“There’s my best man,” Wren’s voice says from behind me, forcing my thoughts to cease as I turn to face him.
“There’s the man of the hour,” I murmur with a smile.
He grins giddily as he comes to stand beside me, and we both hold a silent spell until the coffee beeps behind us, pronouncing its climax.
“So did you and Ash hook up last night?” he asks with a wry smile as I pull down two large coffee cups.
“Yeah,” I murmur with a goofy grin spreading across my face.
I have to fight hard not to slap myself for such a pathetic reaction.
“And you’re making coffee for two? She spent the night with you and you’re not dodging her? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. She knows how I am. Just because I’m taking her some coffee doesn’t mean too much has changed.”
“Mom says she’s incredible. She even told me she thought about introducing us after Erica and I called it quits. I’m glad she didn’t. I don’t know if I would have ever given her up for Erica,” he says while nudging my elbow.
“She never thought to introduce her to me?” I joke, knowing damn well Melanie loves her too much to subject her to the likes of me.
“Actually, I knew you’d find her on your own one day,” Melanie says from behind as she joins us in the kitchen.
Wren chuckles lightly while hopping up on the counter, and I turn to face the only mother I’ve ever had.
“Is that so?” I playfully muse while drawing the coffee cup to my lips.
“It is so. By the way, Ashiara likes her coffee with just a touch of cream - nothing else.”
I smirk as she walks over and pulls down a cup of her own.
“You, my boy, need a girl like her to settle you down. She’s the only one strong enough to handle you, and you’re one of the few I consider good enough for her. The only others would be Wren or Billy.”
Billy doesn’t even deserve to be friends with her. Wren, thankfully, has his own girl. One he hasn’t given up on even though he should have.
“You kissed her in front of everyone last night, or so I heard. That’s not like you,” Melanie continues while studying me very closely. “Usually you like to make all the women think you don’t care about anyone in front of them. I know Ashiara is the one to bring you out of your funk.”
“My funk?” I muse with a small grin. “Are you saying you don’t approve of my lifestyle, Melanie?”
Her humor leaves her face as she stares at me with all seriousness and says, “You deserve more.”
Wren stops laughing, and I lower my cup so I can better view the woman I wish really had been my mom. Maybe then I’d be more like Wren and less like my father.
“I-”
“Hey,” Rene says to interrupt my next, possibly foolish, words.
“Hey,” Wren and Melanie both say as she walks over beside me to pull down a coffee cup of her own.
She pours the remaining bits of the pot into her cup, and then she props up directly beside me, uncomfortably close.
“Why did everyone get quiet when I walked in?” she almost jokes.
Wren’s devious smirk cocks up as he chirps, “We were just talking about what a good couple Ash and Tag make. Mom thinks she’s the only girl capable of handling Tag.”
Melanie stifles a grin, and I bite back one of my own as Rene puffs.
“I don’t really like her.”
That’s because you’re jealous as hell.
“That’s because you don’t really know her. It’s easy to feel intimidated, and even a little envious of someone as amazing as Ashiara if you don’t know what a kind and giving person she really is,” Melanie stabs, and I sputter a little of my coffee back into my cup as I fight off the urge to release my laughter when Rene almost growls.
Then my eyes fall on the beauty in a short, dark denim skirt and a white shirt flowing loosely around her shoulders, giving me a peek at her tempting neck. Her hair is tamed, her makeup is lightly on, and her body is damn near glowing as she walks in.
“Pre-wedding meeting in the kitchen?” Ash asks as she walks in, her steps uneasy as her eyes fall on mine.
“Nah, just chatting,” Wren chimes in, his smile growing as he notices the intense gaze I’m sharing with the dark-haired wonder.
She starts toward me, but then she stops and props up beside Melanie instead. I can’t stand her being so far away when she’s so close, so - against all my normal training - I start toward her.
I can feel all the eyes on us as I carry her coffee to her, and she smiles appreciatively as I hand it to her. A few breaths rush out with surprise when I bend over and place a soft, chaste kiss on her lips.