“I see.” He leans up to place his lips to my forehead before he rests his head back on his pillow.

“And, um… now that we’re not in the heat of the moment, I should tell you. My lease is for a year and I’ve only been in the house a few months, so we’re going to wait for me to move in.”

“I’ll talk to your landlord,” he says easily, and I feel my body get tight.

“Tom.”

“Excuse me?”

“Tom is my landlord. You met him briefly when he came to tell me I could get a dog,” I remind him, and recognition fills his eyes. “That said, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to try to get me out of my lease.”

“Why not?” He frowns.

“I’m pretty sure Tom is in the Witness Protection Program, because he was in the mob or is still in the mob.” I grimace. “Can you get out of the mob, or is it like a blood in, blood out type of thing?”

“Blood in, blood out?” he repeats, looking at me like I might be crazy.

“That doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “The point is I think he might be in Witness Protection now, and he’s scary. It would suck if you suddenly went missing.”

“You do know you’re crazy, right?” he asks, but I know by the way he says it he also thinks I’m being cute.

“How am I crazy?”

“Your landlord is not in the mob, and he’s not in Witness Protection either.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. Now, as for you getting out of your lease, I’ll talk to him and see what he says. You might have to keep the lease for a couple of months until he can find a new renter, but we can get the ball moving now, and you can still move in here in the meantime.”

I move and rest my chin on the back of my hand against his chest. “Not that I don’t think this will work, but I think it’s a good idea I keep my place for a few months just in case.”

“It’s going to work, Hadley.” He slides his fingers into my hair, wrapping them around the back of my skull. “I promise you, this is going to work.”

“I believe you.” I kiss his chest then rest my head back down. After closing my eyes, I order, “Go to sleep,” and giggle when his body shakes with silent laughter.

“‘Night, baby.” He rolls so we’re chest-to-chest with my face resting in the crook of his neck and his arms tight around me.

And like always when I fall asleep with him, I do it smiling.

Chapter 15

Cobi

“SHE SEEMS DIFFERENT.”

At Kenyon’s comment, I look at where he’s lounging on my deck with a beer in his hand. He and Brie came over for dinner tonight, and after we ate, the girls kicked us out so they could clean up and talk about wedding stuff. I didn’t put up a fight, and neither did Kenyon. We left them to it and came outside with our beers.

“She seems lighter, even with everything that’s happened.”

He’s not wrong. She’s changed the last few weeks. She’s opening up a little more every day and getting more and more comfortable with me, and with us. I thought I got all of her; I thought I understood the woman she was. But I had no clue just how sweet and funny she really is. She’s perfect... perfect for me.

“She’s happy. Not the fake happy she used to be, just plain happy. Thank you for giving that to her,” he finishes.

“I would say you’re welcome, but since I’m the one benefiting from it, I think you’ll get why I don’t.”

He grins at me then sobers. “Has her dad been in contact since—”

“No,” I cut him off, knowing his question.

“Dick,” he hisses, shaking his head. “Not even a call to say thank you for paying for her mom’s funeral?”

“Not even for that.” I take a pull from my beer to cool down the anger that’s suddenly burning my throat. When the funeral home that her mom’s body was sent to called, saying they were given her number by her father to settle the bill, I almost lost my shit. I couldn’t believe him, but Hadley was not the least bit surprised. That also pissed me off. It told me just how used to picking up the slack and taking care of things she was.

In the end, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t leave her mom where she was. She didn’t have a choice; she had to take care of things and flat out refused for me to help her in any way.

“I gotta say, as much as it pisses me off, I’m glad he’s staying away. She doesn’t need him fucking with her progress or her life.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” I lift my beer toward him, and he does the same in return.

When the sliding glass door opens, I turn to watch Hadley step out, followed by Brie, both women carrying a glass of wine.

“What are you two talking about?” Hadley asks while she sits sideways on my lap instead of taking the chair next to mine.

I wrap an arm around her waist and kiss her neck, saying there, “Just guy shit.”

Brie takes up the same position in Kenyon’s lap with a soft smile on her face directed our way.

“Did you get the wedding stuff sorted?” Kenyon asks, and she looks down at him.

“For now,” she retorts, and his eyes come to me.

“Advice, man. Do yourself a favor and elope.”

I chuckle, and Hadley giggles.

“Seriously?” Brie snaps, glaring at him.

“Baby—” His voice softens. “—I love you. I wanna be your husband, but I do not want to hear about wedding shit day and night. And I have been listening to you talk about wedding shit day and night for months. And I’ll remind you we still have months to go, so I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

“I don’t talk about wedding stuff day and night,” she argues, glaring.

“So who’s excited for Halloween?” Hadley asks suddenly, and everyone looks at her. “I’m thinking this year I’m going to dress up Maxim as a dragon and go as Khaleesi. How cute would that be?”

“Nice save, babe.” Brie rolls her eyes, and Kenyon and I both laugh.

“On that note, we should get going.” Kenyon stands, taking Brie with him and putting her on her feet.

“We have to leave already?” Brie pouts, looking up at him.

“I gotta open the shop in the morning, so I can afford to pay for our wedding,” he says gently.

She tips her head to the side, her face soft. “I promise it will be worth it.”

“Having you as my wife will be worth it,” he murmurs, and her eyes twinkle while Hadley melts into me. “Having you happy is a bonus.” He kisses her forehead then wraps an arm around her shoulders. He moves them around the table and pats my arm. “See you around, man, and thanks for dinner and the beer.”

“Anytime,” I say as he then leans down to kiss Hadley’s cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” She smiles at him then she gets up to give Brie a hug. I follow her up and kiss Brie’s cheek then, hand in hand, Hadley and I walk them to the door.

When they’re gone, I look down at her. “So you’re going to dress Maxim up as a dragon?”

She laughs, tossing her head back, and I soak in the sound and look of happiness on her face.

“I didn’t want them to argue.” She shrugs, going toward the kitchen. “And believe me, if I didn’t cut in, that would have been an argument.” Her expression softens. “Kenyon didn’t lie; he just wants Brie to be his wife. He doesn’t care about any of the other stuff, but Brie wants a big wedding. She’s always wanted a big wedding, and talked about it before Kenyon was even in the picture.”

“How big is the wedding going to be?” I ask, leaning back against the counter and watching her put a few stray dishes in the dishwasher.

“Huge, over two hundred people are coming and everything is totally over the top. I’m talking crystals and floral centerpieces that you’d see in a movie huge.”

“Now I see why he suggested we elope.”

“Yep,” she agrees, grinning at me.