He opened his arms and I stepped into them, hugging him goodbye. He kissed the top of my head and released me, moving past me to clap Jackson on the shoulder and do the half-assed man-hug thing that guys always do.

Ever since Brandon had come back from L.A., things between us had gotten easier. It still hurt sometimes, more in the beginning after he’d broken it off than now, but we’d talked over everything in depth when he’d gotten back, both of us being completely candid with each other. It helped a lot, lessening the ache, mending our friendship, and we’d even come to the realization that yes, we loved each other, but neither of us was able to say with absolute certainty that we had been in love. Not the way we should have been…

I wouldn’t change a thing, though. Not one bit of it, because now I can honestly say that Brandon and I are closer than we’d ever been, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart and in my life. I will say that I pity the next woman to take him on because she’s going to have a formidable enemy in me unless she proves herself…and is strong enough to realize that the bonds we’ve formed…between ALL of us, Emma, Luke, and everyone else…are unbreakable.

We’d forged a family…and it was perfect.

Jackson gathered up our bags and took them out the truck and started it to warm it up, even though we literally were driving two seconds down the road. I stopped to pick up my little sleeping baby, laughing as I heard the pint size snores coming from both the puppies that went right along with the deep, grizzly bear sounding snores coming from Doug, who had jumped into the gated area and curled up next to them.

I noticed Chloe was a little unsteady on her feet from the wine she’d been throwing back with Jenna and Katie and asked if she wanted to come home with us. She hiccupped and cocked her head, weighing her options which, to me, were come with us and have a bed, or crash on the couch at Luke and Emma’s. Unless Brandon was a gentleman and let her have his bed.

I was a little leery about him being a gentleman to her because, while they’d always been friends, there’d been something a little…strained between them since they’d been back from L.A. I’d never come out and asked her about it, but I had a feeling I’d be doing that very soon.

A few days later, it turned out I didn’t need to ask at all. We were working, sorting through a delivery that had just come in when Chloe turned to me.

Her brows drew together in a frown and, with a whispered apology preceding it, she blurted out…

“I kissed Brandon…”