.”
    Instead of sounding angry like most daughters would, she sounded distant, sad. He reached out and patted her hand that rested on her thigh. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and squeezed.
    They kept their fingers interlocked for the rest of the ride, neither saying a word. Other than his sister and Brian, Trent had never met a couple completely devoted to each other. Rayne had a warped version of love thrown in her face from birth, but the Wilde version was just as unhealthy as the Kipson one. Somewhere there had to be a happy medium. Brian and Claire had it, but they were lucky, a rare breed.
    Trent had been able to shield Claire from most of the harsh realities of love, which was why she was a true believer now.
    And poor Rayne. Even though she faced rejection every day of her life from her parents and crappy boyfriends, she still believed in happily ever after. The compassionate woman was a glutton for punishment.
    “Their driveway is after the big maple tree.” She pointed to the left. “Ready or not, welcome to the crazy Wilde house.”
    Trent laughed and squeezed her hand before letting go to grip the steering wheel. “I’ll survive.” He seriously doubted it.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Rayne
     
    “Nice job, Ray-Ray. He’s gorgeous!” Thyme came up behind her and kissed her cheek.
    Rayne rolled her eyes. “I told you. We’re just friends.”
    “Why?” Thyme eyed him over her glass of red wine.
    “Because he’s a nice guy. I can talk to him about anything and we have fun together. We run, kayak, hike, and—”
    “Have hot, sweaty monkey sex?”
    “Thyme! Lower your voice. No, it’s not like that. We’re just friends.”
    Sage quirked an eyebrow and glared knowingly at her sister. “As if. You’re hoping for the bended knee and ring tonight, aren’t you? I warned you…” Exasperated, Rayne sighed. She knew she’d get the third degree from her sister. “Friends, sis. Just friends, Rayne says,” Sage said sarcastically.
    Rayne allowed her gaze to drift to the main topic of discussion. He seemed at ease with her parents. They kept their arms wrapped around one another but actually paid attention to Trent. Her mother even laughed at something he said.
    The laugh carried over to the sisters, who were setting the table. “Wow. For a second there I thought Mom was going to let go of Dad. She must have fallen for your baker as well.”
    Rayne rolled her eyes at Sage and turned her back on her parents and her…friend. They had pulled two picnic tables together and draped them with white linen tablecloths. The bright colored Fiesta dishes and the bold flower arrangement Thyme made created a fun and romantic tablescape.
    The night was still warm but Sage lit the tiki torches to keep away the bugs. “Dinner in five,” Sage called out and sauntered—she never simply walked—into the house.
    Trent looked over at Rayne and winked. She