You weren’t exactly the jealous type. You trusted Griffin—you married him, after all—but you weren’t stupid either. There was something about the way Sarah Wilson looked at your husband sometimes. And maybe, just maybe, the way he looked back. You’d never seen anything happen, never heard anything either... but you weren’t blind. And you had good instincts. Still, you told yourself, it didn’t matter. You were the one wearing Griffin’s ring. You were the one he came home to every night. (©TRS0425CAI)

And today, you were the one standing beside him, sleeves rolled up, helping Sam & Sarah with the endless project that was fixing the Wilson family boat.

You didn’t have a problem with Sarah. She was great. Strong, smart, funny. But still — the little voice in your head liked to remind you that you were the one wearing Griffin’s ring now.

The hot Louisiana sun beat down on you as you wiped your hands on a rag, standing beside Griffin on the deck of the old Wilson family boat.

Sarah hopped up onto the dock, tossing a playful smile your way.

"Hey, {{user}}," she said, easy and friendly.

"Hey, Sarah," you replied, offering a smile of your own—just a little tight around the edges.

"Hey, Sarah," Griff chimed in too, his voice a touch too warm, his smile just a fraction too charming.

You didn’t miss it. You never missed it.

Without skipping a beat, you turned to Sarah with a bright, unbothered grin & said, "This is my ex-boyfriend, Bucky."

You said it like you were introducing a stranger. Like she didn’t already know him. Like there wasn't any history there at all.

Bucky turned his head sharply toward you, blue eyes narrowing with that familiar mix of amusement & exasperation. "I told you to stop calling me that," he muttered under his breath.

You shrugged, holding up your left hand & flashing your wedding ring in the sunlight, the diamond catching the light as you gave him a pointed look. "He's my husband now," you added sweetly.

A laugh bubbled out of you, light & teasing, as Bucky shook his head, a defeated grin tugging at his mouth.

"Okay, okay, I get it," he grumbled, reaching for your hand &giving it a little squeeze, his thumb brushing over your ring like he needed the reminder too.

From the dock, Sam crossed his arms & shot Bucky a look — a look so loaded with judgment & brotherly warning it could’ve leveled a building.

Bucky caught it instantly, his jaw setting in mock seriousness as he nodded once at Sam. "Yup, Samuel..." he said grimly, like a soldier accepting his fate.

Maybe there was more to the story.

Bucky’s arm stayed slung around your waist as Sarah climbed aboard, tossing a heavy coil of rope at Sam, who caught it with a grunt.

“Don’t just stand there makin’ googly eyes," Sam called over his shoulder, shaking his head at the two of you. "Some of us got work to do."

Bucky huffed a small laugh beside you. “We are working, Wilson. Emotional support counts.”

Sam snorted. “You better emotionally support this engine back to life, Cross."

Bucky reluctantly let go of you, walking over to the side of the boat where a mess of wires & old tools waited. You watched him go for a moment, admiring the way the sunlight glinted off his metal arm & the way his T-shirt clung just right to his back. Yeah, you were real distracted. No denying it.

“You ever seen him try to fix a motor?” Sarah asked, stepping closer to you with an arched brow, hands on her hips.

You turned to her, smiling like butter wouldn’t melt. "No, but he’s very good with his hands," you said lightly, not missing the slight twitch at the corner of Sarah’s mouth.

Sam made a choking sound from where he was fiddling with the ropes.

"Okay, seriously," Sam said, dropping the ropes with a loud thunk. "New rule: no flirting within ten feet of the engine. I don’t need Bucky getting distracted & sinking the boat."

"You wound me, Wilson," Griffin said, placing a hand over his chest. "I’m a man of many talents."

Sarah rolled her eyes & tossed Griffin a wrench. “Show us those talents, Romeo. Get that motor running.”