“You’ve been drinking the same thing since we were in college. I used to think it was because we were in college and way too poor to afford anything better. I know now you just like cheap wine.”

“It tastes good,” I counter. “And it has thirty-four glasses in it, which means I basically have an endless supply of wine when the mood to drink strikes.”

“Whatever you say, babe, but I’m sure those people from Napa Valley would stone you to death if they ever heard you say that wine from a box tastes good.”

“It does taste good.” I take the box to the fridge and set it inside. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I brought myself a small bottle of amaretto, and I told Kenyon that I’m drinking and that he’s going to have to pick me up.”

“Works for me,” I say as she places her bag on the counter and begins to pull out stuff. She’s been working on this wedding since the day Kenyon proposed to her. Literally the day he asked her, she bought a wedding planner and magazines. A week after he asked her, she booked their venue and made an appointment with Julie’s, a local baker, to design her wedding cake. The wedding is still six months away, and Kenyon only asked her to marry him four months ago. Still, most of the details have been taken care of due to Brie’s excitement and serious planning skills.

“We have a few things to go over tonight, like your bridesmaid dress and who is going to be sitting next to who at the reception. You know I don’t get along with most of my family, but still I’m inviting them, partly to rub it in their faces that I got a good man and they didn’t play any part in it.”

“Honey, I still don’t know if it’s a good idea that you invite everyone. I think you should just have the people around you who really care about you and your happiness.”

“No.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “My parents would have wanted them all there, and I want them to know that what they pulled after my parents died didn’t break me.”

What they did being that they took away the house her parents owned. Her mom and dad never updated their wills, so the property was left to her aunts, two women who should have known better than to take the money that should have been their niece’s. They did take it though, and then they used it to help their own children, not giving even a penny to Brie.

“Please don’t ask me to be nice to them. I swear, Brie, I don’t know if I can do it.”

“It’s just one day. We can all be nice for one day,” she says, sounding sure, but the expression she gives me says otherwise.

“What does Kenyon say about this?”

“That he loves me and he supports my decision.”

I stare at her in disbelief. That doesn’t sound like Kenyon at all. Yes, he loves Brie, and yes, he’s always supportive, but I know he hates her family and has never given up an opportunity to let them know how he feels. “Now what’s the truth?”

Huffing, she shakes her head in frustration. “He’s not happy about them coming, but he gets why I want them there.” I watch her smirk. “He has warned me that if they do anything he doesn’t like, not even I will be able to hold him back.”

“I hope they don’t do anything, even if it would be fun watching Kenyon kick their bottoms out of the venue.” As I listen to her laugh, I start searching through the cupboards for something to make us for dinner. Not finding anything, I glance at Brie.

“Do you want to order something in?”

Her head tips to the side. “Cobi said he ordered dinner for us.” I blink at her. “Sushi, and sweet and sour chicken.”

“I think I’m in love with him,” I whisper, and she grins. “No, I’m serious, Brie. How is that even possible? I’ve only known him for a week.”

“I knew the moment I saw Kenyon that I wanted to be with him,” she says, holding my gaze. “After three dates, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and after the first time we made love, I knew that I loved him in a way that I always would. Sometimes you just know when you meet the person you’re meant to be with.”

“It’s crazy.”

“Yep,” she agrees. “Crazy scary, crazy awesome, and sometimes just plain crazy.”

“Do I tell him?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “I think there is a rule written somewhere that I should tell you to avoid being honest about your feelings so that you don’t scare him off. I say you do what you need to do. If you are in love with him and want him to know—” She shrugs again. “—tell him how you feel.” She leans closer to me and takes my hand. “I do think you should give this a little more time. I know you don’t have a lot of experience in the relationship department, and I don’t want you to confuse love with sex, because they are completely separate.”

I swallow over the lump that has suddenly formed in my throat. Is that it? Am I feeling this connected to him because we’ve had sex? When I’ve had sex in the past, I never felt like I do now, but then again, I’ve never been chased through the woods by a madman before. Who knows if everything that’s happened isn’t messing with my head, making me feel things I don’t actually feel.

“You’re right. I need to give it time before I say anything to him.”

“Oh, Lord,” Brie says, getting up and coming to stand directly in front of me. “Please tell me you are not doubting that man and your feelings?”

“I’m taking your advice,” I reply, and she suddenly wraps her hands around my biceps and begins to shake me hard. “What the heck are you doing?” I shout as I try to get away from her.

“I’m hoping to shake some damn sense into your head. I didn’t tell you to start doubting him. I said you need to give this time so you know it’s love and not just the fact that you’re finally with a good guy and getting some really good sex.”

“I know that.” I finally pull free from her hold and blow my hair out of my face. “Sheesh, you’re crazy.” I smooth out my hair.

“I’m not letting you push him away.”

“Brie, I might be messed up from my childhood, but I’m not dumb. I know that Cobi is not just a good man, but probably one of the best there is out there.” I rest my hands on my hips and pull in a breath. “I’m not sure why he wants me. I don’t know that I will ever figure it out, but I’m not going to be the one to convince him that he doesn’t, because believe me, I have tried. Right now, all I know is I’m taking one day with him at a time, and settling into us being together.” She continues to stare at me, but now with wide eyes. “He has made it clear more than once that who my family is doesn’t matter to him, that only how he feels about me matters.” I drag in a shaky breath. “I believe him when he says that. And tomorrow I’m probably meeting his parents, and you know me well enough to know that something like that would not happen no matter how into a guy I was before now.”

“You really do love him.”

“I don’t know. Like you pointed out, this could just be really amazing sex and a fucked up situation making me think I feel things I don’t.”

“No, you’re in love.”

“Brie.”

“Okay, I’ll shut up, but I just want to say I love him for you, Hadley.” Her arms wrap around me. “You are not wrong; he’s a good man, one of the very few left in the world, and I love the way he’s taking care of you. You deserve to have someone take care of you for once.”

“Don’t make me cry.”

“As if I could.” She laughs then lets me go. “Now I need a drink, we need to talk about wedding crap, and then we need to find a time to get our guys together for dinner,” she says as the doorbell rings, and Maxim barks.

“Well, you get your drink while I get dinner, and then we will figure out the rest,” I say before I head down to the front door. I take dinner from the driver who informs me everything has already been taken care of, including the tip. I take the bag to the kitchen with my mind on Cobi and the little ways he finds to take care of me even when he’s not around. Not really thinking about what I’m doing, I drop the bag of food on the counter then take my cell phone with me to the bedroom and shut the door.