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But I didn’t have to. I knew exactly what they were talking about.
Because it was the expression that almost always stared back at me nowadays, except when we were talking about David or Diesel.
What the girls didn’t know was that beneath the hearts was a feeling of contentment.
Of knowing we were in the right place with the right person.
Something neither of us had known we wanted until we found it.
“I need to add one more thing,” Jo said, looping her arm through mine. “Given that Brady is my cousin, I’ve spent more time with him than I can even count. And never, in all these years, has he ever brought someone home or on a vacation with us.” She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip. “The man is thirty-one years old. Can we take in how big of a moment this is?”
Her expression let me know she wasn’t done. “But what’s equally important is that he didn’t just bring any woman with him, he brought you.” She squeezed tighter. “I know we’ve gotten to spend a bit more time together than you have with Brooklyn and Rowan, and in that time, I’ve grown to adore you. I’m so happy you’re part of the family.”
“I feel the same,” Brooklyn added. “You remind me so much of my sister, Clementine, which means I automatically love you. Gorgeous, caring, with old-soul vibes—you’re fabulous, Lily.”
“Something tells me we’re all going to be great friends,” Rowan said.
“I hope so.” I didn’t think my smile could grow, but it did. “And I have to add, I’m looking forward to meeting your brothers at the end of this trip even though we’ll only get to spend a little time with them,” I said to Rowan.
“Yes”—Rowan laughed—“that.” She shook her head. “Believe it or not, Brady invited them to join us for the entire trip, and part of me thinks they would have taken him up on the offer, but Daisy’s mom was just returning from a work thing out of state, and there was coordinating to do, and Ridge couldn’t make it happen. So, one night with them is all we get.”
“Rhett doesn’t have the same excuse,” Jo said.
Rowan voiced, “You’re right about that. I just don’t think he was ready to make that kind of leap without his brother. And given my relationship with Cooper, I don’t exactly make the best wingwoman for him.”
“I have to admit, I get his stance,” I said to the ladies. “We all know Brady on the outside isn’t the warmest person in the world, so if Rhett is like him, which you said he is, I can see his hesitation. Guys like them can’t just jump into the pack. They have to dip their toes in first and feel out the temperature of the water. The best news is, he’s coming, even if it’s for only a short time.” I put my hand on Rowan’s arm. “I know Brady had lunch with your brothers not too long ago, and he said things went well. Another huge step in the right direction.”
“You’re right,” Rowan said after a few seconds of silence, but she wasn’t looking at me; she was staring at Brooklyn and Jo. “She’s perfect for him, and I love her.”
“Get over here,” Brady said as he swam over to where I was sitting on the edge of the pool, taking in the gorgeous scenery around us. He moved in between my legs, giving me a one-second warning before he pulled me into the water.
“Ah!” I giggled as he slid me into the coolness. My arms and legs circled him, our faces aligned. “Hi.”
He dipped us as low as our necks. “I’ve missed you.”
“You just went over to the other side of the pool to grab a fry from Rowan’s lunch.”
“And I missed you while I was gone.”
I gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Please don’t ever stop feeling that way about me. It fills me in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“A feeling that will never die, I promise.”
Sun-kissed.
Rested.
Smiling.
That was how the two of us looked after four days in Bangkok.
Away from David, as far as I knew, and assured that Diesel was healing back at home, we could actually relax.
When we’d left LA, I hadn’t been sure how a vacation with a group of people I didn’t know that well—and some hardly at all—would go. But every moment had been perfect—from the walks I took with the girls in the morning to the meals we all ate together, the time we spent at the spa, and the sightseeing.
I understood why Brady enjoyed vacationing with this crew. There wasn’t a second when we weren’t laughing or having fun.
I nodded toward the far side of the pool, where Rhett and Ridge were hanging out with Cooper and Rowan. “We should go join them.”
