Page 84 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

“He’s replacing the felt on the pool table.” She cringes. “Said I ruined it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

She shrugs. “I pay him back in other ways.” Then she winks.

The waitress comes over and Lance and I order, and she leaves to put it in with the kitchen.

“Are you just refueling or finally ending your hibernation?” Easton asks.

“We’re out of hibernation,” Lance says. “And we’re changing habitats.”

“New place to christen?” Easton looks at Brinley. “Remind me if I ever get that cabin to replace everything in it, okay?”

We all laugh.

“So, how bad was the aftermath?” I ask.

Brinley waves me off. “Let’s call it payback for me being a bitch. And I may have kneed Will in the balls.”

“We read it in Buzz Wheel. You really did that?” My eyes are wide in disbelief.

She nods. Lance puts up his hand up for a high five.

“Then Van stepped in when he tried to come after her. Will thought it was best to just stand down after that,” Easton says.

Brinley rolls her eyes.

“Wise man,” Lance says.

“All in all, after his family left, your family and friends had a nice meal. Lance’s parents actually came down to join everyone,” Brinley says.

“Really?” Lance sounds surprised.

“And we filled them in.” Easton smiles.

Lance tries to convince them to come to New York with us, but thankfully they decline. I love spending time with all four of us, but I need a little more time with just Lance before I share him. But sitting in this booth with his arm wrapped around me, laughing with our friends, feels so nice, so right. I almost fear I’m in a dream and I’m going to wake up alone in my apartment in New York City.

I pull a hair out of my arm. “Ouch.”

“What are you doing?” Lance looks at me.

“Just making sure this is real.”

My blueberry pancakes are placed in front of me, as well as Lance’s salad and sandwich and Easton’s burger and fries. Brinley stares at the waitress and points at her empty spot. Easton laughs and hands her one of his fries.

“It’s real. I promise.” Lance kisses me.

Then we separate because I’m going to demolish the pancakes.

Twenty-Seven

Lance

The private plane lands in New York City. We go to Kenzie’s apartment, which is nice but small. Her landlord was kind enough to put the boxes Will sent into her apartment for her. The space is neat and clean, with little knickknacks throughout. Definitely Kenzie. It’s not too colorful, decorated in a palette that kind of blends one room into the other since it’s so open.

When she notices me looking around, she puts her hands on her hips. “What? I’m not a trust fund kid.”

I hold up my hands. “I like it. It’s very you. Maybe I should leave my condo and we could move in here.”

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