Until Cobi (Until Him 3)

When Brie arrives thirty minutes later, she’s carrying a box of wine and a bag I can see is overflowing with magazines and her wedding planner.

“You got me a box of wine.” I smile, taking it from her, and she rolls her eyes.

“You’ve been drinking the same thing since we were in college. I used to think it was because we were in college and way too poor to afford anything better. I know now you just like cheap wine.”

“It tastes good,” I counter. “And it has thirty-four glasses in it, which means I basically have an endless supply of wine when the mood to drink strikes.”

“Whatever you say, babe, but I’m sure those people from Napa Valley would stone you to death if they ever heard you say that wine from a box tastes good.”

“It does taste good.” I take the box to the fridge and set it inside. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I brought myself a small bottle of amaretto, and I told Kenyon that I’m drinking and that he’s going to have to pick me up.”

“Works for me,” I say as she places her bag on the counter and begins to pull out stuff. She’s been working on this wedding since the day Kenyon proposed to her. Literally the day he asked her, she bought a wedding planner and magazines. A week after he asked her, she booked their venue and made an appointment with Julie’s, a local baker, to design her wedding cake. The wedding is still six months away, and Kenyon only asked her to marry him four months ago. Still, most of the details have been taken care of due to Brie’s excitement and serious planning skills.

“We have a few things to go over tonight, like your bridesmaid dress and who is going to be sitting next to who at the reception. You know I don’t get along with most of my family, but still I’m inviting them, partly to rub it in their faces that I got a good man and they didn’t play any part in it.”

“Honey, I still don’t know if it’s a good idea that you invite everyone. I think you should just have the people around you who really care about you and your happiness.”

“No.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “My parents would have wanted them all there, and I want them to know that what they pulled after my parents died didn’t break me.”

What they did being that they took away the house her parents owned. Her mom and dad never updated their wills, so the property was left to her aunts, two women who should have known better than to take the money that should have been their niece’s. They did take it though, and then they used it to help their own children, not giving even a penny to Brie.

“Please don’t ask me to be nice to them. I swear, Brie, I don’t know if I can do it.”

“It’s just one day. We can all be nice for one day,” she says, sounding sure, but the expression she gives me says otherwise.

“What does Kenyon say about this?”

“That he loves me and he supports my decision.”

I stare at her in disbelief. That doesn’t sound like Kenyon at all. Yes, he loves Brie, and yes, he’s always supportive, but I know he hates her family and has never given up an opportunity to let them know how he feels. “Now what’s the truth?”

Huffing, she shakes her head in frustration. “He’s not happy about them coming, but he gets why I want them there.” I watch her smirk. “He has warned me that if they do anything he doesn’t like, not even I will be able to hold him back.”

“I hope they don’t do anything, even if it would be fun watching Kenyon kick their bottoms out of the venue.” As I listen to her laugh, I start searching through the cupboards for something to make us for dinner. Not finding anything, I glance at Brie.

“Do you want to order something in?”

Her head tips to the side. “Cobi said he ordered dinner for us.” I blink at her. “Sushi, and sweet and sour chicken.”

“I think I’m in love with him,” I whisper, and she grins. “No, I’m serious, Brie. How is that even possible? I’ve only known him for a week.”

“I knew the moment I saw Kenyon that I wanted to be with him,” she says, holding my gaze. “After three dates, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and after the first time we made love, I knew that I loved him in a way that I always would. Sometimes you just know when you meet the person you’re meant to be with.”

“It’s crazy.”

“Yep,” she agrees. “Crazy scary, crazy awesome, and sometimes just plain crazy.”