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Weddings are beautiful.

I suppose all weddings are, but Casey and Bryan’s wedding is breathtaking. I’d like to say I had a hand in creating it, but Zane and Casey’s cousins did most of the work. I suck at being a maid of honor.

As I’m standing off to the side watching Casey and Bryan stuff cake in each other’s faces, Tathan to their right taking pictures, Paul comes to stand next to me with the remnants of champagne in his glass.

“You look beautiful.”

I turn to look at him, smoothing out my lavender dress and fixing the one curl that keeps falling out of my artfully pinned up dark hair. “Thank you.”

I should have been mad at Paul. In a roundabout way, he set Tathan and me up.

He looks at Tathan and gives a tip of his head toward him. “Thank you for giving him a chance.”

I snort. “It’s only one date.”

He smiles and takes the last drink of his champagne. “Sure it is.”

He sees right through me and continues with his train of thought. “Every relationship starts with only one date, ya know.”

I look up at him, not knowing how to respond. I’ve spent so many years protecting my heart and my head from the emotional trauma that relationships gone badly can cause, that I’m not entirely sure how to change the way I’m hardwired to be around men.

I think he’s going to walk away, but he stays. He carefully watches Bryan and Casey, and the way Tathan is capturing every moment for them to relive years from now. “His parents had something very special. They’d known each other since they were babies, but Jason had a plan for his life. They didn’t marry until they were out of college and had their careers going, but it never stopped their friendship before that. It was what was most important to him. To her. They really were best friends.”

“Tathan and I certainly haven’t started out that way, Paul. He’s annoyed me more over the past few months than any other person I know.” I look up at him as I casually sip my champagne, aware I’m lying through my teeth.

Paul steals a glance at the happy couple before returning his gaze to me. “But just think aboutwhyhe would devote so much attention to you. Hell, even move in across from you if not for the fact that there is more to him wanting more with you. Tathan’s a keeper. He’s devoted, loyal, and has a passion for anything he sets his mind to. Look at how passionate he is about what he’s doing. That same passion he will feel toward anyone who will hold his heart as well.”

Damn, if I wasn’t second-guessing myself on this whole Tathan thing, and why someone as wealthy as Tathan would move into my apartment building, Paul’s ringing endorsement is definitely causing me to trust his intentions now.