A/N: Hey all! This is my first foray into writing an unconventional couple, so I'm a little nervous and anxious to see what you think. Just an fyi: for this fic, Maxie is 25, Logan and Cooper are both 24, and Georgie is 23. Georgie and Cooper graduated from high school together. All else will (hopefully!) be revealed. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Can you believe it?" The petite blonde squealed as she pelted across the airport terminal and threw her arms around the honey haired young woman who had just emerged from the plane connector. "I'm getting married!"

Georgie Jones couldn't help but smile at the infectious enthusiasm in her older sister's voice, even if she did have some misgivings about her sister's pending nuptials. Returning the embrace, Georgie decided a little honesty wouldn't hurt. "Actually, Maxie, I can't believe it. You've known Logan for what – six months, two of which have been spent engaged to him? And the only time I've met him was that one time when you flew to New York for a meeting and crashed at my apartment? So yeah, I'm having trouble believing my wild and crazy sister is getting married."

Maxie waved her hand dismissively. "Time has no meaning when you find your timeless love," she intoned sagely.

Georgie smiled indulgently. "Where'd you get that one, Maxie? A fortune cookie?"

Her sister looked at her in mock affront. "Who are you, and what have you done with my baby sister? You've been living in the city too long – the Georgie I remember was not this sassy."

"I think living with Brooklyn may be rubbing off on me," Georgie admitted with a giggle. "Seriously though, Maxie, I just want you to be happy and safe. And if Logan does that for you, then I am more than ecstatic that you're getting married."

Maxie smiled before giving her sister another affectionate hug. "Thank you," she whispered in Georgie's ear before letting go and looping an arm through her sister's. "Come on; let's go get your luggage before we go find Logan. He's supposed to be picking up his best man as we speak."

"Do you know him?" Georgie asked as they headed toward the baggage claim.

"No," Maxie replied with a shake of her head. "I just know he's Logan's friend from when he was in the Army."

"Logan was in the Army?" Georgie repeated, somewhat surprised. "He doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who deals well with authority."

"I know, right?" Maxie agreed. "That's what I said to him when he told me, and he agreed. But he also said that he got into his fair share of trouble and that Superman – that's his friend's nickname, apparently – spent a lot of time getting him out of it."

Georgie laughed as she grabbed her bag off the conveyer belt. "That I could see." She looked at Maxie with a quirked eyebrow. "Superman?"

"I don't know the story," Maxie replied, holding her hands up in surrender. "I only know what I've been told." She shrugged. "It'll be interesting to see if he lives up to the nickname, won't it?" she asked with a grin.

"Maxie!" Georgie exclaimed, lightly slapping her sister on the arm. "You're not allowed to think like that anymore!" she chastised with a laugh.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you like a good older sister," Maxie rebutted. "God knows it's been forever since you've had a boyfriend and never since you got some action. Maybe this hunk will finally get you out of your relationship funk." Her eyes lit up. "Ha! That rhymed."

"Very funny, Maxie," Georgie said sarcastically. "My love life is just fine, thank you," she insisted.

Maxie snorted. "Yeah, if by 'fine' you mean 'non-existent.' When was the last time you went on a date?"

"I… I've been busy with school, and then work!" Georgie defended. Maxie gave her a pointed look. "Okay, so I haven't dated in a long time," Georgie admitted in exasperation. "But don't you try to play matchmaker, Maxie. You've got enough going on in your own love life without interfering with mine."

"Who said anything about matchmaking?" Maxie questioned innocently. "I was just thinking casual, no strings attached sex."

"Maxie!" Georgie scolded, inadvertently drawing the attention of a few passersby. She immediately lowered her voice. "You are so bad," she hissed. "You know I'm not that kind of person."

"I know, I know, you're a regular Mother Teresa. Honestly, Georgie, you've got to live a little. You're going to be in Las Vegas for a week, and you know what they say: whatever happens in Vegas…"

"Stays in Vegas," Georgie finished dutifully.

"Right. So you're going to have fun, be a little wild and crazy, and you're going to like it. Okay?" Maxie grabbed her arm again. "Now let's go find Logan and this mystery man."

"Yo, Superman!"

The phrase, exclaimed in a deep Southern drawl, caused Cooper Barrett's head to jerk to the left, following the sound of the voice. His eyes lit up as he spotted a man about a half-head shorter than his own six feet standing a short distance away. "Tex! Good to see you again, man," he greeted as the two men exchanged a brotherly hug. "How are you?"

"Right as rain, man," Logan Hayes replied with a grin, clapping Cooper on the back. "I'm healthy, I got money and a job, and I'm gettin' hitched. Life don't get much better than this."

"You know, I never pegged you as the type to settle down and get married. I always thought you would be the eternal bachelor, hitting on anything in a skirt."

"And up until six months ago, I would have agreed with you. But something about this girl… we just get each other. Know what I mean?"

A pair of warm, intelligent brown eyes and a sweet laugh flashed through Cooper's mind. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I think I do."

"Anyway, I'm glad you could make it out here. It means a lot to have you stand up for me at my wedding."

"I wouldn't miss it," Cooper replied. "So, tell me about the woman who tamed Logan Hayes," he continued with a grin as he and Logan began walking along the concourse. "You said her name is Mariah, right?"

"Well yeah, but that's just the name she uses for work. She works at one of them fancy boutiques in the casino, so she's gotta use her given name or some shit like that. I only call her that when I'm teasin' her or when I'm pissed at her, which happens a lot, 'cause she's got just as much of an attitude as I do. Girl don't take shit from no one, and she tells it like it is. She's like this freaking pixie spitfire. I swear she ain't more than 5' 2" and a buck ten soaking wet, but man, she's got a hell of a mouth on her. It don't stop moving at all, and she's quick as a whip and sassy as hell, too. I swear, one second we'll be talkin', the next we'll be fightin', and then we'll be right back to bein' fine. She definitely keeps me on my guard, but in a good way," Logan concluded with a shrug. "I don't know how to explain it, but I'm crazy about the girl."

Cooper smiled as he watched the man he considered to be a brother talk about his girl, a dazed expression coming to Logan's eyes that Cooper had never seen there before. He was glad his friend had found someone who made him happy, even if it did make Cooper ache slightly at what he himself could have had.

"So what's her name?" Cooper asked, realizing his original question had never been answered.

"Maxie," Logan replied. "Maxie Jones."

Cooper's eyes widened in surprise, hope causing his heart to beat more quickly against his ribs. "Is her sister serving as the maid of honor?" he asked, trying to remain calm and not give in to the growing sense of desperation and anticipation he was feeling.

"Yeah, Maxie's picking her up right now…" Logan trailed off, his eyes narrowing. "How do you know about Georgie?"

Cooper's heart gave a particularly loud thump at the sound of her name, and he couldn't stop the small smile that crossed his face. "We grew up together."

Logan turned to look at him, stunned. "No shit? You and Maxie and Georgie grew up together?" At Cooper's nod, he chuckled. "Well hell, I guess it really is a small world after all. Looks like you're in for a reunion, Coop."

But Cooper wasn't listening. His eyes were trained on a pair of young women weaving through the crowd arm in arm. Even from a distance, his sharp gaze, one which had served him well on a tour of duty in Iraq, recognized the Jones sisters. He zeroed in on the darker haired of the pair, who looked so different and yet still the same. Her honey brown hair still framed the same set of smooth, high cheekbones, and her warm brown eyes still held the same intelligence and compassion that haunted his dreams. But her body was different; her curves fuller yet more toned, her face leaner yet even more gorgeous than it had been all those years ago. Cooper wondered if her lips still tasted as sweet as they had that warm summer's night so long ago, when he'd last seen her standing at the edge of a lake with the moonlight spilling around her, making her every inch the ethereal angel she was. She was perfect. She was stunning. And she'd been on his mind every day for the past six years.

"Ugh, where the hell are they?" Maxie whined, standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck in an attempt to see over the throng of people and locate her fiancé.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Georgie answered calmly, her eyes also scanning the crowd for Logan. She had an idea of what he looked like, having met him just once, but she figured she'd still me able to pick him out of a crowd. After all, she didn't have a photographic memory for nothing. She turned to look behind to see if they had missed Logan walking past them, but Maxie's exclamation caused her to turn around.

"Oh there they are! Logan!" Maxie yelled, waving her arms above her head to get their attention.

Georgie followed Maxie's gaze, looking for Logan, but her gaze skipped over him like a stone on a pond and landed on the man walking a half step behind him. Time stood still. The noise of the airport faded as blood rushed to her ears. She barely registered Maxie's gasp of surprise beside her, too busy drowning in the intense pools of blue that were locked on her own eyes. Her body literally jerked as fifteen years of memories slammed into her, stunning her with their intensity. She couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Her face felt flushed, her entire body warm as the two men came to a halt in front of her and her sister.

"Ladies," Logan greeted. "I believe you know Cooper Barrett."

Oh shit, Georgie thought. He's really here. That was the last thought she had before her body buckled beneath her and everything went black.

TBC...