All the ladies have a croissant in hand, and together we “cheers” them in the middle of the table, and each takes a bite.
Ooey, gooey buttery and flaky with a hint of jam. Good God, it is the most magnificent thing I think I’ve ever tasted.
“Oh my God, this is good,” I say with a mouthful.
“If I wasn’t so concerned about my waistline expanding, I’d have these every day,” Lottie says. “Reign is our personal chef, and he spends all afternoon prepping these. He makes sure they’re piping hot in the morning. And his homemade jam is heaven.”
“JP is trying to steal Reign, and he asked me to help him,” Kelsey says. “I told him there was no way I was getting in the middle of that fight.”
“Smart move, sis,” Lottie says, playfully staring down Kelsey.
“You know”—Myla examines her croissant—“I might have to ask Ryot to get in the mix of stealing Reign. I have no problem with some friendly competition.”
Lottie glares at Myla. “Need I remind you that I’m feisty, and I don’t mind using my nails as claws.”
Myla leans close and says, “Need I remind you that I grew up in a military household where I learned to hold my own. I will destroy you.”
“I have secret rage,” Lottie fires back, making us all chuckle.
“That means nothing to me,” Myla counters with an evil glare.
“You know,” Kelsey cuts in. “Maybe I’ll just do you all a favor and steal him for JP, and that way, we don’t have to see anyone’s rage.”
“Or I can just take him,” I say, raising my hand.
All the girls turn toward me, and Lottie is the first to smile. “I think you’ll fit in just nicely.”
“I agree,” Kelsey says.
“I think so too.”
I sip my mimosa and smile because I could not agree more. This is exactly what I was looking for: a group of girls I could talk to, bond with, and just laugh with when it feels like the world is falling apart around me.
Of course I have Breaker, but for that moment when we weren’t talking, it felt like I had no one, and that made me so sick to my stomach. Talking with these girls, making friends, fulfills one of the items on my check-off list—build and create a circle of trust. I know it’s early, but this could be the beginning of that.
“You haven’t told us anything about the wedding,” Kelsey says.
“True,” Lottie chimes in. “The only thing I’ve heard is how breathtaking you are in your dress.”
“You heard that?” I ask.
“Yeah. Breaker was telling Huxley all about it. I think his exact sentence was she stole my breath.”
“Wow, if Breaker said that, I can only imagine what your fiancé will say,” Myla adds.
Yeah, I wonder what Brian would say. I know what his mother thinks—she was not a fan.
Not a fan of any of the three dresses she forced me to get.
“I’m sure he’ll love it,” I say, even though I can’t be entirely sure, especially after his response last night about my hair and outfit.
“Where is the wedding?” Kelsey asks.
“The Pier 1905 Club,” I answer. “Brian’s family are members. The wedding will take place in the gardens.”
“Oh, that should be pretty,” Kelsey says.
“Yeah,” I say on a sigh and realize that maybe this would be a good way to bond with the girls. Bond on a deeper level. “It’s not my ideal location, but I’m sort of stuck with it since my soon-to-be mother-in-law is a distant relative of Lucifer himself.”
“Really?” Lottie asks, setting her drink down and turning toward me. “Is she one of those moms who wants to have control over everything?”
“Yeah. Mother has her quintessential wedding in mind, and none of my ideas are even on Mother’s radar.”
“How is she getting away with this?” Kelsey asks. “Does Brian know?”
“Oh yeah, he knows, and he’s completely impervious. He keeps telling me to let his mother make all the decisions because the wedding isn’t a union of love for his family. It’s more of a horse and pony show. Clearly, I don’t have the same opinion.”
“Uh, and why isn’t Brian backing you up?” Lottie asks.
Great question.
“He’s a mama’s boy, and I’m pretty sure he still believes he must do anything to please Mother. Also known as The Beave. He constantly seeks his parents’ approval, and this is just another instance of that.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Kelsey says, outraged. “I like the nickname, though. Your wedding should be one of the most special days of your life, not a day filled with someone else’s version of love.”
“I agree. Breaker has been pretty good at helping me keep things from getting too scary. The mother-in-law wanted us to get married in a church, but Breaker helped move it to the garden. The dresses she wanted me to wear were atrocious, and Breaker put his foot down on that too. Honestly, I’d be lost without him.”
Kelsey and Lottie exchange some sort of knowing look before they turn back to me. “It’s because Breaker always thinks of you first,” Kelsey says softly. “He truly cherishes you. I’m sure he doesn’t say all the things to you that he says to us, but you are his number one. There’s no question about it.”
I look over my shoulder where I find Breaker laughing with his brothers and Ryot, all holding Bloody Marys in hand, looking like a pack of Men’s World Fitness models getting ready for their next shoot. Breaker glances at me just at the same time, and with a simple wink in my direction, my stomach tumbles out of my body.
“Yup, always puts you first,” Lottie seconds as we all take a sip of our drinks.
“Did you try the croissants?” Breaker asks as he sits on my lounger and places his hand on my shin.
“I did,” I say as I can feel the warmth of his palm once again.
“And . . .”
I attempt to look anywhere but into his eyes, but it’s useless. They’re the brightest blue, which means they’re pulling me into his gaze—his comforting, warm gaze. “They were fantastic,” I manage to say.
“Told you.” He gives my shin a squeeze. “Seemed like you were having fun with the girls. What’s this I hear about a knitting club? And how can I get an invite? I bet Lottie and Kelsey have no idea the skills I have.”
His charm soothes the tension I was just feeling. “Your ability to knit barely registers as a skill. You can knit a line, and that’s pretty much it.”
“Lies!” he says. “I knitted a scarf.”
“Your ‘scarf’ was three lines knitted together, and you said it was for a mouse.”
“Yeah, so, mice need to stay warm, too. And maybe if I was invited to the knitting club, I’d grow my skills into something more, like a knitted hat.”
“Last time I tried to teach you, you pierced the wall with your knitting needle because you were frustrated.”
“The yarn was aggravating me. I’m better now, less temperamental.”
“Uh-huh, sure.”
He nods at me. “Scoot over.” I move to the side of the large lounge chair just as Breaker sits next to me and loops his arm around my shoulder. Together, we lie there, staring up at the cloudy sky as everyone around us chats and enjoys some lasting mimosas and JP’s apparently not-so-mediocre Bloody Marys. “What else did you guys talk about?”