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He couldn’t understand the desperation I felt to give myself something better, something my dad hadn’t given us.

And it was that which worried me the most.

Because Liam truly believed everything we could need was here. Would he even support me leaving for a short time to find whatIneeded?

Despite my frustration, Liam’s mood didn’t shift. He got up from the chair and grinned at me. “Come on. We should be celebrating today.”

“I thought we were relaxing by the pool.”

He arched a brow, mischief in his eyes. “We were. Now, we’re going in the pool.”

“But—”

“No, buts, Layla.” He was laughing as he bent down and lifted me in his arms.

I yelped and clung to him. “It’s going to be too chilly.”

Liam stopped at the edge of the pool, pinned his stare on me, and promised, “I’ll keep you warm.”

A moment later, he hopped off that ledge and into the water, the sound of my shrieks and his laughter filling the air around us.

And because I loved him so much and he always made everything fun, it was no surprise that my worries about my future floated away for the next few hours.

LIAM - SEVEN MONTHS LATER

“You look lost.”

I glanced to my right and saw Cooper had sat down to relax. Shaking my head, I insisted, “I’m not lost at all.”

He rolled his eyes. “Lost in thought, then?”

I shrugged. I could give him that.

“What’s on your mind?” he pressed.

Tearing my attention away from him, it went to the kitchen where Layla had her head tossed back as she laughed at something Jules had said. The two of them had been baking for the last hour.

I could have easily sat there and watched her like that all day long, never tiring of it. Layla was breathtaking.

“She fits.”

“What?”

Layla leaned close to Jules, whispered something to her, and the two of them burst into another fit of laughter.

Begrudgingly, I looked away and focused my attention on my brother. “Layla. She fits.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Here. With us. With this family. She fits with us.”

Cooper dipped his chin with understanding. “I know we gave you a hard time about it in the beginning, but I have to admit, you aren’t wrong. I don’t know how you did it.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “I don’t know. But I know I’m not going to take any chances with her. I’m going to marry her, Coop.”

“What?”

“You probably think I’m making this up the same way you all thought I was making her up, but I’m not,” I told him. “I’m going to marry Layla.”