Well, that’s all my poor little heart can take. Up until this moment, I’ve managed to pretty-cry this whole time, the way beautiful actresses do in period flicks—with gentle, poetic tears tracking slowly down my cheeks. But now, all bets are off and I’m a weeping, sobbing, snotty mess—letting loose with an ugly-cry that’s almost certainly contorting my face in the most embarrassing of ways.
“Aw, Ames,” Colin whispers, pulling me into his hard chest.
As I sob against him, Colin rubs my back and kisses my hair. He coos at me softly and says he loves me. Until, finally, I calm down enough to speak.
“This is even better than any fantasy. It’s perfect.”
“Even though I’m not perfect?”
“Correct.”
Colin chuckles. “What clued you in? Damn.” He winks playfully. “You ready to call your brother now, Red?”
I suck in a sharp inhale. “Yes!”
Colin pulls out his phone, and a moment later, Logan’s smiling face appears on his screen.
“Hey, guys,” Logan says. He frowns. “What’s wrong, Amy?”
“Those are tears of joy,” Colin reports calmly.
“Shocker,” Logan deadpans.
“Is your wife nearby?” Colin asks. “I’d like to tell you both what’s caused Amy’s happy tears.”
“She’s right here.” He yells over his shoulder. “Baaabe!”
There’s a beat. And then Kennedy appears. “Hey, guys.” Kennedy frowns. “What’s wrong, Amy?”
“They’re ‘tears of joy,’” Logan reports.
“Oh, good.”
All appropriate greetings are administered, before Colin gets down to brass tacks.
“So, guys,” Colin says, “the reason I called is to inform you that I’m head over heels in love with Amy O’Brien and she feels the same way about me.”
Kennedy whoops and Logan says something I can’t make out above her celebration.
“Loving Amy is the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” Colin says through the din. “And I want you—and the whole world—to know it. She’s gonna be living with me, permanently. Forever. She’s The One. I’m done looking, and she is, too.” He looks at me. “Right?”
“Right.”
He exhales with relief.
I roll my eyes. “You knew that, Colin.” I smile at my brother and Kennedy. “Are you guys surprised?”
Logan and Kennedy look at each other and snicker, before Logan answers “nope” and Kennedy replies, “Not at all.”
“We saw you two at the rehearsal dinner,” Logan says. “And then at the wedding reception. We’re not blind.”
“Oh my God, Logan,” Kennedy says to her husband. “I had to point it out to you!”
“Yeah, but once you did, I wasn’t blind anymore.”
Kennedy giggles.
“You’re not pissed at me?” Colin asks my brother. “Not that it would matter. I love Amy, no matter what anyone thinks. But I’d prefer not to piss you off.”
“Why would I be pissed?” Logan asks. “You’re like a brother to me. This is best-case scenario, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Me being like a brother to you is exactly why I thought you’d be pissed,” Colin admits.
Logan looks genuinely dumbfounded.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Colin says, as I swat his broad shoulder.
“Are you gonna call both sets of parents next?” Logan says. “Because I should warn you, my mother is gonna lose her shit. She’s always wanted you and Amy to get together.”
“What?” I shout. “When did Mom say that?”
“Every time Colin was a better big brother to you than me. Which happened a lot.” Logan smiles tenderly at me. “I’m thrilled for you, Amy. Always follow your heart. Take whatever path calls to you and run with it. Fuck the O’Brien way.”
I clutch my heart and nod, tears re-emerging in my eyes. He doesn’t need to explain that last comment any further. I know precisely what he means. “Thank you, Logan. I love you so much. You, too, Kennedy.”
“We love you, too,” Logan replies. “So, when did you two get together—the night of the rehearsal dinner, or did you exercise superhuman restraint and wait till the night of the wedding?”
I motion to Colin to answer my brother’s question, exceedingly curious to hear his answer.
Colin purses his beautiful lips, contemplating. “Hmm. Well, our connection started the night of the rehearsal. There was an instant attraction between us that only grew exponentially the more we talked. But we kissed for the first time at the wedding reception, so I’d say that’s when our romance began. After that kiss, it was game over. There were sparks. Fireworks. Fireflies. It was everything the best love songs are written about.”
I hold my breath, wondering if he’s planning to tell Logan and Kennedy about the love song he wrote for me, given what a natural segue his last comment would be for that part of the story. But, no, Colin’s next comment makes clear the beautiful song he wrote is a special, intimate gift from him to me.
“Now, if the question is how long I’ve loved Amy, then that’s a different answer,” Colin continues, after shooting me a shy smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “Call me a creeper, guys, but I’ve loved Amy my whole life—from literally the moment I first saw her.”