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It was like it never happened—except for the fact that I had continued to think about it all night. I’d steal glances over at Holden and feel guilty because I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there’d been something special about that dance. Did I think Holden liked me like that? No. But his cutting in when Warren left did seem quite intentional. Maybe the sentimental feel of the wedding had gotten to him. Weddings are a huge milestone. They have a way of making you realize life is passing us all by. And I wondered if the song made him emotional about missing Ryan. Since I was the closest thing to Ryan there, maybe that was why he’d latched onto me in that moment.
“Anyway…” Holden interrupted my thoughts. “I know there are a lot of people eager to see you tonight. Colby and Billie are making dinner. They wanted me to bring you over to their place when you’re done settling in. I think we’re already late, actually.”
I rubbed my belly. “Oh my gosh. That sounds great. I’m starving. Give me just a second.”
I went to use the bathroom, then met Holden back out in the living room, and we headed over to Colby’s apartment.
Colby’s daughter, Saylor, answered the door and jumped up and down. “Lala!”
“Hi, honey! I’m so happy you remembered me.” I bent to hug her. “You’re getting so tall. I can’t stand it.”
She and I had only met a couple of times, but we’d spent some quality time together at the wedding. Saylor’s mother had never been in her life. When Colby got married, his wife, Billie, had taken on the role of her mother. It seemed to be working out great.
Saylor reached up to touch my hair. “Your hair is so curly!”
I fluffed my blond mane. “I know! It’s a crazy mess.”
“It’s wild. I love it,” Holden said from behind me.
“Thanks.” I felt a little flushed.
Billie came over to hug me. “We thought you’d never show, Lala! What took you so damn long?”
Billie was a super-cool person I was eager to get to know better. She owned the tattoo parlor in the building; that’s how she and Colby had met.
“I’m sorry!” I said. “There was tons of traffic. And then Holden was showing me the apartment.”
“I had her tied up for a while. It’s my fault.”
Wait, what? The fleeting image that conjured was quite vivid. I cleared my throat. “The apartment is beautiful. I can’t thank you guys enough for letting me stay here.”
Still dressed in a three-piece suit, Owen came over to hug me. “Are you kidding? This is Ryan’s building. There will always be a place for you here. Even if we have to kick Holden out to make room.”
“I’ll volunteer to kick his ass out myself,” Brayden said as he opened his arms to hug me next.
I’d really missed being around these guys. They reminded me so much of my brother, and I could feel Ryan here, too.
Colby was the last to appear. He’d been in the kitchen and came out holding a plate of something, which he placed on the dining room table.
“Hey, Lala!” He wiped his hands and came over to embrace me.
Shortly after that, we all sat down to a dinner of pasta, meatballs, salad, and garlic bread. Saylor proudly proclaimed that she’d arranged the salad all by herself.
During our meal, Colby grilled me a little.
“So, Lala…” he said. “Being that Ryan isn’t here, I hope you’ll understand that we have to play the role of the protective older brothers. Unfortunately, you get four for the price of one.”
“Four brothers, huh? That sounds like…a lot.” I chuckled.
“I have four uncles!” Saylor chimed in. “Three here and one in heaven.”
I smiled. “That’s true.”
“So, I have a few questions,” Colby continued. “For one, I don’t really know much about Warren. He seemed like a great guy when I met him at the wedding, but I don’t really know him. Tell me more. Why is he the one, out of all of the men in the world?”
“Oh, leave her alone.” Billie smacked his arm. “She doesn’t have to explain her feelings to anyone. You can’t always articulate what it is about someone that makes you love them. When you know, you just know.” She smiled at me.
“Sorry.” Colby shrugged. “I think it’s a fair question.”
I looked over at Holden, who stared back at me. He, like everyone else, seemed to be waiting for an answer.
I wiped my mouth, looking over at Billie. “It’s okay. He’s right. Ryan would’ve asked me that question a while ago. He would’ve insisted on spending time with Warren and vetting him.”
Brayden crossed his arms. “Okay, so why should we approve of him?”
“Well…” I paused. “He’s super smart. Funny. He truly cares about me. He makes me feel safe. He’s honest, which is very important to me…” I looked around the table.
