“I get it.”
Ron glances at Jude. “Do you mind if I pull your man away for just a second?”
“Not at all. I’m happy to chat with your beautiful bride-to-be.”
We walk away, and Ron reaches out to rub my arm. “You look over the moon. He makes you happy?”
“Very.” I wish that part were fake too. “He’s amazing.”
“He’s gorgeous. Who knew you were into the bad boy type?”
I laugh. “He only looks like a bad boy. He’s sweet and thoughtful and funny and hardworking. He listens to me and treats me like I matter.”
“You do matter. I’m glad you found a keeper.”
I swallow the emotion down. “Me too. Chelsea’s stunning.”
He nods. “How a schmuck like me got her is a miracle, but I won’t question my luck.” He glances over his shoulder. “Listen, Briar. I know this might be awkward for you with Michael. I just couldn’t imagine getting married without you here.”
“I really appreciate that. I would’ve hated to miss it. As for Michael, that’s the past. We’ve both moved on, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. It’s fine.”
“Good. He’s um, different than you remember.”
“Different how? It’s only been a little over two years.”
“Yeah. Well…you’ll see.”
“Good or bad?”
“Mostly good. He’s a little more aware of other people. His fiancé is really great.”
I wait for the stabbing feeling, the jealous ping, but when I don’t feel it, I smile. “It doesn’t really matter. We’re here to celebrate you and Chelsea. Everything else is irrelevant.”
“Yeah. Life is good?”
“Oh yeah. I couldn’t ask for more.”
We rejoin Jude and Chelsea just as Michael enters the bar area with a tall, ridiculously handsome man standing next to him. Jude must sense who it is because his hand wraps protectively around mine before he even turns around. I twist away before I have to make eye contact with Michael.
“Maybe a drink, sugar boo?” Jude asks, trying to lighten things with his silly nickname.
“Don’t leave me.”
“Never.” He leans in and kisses me softly. “Is that him?”
“Yeah.”
“He looks different than the pics you showed me.”
I nod but say nothing.
“You okay?”
“Actually, yeah, I’m good. I just want you here.”
“You got it.”
“Briar.” Michael’s voice causes me to close my eyes for a moment before I paint on a neutral expression and turn around.
“Hello, Michael.”
He moves in for a hug, but when I stay planted, he pauses and nods. “Good to see you again.”
I nod, forcing a polite smile.
“Um, this is my…fiancé, Patrick. Patrick, this is Briar.”
Patrick smiles, flashing large white teeth behind his perfect pout of a mouth. Of course, Michael’s man is super attractive. Patrick extends his hand, and I shake it. “Pleasure,” he says in a deep voice.
“You as well.” I turn to Jude. “This is my fiancé, Jude. Jude, this is Michael and Patrick.”
Michael eyes Jude up and down while Jude and Patrick shake hands. I have to fight back a grin. He’s shocked I have a man like Jude. He’s also jealous. I’ve seen that look in his eyes before. It’s always the cheaters who have the nerve to be possessive.
“Well,” Michael says, shaking Jude’s hand. “Someone finally got Briar locked down.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“You know,” he says with a teasing tone. “It was hard to get you to commit.”
“That is not remotely—”
“Why don’t we get a drink?” Jude interrupts. “Pleasure to meet you both.”
Jude drags me in the opposite direction, then cups my face, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Focus on me, Bri. Don’t let him trigger you.”
“He probably lied to Patrick about me.”
“And if he did? We’re not friends with them. Who gives a fuck what they think? We know what happened. We know who you are.”
I exhale and a weird little laugh slips out. “You’re the best. You know exactly how to talk me off the ledge.”
“Am I the very best fiancé you’ve ever had?”
“Definitely.”
Jude pulls me by the waist into him, wrapping me up in his strong arms. “So, Michael is staring at us right now.”
“Yeah?”
“He can’t take his eyes off of you.”
“That’s because he can’t believe I got a guy who looks like you.”
“That’s because he’s a… What does Gen say? A twat waffle.”
I explode with laughter as Jude laughs and kisses my neck. “We’re gonna have fun this weekend.”
Jude’s eyes soften as he nods. “We have fun every weekend.”
“We do.” Exhaling, I drag my hands down his chest. “Sometimes I wish this was real,” I whisper.
Jude lifts my hands to his lips and kisses them. “In a lot of ways, it is real. Maybe we should get married. What more could we want in a relationship than what we have?”
I feel like fireworks went off in my stomach. Marry? Jude? I fucking wish.
“You shouldn’t say things like that, Jude.”
“Things that are true?”
He’s clearly lost his mind. “Spoiler alert, you’re not gay.”
Jude laughs. As he starts to speak, our attention is pulled back to the reason we’re here when waiters start passing out champagne glasses.
“We’d better go back.”
Jude nods. “Yep. To be continued.”
After toasts and dinner, several of us sit around chatting and listening to stories about Ron and Chelsea’s courtship. Michael is seated next to Ron with Patrick on his other side. Jude and I are sitting across from Ron and Chelsea, and Jude has been the perfect doting boyfriend all through dinner.
“How did you two meet?” Patrick asks me.
“At the gym,” I answer.
“The gym?” Michael repeats sounding surprised. “When did you start working out?”
“When I was suddenly single,” I answer with a biting tone.
“It was a great day,” Jude says, diffusing the tension once again. “I was trying to figure out how to use this machine, and Briar was nearby and offered to help.”
I bite on my bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Yes, that’s what happened.”
“Then we had coffee,” Jude continues. “Then lunch, then dinner. A few months later, we moved in together. Then I realized I couldn’t imagine not spending my life with him.”
“So you proposed?” Michael asks.
Jude nods, glancing sweetly at me. “Yeah. It was just the two of us during a romantic beach picnic. He was surprised. It was the best day ever.”
“It was.”
“That sounds nice,” Michael says, clearly not meaning it. “I was asked at the top of the Eiffel Tower when we went to Paris this spring.”