 
Ger

### The Impossible Tale of Nolan & Delilah Vol. 1

### By

### D.W. Cee

Copyright © 2016 by DW Cee

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, reproduced, transmitted, or downloaded, whether electronic or mechanical, without the written consent of the author.

This story is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Ebook Edition

Chickygirl Publishing

### Books by DW CEE

Indelible Love Series (ebooks)

Indelible Love – Emily's Story

Indelible Love – Jake's Story

Indelible Lovin' – Max & Jane's Story Vol. 1

Indelible Lovin' – Max & Jane's Story Vol. 2

Unlikely Attraction – Delaney's Story

Near Perfect Attraction – Donovan's Story

_Unyielding Love – Nick & Bee's Story_ Vol. 1

_Unyielding Love – Nick & Bee's Story_ Vol. 2

Indelible Lovin' – Max & Jane's Wedding

Indelible Love Bundle + Entwined

Finally, Love! – Michael & Chloe's Story Vol. 1

Finally, Love! – Michael & Chloe's Story Vol. 2

Indelible Memories – Estelle's Story

_The Complete Indelible Love Series_ (all 12 books)

Reid Place Series (ebooks)

The Impossible Tale of Nolan & Delilah Vol. 1

The Impossible Tale of Nolan & Delilah Vol. 2 (2016-17)

The Immovable Tale of John & Elizabeth (2017)

Harmony Series (ebooks)

Unfinished Melody

Perfect Harmony

Stand-Alone (ebook)

Entwined

Paperback Books

Indelible Love – Emily's Story

Indelible Love – Jake's Story

_Indelible Lovin' – Max & Jane's Story_ (combined volume)

Unlikely Attraction – Delaney's Story

10,000 Reasons Serial

Unknown Reasons - Book 1 (Summer-Fall 2016)

Relationship Reasons – Book 2 (Summer-Fall 2016)

Xander's Reasons / Jenna's Reasons – Book 3 (Summer-Fall 2016)

Forever Reasons – Book 4 (Summer-Fall 2016)

To My Brother Who Left This Earth Way Too Soon

See You In Heaven

### Table of Content

Prologue

Pre-Nolan

Pre-(hey there) Delilah

#RN

Bye, Bye, Bye... Hello...

I...

Prologue: Nolan O'Shaughnessy & Delilah Taylor (soon-to-be) O'Shaughnessy

"We will make the most stunning bride and groom, won't we, Delilah?"

"Yes, Fiancé. You are as handsome as they come. You're as dramatic as they come, too."

"Why, what on earth do you mean?"

"How can you pretend like you didn't steal me from my last engagement party and plop me into this one?"

"You kill me, Delilah. After chasing you, and chasing you, and chasing you some more—you have the gall to tell me I just plopped you here?"

"You kill me, Nolan O'Shaughnessy!"

"You love me and that's that. You don't need to pretend otherwise."

"I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"What a crazy chase this has been, Sweet Delilah. Why, I've been in love with you since we were five. Why, I gave you your first kiss!"

"Yeah, and you would've been dead at age five if it wasn't for Uncle Michael and Auntie Chloe. Daddy said he didn't kill you because he didn't want blood all over the beautiful castle."

"I knew from the moment I saw you that you would be mine."

"That's a bit stalkerish, Nole. We were only five. If you recall, I cried like a banshee when you kissed me at the wedding. I thought it was grosser than cauliflower."

"Oh, but you love it now, Sweet Fiancée. I risked getting killed again by your father and brothers just for trying to get one more kiss the other night."

"What the hell were you thinking climbing on that ladder to the second floor of our house, and where did you find a ladder that tall?"

"Home Depot."

"How the hell did you transport it to our house?"

"I rented one of their trucks."

"You are too much, Nole. Rather than ringing the doorbell and stealing a kiss, you woke up the ENTIRE cul-de-sac and embarrassed us. If it wasn't for Uncle Jake, you wouldn't have lived to see our engagement party."

"It wasn't that dramatic, my delightful Delilah."

"Um, really? Grandpa Henry thought there was a burglar so he sounded the Reid Place alarm. Do you know how loud that thing is? It also notified the police, which brought with it the fire department and an ambulance."

"All the women loved it. I received an ovation from every single woman on your block."

"And all the men wanted to strangle you."

"I can't wait until we're married and we are together forever, Delilah. I will love you more than your father loves your mother, more than my father loves my mother—why, more than any man loves his woman."

"Cut the drama and go home, Nolan, before my dad kicks you out. You've been in my room too long for comfort."

"Do you think they'll notice if I stay the night?"

"GOOD NIGHT!"

"Sweet dreams, my delightful Delilah. I love you."

"I love you too, Nole."

"How much do you love me?"

"Enough to say I'm glad you stole me from my last engagement party and convinced me to marry you. There will be no shortage of excitement around here."

Pre-Nolan

### Delilah: Who?

"Hello, my fair lady."

"Hi Rhys! What are you doing here? Why aren't you in London with your family?"

"I missed you. We haven't been apart the entire month and suddenly, you're thousands of miles away. Come back to London with me."

Rhys Thane Kent—Twenty-two. Six-four. Soon-to-be graduate student. Brown hair. Deep, dark brown eyes. Perfect nose. Kissable lips. Face as handsome as a movie star. Manners to rival any Jane Austen hero. He personified perfection.

Then there's me. Delilah Rose Taylor—Twenty-two. Five-nine. Soon-to-be Mrs. Kent. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Slightly pug nose. Way too much pout in my lips. Face as ordinary as any blue-blooded American. Passable manners. I was average at best.

We met at a party and it was absolute love at first sight. We'd been inseparable since. Of course we parted at the end of the night, but aside from sleep time, Rhys had been by my side.

As a present from my parents, I traveled to London with my cousin Ellie after I graduated from college. We decided to visit our great-grandmother's home in Belgravia. Since her passing, there was a constant flurry of Reids living there, and now it was finally our turn. To clarify, I was a Taylor, but since Mother was a Reid, and since we lived on the cul-de-sac, I was also a Reid.

Of the copious Reids, my favorite was my cousin Elizabeth. Not only was she brilliant and my best friend, she also encouraged our courtship from the moment Rhys and I met. Though she never said it aloud, Ellie did this because she was broken-hearted from her last relationship. She hasn't told us why she and her boyfriend broke off their five-month relationship, but there was too much sadness underneath her beautiful face.

Before I explain the rest of the cul-de-sac fam, I need to describe my soon-to-be fam. Rhys and I both come from large, tight-knit families. Similar to my own situation, Rhys only has brothers. The love of my life is the baby of five boys. His oldest brother, Ainsley, age thirty-four, is the family lawyer. The next brother, Beaumont, age thirty, is the family doctor. Gerhardt, age twenty-seven, is the family accountant. Ronald, age twenty-five, is the family entrepreneur, and my Rhys is the family baby. He just finished his undergraduate degree at St. Andrews University and is headed to a graduate program at Oxford. With our pending marriage, he thought he might put his studies on hold so we could travel the world our first year as a married couple.

"You know I can't head back there yet. My parents haven't given their blessing."

"Were you serious about your family rules?" I nodded yes. "Our engagement won't be valid unless your parents and relatives all _vote me in_ to your family?"

"I'm afraid so, Rhys. Daddy says you've yet to fill out the _'May I Date Your Daughter?'_ application."

Rhys started laughing and I could do nothing but put my head down. Mortified, frustrated, and feeling bad that Rhys got involved with a crazy family like mine, I had nothing to say.

My fiancé comforted me by wrapping his long arms around my body. "I think I love your family already. They have a great sense of humor, Lilah. Where's this application? I'll fill it out right away if that's going to get me one step closer to marrying you, my fair lady."

Before introducing the family that most of you are all familiar with, I need to explain the many ludicrous happenings since my parents' generation settled down. Obviously, they had too much time on their hands once we, the children, grew up. My parents, my uncles, and even my sweet aunts, became a cohesive force in making our lives as difficult as possible.

Here is one of the impossible, asinine, far-fetched rules the "adults" invented to make us miserable. **Rule #1: No person is allowed to marry without the approval of the family.** When they say _family_ , that means the _entire_ family. My cousins and I are unsure when the rule came into existence, but it states that the family would take a vote approving or disapproving each and every marriageable candidate. Only my parents' generation and the generation before them voted. If there was even one dissent, the marriage was off.

Who does that???

So technically, even though Rhys proposed and I accepted, we had not passed the final test. Marrying into the Reid family was more difficult than gaining admission into Stanford University. The ridiculous meter of my family was off the charts at times.

Since I am the first to get engaged in my family, even though I have older cousins like James and Elizabeth, who are seven years older than I am, I am the first to be subjected to such cruelty.

OMG! I could do nothing other than sigh. When I complained about this rule to my mom, all she could say was, _"It's not the end of the world, Lilah,"_ Mom "comforted" with a laugh.

Then Dad added, with a smirk of course, _"Ah Lilah, once you think you've convinced us, you can give the same spiel to Uncle Jake and Aunt Emily, Uncle Max and Aunt Jane, Uncle Nick and Aunt Bee, Uncle—"_

That's when I lost it and cut off my father with a very loud, _"I get it! Never mind. Rhys and I are going to elope."_

" _You know the rule about elopement,"_ Dad warned. Why didn't it surprise me that there was another _rule?_ I think my parents' generation had weekly meetings on perfecting the art of driving their children crazy.

Mom and Dad both recited, _"Rule #2:_ _If you elope, you will no longer be part of the Reid Family. No more cul-de-sac, no more family, no more love, no more life, no more nothing!"_

" _Do you all go around repeating these rules to one another so you don't forget? Who comes up with these stupid ideas?"_ I had asked in frustration.

"Just remember that Rhys never filled out a 'May I Date Your Daughter?' application. Remind him that your uncles and I have to approve the application before we can even start talking marriage." Dad said as he and Mom laughed at my expense. The 'May I Date Your Daughter' application was a rule that wasn't an official rule. UGH!

The memory of that conversation made me wince again. Rhys was a patient man to indulge all of us. "You're so good to me, Rhys. The past month has been a dream."

"For me too, Lilah. I love every last thing about you."

Our tender moment was broken up by my twin brothers who exclaimed, "Why don't you _'love every last thing'_ about our sister with your hands off!" That was a demand, not a request.

I supposed since I described Rhys' family, it was time to explain mine. I'll start with my brothers. Henry Jake Taylor and Scott Jamison Taylor, ages twenty-six, almost twenty-seven, med students, single, handsome as they come, if I were to admit such a thing. Henry was named after Grandpa Henry because of their internal and external similarities. The same went for Scott. Both drove me nuts while we were growing up, and now that I was engaged, their alpha-male, predatory instincts had kicked into overdrive. Their over-protectiveness was going to drive me nuts all over again.

Then there was my younger brother, DJ, short for Donovan Jr. I couldn't exactly call him an "oops" baby; he, along with Jacob, Maxine, and Nicolette, all shared the same birthdate. More on the rest of them, later. At age sixteen, he was adorable and terribly sweet. He loved our mother and resembled our father. According to Mom, random girls got "lost" on the cul-de-sac, regularly.

As for the rest of my cousins on this block, there were James and Elizabeth, twenty-eight, and both heart surgeons. JR, twenty-seven, a secret government agent—none of us really knows what he does. Ian, twenty-six, a world-traveler, if that was a job. Last, but not least, the Reid "oops" child, Jacob, sixteen and a sophomore in high school. Jacob looked eerily like Uncle Jake.

Uncle Max and Auntie Jane's offspring were Roland, twenty-four, Robert, twenty-three, Joshua, twenty-two, and Maxine, sixteen. Roland and Robert looked like the Davis side of the family. Joshua looked like a Reid. Maxine—we had no idea where she came from with her red hair and green eyes. I was told Great-grandpa Jerry had some Irish and Scottish blood in him. Apparently, Great-grandma Estelle, or Gigi as we used to call her, said Maxie was a throw- _way-way-way_ -back. She, at age sixteen, had the boys in a frenzy with her good looks and feisty personality. There was a constant smile on Uncle Max's face when his daughter was nearby.

About fourteen years ago, after Gigi and Riri, Great-grandpa Harry's nickname, passed away, Granduncle Bobby and Grandaunt Sandy moved into their guest house and convinced Uncle Nick and Aunt Bee to bring their brood into the main house. Nicholas Aidan, or Nicky Jr., at age twenty-two was our cul-de-sac genius. He had invented, patented, and sold some anti-aging serum, and made a fortune already. He was also our only college dropout. No matter how much Auntie Bee coaxed him into finishing his degree, he wouldn't cave. He marched to his own beat. Nathan, seventeen, and Nicolette, sixteen, were still in high school and lived quiet lives. It was hard to compete with a genius brother who made more money with one invention than the entire Reid Place combined.

Lastly, there were our English cousins who visited as often as they could, but that was never enough. We adored Uncle Michael and Aunt Chloe along with Noelle, sixteen, Lisette, fifteen, Harrison, thirteen, and MJ, Michael Jr., twelve. From time to time, Uncle Ron and Aunt Ruby would visit with Sarabeth and Elizabeth, seventeen and fifteen, and add to our fun.

These were just the cousins who lived on the cul-de-sac. Including our English cousins, there were twenty-two of us. When we _all_ gathered for holidays, there were almost one-hundred fifty Reids, Davises, Taylors, and Benningtons. It was absolute chaos, but so much fun! I loved our family.

Back to the issue at hand. Rhys didn't give in to my brothers' commands, but he also didn't fight them. "Hello. I'm Rhys Kent," he said with one hand out to shake my brothers' hands and with one possessive hand around my waist.

"I'm Henry."

"I'm Scott."

Both were "cordial."

"Lilah's told me a lot about both of you. Where's DJ?"

"He's in summer school. He should be home soon," I informed my fiancé. "Mom and Dad are home. You ready to meet them?"

"Of course!" He answered with a kiss to the top of my head. My brothers didn't look pleased.

I led Rhys into my parents' study, nervous about what was to happen. My parents didn't approve of our engagement, and he knew this fact. This was probably why he was here.

"Are you sure you want to meet them now?"

"I can't wait to meet them!"

I couldn't share in his confidence.

### Delilah: What!

"Hello. I'm Rhys Kent. It's so very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor." With his enigmatic smile, he'd already charmed Mom. She had a huge grin on her face. "From pictures, I didn't realize what Lilah was saying, but now I see that it's a huge compliment when she says I resemble you." Immediately, my father was all smiles, too.

"Hello Rhys. Welcome to our home. We weren't expecting you," Mom said and moved us all into the family room. No sooner had we sat, than my three brothers joined us.

"Hi. I'm Rhys. You must be DJ."

"Yeah, uh, hi." My younger brother sounded like any teenager. "May I be excused?" he asked Mom. "I need to finish my homework before Jacob and I head to the baseball game."

"Yes, DJ, you may be excused." There was so much love in Mom's eyes. Being the youngest, and Dad's mini-me, DJ would always be the favorite. That was the same for all the youngests. Jacob, Maxie, and Nicolette held center-court at every family function.

"Nice meeting you," my brother surprisingly blurted as he hopped upstairs.

"Same here. I hope we can chat soon." I was so proud of Rhys for trying to acquaint himself with this intimidating family. "So, where can I find this _'May I Date Your Daughter?'_ application?" he asked with sincerity.

No surprise, Dad had one nearby and handed it to him. "Has Delilah told you about our voting policy?"

Rhys couldn't hide his amusement. "She has, and I can't wait to meet all the family members who have a vote. My Lilah has been nervous since I asked her to marry me. I thought the best thing to do would be to come here and settle her worries. I think I'm a fairly likeable guy. I'm hoping you will all agree with me."

I could tell Mom was about there. She liked him a lot. Dad, despite having his ego stroked in the beginning, wasn't as taken.

"What do you do, Rhys?" Henry asked.

"How do you plan on supporting our sister?" Scottie joined.

"You're holding back my brilliant girl from achieving all that she can. Her future is on hold because of you. What will you do to help her succeed? I don't like her waiting for you to decide what you'll do with _your_ life." Dad was a bit harsh with his statement. Once Rhys was voted into the family, our lives would move on as planned.

"I'd like to hear about your family, Rhys. Do your parents and brothers approve of our baby girl?" Mom was the last one to ask.

My fiancé didn't bat an eye at all these questions. He answered them like a pro. Starting with my mother, he explained, "Mum and Father love Lilah almost as much as I do. Love, adore, infatuated, obsessed—take your pick, they wanted us married the moment they met her. My brothers and their wives, aside from the small complaint that Mum and Dad have completely forgotten them, find Lilah simply charming."

I added, "Rhys' family is very much like ours, Mom. They are close. You can ask Uncle Michael and Auntie Chloe. The Kents and Benningtons are longtime family friends." That satisfied Mom, for now.

Next, Rhys spoke to my brothers. "Depending on our marriage plans, I will attend Oxford Graduate School and earn a degree in diplomatic studies. Since Lilah is gifted with languages, I was hoping she'd continue in linguistics and we could live around the world. As for finances, our family has some money set aside for me, and we should be fine dipping into those funds where needed. Once I'm employed, the basics should be covered with my paycheck. Anything extra will be covered with my trust fund." My brothers had nothing to say in response. If I explained to Henry and Scottie how deep the Kent family coffer ran, they wouldn't ever worry again about their sister being provided for—not that wealth impressed them or my parents.

Last, Rhys had to respond to my dad's question, but with tact. It was my parents holding us back right now. "Just like you tried with your fiancée, I'd like to travel the world with my wife the first year. According to Lilah, between your family and ours, I think we have homes just about everywhere. It would be nice to take advantage of such luxury before we have to face responsibilities and before we have children. Marrying young, we can enjoy life a few years before we're wedded to our kids."

I loved Rhys' answers and I loved this man. Dad went silent—though he didn't stay that way for long. "Where will you settle? I don't want to be one of those fathers who sees his daughter and grandchildren once a year."

"Once we're settled, I was hoping I could buy Michael and Chloe's home on this block. Lilah says there are no other homes for purchase. If that's not possible, I thought it would be nice to buy a home nearby. That appears to be the only viable answer to staying close to you and Mrs. Taylor. Of course, we'll spend much time in England, too. During those months, you're welcome to stay with us. All our homes have guest homes on the properties."

It was comical to see my talkative father, speechless. I knew better than to laugh, but a smile couldn't be helped. Even Mom held back a giggle when she saw Dad thinking of a counter-argument.

"How about we invite the family over for dinner tonight and have them get to know you? I think a vote is imminent." Mom was the best! She liked Rhys and wanted us to succeed.

"Sounds good," Dad agreed. "Fill out your form and if the family feels you've passed the meet and greet, we'll go over your application and decide on when to vote."

"Yes, Sir."

That was it. My family left us alone in the family room and they went about their business.

"You did it! I knew my family would love you." I hugged my fiancé tightly; I was so damn happy.

He hugged me back just as firmly. "I can't say they loved me, but I was thrilled when I saw a smile on your mother's face. She really is beautiful, Lilah. You are the spitting image of your mom."

"I can't wait until the rest of my family meets you. Ellie's been singing your praises to her family, so I know at least Auntie Emily is on your side. All the women will love you."

"Unfortunately, my fair lady, your family is mostly men," he lamented with a smile. "What shall we do until tonight's dinner?"

"How about I call out all my cousins? You can meet them and win them over before the rest of the family arrives. That way, you'll have a head start."

"Where will we meet the lot? You said there are close to one hundred cousins?"

"We can meet at the park. I'll call a few restaurants and order snacks. In the meanwhile, let's enlist Ellie and James. They'll help us. James is the nicest one on this cul-de-sac."

"Sounds like you have everything figured out, my fair lady. At this rate, we can marry next month."

"Next month??? A little soon, don't you think?"

"The sooner the better, Lilah."

I seriously loved this man! I couldn't wait to start our future ASAP.

### Delilah: Where and When?

"Hello," was the word of the night. Every last cousin, aunt, uncle, and grand-anyone came to greet Rhys. Talk about overwhelming!

Earlier in the day, Ellie helped me coordinate a meet-and-greet with the cousins and more than half of them came to Reid Place park to get acquainted with my fiancé. They all approved of my choice, especially the girls.

"So, if our parents vote you in, when and where will you marry?" Maxie asked. She was the most starry-eyed over Rhys.

The love of my life and I hadn't spoken about specific wedding plans. "Mom would be heartbroken if we don't have a wedding on the cul-de-sac," I mentioned. "She and Dad married in my grandparents' backyard, and Grandma Babs plus Auntie Chloe will put on the best wedding."

"I thought we might marry in one of our castles, whether in England or the south of France, but if you want to marry here, we can do that, too."

My female cousins were close to swooning. "Castles?" They asked in unison.

"Lilah, you can do whatever your heart desires. If you want to have a wedding at Reid Place, that will be fine with me. Maybe we'll have a destination engagement party and a family wedding in the US."

"When will you marry?" Nicolette inquired.

"As soon as possible. I can't wait to live with this beautiful woman!" Rhys' declaration had the women in a tizzy again. The teenage squeals attracted the attention of my aunts and uncles.

They all walked over and got to know my fiancé. Being the sensitive man that he was, Rhys understood my fraying nerves. He inched closer and placed his arm around my waist, giving me affection and security.

Uncle Jake opened the interview with, "So tell us, Rhys, where and when did you first notice our niece?"

"We were at a party for a mutual acquaintance, and I actually heard her before I noticed her." I had no idea he had noticed my laugh. "Lilah has the most melodious laugh. It was hard not to go searching for the owner of this beautiful sound."

"Really, Rhys? You never told me that."

In a room _full_ of people, Rhys looked at me as though I was the only one here. "Once I saw the face, the voice couldn't compare. You are the loveliest woman in any setting, my fair lady."

_How could I not love this man?_ was the silent message I sent to all voting relatives. Rhys had impressed the ladies, not so much the men.

"OK. So our Lilah has a cute laugh. We always thought it was a little reminiscent of Steve Urkel, but hey, to each ear its own."

"Who's Steve Urkel, Uncle Nick?" I asked.

The men laughed while the women tried not to laugh. "You need to see him for yourself. Look him up on YouTube, Lilah."

"Though I was first attracted to her physical appearance, as soon as we began talking, I knew Lilah was my very own angel." I didn't appreciate the eye-rolling and snickering from the male cousins and uncles. My father and brothers were the biggest offenders.

"So what did this _angel_ say that made you think she was _the one_?" Uncle Max asked.

"Lilah first spoke of her trip to London with her cousin, then she spoke most affectionately about her family in Los Angeles. With a family she adored and a family who adored her in return, I knew this was a girl who understood the importance of giving and receiving love. Only after she told an abridged version of each of her aunt and uncle's love stories, did we get around to telling each other about ourselves. Since you all have such spectacular tales, I'm sure we'll learn plenty from you."

My Rhys was brilliant! There was a knowing smile on everyone's faces. What he said was completely true, but when he said it was absolute genius. My aunts and uncles loved talking about their love stories.

"Trust me when I say," Auntie Emily spoke with a sweet smile, "our stories were not all hearts and flowers. We _all_ went through some tough times."

Then Auntie Jane added, "We all think love is the easiest, most wonderful feeling in the world, but it can bring hardship and sadness."

"While we love that our Lilah believes she's found her happily-ever-after, we'd feel a whole lot better if you two would slow down and get to know one another. What's the rush? You're young. Date. Become best friends. Fall in love slowly. There's no better emotion than the first time—"

Dad didn't let Auntie Bee continue. He cut her off to say, "Not _that kind of first time_! What Bee means is your first date, first dinner, first—"

Uncle Jake interrupted with, "Kiss? Overnight together?"

" _Hell no!_ Are you here to help? Was I not there to scare the hell out of what's his name? That asshole who broke our Ellie's heart? I knew he wasn't good enough for my niece."

"Perhaps you're the reason it didn't work." Though the words sounded like an accusation, Uncle Jake wasn't upset. He was actually proud of Dad's handiwork. "No one's happier than I that my girl doesn't have a man in her life."

"Jake." Auntie Emily whispered, motioning toward my cousin who was walking away from us. "She's still heartbroken. Must you bring this up?"

"If he's not man enough to love my brilliant daughter, then he doesn't deserve her."

"Damn right!" Uncle Max agreed. "Hallelujah that Maxie is only sixteen. I'm hoping for another ten-year reprieve before she starts dating."

"Shit, Max. She's yours and Jane's daughter, plus she's got that red-hair-green-eye-spitfire combo. I give you two years. Once she's off to college, she's going to meet a man who will turn your hair gray and give you nightmares." Dad was laughing hard by the time he finished his statement. Uncles Jake and Nick joined in the laughter.

"You always were a pain in the ass. Laney obviously didn't make you suffer enough when you were chasing her all around Europe."

Rhys interrupted their discussion by asking Dad, "Would you mind telling me, in detail, all that happened with you and Mrs. Taylor? Lilah told me Mrs. Taylor had a crush on you as a little child?"

That was the end of Rhys' interview. Everyone sat and listened to my parents' attempt to tell his/her side of the story. Interrupting their saga were all the aunts and uncles whose lives had been intertwined with my parents'. No matter how many times I'd heard these stories, I always learned something new. Tonight was the first time I learned about the incestuous relationship between most of the adults on this cul-de-sac. Who knew that Uncle Max and Auntie Emily had dated for four years? Who on earth would have believed that my dad and Auntie Janie had a thing? _Eew!_ Tonight was a no-holds-barred night with everyone adding pieces to the Reid/Davis/Taylor soap opera.

"Tonight was a hell of a night and your family is fantastic, Lilah. I think I love your family almost as much as I love you."

I, too, had the time of my life tonight. "I think you passed with flying colors. Mom says the vote is happening soon. My family all approved. I'm so pleased, Rhys."

"Your family is even more entertaining than mine. What a phenomenal group of people they are. We will all get on nicely."

"You think so?"

"How could two people who raised someone like you not be fantastic? As intimidating as it was, I liked that the men in your life protected you all these years. They kept you safe for me."

I was so in love with Rhys Thane Kent. He was perfection. What could stop us from having the best marriage?

### Donovan Taylor: Why Me?

"It appears reckoning day has come early," damn Jake spoke with a smirk.

"Or not soon enough, depending upon who you ask," double-damn Max added.

"Thank God my Nicolette is too young for all this. I have enough trouble with the boys. I don't need my girl giving me ulcers."

After Jake, Max, and Nick had their say, I asked, "Are you here to harass or help? I need some solid evidence so I can stop this wedding."

All the men who began speaking were of no damn help.

My dad started with, "I found Rhys to be a delightful young man. He's handsome, polite, and has good manners."

My father-in-law added, "Let's not forget how rich he is, Scott. That helps. He'll be able to take care of our baby girl."

"I, too, had a productive conversation with him tonight." I knew, one day, Max would get me back for that one measly kiss with his wife so many damn years ago. "Though he might come from money, he's also focused and has a plan. You have to admire a young man who understands what he wants, makes a plan, and goes for it."

"It appears that decisions have been made in all the men's minds. Let's go convene with the women and see what they've come up with, Buddy." Jake slapped my shoulder and pushed me toward the family room.

"But, no discussion has taken place," I argued. "We haven't _discussed_ anything. You've all steamrolled me into accepting this marriage."

Max answered, "You know as well as we all do that Rhys is a fine young man. None of us has anything negative to say about him. No discussion necessary—the men approve."

"NO!" That was too easy. I had expected hours and hours of deliberation and scheming.

"Come along, Husband," Delaney reached out her hand for me. "Let's finish this conversation and vote." My crazy wife was as eager as the men to be done with our daughter.

"I don't think Rhys is good enough for my Delilah and thus, I think we should all vote no," I stated my case.

"Donovan, I think we have to face reality. Our daughter brought home a fine young man and if she wants to marry him, I think we should support her."

"Princess! How can you give in so easily?"

"He's a good guy."

"Good, decent, nice, whatever! It's not enough for our baby."

"But she loves him."

"She's so young. She just met him. How does she know she loves him? How does she even know what love is?"

"I knew I'd marry you at age eleven." My sweet wife made me want to give in. "I loved you for as long as I could remember."

I kissed my wife, my love, and reassured her, "I just want my little girl to know what it's like to experience our kind of love. Right now, I think both kids are caught up in the emotions. It's not possible for them to understand what they'll face in marriage."

"So what do you propose?" My father-in-law inquired.

"How about we make them wait?"

"How, Donovan?" Mom asked.

"Seeing that all of you appear to approve of Rhys, I'm going to stipulate that he finish school and postpone marriage for two years. They can have a long engagement. Time will test their relationship and if they can survive anything that comes their way, then I'll approve."

"So they just need to wait out two years?"

"No, Jake. They need to be productive during those two years with school or a job so they're not together for most of that time."

The grin on Jake's face was unmistakable. "So if they're too busy to meet, then when do they get to work on their relationship?"

I joined in the grin. "They can meet up the week before the wedding."

All the women booed the idea. "You need to let them meet throughout the two years."

"Momma Babs, if they can find a chaperone and take time out of their busy schedules, they are welcome to meet."

"Donovan," Mom disapproved. "Let them at least get together a month before the wedding. It's not easy to get a wedding together in a week."

I was feeling generous. "All right. They can meet a month before. Until then, they may not see one another unless one of us is with them. Delilah may not travel alone."

The men chuckled while the women sighed.

Personally, I was feeling pretty damn good.

"Are we all in agreement?"

"Yes, Donovan." A chorus of voices called in unison.

"Let's vote, then!"

### Delilah: Why?

"Why, Baby? Why so soon and why him?"

"Daddy. I can't understand why you don't love him like I do. What's wrong with Rhys?"

"First of all, Delilah, his name is all wrong. What the hell kind of name is Rhys Kent? How do you even pronounce Rhys? I can't trust any boy whose name I can't say three times over without stumbling over it. Is he related to Clark?"

"Who's Clark?" My father looked at me as if I was crazy for not knowing who Clark Kent was. I couldn't remember any family friend by that name. "That's not fair, Daddy." I stood up for my fiancé. "He has no control over his name. You can't dislike him for something so trivial. I see nothing wrong with Delilah Kent."

Dad wasn't convinced. "I also don't like that he's obnoxiously rich and that he lives in London. You're my only baby girl. I don't want to be apart from you."

"But, Gigi was from London. You said great-grandfather Jerry was British. Grandpa Scott is part English. Our last name is as English as it gets. You're not making sense, Daddy."

"You're only twenty-two, Baby. Reconsider. You don't need to be engaged already. You have at least another ten years before you need to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life."

"Daddy..." I sighed and turned to the person I thought would help me. "Mom? Are you unhappy that I accepted Rhys' proposal?"

"It is a bit sudden, Sweetheart. Like your father said, what's the rush? How do you know you want to live with this person after one month of courtship? That's the part that should be dragged out. Play hard to get. Run away from him. Torment him before giving in."

Dad's groan was comical. "Only listen to the first part of your mother's statement. Don't torture any boy the way your mother tortured me. It's not humane."

Mom rolled her eyes at Dad's comment. "Listen, if you want to marry Rhys, I'm all for it. I do like him. What your father and I would like is a little time for you to get to know him."

"How am I supposed to do that with the crazy _addenda, plural to addendum,_ to the rules you've now imposed?"

Dad almost fell on the floor with delight. Before I explain the addenda, addendums, whatever, I need to shout from the mountaintop that Rhys passed the vote on his first try. After our family pow-wow, they voted the very next day and it was unanimous. Rhys had won over every Reid, Taylor, and Davis. At the end of the night, it was obvious he'd earned their affection. I knew our engagement would hold.

However, there were a few _extra_ stipulations placed on our engagement. As my cousins and I learned, my parents' generation liked to make up random rules to drive us nuts. These rules benefited no one but anyone over the age of forty.

Mom lamented, "Don't misunderstand us. We like Rhys. We just don't like you marrying so young. There are so many fish in the sea. Don't you want to swim with different ones and find the one who's most compatible?"

"How about you wait another decade, and your mother and I will find the perfect man for you?"

This was a no-win situation. "But, I already found the perfect man for me. Why wait a decade when he's in sight?" I complained, "We agreed to your crazy addenda _,_ to the already crazy rule."

My parents gazed at one another as though _I_ was the crazy one. Dad asked, "Which crazy is which?"

" _What?"_ Donovan Taylor, aka Dad, drove me nuts at times. Now I finally understood where my brothers honed their skills. Dad knew _exactly_ which crazy was which.

I clarified myself just in case my parents misunderstood. "It's psychotic that your generation and our grandparents' generation _all_ have to vote our spouses into our family. That's more people than I can count in one sitting without getting a headache." There was much laughter in both my parents' eyes. They knew they had all our numbers. "If that wasn't bad enough, you," I pointed to my dad, "and my uncles conspired against us and came up with a devil's plan to keep us apart for two years."

" _Who, me?"_ UGH! Why was my father home so many hours of the day, these days? He was going to be the death of me and Rhys.

"Yes, _YOU!_ You're the one who suggested that after the engagement, we stay apart until the wedding. It was only when my two grandmothers came to our aid that you allowed us to meet a _generous_ month before the wedding."

Dad outright bellowed his delight. "Ingenious of me, huh?"

Mom nodded her head in agreement.

"How can you do that to us? How are we supposed to revel in the joys of our engagement if you're ruining these precious moments?"

"We're ruining nothing. You can still meet. None of us said that you couldn't see one another during the two-year engagement."

" _OH MY GAWWWWWD!"_ I yelled. "That's crazy number two. You made us promise not to marry until Rhys was done with his graduate program. You know damn well he won't be able to come out and see me as often when he's in school."

"Language, Young Lady," Mom warned.

"But, that's so unfair. Not only did you make us promise to wait two years, you also made Rhys go back to school _and_ I'm not allowed to visit him unless I'm with a family member older than forty. How are we supposed to see one another at this rate?"

My parents didn't say it, but their smug faces hollered, _"GOTCHA!"_ Then, they started to laugh—loudly.

As if I wasn't annoyed enough, Dad asked, "Whose idea was it to _suggest_ that Rhys finish school first?" He paused for an entire second before saying, "Oh yes, _mine!_ " He was so proud.

" _How_ are we to survive?"

"Love will conquer all." I had had enough of Donovan Taylor for one afternoon.

Before Rhys left for London, tomorrow, to start on his graduate program, we were going to spend the last of our time together. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't come home tonight and see what Donovan Taylor had to say about that.

"Curfew is eleven if you're away from Reid Place, midnight if you're on the swing in front of our house." _How did he know what I was thinking?_ "I was a man of twenty-two once, Dear Lilah. I know the inner workings of a young couple's mind."

"UGH!" I yelled again. "Did you follow your own rules when you were dating Mom?"

That's when Dad went silent and decided he had a conference call. Just the other night I thought we would be fine. Now, I'm wondering how Rhys and I will make it. God help me!

### Delilah: How!

"How the hell are we transporting all these people to London for Lilah's engagement party?"

"I've no idea, Donovan. Our baby, being the first in her generation to marry, has every family member excited about her nuptials."

"Are we doing the right thing, allowing her to marry at such a young age?"

"I wasn't much older when I married you. I don't know that I was any wiser."

"Yeah, but you were marrying _me._ There were no arguments against me."

" _Really?"_

"Um, I can hear you. I'm in the same room as you both and you're speaking as though I'm not present. I thought you liked Rhys. Why are we doing this _again?_ Rhys and I are your best pupils in this Taylor School of Obedience."

"Tell me, again, what it is about this boy that you like enough to marry?"

"Well, Dad. On the outside, he's really handsome. He actually reminds me a lot of you." It never hurt to stroke Donovan Taylor's ego.

"Sweetheart, I've seen Rhys and he's nowhere as good-looking as your father. Plus, you don't marry a man because of his looks."

Delaney Taylor would always be Donovan Taylor's biggest fan. The two of them still behaved like newlyweds. Regardless of whether their four children were watching, they showed great affection toward one another. I loved that my parents adored one another. Growing up, I knew I wanted a man like my father.

"I want a man just like Daddy, and Rhys reminds me of him. He's smart, kind, funny, good-looking, and above all, he loves me."

Mom was now the one groaning while Dad donned a proud look.

"What can we say, Princess?" Dad asked Mom. "Our baby believes Rhys is perfect, _just like her daddy._ " Nobody did smug better than Donovan Taylor.

Mom was aghast. "Just two minutes ago, you were wondering why we were having this union."

"I still am. But there's a part of me that empathizes with my daughter. She wants the perfection you have, Princess." He nuzzled her neck but Mom would have none of that.

"Whatever, Donovan. Life wasn't so perfect when I was nursing twins in between med school classes."

"It's been perfect since I knocked on that door in Belgravia, on your twenty-third birthday."

"Shit," I muttered. I knew that "look." We, kids, cleared out when that "look" happened.

"Language." Dad said between kisses to Mom.

"Anyhow, are we all ready for London?" Mom changed topics.

"Princess, I think the question to ask would be, 'Is London ready for us?'"

With that, we _ALL,_ as in almost one-hundred-fifty of us, flew to London for mine and Rhys' engagement party.

Rhys and his entire family welcomed us with a lavish engagement party at their posh hotel in the heart of the city.

"We love your daughter and can't wait to make her our own," was how Rhys' father, Bennet, greeted the future in-laws. "I'm Bennet and this is my wife, Amelie."

"Thank you for the gracious welcome. I'm Donovan and this is Delaney, or Laney, Taylor."

The parents greeted one another while Rhys walked me to his brothers. "I'm happy you're back here, Lilah. You look stunning! What are the chances we'll be able to sneak away for a few hours?"

I laughed at the absurdity. "Slim to none, Rhys. Dad will have me under lock and key at the hotel."

Rhys was a good-natured fellow. He, too, laughed it off as I was warmly greeted by his brothers.

After a sweet hug, Ainsley said, "What are my brothers and I doing wrong where the baby of the family gets all our parents' love and attention? All we've heard is 'Rhys this, Lilah that.' Our wives are saddened that the grandparents are more excited about their newest daughter-in-law's arrival than of their grandchildren."

"Hey." Rhys pretended to be territorial. "Hands off my fair lady." He pushed his brother away and wrapped his arm around me.

"Rhys told us about your family and all their 'rules.' We loved them. I think Mum and Pops were especially pleased. They, too, were a little worried your relationship had moved so quickly." Ronnie informed us and hugged me for a long time to spite his brother. Once again, I was pulled back into my love's arms.

"I guess that's the sentiment of the old folks," I lamented. "Since it's done, we'll make the best of the situation. I'm hoping you'll come see me in Los Angeles. Our family would welcome you with open arms."

All four brothers nodded their heads, but Rhys was done speaking with them. He pulled me into an alcove and asked, "Are you truly all right with our arrangement? If you're not, I can speak with your father privately. I'm not above begging, if that's what you want, Lilah."

I thought seriously about what he was asking. As pleased as I was that Rhys would do whatever it took to make me happy, failure was a foregone conclusion. There was no need to put him and my father at odds with one another.

"I want to be with you, but a two-year wait won't kill us. During that time, we can grow in all aspects of our lives. We can also look forward to our every reunion. Since I'm the first one to marry, Dad won't back down. Even if he wavers, my uncles won't allow it. It'll set a bad precedence for their daughters. Let's look at this as a time to work out all our differences, so when we marry, we'll have a perfect marriage."

Rhys enfolded me into his body. "I'll miss you when we're apart."

"Me too, Rhys. But you'll be busy with school and I'm going to make a few decisions myself about the next two years."

"What are your options?"

I didn't know if I should give him the entire story. "I wasn't trying to keep anything from you, but before I met you, I've had a few offers brewing."

His enigmatic smile appeared. "Such as?"

"Well," I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "I've been accepted into an MD/PhD program, I have a 'modeling' job offer, I've been offered a three-book publishing deal with one of the big five publishing firms, and Nicky Jr. and I have a new invention idea that we started developing already. I was hoping to become Mrs. Kent this year, but since that's not happening, there are offers that need answers."

To say my fiancé was slack-jawed and shocked would not adequately describe his handsome composure. "You were going to settle for being my wife and give up all those offers?"

"Being your wife isn't settling. It would be an honor!" I disagreed.

"I think the honor is all mine, Lilah Rose Taylor," he answered with a stunning grin. "What will you do with yourself, my little genius? You'll be so busy; you might even forget you're betrothed to an inconsequential man in London."

"I highly doubt that. But until we marry, I think I might do everything but the MD/PhD program."

"Explain it all to me."

"My cousin, Nicky Jr., the one who made millions off his anti-aging serum, wants to invent another winner. I have an idea for hair growth for men and talked to him and Uncle Nick about this. They both validated my theory, but Nicky is forcing me to 'model' for his anti-aging serum in an exchange for working with me on this new project."

"What do you have to do for the product? I thought Nicky sold it."

"He did sell it, but he's under contract to promote it for the next two years. The buyers want him to go around the world and do press conferences. He's really the best person to answer questions."

"And what will you do?"

"Literally wear the product and be his arm candy. He doesn't want to travel with some random woman he doesn't know. Plus, if we're traveling together, we can continue working on our invention."

"I see. And the book writing?"

"During my senior year in college, I wrote a book and submitted it to a friend whose mother and aunt own a literary agency. They loved the book and promised there'd be a bidding war. True enough, I woke up one day to a three-book offer and a bonus check the size of my brother Henry's head. I accepted the offer, cashed the check, am almost done with book two, and have been working on ideas for book three."

The amazement continued. "Were you seriously not going to pursue any of this after we married?"

"Well, I'm contractually obligated to write the books; I've already accepted the money. As for the invention, I figured I could work on it after our year-long honeymoon. As for the modeling, I don't know. I would've asked if you minded and made a decision together."

"Wow."

"I guess I'll be busy, too, while you're in school."

"You definitely will be, my sweet Lilah."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Grandpa Henry called, "we'd like to begin dinner so our Reid family tradition can continue." Grandpa Henry, Rhys and I were told, had always been the emcee at everyone's nuptial festivities. As long as he was alive, he would continue this tradition.

"Why don't we go and start our forever?" my fiancé suggested.

"Sounds wonderful."

Rhys and I stood at the head table and greeted well-wishers. With a family as large as mine, and the Kents being a well-known, well-liked family, it was hard to keep the engagement party small.

We were about to sit and start our future when suddenly I heard, "Delilah Rose Taylor!" A man charged straight for us while yelling, "I told you to wait for me because I was going to marry you one day!"

What?

Then, all hell broke loose.

This boy/man pulled my hand out of Rhys', grabbed me, and kissed me like he was searching for his last breath.

Rhys pulled us apart and punched this unknown person in the face.

I grabbed this boy/man before he fell backwards, hit his head, and died.

This stranger pulled me into his body as we both fell onto the carpeted floor. He didn't die, but he would be dead soon enough.

The last thing I remembered before every male Taylor, Reid, Davis, and Kent rushed the head table, was this person nonchalantly asking, "Hey there Delilah, how ya doing? Long time no see. What's it been like on Reid Place?"

What The Hell?!

Pre-(hey there)Delilah

### Nolan: Who?

"Mom! We are late. Could ya get your stuff together so we won't miss another flight?"

"Hold your horses, Little Man. A supermodel doesn't become a supermodel without her arsenal."

"I am hardly a _'Little Man,'_ Mother. I'm twenty-two and on my way to finishing an MD/PhD/JD/MBA."

"What the hell is that, Nole? Do you really need all those degrees?"

"Yes, Dad. I told you. There are so many things I want to do, so many ideas in my head—I am going to do them all!"

"You're going to be in school forever, Nole. A man has to get out there and start working at some point. How will you support the Little Woman, _Little Man_?"

"Speaking of, have you talked to Michael and Chloe lately?"

"No. Where did that come from, Nole?"

"How could you have forgotten, Dad?"

"What'd I forget, V?"

"I don't know, B."

My parents kissed, giggled, and behaved like teenagers. Sometimes, I wondered who was the child and who was the adult in this household.

Brendan Rory O'Shaughnessy, forty-eight, banker, half-Irish, half-English, good-looking, according to all my girl friends, a great dad, and an even better husband, according to my mother.

Veronica Lane O'Shaughnessy, forty-seven, model, all-English, gorgeous, according to everyone, a fantastic mother, and a superb wife, according to my father. Even at her age, people in her industry considered her a supermodel. My mother was beautiful inside and out.

There was a time early in my life when my parents separated for a few years. They were as final as divorced, but Mom came to her senses and returned to us. Dad accepted her into our fold without hesitation. We became a family again when I was five and stayed this way ever since. Unfortunately for all of us, Mom never had any more kids. She and Dad explained that she just couldn't get pregnant again, no matter how hard they tried. In the end, it was all good. The three of us had a blast.

"Well, Son?" Dad asked.

How could I have digressed for this long? "Delilah Rose, Dad!" My _no duh..._ tone didn't wipe the befuddled look off his face. "How can you forget your future daughter-in-law?"

"Is our son engaged, V?"

"I've no idea, B. Last I understood, he wasn't seeing anyone. I don't know that I've ever seen my son with a girl in the romantic sense. He's always been their best friend, not their boyfriend."

"I can't believe you're my parents!" I truly couldn't believe this fact, nor could I understand _V_ and _B_. "When I was five, I told you I was marrying Delilah Rose Taylor. Am I not a part of this family? Something this important should've been noted somewhere, anywhere!"

Mom and Dad's eyes popped, but their mouths stayed shut. It took a while for Mom to speak. "You were serious about marrying Delilah?"

"Of course I was serious."

"Have you kept in touch with her since Michael and Chloe's wedding?"

"No. With us traveling so much, there was no time to stay in touch."

"Then how can you believe you'll still marry her? How do you know she's not already married?"

"Mom." I kind of did that _no duh_ tone again. "She's not married and in my heart, I know she'll be mine." I patted my heart to show my parents that my feelings were true. "It doesn't matter that we've been separated all this time. We will marry."

"Um...when are you marrying and does _she_ know that you're marrying her?" Dad asked.

"Not yet. I'm not ready to show myself yet. She's done well for herself, but I haven't. My life is still all over the place."

Mom's head tilted as she wondered, "How do you know she's done well for herself if you haven't kept in touch? What has she exactly done with her life? She's only twenty-two, probably just out of college just like you."

Before I could answer, Dad asked, "Let's talk about you first, Son. What is it that you hope to accomplish with all these degrees? If you're still harboring fantasies about Delilah, you need to reconnect with her and see if she's who you remember her to be."

I contemplated what Dad asked. _What did I want to do with myself_?

When Mom and Dad reunited, Dad altered our lives with a life-changing decision. He wanted to give Mom's career a last push before she was considered "too old" for modeling. Technically, she was already "too old" and Dad knew it. Thus, he decided to take us on the road.

What that meant was we'd travel with Mom wherever her job took her. For a good seven years, we saw the world. Dad quit the company and went solo. His income took a hit, initially, but Mom's income skyrocketed. I had tutors, took online courses, and lived what I was learning. Being a precocious child, living from city to city, having intelligent tutors teaching me through life rather than textbooks, worked perfectly. By the time our traveling slowed, I had finished high school at age sixteen. Dad taught me how to drive and sent me off to college.

By sixteen, I was already six-three and looked like a man. Though I couldn't engage in most of the collegial revelries, I thrived in an environment where all the great minds converged. I loved being surrounded by brilliant people.

By eighteen I was done with my B.S.E., by twenty-one I had earned a JD and MBA and now I was working on my MD/PhD. As to what I'd do with all these degrees, I didn't know. That was my problem right now.

Focus. I needed to focus.

Before I reintroduced myself to my bride, I needed a clear direction in my life.

### Nolan: (Say) What?

Our family loved London. Of all the gorgeous places we visited, this was the only city we revisited without a reason.

With Mom's career on the downswing and Dad's self-employment on the upswing, we didn't travel as much. Between Dad's business and my schooling, we were grounded in Los Angeles.

During our brief stay here, I decided to visit my old roommate, Ronnie. Ronnie and I met while he did a semester study in the States. As with everyone else, he was three years older than I, but he never treated me like a kid. Of all the roommates I'd had, he was my favorite. I knew we'd stay lifelong friends.

"Hello, Mate. How was the flight over the pond?" Ronnie greeted me when we met at the pub.

"As always, it was long. It gets longer each time."

"You're too young to be saying that, Nole."

"I know, Man. It's not easy keeping up with my parents. It wouldn't surprise me if my parents told me that I slowed them down."

"Now that you've graduated, what's on the horizon, Mate? You ready to join me?"

Ronald Kent was an entrepreneur. With a deep trust fund, he had his hand in all kinds of businesses. He came from a large family, five boys, and from what I knew, they were all successful in their own way.

"What's the latest business?"

"I found a fantastic invention and I need a scientist to help me prove a few theories."

"Sounds cryptic, Ron. How am I to know if I can help you if you won't tell me what it is that I will be working on?"

"Commit a year of your life to me, Nole. We can do great things together. With your mind and my business acumen, we can go places."

"What about my MD/PhD?"

"You can do that here. Consider moving. You can live in my house, attend school, and work on my latest business with me."

"All right. I'll consider it. A change would do me good. I'd like to have a focus rather than doing everything under the sun."

Ron asked, "I'm happy to hear, but why the change? You were always the man who wanted to conquer the world."

"Before I marry my girl, I need to show her that I can provide for her."

"Marry?" Ron almost choked on his beer. "When did you decide to marry? Where's this girl been? You never mentioned a girl."

I grinned. I knew Ron would freak if I told him about Delilah. "Well, there's this girl that I met when I was five."

The choking continued. "Five as in five years ago?"

"Five, as in five-years-old, five." I corrected.

"Damn, Nolan. I always knew you marched to your own beat, but this is outrageous." He chuckled and asked me to continue.

I obliged. "At age five, I knew I was in love. She was the girl for me."

"The operative word might be, she _was._ You mean to tell me you still think she's the girl for you? Does she feel the same about you?"

"Well..."

"She doesn't agree?"

"She doesn't know."

Now, Ron was going nuts. He was choking, laughing, and snorting. Beer was coming out of his mouth, his nose—I had to place a napkin over my face to keep his beer from drowning me.

It took him some time to calm down. "All right, Mate. Continue."

"My future wife just graduated from college and she and I are alike in many ways. She's brilliant and has a bright future ahead of her. Her life also diverges into many fields. With copious options, she, too, is wondering what to do."

"Now," Ron wondered, "do you know all this because you're good friends and she's confided in you?"

"No. We haven't spoken since we were five."

"Mate. This is getting a little creepy. You're bordering on being a stalker. How do you know all this about her?"

I laughed. "I have my ways, Ron. I can't reveal my source, yet."

"So, if all is good, you meet again and you marry. What if all is not good and she's not on the same page as you are."

"I know I sound like a lunatic, but what my heart tells me is true. She's the girl for me."

"OK. I'll go with it. Crazy-love appears to be in the air for everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"Rhys met a girl this summer and within the month, he's decided she's the one. He popped the question before she went back home. He's met her family and they're having an engagement party tomorrow."

"Yeah? Good for Rhys. You see, when you know, you know!"

"Why don't you and your parents come to the party, tomorrow? It's at The Kent Hotel in the grand ballroom. It starts at six."

"All right. I'd love to come. Dad and I can make it but Mom might be busy."

"It'll be good to have some more people showing up from our side of the family. Rhys' fiancée comes from a huge family. We'll be dwarfed by all the Americans."

"Where's she from?"

"Your neck of the woods. I think most of her family lives somewhere in Los Angeles."

"How old is she?"

"Twenty-two like Rhys."

"What does she do?"

"Not sure. She just graduated from college."

"Is she pretty?"

"She's gorgeous, Nole. She'll remind you of a quintessential American—blonde-haired, blue-eyed. Rhys picked a beautiful woman."

"You all approve, I take it?"

"Mum and Dad are in love."

"That's great. Dad and I will attend tomorrow."

It was nice seeing Ron again. I'd think through what he'd said about joining his business venture. It might be what I needed before approaching my future bride.

"By the way, Ron, what's the girl's name? Maybe I know her?"

"Delilah something. I can't remember her last name."

"Say what? Can you repeat yourself?"

"Delilah. Do you know her?"

Shit! It couldn't be the same Delilah. _No._ I would've heard if she was engaged. There was no way I'd be in the dark about something this huge.

"No. I don't think I know _that_ Delilah. I'll see you tomorrow, Friend."

"Come ready to party, Mate. It's going to be a wild time."

### Nolan: Where and When

I couldn't help thinking about what Ron had said last night at the pub.

It couldn't be Delilah Reid. Rhys' Delilah had to be a different Delilah than _my Delilah_. Though it wasn't a common name, there had to be more than one Delilah who lived in Los Angeles and had a large family.

I still had three hours before the engagement party was to begin and nervous energy ate at me. If this was the same Delilah, when had she met Rhys? Where could she have met him when he'd been in England and she'd been in the US? What if it was the same girl? What the hell would I do?

_Naw._ There was no way it was my Delilah. All these years, I knew she was popular, but I also knew she'd never had a boyfriend. Unknowingly, she was holding out for me as I had been holding out for her.

This scare pushed up my timetable. No longer was I keeping myself back until I thought I was worthy of Delilah Taylor. As soon as I returned to the States, I was heading straight to her cul-de-sac and revealing my intentions to everyone. Even if it took years, I'd convince my future bride that I was the man for her, that we were meant to be.

"Nole. Your phone's ringing." Dad alerted me. "It's been ringing for the past few minutes."

"Oh." Tonight's revelation was all that I could think of, which was not good. "Sorry, Dad."

"You might want to call that person back. Obviously, someone wants you badly."

The phone told me Cam had attempted to get a hold of me three times since morning. It was dead of night for her when she first tried to reach me. I called her immediately. "What's up, Cam?"

"Where've you been, Nole? Have you not read any of my texts?"

"No. Where's the fire?"

"The fire is in Los Angeles where you should be, Nolan. Have you forgotten our national debate tournament where you are the lead debater? We are supposed to meet today but I was told you're in London. What's going on? We only have a few weeks left to prepare."

"Cam. We'll be fine. We're all ready."

"What's going on, Nole? You're distracted and distant. What aren't you telling me?" How had she known there was something wrong? I guess that's why we were best friends.

Cammie Hillhurst and I met in undergrad and we became fast friends. Two years my senior, we were as opposite as night and day, black and white, summer and winter. Cam was the stereotypical homecoming queen, sorority girl, cheerleader, stunning California girl. I was the nerdy genius with thick glasses and an SAT-caliber vocabulary. Somehow, our love for debate brought two unlikely people together as the best of friends.

During our years in school, we spent an unusual amount of time together. Nobody understood our "relationship." The frat guys wondered why she'd hang out with a geek rather than partying with them. The football players asked her out constantly but she always refused them for my company.

When I asked why she pushed everyone away, her answer remained constant. "I'd like a boy to like me for me, rather than for my looks. I want someone genuine like you, Nolan. When a sweet boy comes along and loves me for me, then I'll date him.

Our friendship bled into all facets of my life. Cam came to holiday dinners at my parents' when she didn't head back home. In fact, Mom and Dad expected her at all our family functions. She had even vacationed with us a few times during our time in college.

Though I dressed funny, spoke differently than others, and found odd things in life fascinating, Cammie never tried to change me. She accepted me for who I was.

That was my best friend, Cam. I loved her for making me the best I could be.

"It's nothing, Cam. I'll be home in a few days and we'll all get together for a few more practices."

"When did you start keeping secrets from me, Nolan? I thought we were best friends. Where is your mind at?"

I'd never told Cam about Delilah. For some odd reason, I wanted to keep my future bride to myself. After I found out who tonight's Delilah was, I'd tell Cam everything.

"Give me a few days, Cam. When I come home, I'll tell you everything."

"All right. I'm trusting you." Her tone doubtful, the trust wasn't quite there. It was my fault if she didn't believe me.

"I'll see you soon, Cam."

"OK. Bye."

It was time. I needed to go face the future. I'd put it off for too long.

"Dad. Let's head out."

"Already?"

"Yeah. My future awaits me at this reception."

Dad looked at me as if I'd gone nuts. "OK, Son. Let's go."

Delilah—here I come.

### Nolan: Why?

"Why are you so nervous, Son? What's going on in that gigantic head of yours?"

"I think I messed up, Dad."

"How so? What could you have done wrong enough to make you this jittery?" Dad veered us to the nearby coffee shop rather than hailing a cab for the engagement party. "Sit. Let's talk before we meet Ronald. We're too early, anyhow." Once he ordered our coffee and settled the payment, he came back to our table and said, "Tell me why you haven't been yourself since yesterday."

"You noticed, huh?"

"Of course. Your mother and I both noticed. We were hoping you would say something. You're a grown man so we don't want to pry, but you're also our only son. We worry when you don't talk a mile a minute." Dad kidded with a smile.

"Do you remember Delilah Taylor?"

"Somewhat. I remember she was a beautiful little girl with brainpower to match your own. I thought she was the perfect complement to you."

"You thought so, too?"

"I did, but that was at age five. People change, Nole. It's not fair to think she'll still be that cute little blonde you saw seventeen years ago."

"Delilah has remained the same, Dad. In fact, you're right when you say that she's my other half. She and I have much in common."

"How do you know all this if you haven't kept in touch with her? You and Delilah come across one another at school functions? That can't be. You never attended regular school until college and even then, you were much younger than most collegians." Dad was figuratively scratching his head.

"How I kept in touch with her isn't important. What is important is that I thought she was still the woman for me until yesterday."

Dad stopped drinking his coffee and asked, "What happened yesterday to change your mind?"

"While meeting with Ronnie, he told me about Rhys' engagement. That news made me want to crawl out of my skin, beat my head against the wall, and even yell in the middle of the restaurant. I was dying for relief and I won't find it until I get to this engagement party."

"Why were you about to go batshit crazy like that? That kind of behavior is unlike you."

Only for a split second did I wonder if I should tell Dad. However, I needed to tell someone, and my father was the best person to talk to, man to man.

"Ronnie told me that Rhys is engaged to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American girl named Delilah who comes from a big family."

Dad had the same reaction I did. It started from incredulous to doubtful to worried. "Naw!" He declared a few times over. "It can't be her." He shook his head to support his "naw," "no," "nuh-uh," and "damn!"

"I know, Dad," was all I could say.

"There has to be at least a hundred-thousand girls with that name, Nole."

"What about the fact that she's from LA and has a large family?"

"Do you know how many people live in LA? Also, the word large is subjective. Who knows what large really means?"

Dad knew in his heart that Rhys' Delilah might be the same as my Delilah.

"What do I do if she is one and the same?"

It took Dad a while to answer, "I think you need to back up and ask yourself, _'why'_ you want this girl to begin with, Son. Sure, she was smart and cute as a little girl. Even if she hasn't changed and is beautiful and brilliant, you know nothing about her on the inside. Let's say she's the kindest girl on earth—that doesn't make her right for you. You can't commit yourself for life to a fantasy, Nole. Truly ask yourself, _'why?'_ you think she's your future. If you can convince yourself, Delilah, your parents, and her family that you two were meant to be, then let's talk."

"I can't quite answer _why_ she's the one for me, Dad—not yet. But, she is. In my heart, Delilah Taylor is my future."

Dad shook his head at me. "What will you do if you find that the girl tonight is _your_ future girl. Do you have a plan B?"

Wasn't that the question of the century. "Drag her out of that engagement?"

"Shit," Dad groaned. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm not, Dad."

"Damn, Son. You might be declaring war on your buddy's family." Dad wasn't happy. "Nole," Dad almost begged, "Let's assume Rhys' Delilah is not your Delilah. Let's finish our coffee, clear our heads, and walk into the party with happy thoughts. What say you, Son?"

"I say you're right, Dad. There's no point in assuming the worst. I'll do as you say. We'll go to this party, have a great time, but as soon as we get home, I'm heading to Reid Place and letting my intentions be known. No more hiding. I'm done admiring from afar. From here on out, I will woo Delilah Taylor."

"You go, Nolan O. That's my son." Dad exclaimed proudly.

"Speaking of, let's go and get this over with, Dad. I need to face the future now."

### Nolan: How (ya doing)?

"Damn, Nole. This is where your roommate's brother is getting engaged?"

"I know, right, Dad? This hotel is the poshest one in town. Their family is loaded."

"Apparently so, judging by the engagement party. How many people did you say were coming tonight?"

"I think upwards of one-hundred fifty. The future bride comes from a large family, I think. I'm not sure. Ronnie hasn't said much other than the fact that he'd like for us to attend."

"Too bad your mother couldn't make it. She would have loved to have been here."

"What can you do when, even at her age, your mother is a sought-after model?"

"Nothing but enjoy the perks of her job," Dad answered with a grin.

This conversation may have been carried on with a devil-may-care attitude, but we were both nervous. The closer we got to the ballroom, the more ridiculous our conversation became.

"Did you say Ronnie's family owned this hotel?"

"Yes, Dad. This hotel has been in the family for generations. It's one of the oldest in the city."

"It must be nice to be this rich."

"Yeah, but I believe they're all hard workers. They haven't exactly been living it up off their trust funds."

"Still, must be nice." We arrived at the door and paused. Dad was first to say, "No matter what happens, no matter which Delilah is in the room, I want you to think with your head first. Use that big brain of yours and make good decisions."

I nodded, walked in and looked for the bride-to-be. There were too many people for me to make any sense of what was happening. Before I spotted any of the Kent family, I heard, "Brendan? Is that you? Oh my gosh, is that little Nolan O'Shaughnessy?" Shit. I knew this lady. It was not a good sign that I remembered this pretty lady as Chloe Darcy Bennington and that she was related to the Reids.

"Chloe!" Dad greeted her warmly but not calmly. Brendan O was not a stupid man. He knew there was trouble ahead. "What brings you here? Are you with the soon-to-be groom side or bride's side?" He was ferreting information for us.

"I assume you know the groom?" she asked with a chuckle. "Because for sure, I know Nole won't be happy if he understands who the soon-to-be bride will be." Ah damn! It was at this moment Dad and I knew the inevitable. As soon as Chloe said those words, everything happened at once.

I saw my future bride standing at the head of the table with her future husband who wasn't me. I shouldn't have done what I did, but I couldn't help myself.

"Delilah Rose Taylor!" I called out from the back of the room as I hurried up to the head of the table. "I told you to wait for me because I was going to marry you one day!"

With that declaration, I grabbed the bride and kissed her like I did so many Christmases ago.

That was just the beginning of the chaos. The angry fiancé pulled me off my future bride and punched me hard in the face. My sweet bride-to-be, worried about my well-being, held onto me to make sure I didn't fall. However, I did fall. In fact, we fell together and I made sure she fell on top of me so she wouldn't get hurt.

Heaven! Absolute heaven! Even in the craziness of it all, this beautiful woman was atop me, smiling—or perhaps she was grimacing. Whatever it was, it looked like the smile of an angel.

Before others joined us, I asked, "Hey there Delilah, how ya doing? Long time no see."

With a stunned expression, my angel giggled. Like a heaven's choir, I knew her laughter meant all would be right in our world.

Delilah Taylor would soon be Delilah O'Shaughnessy.

#RN!

### Delilah: #OMG!

Who was this man that I was laying on top of, who was most definitely not my fiancé?

Before I could answer that question, Rhys pulled me off this man's body, grabbed the stranger, and positioned to punch him again. In the melee, he couldn't hear me yelling, asking for the senseless beating to stop. I scrambled to stop my fiancé from killing this person.

"Stop!" I yelled again.

Fortunately, my brothers caught a hold of Rhys, and my father caught a hold of the other guy. Honestly, Dad's expression showed more furor than my future husband's. Perhaps Donovan Taylor wasn't the safest person to be holding this stranger right now.

"Hold on! Stop. No more fighting!" I yelled again.

Looking around, my entire family had rushed the head table area. Rhys's brothers, along with my own, made a threatening semicircle around this poor guy. Though kissing me at my engagement party was not cool, I almost felt sorry for him. I needed to calm everyone down and figure out what the hell was going on.

"Hello. My name is Delilah Taylor. I'm unsure what you were thinking, but I'm engaged to be married to that man," I pointed to Rhys. "If you will apologize to my fiancé for your error in judgment, we can all go back to this happy occasion." OK. That was a little lame in this crazy situation but I had to do what I had to do.

"Hello." The guy repeated. "My name is Nolan O'Shaughnessy. I do know what I was thinking because you're to be married to me—very soon. I will not apologize because this was not an error in judgment. Unfortunately, you cannot go back to this occasion because he," this Nolan pointed to my Rhys, "should not be your fiancé. That's my position."

Rhys and his posse growled. Somewhere, I heard groaning. A few people stepped into our large circle and attempted to explain this insane situation.

My future brother-in-law, the man right above my fiancé said, "What's going on, Nolan? Why're you doing this?" Did Ron know this guy or was he just asking in general terms?

"This is Delilah—my Delilah."

Ron continued to reason, "She can't be your Delilah. She's engaged to Rhys. I don't know what happened, but why don't we all stand down and discuss this like proper gents?"

This Nolan nodded his agreement and all the men started walking away. Um...hello? Where was everyone going and why was I, the star of this night, left here?

" _HEY!"_ I hollered. "What about me?" Wasn't I the one who was accosted?

"Sorry, Love." Rhys came back for me but I wouldn't have it.

"No. You all come back here because I need to talk to this man, not you."

Nolan came right back. "What did you want to talk about, Delilah?" He was a little too jovial for someone who was about to get pummeled by every man in this room. "How can I help you?" I felt like I was at a local grocery store getting help from the clerk.

" _Who are you?"_ Perhaps I voiced that question a little too harshly. "How do you know me and why did you come in here and ruin my engagement party? I don't remember anyone else ever proposing to me—what the hell possessed you to kiss me?" I hoped my mother didn't hear my language.

"I'm Nolan O'Shaughnessy. We first met at your house when we were five and recited the numbers together from 0-1,000. After that, we had a delicious dinner and parted until we met again at Michael and Chloe's wedding at the castle in Fife. Don't you remember me giving you your first kiss, telling you that I was going to marry you?"

OMG! Seriously? Was he kidding me? I took several breaths before speaking. "Nolan...!" I had to stop and breathe out loud some more. "We were FIVE. Most people don't remember what they said at age FIVE. How could you think we'd marry if we haven't spoken since kindergarten? It's not possible."

"With us, it is possible." His counterargument was crazy! "Give me a month to prove to you that we belong together. I promise you'll agree with me at the end of that month."

That's when I heard the growls, and saw Rhys' fists curled into tight balls.

"Nolan," Ronnie coaxed. "Let's go out and get a drink, Mate. Just you and me. We'll talk this over and I'll help you understand what's already happened here."

"No," Nolan O'Shaughnessy argued. "The only person I want to talk to is Delilah. I'd like a private audience with her."

"Hell no!" Rhys answered. "She's going nowhere with you."

I needed to figure out a solution and fast! Rhys, along with all the testosterone in this room, was not going to hold back for much longer.

"Rhys? May I speak with you privately?"

He took my hand and pulled me to the corner. I saw Mom, Auntie Emily, Auntie Jane, and Auntie Bee holding back our side of the family. Auntie Chloe and my future mother-in-law were doing the same with the Kent side of the family.

"I'm so sorry, my fair lady. Your perfect engagement was ruined because of that nut job. What can I do to make things better? Anything. Please tell me what you'd like done. I'll make everything happen for you."

My fiancé was going to flip when I told him, "Let me talk to Nolan."

"No way!" he answered immediately.

"Let me see what it is that's driving him. The only person he'll respond to is me. I'll let him down easy where he doesn't lose face in front of the crowd of people."

"I don't like it." My sweet fiancé was caving.

"You trust me?" I knew those words would get him. Of course he trusted me. I trusted him just as fiercely.

"Are you sure?" Still, he was holding on, hoping I'd change my mind.

"Yes. Positive. Give me five, maybe ten minutes with this Nolan and I'll figure out whatever this is."

"Under one condition—you take your cousin Elizabeth with you."

I could live with that. "Deal!"

We kissed. We hugged. We went to clear a hurdle so we could continue with our forever.

### Nolan: #ILY!

"Nolan, why don't we sit down and let Lilah and Rhys figure out a few things?" Dad bobbed his head toward many seats away from the ruckus. I decided it was best to follow him. The crowd, minus a few friendly faces, was not a welcoming one.

"Why don't we join you?" Michael suggested as he led his pretty wife and joined us.

"Tell us what's going on in that genius head of yours, Nolan." Chloe asked with a smile. "That was some entrance." I was glad she approved—at least I thought she approved.

"Well...I suppose I shouldn't have been so dramatic, but when I saw _my_ Delilah as Rhys' Delilah, I lost it. She wasn't supposed to have been up there with Rhys. It was supposed to have been with me."

"I can't believe you even remember her, Nolan. What makes her so special that this many years later, you still want to marry her?" Chloe continued.

"Over the years, I might not have spoken with her, but I knew everything about her. I don't want to sound like a stalker, but I kept tabs."

"Um, Son..." Dad was worried. "That does sound kind of stalkerish. What possessed you to do that?"

"I know this will sound odd to you, but I knew Delilah was the girl I wanted to marry. Since she mostly stayed in Los Angeles, and we were all over the map, I had no choice but to make an ally in the family. I communicated with this person and asked about her."

"Who is this person?"

"I can't say, Dad. I don't want my ally to get into trouble."

"So for how long have you been in contact with your friend?" Dad asked.

I had to think back. "Well, I guess since I was in middle school? No. It was when we had settled in Los Angeles and I went off to college."

"So this infatuation hasn't been that long."

"Dad. It's been since I was five." This conversation frustrated me. "I know you all don't understand. Since I barely knew Delilah and she doesn't know me at all, you're wondering why I'd disrupt her engagement. In many ways, I can't explain it myself except to say, I know she's the one. No matter how old or young, I don't think it matters. When you know, you know." I saw Chloe nodding her head in agreement.

"Nole—" Dad started saying, but couldn't finish his thought when I stood to greet Delilah and her cousin Elizabeth, who stood behind her like a bodyguard.

"All right, Nolan O'Shaughnessy. I'm giving you ten minutes to clear up this mess. You," she pointed to me, "over there," she pointed to an empty corner. I loved this bossy side of her. It made me smile to think of our future together. We walked to the corner and her bodyguard stayed a few paces away, giving us some privacy, but also letting me know that she had Delilah's back. "Talk!" Delilah commanded.

What I ended up saying was _not_ what I meant to say. "I love you." Damn! Where had that come from? Who said those three final words from the start?

" _What?"_ She looked at me as if I should be committed. After a few seconds of sheer shock, she said, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Tell me why you're here and what I can do to get you out of here."

"Initially, I came because Ron invited me."

"How do you know my future brother-in-law?"

"You don't have a future brother-in-law because I'm an only child." No matter her resistance, I needed to continue to hammer my point. She was taking no crap from me so I just kept talking. "Ron and I were college roommates."

"But he's older than you."

"I went to college earlier than most people."

"Whatever. Keep talking."

I did as the bossy lady told me to do. "I'm here because my former roommate invited me, but _now_ I'm here because I need to claim my future bride."

"This is crazy, Nolan. I don't know you. You don't know me. We have nothing in common except Auntie Chloe and Uncle Michael. Even that is a stretch. You have to get it through your thick skull that you and I won't work. We will _not be getting married!_ "

"I know all this sounds bizarre, but all I'm asking for is a chance, Delilah. Once you get to know me, you'll understand what I mean—we are meant to be together."

" _Nolan!"_ The scowl that followed my name was adorable. "Stop it! Stop this madness! We can't work. We won't work. It's impossible." What started as a demand ended up in a plea. "Nolan...please...you have to go. This is my engagement party. I'm going to be Mrs. Rhys Kent in two years. If you don't leave, you'll ruin our night and those men who are standing not too far away from us might hurt you. I don't understand why you so fiercely believe we should be together, but I'll assume it's all done with a good heart. Thank you for considering me as your future spouse. Had you kept in touch, we might have worked out, but now, it's too late. Can't you understand...?" The desperation in her voice made me feel bad. I never wanted Delilah to be sad—especially not because of me.

"All right. I'll leave under one condition."

Her face lit up. As much as it pleased me to see her smile, it broke me to understand why. I hadn't timed my life well. This was a huge step back, but I'd recover.

"Anything!" she answered with excitement.

"When do you get home?"

"In about a week, why?"

"When you do, you'll give me six months to prove to you that I'm the man for you."

"What? Why? How? When? Where?"

"What: I will court you.

Why: Because we were meant to be together.

How: By any means possible.

When: Anytime.

Where: Everywhere.

If you promise me six months, I'll leave."

She was about to say no, but she saw the male faction of her family walking toward us with menacing growls. Elizabeth walked over and tried to stop them; the posse wouldn't be swayed. They'd reach us soon.

Delilah became incredibly anxious as the men neared. I could feel her fear. "Will you promise to treat me and respect me as a friend? Nothing inappropriate, if I say yes?" she asked all in one breath. I held out wondering if I should give in, but in the end, I didn't like making her unhappy. Currently, she was _very_ unhappy.

"All right. Let's start off as friends." What else could I do? I wanted her approval and smile. To both our great delights, we shook hands.

Delilah declared loudly, "Friends!" Before the men reached us, she pushed me toward my dad and pleaded that I keep our bargain.

To that, I answered, "I think it's time for us to leave, Dad. Nice seeing you again, Chloe, Michael."

A job well done, if I do say so myself.

### Delilah: #WTF!

So...after that crazy interlude from one Nolan O'Shaughnessy, we went right back to partying the night away. I soothed all the ruffled feathers and the men enjoyed the night as much as the ladies.

I thought all was fine and dandy until the twenty questions began today, the very next day.

"Lilah, Rhys is here to see you," Mom called.

It was a little early, but no matter. I was always happy to see my fiancé. "Hello, Handsome. What brings you to Belgravia at this hour? Have you had breakfast?"

"I was hoping we could talk privately. Do you mind taking a walk with me?" Rhys didn't sound like his usual self. I knew we were in for a doozy of a conversation.

"Sure. Let me grab a jacket." I told Mom what we were up to and left for our walk.

"Can you tell me why Nolan O'Shaughnessy believed you were to be his bride? At first, I thought you didn't know him, but watching you talk to him in private, I wondered if you were hiding something." _WTF? Where had that come from?_

" _Hiding something?"_ I asked in complete surprise and utterly offended. "What exactly are you accusing me of, Rhys? Don't beat around the bush. Just say it!" I demanded.

"Don't be mad, Lilah. I'm frustrated with what happened last night, and still in the dark about your relationship with Nolan."

" _Mad? Frustrated? Relationship?"_ WTF?! Had he just said those words? I wanted to say too many words that shouldn't be said between two people who love one another. "Why don't we talk later when we're not so emotional." With that statement, I headed home.

"Wait! Lilah..." It took him two steps to overtake me and enfold me in his arms. "I'm sorry, but you must understand my frustration. Some guy not only invaded our joyous engagement, but he also kissed you. If that happened in reverse, what would you have done?"

"Beaten the hell out of the woman." The answer came out with force and heat.

"You're a gentle woman and you want to beat another person for a hypothetical scene. Imagine my anger when I saw another man holding you. No other person on earth has the right to be that intimate with you—only me."

"I understand, but somehow, I feel as if you think last night was my fault."

He was quiet for too long. That pissed me off. "While I don't believe it was your fault, I want to understand some things about you and Nolan." _What? What was there to understand?_ "How do you know him?"

"I don't know him." I refused to be bullied into an explanation. Either my fiancé believed me or he didn't—in which case, he shouldn't be my fiancé.

"How can you say you don't know him, when a man felt confident enough to barge into our celebration and make such a bold claim?"

"I met Nolan once—no, twice. Once, he came to our house when we were five. The next time, we were at Uncle Michael and Auntie Chloe's wedding."

"I was at that wedding, too, and I have no recollection of seeing you. How can Nolan remember you to the extent that he believes you'll be man and wife one day? You must have said something to him when you were younger. I've known him for several years now and though he's a crazy genius, he's not a lunatic."

"So what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm _asking_ what happened between you two? What was promised?"

That was it. I was done. "All right. The truth—I told Nolan, _at age FIVE_ , that I'd give him my virginity and hand in marriage, while we were on the monkey bars. After you and I parted last night, he and I had a secret rendezvous in my bedroom, _with my entire family occupying all four floors of the Belgravia mansion,_ and I am now no longer a virgin. Our engagement, _yours and mine_ ," I pointed to Rhys as well as myself for effect, "is now voided because I come to you as soiled goods. It was nice knowing you Rhys Kent." Rather than stalking away, I ran. Tears fell with each step _._

" _Lilah!"_ I didn't give a damn that he kept calling my name. His slight hesitation in coming after me gave me just enough room to run home. I told my mother that I never wanted to see Rhys Kent ever again, and locked my door. "Lilah." The knocking and beseeching happened sooner than expected.

"Go away. I'm engaged to be married to another man. You no longer have the right to stand outside my door."

I could hear him chuckling, which made me want to kick his ass. Did he think I was joking?

"I'm going to wait out here until you come out, my fair lady."

"You're going to be waiting a long time then."

"It's all right. I'll be here." _Whatever!_ "I guess the way I came off wasn't the best. I didn't think I was accusing you of anything but..."

I heard no more. What Rhys didn't know was that there were secret passageways throughout this old house, probably created for naughty assignations. I opened my "built-in" bookcase and traveled the tunnel into Ellie's room.

"Hey, Cuz!" I called out to Elizabeth Reid's shock.

" _WTF Lilah. Where the hell did you come from?"_

Hehehe! As if I knew all the secrets of this mysterious home? "You wanna go out for tea? I was told they do a mean tea at the Berkeley Hotel."

That's how I ended up laughing it up with my cousin while Rhys was outside my door performing his English monologue.

### Nolan: #TBH

I was feeling pretty stellar this morning until the phone calls happened. First, Ronnie Kent called asking to meet. Next, Donovan Taylor called demanding to meet. Damn. Couldn't they all just allow me to bask in my glory and stay smug? Neither party would take no for an answer. Being the smart man that I was, I decided to meet Ronnie first. He was the lesser evil of the two, I figured.

Wrong! What I hadn't figured was that four of the five Kents decided to have a pow-wow with me. Shit!

Ainsley, Beaumont, Gerhardt, and Ron all looked pissed. It was a good thing I suggested we meet at the café inside our hotel. At least there'd be witnesses to my pummeling.

"Please sit, Nole." Ron was civil. The three other brothers were close to killing me with their bare hands. I chose to sit as far away from the Kents as possible in this tiny place. "The four of us would like to ask you a few questions. We thought we'd come now while Rhys was with Lilah."

The idea of Rhys with Delilah angered me, but I knew that was a different battle for later.

"Go ahead and ask."

Ron continued, "We've always considered you a friend and my parents have always treated you like family whenever you visited London. We just don't understand what happened last night. From what we could tell, Lilah had no idea who you were. Is that true? Was she lying? Were you lying? What the hell is going on, Nole? Give us some answers!"

"Listen. I apologize about the disruption. It wasn't my intention to make such a huge deal, but when I saw my Delilah with Rhys, I kind of lost it."

" _Your Delilah?"_ Ainsley growled. "I believe she's engaged to be a Kent."

"She was," I answered to a pissed-off crowd.

"What the fuck does _'she was'_ mean?" Beaumont, the burliest one of the five Kent brothers, shouted. "She's still engaged to be married to a Kent."

"Once Delilah gets to know me, she'll realize that I am her true love. I'm sorry. This was how fate meant for us to happen. I'm not courting drama. It's courting me."

Ron sat his brother down and asked, "Please explain, Nole. I consider you a good friend. Do me a courtesy and tell us what's going on."

Fair enough. Ron was a good friend, though probably no longer a business partner. I told him the entire story.

"That's it?" Beaumont snarled again. "It's just as you and Lilah said at the party last night? There's no more than a childhood crush?" I didn't appreciate the way he belittled my feelings, but I said nothing more. In the end, I'd get the last laugh. I knew that for sure. "Let's go. We don't need to waste our time here." The three older ones left but Ron decided he had more to say.

"Look, Nole..." I knew what he was thinking. Ron understood my tenacity. Whenever I wanted something, he knew I went after it with a vengeance and I always came out a winner. "I'm sorry you've lost the girl you believed would be yours. But please," he begged, "my brother has found the woman of his dreams. Leave the two of them be. They're happy. They've pledged to be with one another the rest of their lives."

"Not quite yet," I added.

"Not literally, but they'll be there soon enough. If it hurts you to lose the girl you liked as a boy, imagine how hard it will be for my brother. They're engaged, already—to be married. Think of that before you decide Lilah is the girl for you."

Ron said none of this in anger, but what he spoke made sense. It was mean of me to take someone's bride-to-be, but my mind and heart were made up. Delilah Rose Taylor was the only girl for me. This many years later, I couldn't change my heart even if I wanted to alter it.

With that meeting done, I caught a cab and trudged to my next meeting.

If I thought meeting the four Kent brothers was intimidating, meeting the four Reid, Taylor, Davis men scared the shit out of me. These men invented the word, frightening.

"Sit!" Donovan Taylor commanded.

I sat face to face with the big man, and the three uncles stood behind him, mafia-style.

"How can I help you?" I squeaked.

"Explain yourself!" My (maybe) future father-in-law insisted.

"I want to marry your daughter, Sir." I came out bold. "I've known since I was five that she and I were meant to be. She cannot marry Rhys. He is not the man for her. Even if you disagree, I will marry Delilah." I had no idea where the hell I came across sounding like I owned this woman. The four men gawking at me were thinking the same thought.

After boring a hole into my forehead with their stares, the first uncle laughed. "You mean to tell me that you've had a crush on our Lilah since you were a baby?" That was Elizabeth's father who broke the silence.

"Yes, Sir. Now that I know she's engaged, it's going to be a full-on attack. I will not sit in the background any longer."

Next, Uncle Max asked, "If you were so in love with Lilah, why did you come this late? Where were you all this time?"

"We're both only twenty-two. I thought I had more time to become something, somebody. I've been watching Lilah from afar and I knew she hadn't and wasn't dating anyone. I figured it wouldn't hurt to wait another few years before presenting my case to her."

"Did it dawn on you that she might fall in love with another man in the interim? According to our Lilah, she had no idea you existed. That's not the best way to start a marriage, Nolan—as complete strangers."

"I know, Uncle Nick." All four men glared at me as soon as the term of endearment slipped out. "Sorry. I thought you might not mind since I'll be family soon." Now, they were laughing like pack of hyenas.

"Knowing full well that my daughter is marrying Rhys, you have the balls to still pursue her? She's technically off the market, Nolan."

His words, his tone, his attitude—it all shouted like an approved challenge. Hell yes! I was going to pursue her. "Yes! I'm going to make her mine!" I declared.

My future father-in-law turned and silently conveyed some message to his family. They all had stern looks on their faces.

"What if she refuses you?"

"I'm ready to battle, Uncle Jake. My biggest error was miscalculating the time. To be honest, I was cocky and believed Delilah would wait for me."

"How can she wait for someone she didn't know existed?" Uncle Max asked.

"My bad. As soon as we get home, I'll be working overtime to get her back."

Donovan Taylor, Jake Reid, Max Davis, and Nick Reid neither approved nor disapproved. They spoke a cursory good-bye and left.

I took that as a definite two-thumbs up. If they weren't going to stop me, then they would eventually support me. I felt like I was on top of the world! With the family behind me, along with my secret weapon, I'd be married to Delilah in no time.

### Donovan Taylor: #SMH

"That kid has balls!" Nick spoke with admiration. "I like him. If I were forced to take sides, I'd pick Nolan O'Shaughnessy."

"Don't encourage it, Nick." Inside, I agreed with my cousin-in-law.

"Hey, I'm Team Nolan, too." Max would stir up trouble. "Damn! If I had his confidence, I wouldn't have had all those issues with Jane and this asshole, here."

"How many years ago was that? You still harping like a chick about that one incestuous embrace between me and your wife?"

"Hell yeah. I'm going to harp on that until we die." All the men laughed.

We were on our way back home after having met with Nolan O'Shaughnessy, and I didn't know what to think. Part of me was impressed with the kid. The other, larger, part of me was pissed he was making my baby girl suffer. She was unhappy when I left her in Belgravia.

"How do you think this will play out since this Nolan kid lives in LA and Rhys will be here in London?" Nick wondered.

"This is going to get interesting," Jake answered with a laugh. "Better you than me, Buddy."

"Hell! I'm shaking my head at the headaches to come. Let's change topics for a minute. Whatever happened to our Elizabeth and that twin she was dating? Did you ever get an answer from her?"

Jake shook his head no. "If he isn't man enough to take care of my girl, good riddance! I don't need some pansy-assed boy trying to woo my girl. After watching Ellie the past few weeks, I'm pissed enough to rip into him if he comes around again. You think you have issues—Ellie and this twin work together in the hospital under me. I see the way my daughter goes to great lengths to avoid him. They make puppy eyes at one another and yet they stay as far apart as possible."

"Does James know anything? Aren't they close friends?"

"Who the hell knows, Max. You've seen all of them at the hospital. It's an ugly scene."

Max and Nick laughed. "Yeah. Nick and I were having lunch with Ellie at the hospital when the other set of twins walked in. Ellie froze mid-bite. Both brothers stopped and gawked. It was a scene out of the movies—an ugly one at that."

"Back to the issue at hand," Jake changed topics. "Are you going to allow this Nolan to hang around the cul-de-sac?"

Damn. I was just wondering that myself. "I don't know. There's a part of me that admires a kid who goes after what he wants. _However_ , who he wants is my daughter. If I can't stand the thought of her marrying Rhys in two years, I don't know that I like the idea of her being courted by another kid. I'm so damn confused. I might go with whatever the little woman wants. More times than I care to admit, the little woman makes sense. If she says she's open to poaching season, then I'll accept it."

All three guys chuckled. "Let's go grab a pint of beer before heading back."

"Best idea you've had yet, Max. My treat. Let's go think about something other than our kids."

This was going to be a long two years.

### Delilah: #LYLAS

"I love this place! Why can't we have tea houses like this in LA?"

My cousin, the cynical one, answered, "Because we're Americans and this is England?"

"Pish-posh! Whatever. I could have tea every day. I wish I had been born in the Regency era. Then, I could've rung for tea on a daily basis."

"Unless you're the scullery maid assembling the tea."

"Haha, Elizabeth Reid. You've become mighty cynical the past weeks. Tell me what's bothering you. I want to help."

She considered it, and then decided against whatever she was about to say. "Tell me about you, Rhys, and Nolan. Do you think he's still outside your door spewing his soliloquy?"

We both giggled. "Who the hell knows? I was so pissed after he accused me of causing last night's debacle, I decided we wouldn't talk for a while."

"You might be upset to hear this, but I found Nolan O'Shaughnessy quite adorable. I wish I had someone that ardent in his pursuit."

I had to ask, "What happened with the twin?"

"Why do you all call him 'the twin?'"

"Uh, because you're a twin and he's a twin? What else can we call you but the wonder-twin couple?"

"Funny." The way my cousin spoke, it wasn't funny to her. "Tell me more about you and your men."

"Nothing to tell, Cuz. Nolan is a _friend_ from my youth—if we can actually call each other friends. Rhys is on shaky grounds with me for having stupid trust issues. I'm beginning to think Dad was right to make us wait two years before tying the knot."

"Really?" Ellie was surprised with my statement. "What happened to the undying love and commitment?" I couldn't tell whether she was teasing me or not. "Wasn't it Rhys and Delilah or bust?"

I laughed. "I don't know, Ellie. Why couldn't life be as sweet as these tea treats we're consuming? Maybe Dad does know best. What the hell do I know about love and marriage at this age?"

"I hate to agree, but Uncle Donovan might be correct—along with the rest of the busybody uncles and my dad. Maybe it's time we learn something from their past. None of them had it easy while they were dating."

"True."

"What will you do about Rhys before you leave?"

"I have to see him again and we need to agree upon some ground rules before this relationship continues. I need complete trust during the two years we'll be separated."

"What about Nolan?" Shit. I so didn't want to have to explain the trouble I'd gotten myself in. "What's that _oh-shit!_ look? What have you done now?"

"Well...remember how Nolan so easily left the party last night after a brief chat with me?"

"Yeah..."

"He did so under a few conditions."

"And those conditions would be?"

"It was something stupid, but doable." I knew my cousin would be upset if I told her everything.

"You're stalling, Delilah Rose Taylor. Spill it."

I sighed. "Nole made me promise that I'd be his friend for six months."

"Do I look stupid to you? I know there's more. Spill it, Cuz."

"During those six months of _friendship_ , he's going to attempt to court me."

"No. Damn. Way! You do understand that a man who has the audacity to disrupt an engagement party will do nothing less than convince you that he's the right man for you?"

"No he won't. I made him promise me that we'd just be friends."

"You believe him?" Ellie's incredulous expression made me feel as if I'd just fallen off the turnip truck.

"But he swore he'd be my friend. That was the only way to make him leave. I had to promise or else we would've had a brawl rather than an engagement party."

My cousin heard my distress. "All right, Lilah. What can I do to help?"

Elizabeth Reid and I were five years apart in age. While growing up, I was the annoying little sister who chased after her as soon as she appeared on the cul-de-sac. As irritated as she might have been, she still took care of me and treated me like a sister. Now, so many years later, Ellie continued to look out for me.

"If you're around, will you chaperone our time together? He won't be able to push his cause if you're there with me."

"Definitely. How about if we enlist all our cousins? I won't be home always, but when I'm not around, use James, or your brothers, or any of the Davises. Hell, use your uncles, aunts, grandparents—any person on the cul-de-sac. Don't ever be alone with him."

"I always knew I could count on you, Ellie. You're like the sister I never had."

She smiled and reached her hand out to me. "We, girls, need to stick together. You're the first to get married. We might make a few mistakes, but by the time the younger ones are ready to date, we should have this all in hand."

"How can I help _you_ , Ellie? You've been so sad the past few weeks. What would brighten your day and make you smile again?"

"I'm good, Lilah. Let's figure out your issues, and then work on mine. For now, there's nothing to be done."

"Will you tell me how you ended your relationship?"

That was when the sadness came back in full force. "I didn't know we were going to end. All I was told was that he didn't think we were right for one another."

"That's it? There must have been something more."

"That was it. That's how we ended."

"What a jerk! I'm going to tell Henry and Scottie to kick his ass when they see him at the hospital. You want me to talk to Grandpa Henry and have both twins kicked out of the hospital?" I was damn furious for my cousin. She deserved better than this weakling of a twin.

She sort of laughed. "Let him be. If he's comfortable working among all the Reids, then I should be comfortable being near one man. It'll be fine."

"Listen. There are only four girl-cousins in this male-dominated family. We need to stick together. I've always loved you like a sister, Ellie. I hope you know that I'm here for you if and when you want to talk about your broken heart."

"I'll keep that in mind, Lilah. For now, let's go tackle your issues in London before we head back to deal with your bigger issues in LA."

Damn!

### Nolan: #VBG

"So now that you've disrupted a possible wedding and have convinced the bride-to-be to give you a chance, what's the next move, Nolan?" As soon as we arrived back at the home, I told Mom all that had happened. I'd told her most of what had happened when I called her after the engagement party, but she wanted more details. Like her horrified responses on the phone, she groaned, shook her head, and she told me repeatedly that she was mortified _for_ me. I couldn't quite tell whether I'd impressed her or made her want to hide under the nearest rock.

"I have plans, Mom."

"Oh no! What plans, Son?"

"Can I tell you tonight? I have a meeting in about thirty minutes."

That's how I left my mother with a still-shocked visage. She didn't know what to make of her son. Once she re-met Lilah, she would love her. Who wouldn't want Delilah Taylor as a daughter-in-law?

I raced to my meeting with the man who held the key to my future.

"Hey. Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." I put out my hand and Nicky Reid was nice enough to shake it rather than sock me. "Truth be told, I didn't think you'd agree to meet me after London."

"I was too curious to give up this opportunity. Just be glad I didn't bring the Taylor twins. _That,_ my friend, would've been your funeral."

I liked this guy. He had a great sense of humor. "Let me get to the point." Nicky nodded his approval. "I have a great invention I'd like to bring you _and_ Delilah in on."

"Ah-ha! Now I see why you wanted to meet. What makes you think I, or my cousin, would be interested?"

"Because I know you've been tinkering with the idea of a hair-growth product for men, and I already have a product for women. The formula is under review as we speak."

In a pissed-off voice, Nicky asked, "How'd you know about our newest invention? Who told you? Did Lilah tell you?"

"I wish Delilah would be that open with me." Truly, I'd have no worries if we were at the point of sharing secrets. "As to who told me, that stays with me. However, I'm willing to bring you both in at this late stage."

Now the businessman came out. "Why? Why would you _bring us in_ , especially if you're that much further ahead than we are?"

"Because it makes good business sense to work with two people who have a complimentary product. My formula for women's hair growth is a slam dunk. It works well! However, I'd like to market it together with men's hair growth, and it would take me years to invent a solution comparable to my women's hair line. Since you and Delilah are further ahead, I thought maybe we could join efforts and share formulas."

I could see the wheels turning. Nicky had to be quite the businessman to have discovered, patented, and sold a successful product at such a young age. "I'd need to discuss this with my cousin."

"By all means. I need her approval in all things before my life can progress."

"What if she says no? What will you do?"

"I think Delilah will be excited to work with me. My product is in motion and will be sent for FDA approval soon. Yours is still at the research stage. Imagine how much faster your product will move when I get involved and share my expertise? I think she's smart enough to set aside her personal feelings and work with me."

"What you propose is tempting, Nolan."

"If this works out well, then we can venture into other inventions. I'd like to find a Botox-equivalent that's all natural. I've been tinkering with a few formulas for what I'd like to call Fauxtox."

Nicky laughed. "I like the name. Maybe that's what I should've called the product I sold last year."

"Give me a sense of what you're thinking, Nicky."

"If we're talking strictly business, I like it. I think we can be successful together. It's the personal mess that makes me hesitate. You made quite an impression in London."

This time, I grinned. "If we're being completely truthful, I don't think too many of your family members dislike me. Maybe Delilah's brothers might be a tad bit upset that their sister wasn't happy, but I've met with your dad and your uncles. None of them warned me against your cousin. If I were the bold sort, I'd say I saw a smidgen of admiration from the men as well as the women."

Nicky laughed out loud. "My family's nuts! I thought Uncle Donovan and his posse kicked your ass when they went to meet you."

"Far from it. They didn't welcome me with open arms, but they also didn't deny me the opportunity to woo your cousin."

"You're seriously going through with this idiotic idea of marrying Lilah? You understand she's engaged to be married?"

With pride and confidence, I answered, "You and I will eventually be calling each other, _Cuz_ , Nicky. We might as well start joining our forces now."

Nicky didn't know what to do with my audacious words. With a very big grin, he stuck out his hand and said, "If Lilah gives her approval, I'm in... _Cuz._ "

With a very big grin of my own, I shook his hand and told him, "Talk to you again, soon, _Cuz!_ "

I was on my way toward winning Delilah's heart.

### Delilah: #IMO & #XOXO

"Delilah. There's someone here to see you," Mom called from downstairs. "Your guest is in the library."

Today was our last day in London and I'd avoided talking to Rhys thus far. I wasn't playing games. I wasn't trying to garner extra attention from my fiancé. I was well and truly pissed he accused me of wrongdoing. Even when I told him the truth, he wasn't convinced. Only when I told him to go to hell and take our engagement with him, did he wake up to the reality that I was unhappy with his treatment.

"Hello, my fair lady." I knew I'd have to face him at some point before I left. I might as well finish off what was started a few days ago. "I can't believe you've evaded me this many days." He started toward me with his arms out. I stepped back, unwilling to accept his embrace. "Lilah..." His voice and expression told me he was hurt. I was still angry.

"I think we should reconsider this engagement, Rhys."

"What?" he asked, totally surprised.

"My parents were right. I'm too young to understand marriage and we went too fast with this relationship. As much as I still adore you, I can't get over the lack of trust."

"I'm sorry. That's what I've been trying to tell you since our horrid morning. My brothers told me that they met with Nolan and he confirmed what you'd said. I should've believed you. I'm sorry it's taken this long for me to convey my heart."

"So what I'm hearing is that you're now sorry because Nolan confirmed what I told you to begin with? Is that right?"

I'd caught him in his faux pas. "Um, I suppose?"

"So what would happen if I told you that I promised Nolan that we'd be friends when we returned to the States? Would you trust me to stay _platonic_ with him or would you believe that there were nefarious dealings between him and me?"

"What?" His tone told me he did not like what I'd said. "Why would you be friends with him?"

"Maybe because that was the only way to get him to leave our party before you all killed him."

"But...but...he wants to marry you...he believes he'll marry you...why would you promise such a thing...why would you give him hope?"

"I'm not giving him hope. I was trying to diffuse a volatile situation and this was the only way to do it. It's not as though there's anything remotely romantic happening between us. I'm not even attracted to the guy. I just want some peace in my life."

"In my opinion, that was a dumb move. You shouldn't have promised him anything, especially not your time and attention."

"Well, _in my opinion_ , your opinions aren't welcome."

"Lilah. You're being unreasonable and childish. I don't like us fighting. I have to let you go in a few hours and you're unhappy with me. What can I do to make it better between us? A newly-affianced couple shouldn't be arguing like we are."

"Do you love me?"

"Without a doubt!"

"Do you trust me?"

"You, yes. Nolan, no."

"When I head home, will you trust me to stay loyal to you?"

That answer came with a slight pause. "Yes. I know you'll be true to me and to us." I supposed that was good enough.

"Then you won't be upset if Nolan happens to come up in our conversation from time to time?"

Rhys was unhappy. However, he was trying to make a bad situation into a tolerable one. "All right," he answered with reluctance. "Can you just promise me you'll avoid him as much as possible?"

That was an easy answer. "Without a doubt. In fact, knowing Dad and the rest of the men on the cul-de-sac, I don't know that Nolan will ever set foot on our block. You saw the treatment you received—and we were, are, to be married. I don't think anyone in our family liked Nolan barging in on our engagement. You have nothing to worry about, Rhys."

He thought about it and soon agreed. "True. With all the men in your family, I probably have nothing to worry about. From what I saw at our engagement, no one was happy to see him. Perhaps I should suggest your father put a gate and a keeper at the entrance of your cul-de-sac? Perhaps, I'll pay for it myself."

I groaned. "Please don't encourage any more craziness. The men in our family are Neanderthals already."

That's when things turned sad and mushy. "Damn. I'm going to miss you, my fair lady. When will we see each other again?"

"Well," I answered with a grin, "my father doesn't know this, but Nicky and I have to be in London for one of his speaking engagements in exactly a month. We will be reunited very soon."

"Splendid!" He said while pulling me in for a serious make out session.

" _RHYS!_ Welcome!" Damn father of mine butted into my life at all times. Privacy didn't exist in my world.

My fiancé jumped back and shook Dad's hand instead. The smirk on Donovan Taylor's face drove me batty. "Hello, Sir."

"I see you've decided not to lose my daughter to that man-boy who invaded your party." There was a question in there somewhere??? Who knew with my father.

"Yes, Sir! We'll be married in exactly two years, maybe sooner if I work through summer. I might be done in eighteen months." He spoke confidently.

"Really?" I was excited enough to embrace Rhys, father be damned.

"I'm starting immediately and will work through until I'm done." He said with a wink and a quick kiss, to my father's chagrin. "You, my fair lady, will be Mrs. Rhys Kent very soon."

I whispered, "And you will see me very soon, without my father."

That's how we parted. Thanks to Dad, there weren't enough hugs and kisses, but we knew in a month, there would be plenty.

Rhys and Delilah were back on track!

### Nolan: #THX :-)

"You wanted to meet with us?" That was the greeting I received when Donovan and Delaney Taylor walked into the restaurant and found me in my corner.

"Yes! Please sit." I gestured for them to sit across from me and asked, "I assume you haven't had lunch? They have great sandwiches here." Donovan Taylor grabbed the menu with a growl. Delaney Taylor was much more cordial as she thanked me for handing her the list of sandwiches.

The same day I contacted Nicky Reid, I called Donovan Taylor at his office and asked for a meeting with him and the Mrs. He agreed to lunch, so here I was, trying to win them over.

"Talk!" was the command, once lunch was ordered.

I was here to win these two people over, not to be intimidated. "I asked you both to lunch to gain your approval."

"Approval for what?" Donovan Taylor asked churlishly.

This was where Delilah's beautiful mother stepped in. "Nolan," she said thoughtfully, "while I understand your desire for our daughter, I have to remind you that she is engaged to be married."

"She's engaged to the wrong man, Ma'am. I'm a few months tardy, but I believe I am the one for her."

Once again, in a sweet voice she said, "You can't just take her away from the man she's pledged to be with the rest of her life."

"But isn't that what happened between the two of you? You were with Michael Bennington and your husband swept you off your feet? If I recall the story correctly, you knew since you were young that you wanted to be Mrs. Donovan Taylor."

"Yes, but I grew up with Donovan. He was a close family friend."

"Wasn't there a long period when Mr. Taylor went off to sow his wild oats while you were growing up? Neither of you saw each other again until a decade later." Perhaps that wasn't the point to make. Neither appeared happy with what I'd said.

"Donovan _did_ sow his wild oats, _and then some,_ while I waited for him to notice me that _entire decade_. Then, he finally noticed me, but decided he wanted my cousin, Jane, instead!" Damn, what bite! There was no wondering why I liked Delilah so much. I respected her mother.

"Aw come on, Princess, why is it always me who's the asshole? You're the one who went off and found yourself a boyfriend the moment you stepped on foreign soil. I paid penance for my stupidity over and over again. I don't want this ever brought up again." Too soon, the anger was vented toward me. "We're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you and your stupidity!"

"It was absolutely stupid of me to not be in contact with Delilah when I had the chance. When I was younger, we lived around the world because of Mom's job. Once I entered college, I was barely old enough to drive and too inundated with adult life to pay any attention to your daughter. I also doubt either one of you would've appreciated a college boy/man, regardless of my age, paying court to your high school daughter."

"Damn right!" Delilah's father was still not amused.

"Once I finished most of my schooling, I should've shown up to Reid Place and asked for your permission to woo your lovely girl. Instead, I tootled around with a few inventions and wanted to earn every degree under the sun. I knew how special Delilah was, and I wanted to be comparable."

"I tell you what, tell us a little more about yourself, Nolan." Thank the lucky stars, I somehow caught Mrs. Taylor's interest and compassion.

"I'm an only child of two loving parents. Like your children, I excelled in school. Because I was 'on the road' for a good portion of my life, I raced through school and landed in undergrad at a young age. Before I realized Delilah was engaged, I was going to come to her with an arsenal of degrees, a patented invention, and enough money to have us in a position where we could invent without worrying about finances." That part, I knew, was impressive enough. "People have told me I'm a likeable guy. I've also been told I'm a geek, a nerd, and not the type most girls want to date. My father is considered a handsome man. My mother is a supermodel. However, I didn't appear to luck out in the good-looking gene pool like you, Mr. Taylor."

Donovan Taylor cracked a very small, smug grin. Delaney Taylor's words, however, blew me away. "I think you're selling yourself short, Nolan. Underneath the glasses and bowtie, I suspect there's a very handsome young man there. Your parents are stunning people and you look to me like you received all the right genes."

"Really?" Was she kidding me? Maybe Mrs. Taylor was saying all this before telling me to get lost?

She nodded yes! "This mad-scientist look works for many people, Nolan. If it doesn't and you need a change, I believe you can pull off whatever look you want."

"You just made my day, Mrs. Taylor. Thank you. I always thought the one shortfall would be my looks. After listening to you, I think I'll be all right." I believed I just made an ally.

"Now why'd you have to go encouraging him, Princess?" Of course, there was also my nemesis.

Delilah's mom laughed at her husband. "I want it to be clear that I did not raise my daughter to be unfaithful to her future spouse. She has made a commitment to him, but a lot can happen in two years. Perhaps you might want to step back and become friends, _first_? Twenty-two is an awful early age to be marrying anyone."

"Wait. That sounds like you're regretting something, Princess."

Mrs. Taylor's smile was dazzling. "I've loved you since I was eleven. Four children later, do you really believe I have any regrets?"

That sentiment did it for me. I wanted what the Taylors had. Though I didn't receive their approval, I also didn't receive their disapproval. From what I could tell, I was given the green light to be friends with Delilah Taylor. I'd take her mother's advice and get to know my future wife.

Thanks, future mom and dad! You just gave me a damn good reason to smile.

### Delilah: #TMI

"Where are we going, Nicky? Why all the secrecy?"

"I told you. I'm taking you to a research lab."

"What kind of research lab? This one isn't yours or your dad's. I didn't even know labs existed in this part of town."

Since my recent return from London, I'd been Nicky's sidekick. He put me to work immediately.

"Just stop asking questions and follow," he commanded in a non-commanding way. Of all my male cousins, Nicky and I got along the best. He and I had a special connection—in a weird, scientist kind of way. We understood one another.

Nicky gave some secret knock on a door that didn't really look like a door and voila, we were ensconced into a dark hallway. "What—" I tried to ask again but was shut down by a hand raised as a silent stop sign. I gave up trying to get any answers.

"Close your eyes and give me your hand." Rather than rolling my eyes as I thought I might do, I closed them and put out a hand.

Nicky carefully led me somewhere and told me, "Open your eyes."

When I opened as told, I didn't know whether the sight in front of me was my dream come true or a nightmare about to happen. In front of me was a huge lab filled with men and women in white lab coats running experiments. It appeared hair was the subject and since Nicky and I were about to embark on a journey with hair growth, I was about to squeal for joy—that is until I saw him! In the hustle and bustle of the laboratory, I didn't notice him at first. But there he was. Nolan O'Shaughnessy! How could I have missed the man in the middle of the room?

"What the hell, Nicky?"

"Trust me?"

"No."

"Have I ever let you down?"

"Yes. Just now."

"Have faith."

Brief conversation/argument over; we were greeted by a man with the biggest smile ever. At my engagement party I thought Nolan was goofy looking, but in the lab, he was in his element. He was actually on the cute side of geeky.

"Hello Delilah." He stepped into me. Who knew _why_ he stepped into me. I stepped back, double-time. "I'm glad you're here!" Um...I could tell by the still-ginormous grin. How could a man so young have such an old soul to him? "May I show you around?"

Nicky knew I was about to say no. He stepped in front of me and answered, "We'd love a tour of your lab. This is a lot bigger than I expected. How many people do you employ Nolan? This can't be cheap. You have a first-rate operation here. This is legit." Nicky gave his seal of approval and I grudgingly, inwardly, agreed. The lab was impressive.

"There are anywhere from ten to forty people working on any given project. I have a rich partner who considers me the working-partner so none of this would be possible without him. I assume you haven't said a word to your cousin?" Nolan tried to ask that last question on the down low but I heard it loud and clear.

"What do you mean?" I asked in part-fear and part-annoyance. "Tell me now, Nicky."

"I'll give you the honor." My cousin deferred to the man I did not want to associate with.

"Well, Delilah. As I told your cousin, I have a business proposal for the two of you." From there he took us to a small conference room and gave us a very thorough presentation of his proposal.

My first instinct was to jump at the opportunity to work with an established group like Nolan's. _However,_ working with a man who was out to ruin my engagement was not good for my engagement. Ultimately, the answer had to be, "No."

"Come on, Lilah. Think from your brain and not from your heart."

"No Nicky. I don't want any problems with Rhys. He would freak out if I told him I was going into a partnership with his enemy."

"But we'd be so much ahead of the game if we joined Nolan."

Ugh! Didn't I know it. I so wanted to be that much ahead of the game. "No." I needed to stay strong.

"How about if I sweeten the deal and give you a 50/50 cut on our joint inventions?" Nolan was saying all the right words. I couldn't cave. "I'm almost at the end game, Delilah. You can jump right in and join me. My staff and I can help you eliminate years of work." He was plying me with information that was too good to pass up on. "I tell you what, Delilah." Dear God! What was he going to tell me now? "After my partner has taken his cut from the net profits, I'll even give you and Nicky a 50/50 split on _my_ hair growth invention as well. That's going to be a lot of money."

Damn man. This was way too much information for my methodical brain to refuse. I was so close to saying yes, but my heart told me I needed to say no. What the hell to do?

My cousin came to the rescue. "How about Lilah and I go think about all your offers and we'll get back to you soon?"

The tenuous smile on Nolan's face had me feeling kind of bad. He did offer us the deal of a lifetime. Had it been anyone else, I would've signed on the dotted line.

"All right. Think it over and call me if you have any questions. Maybe we can meet one more time in a more casual setting and I can explain even further exactly where I am with my hair growth product?"

"We'll be in touch— _soon._ " Nicky answered. "Let's go, Cuz."

Not needing any more encouragement, I stood up to run the hell out of here. Of course, life was never that easy. "May I speak with you privately for a moment?" Without asking, Nicky walked away. I had no choice but to talk to this man.

"Yes?" My tone was not very kind.

"All of this," Nolan gestured to his lab, "will mean so much more with you here, working side by side." _Please, stop!_ "Out there," he now pointed to the outside world, "I can't compete with your fiancé. He's tall, he's handsome, he's rich, he's well-connected, and his trust fund is larger than most men's lifetime salary. But in here, I know I can surpass him. I'm hard-working, loyal, dedicated to the projects at hand, love what I do, and I'm damn good at what I do. My hope is that you can see me at my best. Consider working with me, at least on this one project, and I promise not to bother you on a personal level."

"What does that mean?"

"Unless you want to, you don't have to associate with me outside of work hours."

"So, you won't pursue me like you threatened?"

"How about I promise not to pursue you when you're not here? I'd be lying if I said I would keep everything platonic."

"Not good enough."

"What could happen in the workplace, Delilah? It's not like we'll have that much time to fraternize."

"You are too much, Nolan. I need to get out of here and process all of this information-overload. Truly, this afternoon has been the epitome of too much info."

"Fair enough. I'll talk to you soon?"

"You'll talk to my cousin soon. Don't expect anything, Nolan. As of now, my answer is still no."

He wasn't thrilled, but he also didn't fight me. "All right, Delilah. It was wonderful seeing you again. As always, you take my breath away whenever I see you."

Damn man! "Good-bye."

AARGH!

Bye Bye Bye... ('N Sync)

Hello... (Lionel Richie)

Nolan: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies..." ~Fleetwood Mac

"Speak!"

"Cam..."

"Nope, don't fight me or try and get out of talking. I came early so you can tell me what's up. Our debate practice will not start until I get some answers from you."

"There's not much to say."

She was not pleased. "Oh I think there's plenty to say. You've been back more than a week and you've avoided me. I'm going to give you this one chance to tell me what's happening."

"I'm in love with Delilah and we're going to get married." Shit! Had I just said all that?

"What?" Cammie was beside herself in shock and anger. "How could you have been together with a girl all this time and not have told me? What am I to you? What kind of friend are you to me? How could you do this to me and to us?" She started bawling.

"Cammie. I'm sorry. That came out all wrong. Please stop. Stop crying. I'll tell you everything."

It took my best friend some time to come back to me whole. "I'm ready. Don't hold back. Say everything."

What was there really to say? I told her everything I knew since age five.

Cam's jaws were on the floor. She said nothing for a while. At least she wasn't crying. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I kind of didn't tell anyone. My parents didn't even know until I pulled that crazy stunt at Delilah's engagement party."

"So why her? What's so special about her that makes you think, since before kindergarten, that you'd marry her? You've never shown any interest in girls. I wondered at times if you liked boys." Cammie's tone was not as sweet as her usual self. I figured she was still upset I'd kept this from her.

"Delilah is just special, Cam. I can't explain it, but she's one of a kind."

"OK. Let's say that she's special. Don't you think it's a little unrealistic that she's going to dump her fiancé for you? She's already taken. Wouldn't it be wise to just give up now?"

"No!" I answered adamantly. "I wouldn't have interrupted her engagement party if I didn't believe I'd win this war. We will be together in the end, Cammie. I know it."

There was much doubt and disappointment in her expression. "Nole..."

"Let's stop talking about Delilah and talk about you, instead. What will you do with yourself now that you've quit your job?"

"Well, I wondered if your job offer was still open?" Damn. I had invited her to work for me as our PR and HR guru for the hair growth company. What to do if Delilah accepts my invitation? "By your silence, I take it that I'm no longer welcome at your company?"

"No. It's not that. I'd still like for you to handle HR now and PR right before my product comes out."

"But?"

"But you might be working with Delilah."

"What?" Cammie was a little bug-eyed now. "How? Why? What the hell? Why is this girl everywhere now? She's trying to take everything that was mine!"

Though Cam was scaring me a little, this didn't feel bad. She was protective of me and I liked it. Before she blew another gasket, I explained my proposal to Nicky and Delilah. As a bonus I said, "You might really like Nicky. He's handsome, bright, and from a good family. I think you'll get along with him just fine." The thought of Cammie and Nicky was a good one; it made me smile.

"Whatever. Just because you think you're getting married, don't try and push marital thoughts into my head. I have no thoughts of getting along with whoever this Nicky is."

"Why not? Don't you want to be with a good man? You're about as perfect as they come, Cam. Any man would be lucky to be with you. You're beautiful, you're brilliant, you're funny, and you're the best friend any guy or girl can have. What's stopping you from dating? Guys are hitting on you all the time. Why don't you go out with them?"

She couldn't decide what to say. She'd start and stop herself before she finally spoke. Her words shocked the hell out of me when she finally got everything off her chest. "All right. Since today is a day of telling the truth, I'm going to tell you that I always thought you and I might one day be a couple. We are best friends. What better person to date than your best friend?"

"What?" Now it was my turn to be floored. "When did this happen?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It just kind of happened. Do you not feel anything for me?"

"Well..." Damn. What to say? "I love you as a friend. We've always been great together, but I haven't ever thought of us as anything but friends."

"Well, start thinking about it and get back to me."

"Wait. Where are you going?" Cammie was almost out the door. "I thought we were practicing."

"You and I just had a come-to-Jesus revelation and the last thing I want to do is practice anything. Think about what I said. Think very carefully about where you want to invest your time—with your best friend whom you know everything about, or with some girl you've met twice at age five. Once you decide, let me know where I fit in your life."

"What if you don't like my answer?"

"Then you may not like my answer."

"What?"

There were no more answers. Cam left.

Damn it all to hell! Why had my life become so complicated? Rather than all these truths, I would've preferred lies. I went from no woman to two women in the course of a week.

Shit!

Delilah: "Do you recall, not long ago..." ~Major Lazer and DJ Snake

What the hell to do? Nolan was offering me the world and I couldn't take him up on it because of his ulterior motives. Why was life so complicated? I hated having to make serious life decisions.

"What are you mumbling about?"

_What? Where'd Henry come from?_ "Hey, Henry. What's up?"

"I should be asking _you_ what's up."

"What's up?" Where my brother Henry was, Scottie wasn't far behind.

"Hey, Scottie."

"Talk, Sis." Henry spoke while Scottie nodded. They had that twin thing going on.

Because I had no choice, I told them everything—and I mean everything!

"Damn, Lilah. How do you always get yourself in these kinds of scrapes? Since you were little, we'd have to bail you out of all kinds of trouble."

"You did not!" I insisted, but knew Henry was right.

"You remember that time when you found yourself squeezed into a manhole and it took us hours to get you out of there? How the hell you got yourself down there was beyond all of us."

"I don't remember being in a manhole," I lied. Both brothers rolled their eyes.

"Don't you remember when you convinced DJ that he needed a mustache and proceeded to draw all over his face—right before we were headed to Auntie Sam's wedding? You were so scared you'd be busted by Mom that we had to give him a bath. Do you know how hard it is to bathe a squirmy three-year-old? You were almost ten at the time. You knew better than to draw on your brother."

"Geez, Scottie. Didn't you ever do anything wrong?"

"No! Henry and I had to be the responsible ones because you were such a hell raiser."

"Remember that phase when Lilah would tell random people that Mom and Dad were not her real parents and that she had been abducted by them? She'd instantly cry and say how much she missed her true parents. Mom and Dad almost landed in jail one time because of your crazy story!"

"You don't have to yell, Henry. I apologized for those events."

"Yeah, I do have to yell. Scottie and I'd have to run interference and explain to everyone that you had an active imagination and that you were only playing. It was only because you and Mom looked so much alike that most people believed us rather than _you._ You were a pain in all our asses!"

OK, I had to admit. That wasn't a cool phase. I had no idea why I told those tall tales. Though in retrospect, it was kinda funny.

"Shit! When I think about all the pranks she pulled on us, I might want to lock her in her room without food and water."

"Dear God, Scottie _and Henry_. You both get worked up over the silliest things. I was little at the time. I liked to play jokes on everyone. What's the big deal? We're all adults now. I don't do those kinds of things anymore."

" _Really???"_ Henry and Scottie yelled simultaneously. Shit. What had I done now?

Scottie started with, "Don't you remember when you sent a text to every girl on our cell phones and told them that we liked them? Right before you left for your summer trip, you stole our phones and made all those texts in the middle of the night. I woke up to a nightmare!"

His twin hollered even louder, if that was possible, "I went to the hospital without checking my phone and was met by a slew of angry women! I didn't know which was worse—the ones who accused me of being an asshole and a playboy, or the ones who wanted to take me up on the dating offer."

The way my brothers turned red and stomped around like little boys brought out the giggles in me. I shouldn't have laughed, but I did. Shit. I was in trouble.

"How dare you laugh, Lilah? You purposely told the girl I absolutely hated that I was in love with her."

"Oh Scottie. You know that you and she are in love with one another. I don't know why you pretend. Even Mom says you two can't keep your googly eyes away."

_That_ was not the right thing to say. "What? Googly eyes? In love with one another? Are you insane? We _hate_ each other."

"All right. If you're done going down memory lane, could we talk about the issue at hand?" That was smart of me to change topics, I hoped.

My brothers finally calmed down and sat next to me. "How can we help?" Henry asked. He was always an agreeable one when he wanted to be.

I repeated everything Nolan told me.

"As pissed as I was with this Nolan O'Shaughnessy, he had balls to fight for what and whom he wants. I respect that."

"Really, Scottie? You almost killed him in London."

"That's because I didn't quite understand what was happening. If I were you, I'd give him a chance."

"What? Are you nuts? I'm engaged to be married very soon."

Henry said, "To be frank, we're not crazy about you and Rhys."

"Not again, Henry. Why? I thought you approved."

"It's not Rhys who bothers me, but the idea of you and Rhys."

"But why?"

"I'm not quite sure why, but it does. I don't think it'll hurt for you to work with Nolan. Plus, he's giving you an opportunity of a lifetime, Lilah. You just graduated from college and Nolan is begging you to be a partner in a well-established company. Only a lunatic would say no to that proposal."

"But what about Rhys?"

"What about him? Be honest and tell him the business deal you are about to engage in with Nicky and Nolan. From there, see what he says and convince him this is the best course for you." Everything Henry said made sense.

Scottie agreed with his twin's ideas. "You're worrying for nothing. Talk to Rhys and go from there. If you don't want to tell Rhys, I'm fine with that, too. Do what you like, Lilah. You're only twenty-two. You have a hundred different ideas in your head. Go with the one that strikes your fancy."

"All right. I guess the first course of action is to talk to Rhys. Thanks for listening to me and for all your advice." I stood up and hugged both brothers. "You guys are the best!"

"Whatever. Just don't go around playing pranks on people—especially not your brothers."

Scottie's words made me giggle. "Always watch your backs..." I warned and quickly left the room.
Nolan: "Move in the right direction..." ~Gossip

I had two very important meetings today. If the people I met with today agreed to my proposals, then I'd have made great strides in securing Delilah's time and hopefully, one day, her affection.

"Hey, Nolan. How are you?" Dr. John Solomon, aka Elizabeth Reid's ex, and I had worked on a paper together on gerontology. Though John was a doctor already, and I was, technically, only a med student, he was in the aging field and I was in the aging business. Somehow, we clicked and ended up publishing a piece in the medical journal.

"I'm in a bit of a quandary and I was hoping you could help."

"I'd be happy to help, if I can. Tell me what you need."

"You know how close I am to this hair growth serum and I need some more research. I was hoping you could help me with the research aspect of my project."

"I could, but I don't know that I'm the best person for the job. There are many other, more qualified doctors and scientists. I'm a newbie in this gerontology field."

"That might be, but you're brilliant and you're young. You're willing to try new methods and search for different options. I'd love it if you'd join our team."

John appeared amenable. "I suppose that can be done. It's not like I have anything else going on in my life."

So here was the opening I needed. "There's a caveat, if you want to look at it as a caveat."

His eyebrow raised. "And the caveat would be...?"

I told him about Delilah and also told him about his Elizabeth. "I'm going to involve Elizabeth Reid in this venture."

"How? Why? She's a heart surgeon. What would she have to do with hair loss?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. What I know is that to get to Delilah, I need to have as many allies as possible. Elizabeth is her closest friend and cousin. She's paramount to me winning Delilah's hand."

"So, you're basically asking if I'd be all right working with my ex-girlfriend?"

Damn. I saw the doubt in his eyes. His head did a slow shake. "May I ask why you broke up? I assume you've broken up since I didn't see you in London with the family? Last we talked, you were on cloud nine. I envied you for having found and secured your future."

"It's a complicated story, Nole, and one we don't have time for today." He looked as sad as Elizabeth did in London. The two were perfect together, but I guessed it wasn't meant to be.

"Do you want her back?" I pried.

"Yeah, but it's not that simple. It if was, I wouldn't have let her go to begin with, Nole."

"You want to compare simple and complicated? I'm trying to undo my future spouse's engagement. I have no idea what your complicated situation is, but it can't possibly compare to mine. I'm in a damn pickle!"

John chuckled. "I shouldn't want to be with Els this much, but I do. If she's all right working with me, I'd be a happy man to see her outside of the hospital again. Maybe I can right the wrong in our lives."

Cryptic, much? I chose not to ask. "All right. I have a meeting with Elizabeth Reid at the hospital in thirty minutes. I'll go and ask her similar questions. Hopefully, she'll agree to be my ally."

"I wish you luck, Friend. Right now, I envy you for all your bravado and strength. I wish I could stand up for my woman."

"You can," I encouraged. "No matter what the circumstances, there's no reason for you not to be with the one you love. Your face tells me that you love Elizabeth Reid. Be a man and go after her."

"I wish I could," was all he'd reveal.

A successful meeting done with John, I left to meet Delilah's favorite cousin. On my way, I ran into a few surprises.

"What brings you to our hospital, Nolan?" Dr. Nick Reid greeted me.

"Hello, Uncle Nick. It's nice to see you again, Uncle Max, Uncle Jake. Of course, it's an absolute pleasure to see you again, _Mom._ "

All four doctors laughed at me. The laughing was boisterous enough to attract a few more _family_ members.

"What's the joke?" Delilah's Grandpa Henry asked with her Grandpa Scottie in tow.

I introduced myself. "Hello. We haven't formally met but I'm Nolan O'Shaughnessy, soon-to-be Delilah's husband and your future grandson-in-law."

"What the hell? You're the one who ruined our granddaughter's engagement party." Dr. Henry Reid said aloud. "Where'd this joker come from?" he asked all the other family members.

"Dad. Be nice." My future mom-in-law was the best! "Hello, Nolan. What brings you to the hospital? I hope you're not ill?"

"Oh no, _Mom._ I'm feeling great! I have a meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Reid, and she said this was the only place she could meet today, so I'm here to have a delightful lunch with her in the cafeteria."

Dr. Taylor giggled. "Well, enjoy yourselves. I assume we'll see you on the cul-de-sac sometime soon?"

"Is that an invitation to dinner, Dr. Taylor? I'd love to come over for dinner. Tonight or tomorrow is good."

That's when the laughter happened again, even louder. "The Benningtons are in town this weekend. Why don't you come over with your parents and join our Sunday barbecue?"

I couldn't believe this boon! "We would love to, Dr. Taylor. Thank you! May I bring something?"

Her beautiful smile continued. "No, that's all right, Nolan. Just come with your parents. I'd like to get to know the person who is insisting he'll be my son-in-law when I believe that spot has already been filled."

Damn. Damn. Damn. What an incredible woman Delaney Taylor was. I was about to wax lyrical about her when I heard, "I only have thirty minutes and you've used up at least five talking to my family, Nolan. If you don't hurry, I'll be gone."

"I'll see you all this weekend." I waved and sat in front of this gorgeous woman who pretended to be as strict as a drill sergeant.

"Get straight to the point, Nolan. I have to be in surgery in twenty."

I told her everything—about my plans for Delilah, business dealings with Nicky and Delilah, and having asked for help from John, her ex.

"I don't understand where I come in," she said.

"I hoped you'd be a friend and on Team Nolan. I know you like the idea of Rhys and Delilah, but they are not right for each other. I truly believe she and I are meant to be."

Elizabeth thoughtfully considered what I'd asked. "Nolan." She chewed on her food, as well as her thoughts, a little longer. "I kinda do like you, but I also like Rhys—very much in fact. He's a good guy and he loves my cousin. Just because you're trying this hard doesn't mean you and Lilah were meant to be anything more than friends."

Shoot. This wasn't going the way I expected. A change of tactics was needed. "Don't you want to spend time with John?" That got her attention. "I just came from meeting with him and when I brought up your name, anyone in the room could tell that he was still very much in love with you."

Elizabeth stopped chewing, talking, and practically breathing. "Why did you just say that?"

"Because it's true."

"Is that what John told you?"

"Not exactly, but he also didn't deny loving you."

"This is all too much for a twenty-minute lunch meeting, Nolan."

"Just consider it, Elizabeth. I'll find a place for you in our group and it'll be a time for you and John to reconnect." I could tell she was contemplating and maybe even reveling in the thought.

"Since you're coming over on Sunday, we'll talk more then."

I'd take that! "All right. Talk to you Sunday."

With my plan moving in the right direction, I was feeling good about my standing in the Reid family.

Delilah: "Work, work, work, work, work..." ~Rhianna

"Hello, my fair lady. You're up very late."

"It's this or I don't get to talk to you again, Rhys. How are you? We haven't spoken in almost a week."

"Damn time difference. It's too difficult for us to connect. How have you been?"

Since returning from London, life had been crazy busy. If it wasn't Nicky making me work on both his anti-aging serum and this hair growth formula, I was agonizing over what to do about Nolan's proposal. In the end, I decided the best thing to do was to ask my fiancé.

"I'm decent over here. Lots going on. How's school?"

"School is bloody hard and I miss you. When can we see each other again?"

"Next month when Nicky and I are in London, unless you can come here first?" I hoped.

"Sorry, Love. Remember the back-to-back weddings I need to attend now without you? In my wildest dreams I believed you'd live with me in my flat until we married."

I laughed at the thought. "After meeting Dad, you thought I could live with you?"

"Didn't your parents live together while they were traveling through Europe?"

"Yeah, but apparently, it's a 'do as I say and not as I do' philosophy in this household. There's no damn way Dad would agree to me living with you."

"A man can hope." He did sound wistful. "What else is happening? When exactly are you coming and how long can you stay? Would you and Nicky like to stay here?"

"I believe we arrive on the 5th, and we're staying only for three days. As for lodging, we need to technically stay in Belgravia, but I don't think Nicky would mind if he had the house to himself. Dad can't possibly do bed checks while he's in LA."

I heard the chuckle. "I like the way you think, my fair lady."

"Before we talk any further, I need to tell you a few things and ask you for your opinion."

"Anything, Lilah. I'm listening." So I told him everything about Nolan and the great business opportunity that was before me. Flat out, Rhys said, "No. I don't want you working with him. In fact, I'm going to forbid you from working with him."

That didn't sit well with me. "But, it's an incredible way to break into this business, Rhys. Also, if I say no, then Nicky will be set back years."

"I don't care." _Ouch._ "Nicky will be fine. He's brilliant and already a patented superstar. If it wasn't for this bribery, he'd have to start from the beginning, regardless. As for you, I don't want you near that guy!" Rhys was back to being angry.

"But, it's not like we're socializing. It's work. While I don't want to work with him, I want to dive in with my invention. Nolan has a huge lab and everything is set up for us to start immediately."

"Lilah." His voice was taut with a mixture of vexation and anger. "I'll give you money to set up your own lab if that's what you really want. I'll help add to Nicky's lab as a wedding present to you. It's not as if you need to work after we marry. You can do whatever your heart desires as long as Nolan is not a part of the plan." I heard him loud and clear. It was hard not to hear him.

"Will you at least sleep on it?" The growl emitted from the other end was kind of cute. "Please? You know I love you. Nolan means nothing to me. I just want this opportunity that's come my way."

"No."

"That's really not fair, Rhys. I don't tell you what to do." The complaint I lodged wasn't fair, either.

Now he was sighing. "Would you allow me to work with one of my ex-girlfriends on a daily and intimate basis?"

"Hell no!" The answer quickly jumped out. "And for the record, we would not see each other daily, nor would this be anything intimate. We will be co-workers."

"I don't give a damn what he wants you to be, because you will not be anything with him! Are we clear?"

Ah, damn! Maybe I should've started the project and let him know later. "All right." Rhys won. I understood his anger. I'd be upset, too, if he asked me if he could work with a woman who wanted to marry him. "I'll stay away."

"Thank you, Lilah. You know I do this because I love you. I'm dreadfully jealous of the fact that Nolan can see you whenever he desires and I can only see you every few months. I'm going to work through every holiday and through the summer so I can be done with school sooner. Then, we can be married sooner."

I supposed that was a good thing. "I have to go now, Rhys. We'll talk again soon."

"I love you, Lilah."

"I love you, too, Rhys."

While I knew it wouldn't be easy to convince my fiancé about this partnership with Nolan, I didn't think he'd completely shut down the idea. Shoot! What to do now?
Nolan: "Trying hard now...won't be long now...getting strong now...gonna fly now" ~Bill Conti (Theme song from Rocky)

It was surreal being on Reid Place.

This was where I belonged! Hell yes! This was where my future began so many years ago and where all my hard work would find its reward.

"Welcome." Dr. Delaney Taylor greeted us from her front door. "I don't suppose you have a bathing suit on you, do you, Nolan?"

"Was I supposed to bring one?"

"If I were you, I'd keep one in the car if you're ever heading this way. No matter, you can borrow DJ's. You appear to be the same size."

My parents greeted their future in-law and we all went to the insane pool area where at least fifty people were enjoying the slides leading into the gigantic pool, lounging in the wading area of the pool, playing volleyball, playing basketball—the fun was endless.

Delilah's mom went and grabbed a pair of swim trunks and pointed to the bathroom. I changed and came out ready to get to know my bride.

"What are you doing here?" _That_ would be the future Mrs.

"Your mom invited us."

Instinctively, Delilah greeted my parents with a huge smile and many hellos. Then she turned to me and said, "Why did Mom invite you?"

"Lilah!" Mrs. Taylor scolded. "The O'Shaughnessys are our guests. Where are your manners?"

"But Mom," she tried to complain.

"But nothing. Take Nolan with you and introduce him to everyone."

This was heaven on earth! I took full advantage of my time with Delilah. "Have you thought any more about my proposal?"

"Yeah..." was all she'd divulge.

"And?"

"I can't accept. Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass."

"But you have to accept."

Delilah stopped and stared at me as if I'd grown two heads. "Why do I have to do anything you've asked? You're making life impossible for me, Nolan. This isn't normal to go stalking a woman. How'd you finagle an invite to this barbecue?"

"First, I'm not stalking any woman. Second, your mom invited our family since we are family friends with the Benningtons. I did nothing to _finagle_ an invite. Third, you don't have to do anything I ask, but I was hoping you would want to work on this project with me. It's become something very important not only to us, but also to the future of Elizabeth and John."

That caught her attention. BINGO! This wasn't part of the original plan, but I had to go with it. I'd found a surefire way to get her to spend more time with me.

"What are you talking about now, Nolan? What do Elizabeth and John have to do with anything?"

"Don't you want to see your cousin happy again? Don't you want her to be back with the man she loves?"

Delilah Rose stared at me with her big, beautiful blue eyes. "Um, yes, I do? Of course I do. But I don't get what they have to do with you and me?"

"Well, they do and they don't. May I explain it to you?" I gestured to the empty bench. Docile and curious, she sat. This was where I wanted to kiss her sweet lips but with all her uncles, brothers, and male cousins surveying our every move, I held back. "I talked to John today and asked him to join our team. During our conversation, I asked about him and Elizabeth."

"What'd he say?" Those eyes. Those lips. That face. Perfection!

"He wouldn't give me any details, but he still loves her."

"He told you that?" she asked in amazement.

"Not in those words, but he said he wanted her back and would work with us because he wants to be with his _Els_."

"That's so sweet," she crooned. But she quickly changed her tune and asked, "Then why'd the jerk break my cousin's heart if he still wants her?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "He wouldn't say. What he did explain was that it was complicated. He also looked as heartbroken as your cousin over there." We both looked at her stunning cousin whose smile never reached her heart.

"Wait." Delilah stopped our positive flow and asked, "Why the hell are we even talking, Nolan? Why am I sitting here with you talking about family matters like you're someone important in my life?" Cranky Delilah was back.

"You're being a Delilah Downer."

"What?" she asked, astounded. "You take that back!"

"Nope. We were having a civilized conversation about the welfare of your beloved cousin and here you are, being Delilah Downer."

"Don't call me that," she pouted. "My brothers used to call me that when I was growing up and I hated it."

"Sorry, Delilah. I wasn't trying to upset you." I was a sucker for this girl. The worst thing for me was when she was unhappy. "I'll not call you that anymore, but will you consider working with us so we can give your cousin and her ex another chance?"

Her head nodded yes. But, she said, "I need to think about it."

I'd take that. I'd take anything as long as it wasn't a no. "How about you show me how those crazy slides work. I bet I can beat you. Last one down is a Delilah Downer!" I yelled as I was halfway to the slide already.

This was going to be a hell of a good day today.

Delilah: "Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up..." ~The Ataris

Another day, another predicament. Shit. This Nolan O'Shaughnessy was becoming the bane of my existence. Why'd he have to make life so difficult for me? Why'd my mother invite him to our barbecue? What would possess her to bring more grief into my life?

"Daughter. You are grumbling aloud again."

"Hey Dad."

"Why is your second fiancé here?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha." There was no haha in my _ha, ha, ha_. "You tell me. Why'd Mom invite that man?" I pointed, without actually pointing, at the guy who was whopping it up with all the other idiot male cousins of mine. "From the looks of it, he's practically family."

"What's your feeling on this guy, Lilah?"

"He's odd. He's a stalker. He's a bugger."

My handsome father grinned. "Anything else you want to say?"

"He's also brilliant, successful, and has given me a chance of a lifetime. _And,_ he's figured out a plan to get Elizabeth and John back together."

"So odd, stalker, bugger of a boy has some skills that please you?" Donovan Taylor would always be my hero. He made me laugh during situations where I felt like crying.

"What do you think of him, Dad?"

"He's odd _looking._ I don't know that he's a stalker, but he definitely has good taste in women. I'm sure Rhys has every right to consider him a bugger, but Nolan's trying to offer you a piece of his world—a world that you want to be a part of, I might add."

"I thought you hated him!" I accused. "What's with the change of heart?"

"No change of heart, Baby. I'm just saying it as I read it."

I groaned. "You can't do this now. You've given me your blessing to marry Rhys. I love Rhys. I pledged myself to marry him."

"Can you really love someone after knowing him a month?" Dad threw me a curve ball.

I challenged his theory with, "Isn't that how everyone in this family ended up married, save you and Mom and the Benningtons?"

"Perhaps, but we all went through our trials. None of us had a simple one-month romance and married soon after."

"But you've made it so that Rhys and I can't get married _soon after_. Two years, Dad. You're making us wait two years!"

"Two years later, you'll thank me for having made you wait. You'll be that much older and wiser once this is all done."

"Really? I don't know about that, Dad. I'm feeling pretty old and beat up already. Nolan's thrown me every ball in the softball pitching manual. I don't know how to dodge him any longer."

"What is it that you truly want?"

"I want to marry Rhys. I want to join Nolan as a business partner. I want Elizabeth to be happy with John."

"Why can't you have all your desires?"

"Because my fiancé has put the kibosh on me working with Nolan, which effectively puts the kibosh on me helping my cousin."

"Talk to Rhys one more time and explain yourself and the situation with Ellie. He might be more amenable."

"I don't think so, Dad. He's threatened by Nolan. It bothers him that he's in London and we're both here."

"Rightly so. It would bother me if my woman was so far away and there was another suitor."

"I don't understand, Dad. All twenty-two years of life, I lived peacefully on Reid Place with no major upheavals." Dad snorted when I said this. "All right, I caused a few issues within the family, but for the most part, I was a good girl. Within a few months, I meet a man, get myself engaged, and then find another man who desperately wants to engage himself to me and with me. What gives, Dad?"

"Life, Baby, life. Welcome to adulthood."

If this is adulthood, I want to go back to the glory days of worrying about nothing but my next midterm and paper.

Donovan Taylor: "'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are..." ~Bruno Mars

"What was with the serious convo between you and our baby girl?"

I loved it when my wife showed no reservation of sitting on my lap in front of her entire family. "She's contemplating adulthood."

My princess giggled. "Poor baby has come to the realization that her decisions mean something now? She's been too coddled by you. Her older brothers spoiled her rotten, too."

"I'd have it no other way, Princess." Family be damned. I made out with my wife on the bench with too many onlookers to count. "Every time I look at our family, I know I made the right decision going after you so many years ago."

"Those were some good times, huh?" My princess looked dreamy recalling our past. "To say I was shocked to see you knocking on the door in Belgravia would be putting it mildly. I woke up sick on my twenty-third birthday. My boyfriend, at the time, had no idea I was ill and that it was my birthday—not to mention, he was far away. I missed home. I missed my parents. And deep, deep inside, I missed you. My heart ached whenever I thought of you."

"Damn Woman. You put me through hell when you left me without saying a word. I hurt too, Princess. Through our softball games and all the _unintended_ dates, I fell in love with you."

"Do you remember when you took me to that concert at the Griffith Observatory? I felt so cherished when you held me during the performance. That might have been my favorite _unintended_ date."

"Mine might have been the day we spent at Giverny making out on the bridge. Even though I was in deep shit with you by the time we ended up at the chateau, that was a magical experience. We need to head back there again, just you and me."

"That was a special place." My wife glowed. She was so spectacular in every way. "There truly isn't a moment I don't revel in and smile. Even the sad moments make me smile. Do you remember playing cards with me, my date, and Jake, and losing $800?"

"Yes, you card shark." I tickled my wife before holding her tightly. "Jake and I were supposed to play tennis but it drove me nuts to see a guy walking into your house, ready to take you out."

"Ooh, how about the time you showed me the beach house for the first time? That day was absolute perfection, though it didn't start off that way."

"There were very few days where we started off right. However, you were always special to me, even if I couldn't quite understand why."

"Needless to say, my love for you never died."

"Speaking of why, I'm wondering why you're championing this Nolan kid when our daughter is set to marry another man? It's not like you to encourage her to cheat on her fiancé."

"I don't want Lilah to cheat on anyone. However, I want her to have some options. She's twenty-two. She should be dating and having fun. She should be going out with girlfriends and meeting different guys."

I knew there was more. "That doesn't sound like you, Princess. You never went out and met random guys. Why would you want that for our baby? Tell me what's really spurring this on."

She looked to Nolan who was getting along famously with Henry, Scottie, and DJ. "When I see Nolan, I see myself." Now I understood. "He's the underdog. He's quirky. He's rough around the edges. He says all the wrong things. _But,_ his heart is in the right place. It's clear that he loves our daughter. He wants to lay the world at her feet and I like that. It warms my heart to see him trying so hard. It takes me back to all the times I tried to get your attention but was looked over because your taste ran more along the lines of the glamorous Ms. Beauvais. I was the underdog who won the jackpot when you noticed me."

God, I loved this woman. I had to kiss her a few more times to express my gratitude for her love. "You must be kidding me, Dr. Taylor." This was my time to pay homage to my phenomenal partner in life. "You were never an underdog—a top dog would be a better description. You were and still are beautiful, graceful, a damn genius, the best mother, and the sexiest wife—you are perfection, Delaney Reid Taylor. Without you, I'd be breathing but not living, my heart beating, but not loving—I am nothing without you, sweet wife."

"Jackpot, Donovan Taylor. You are the once-in-a-lifetime jackpot and I love you."

"I love you, too, Mrs. Taylor."

Nolan: "We are family, I got all my sisters (and brothers) with me..." ~Sister Sledge

This gathering was the best. I'd met every one of Delilah's cousins, and I could say, except for a few of the girls, they all liked me. The younger girls, like Maxine and Nicolette, were still too dazzled by Rhys to come over to Team Nolan. I asked, but they told me they were staying Team Rhys forever. Oh well.

Of all the cousins, the one who had the most interesting profession was JR Reid, the younger brother of James and Elizabeth. Not only was his job the bomb, but he also presented us, especially me, with a crazy, good idea.

"Hey there little cuz. How's my favorite blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl doing?" JR had great taste as this woman was my favorite blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl, too.

"JR, I'm the only blonde-haired, blue-eyed one on Reid Place."

"Whatever. You're still my favorite."

"Auntie Emily must be thrilled you're home. She misses you when you travel. What do you exactly do, JR? Isn't it about time you told us?"

He had a very manly smirk on his face. "You know what they say in my profession...I could tell you..."

"...but then I'd have to kill you," Delilah imitated his voice and tone. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Come on, JR. Tell us what you really do for the government."

There was a lull in the conversation and this was where I came in and introduced myself. "Hey. I'm Nolan O'Shaughnessy, Delilah's future husband."

That was when Delilah yelled, "You are _not_ my future husband. We are nothing to each other."

"The little woman here can get a little hysterical when things don't go her way." That's when Delilah socked me in the gut. "Damn, Delilah. You're strong," I coughed out those words.

JR, along with all the male cousins, laughed. "Wasn't your fiancé English? He had that funny name no one knew how to pronounce." What a kidder JR was.

"He is English and his name is Rhys, like peace." Delilah spit out each word.

"Then he is...?" JR looked to me. Before anyone could answer, he said, "No matter. Whoever you marry is fine with me, Lilah. You'll make any man a lucky fella."

"Thank you for taking my side." I put out my hand in thanks for his support.

Delilah slapped my hand down but little did she understand that I expected that move. So rather than slapping my hand, I grabbed it and placed it in mine. She was ridiculously strong for a girl, but I was able to keep hold of it.

With a grin JR said, "I've an assignment in New York in a few days. Anyone want to join me in the city that never sleeps?"

That's when all the cousins began jostling their schedules. Nicky was the first to say, "Lilah and I can join you. I have my first appearance in New York this weekend. What fortuitous timing." His grin was as easy-going as his cousin JR's. "And if it's all right with you, I'd like Nolan to join us. I need his help at this conference."

"Hot damn! Hell yes! I'll be there." How in the world did I get so lucky?

"Wait!" Delilah cried. "He can't join a family trip. Why would you invite Nolan?" she asked her cousin.

"Because I'm hoping to learn a thing or two from him concerning investors. This next project, I need some outside investors."

"But you have tons of money, Nicky. You can do everything on your own. Why would you want someone who knows nothing about inventions to get in your face?"

"I'd like to keep my 'tons of money' dear cousin, and Nolan knows a little more than ' _nothing about inventions.'_ Anyone have any objections to Nolan coming?"

No one said a word but Delilah. "Fine. I'll be there and I'll invite Rhys to join us. I'm sure he can spare the weekend."

Damn. That wasn't what I wanted to hear. However, I'd work around that obstacle somehow.

"Ellie and James?" JR asked his siblings. "Ian will be there as well. He's coming back from Reykjavik, tomorrow."

"I wish the two of us could take off like you and Ian. What I'd do for a vacation. At least Ellie got a month off in London." That was the first time I'd heard James complain. Thus far, he was the quietest of the Reids. Regardless, all these guys were laidback and fun. I would dig being amongst these people.

"Go, James. I'll cover for you." His twin offered.

"That's all right, El. You go if you like. I'll stay back."

That was when their father and Delilah's grandfather jumped in. "We'll cover for the both of you. Send our love to Ian." Dr. Jake Reid answered. "You can leave any time after you've checked on your patients tomorrow."

"Are you sure, Dad? I can stay back." James protested.

"I can too, Dad. I've already had a vacation."

"Your mother and I've had our days of travel. You and your brother go enjoy yourselves. It's been a while since the four of you have been together."

"What about me?" Jacob, the youngest, complained. "How come I'm always the one stuck at home?"

"Jakey," Mrs. Emily Reid said, "we'll go see your brother another time when you don't have summer school and SAT prep classes. This is a very important time in your life. You need to prepare for your future."

"Mom," he whined.

She placed her arms around him and said, "When you and your generation of siblings grow up, you can travel too. For now, you have to pay your dues."

What an amazing family!

In the end, it would be the four eldest Reids, Nicky, myself, and Delilah on this fabulous trip to the greatest city in the world. Even with Rhys supposedly joining our crew, I was pumped to spend more time with Delilah.

Delilah: "Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you..." ~Taylor Swift

Basically, being a jobless freeloader who "worked" for her cousin, I had time to travel with JR the very next day, while everyone else had to jostle their schedules. Nicky, Ellie, and James would leave the day after. Lucky for me, Nolan couldn't make it until the weekend. A further plus to this story was that Rhys was going to join us, but for one day only. He'd fly in Friday morning and leave Friday night. Due to his commitment to school and to a family event in Edinburgh, Friday was it.

"Ian!" I ran to, quite possibly, my favorite cousin. "I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen you!"

"I see you're as pretty and as tall as ever, little cousin." He greeted me with a tight hug.

If James was the calm, responsible one, Ian was the fun-loving, don't-give-a-damn one. It wasn't that he wasn't sweet to all of us, and a great son and sibling to his family, he just had a different outlook on life.

While the rest of us went to school, Ian decided high school was enough for him. Unlike the overachieving Reids, Taylors, and Davises, Ian broke open his trust fund and decided to enjoy life early.

Let me explain a few details before I talk about our stay in New York.

First, our family is _over_ flowing with _over_ achievers. The Reids set the example. Ellie and James are heart surgeons. They finished school earlier than most and just finished their residencies last spring. They are now full-fledged staff members of the hospital my great-grandpa, Jerry, helped build. Their brother, JR, graduated from college and was scouted by a government agency—the CIA we believe. He trained under them and now he travels the world on missions for them. He's like a real-life James Bond.

Ian, twenty-six, 6'3", black hair, blue eyes, identical-looking to Uncle Jake and JR and Jacob, is a lady killer just like the rest of his siblings. JR, who looks like his father, but eerily like his mother when he smiles, might actually be the best-looking male in our family—that's saying a lot since I think all my cousins are super good-looking.

There's no one in our family who doesn't like to travel. We are all spoiled with homes that our great-grandfathers left us, and the use of a private plane if Dad deems the occasion worthy. Of all of us, Ian loves traveling the most. Thus, he decided after high school that he wanted to see the world before settling down with a job and family. His parents were all right with his decision but for the fact that they wouldn't see him often enough. With modern technology, Ian did his best to keep in contact with them, daily.

"Tell me about Iceland, Ian. I'd like to visit one day."

"Why don't you come with me? I'm going back in a few weeks."

"That sounds really good, Ian. Let me make sure I'm not needed somewhere. These days, my life's been turned a bit upside down."

JR and Ian shared knowing looks. "Let's go out and you can tell us about the two men ardently pursuing you."

"Oh Ian, I don't think I have the energy for that."

"You better since both men will be here this week. You've turned into quite a femme fatale, Cuz."

"Stop kidding, JR. My life's a combination of a love story and a nightmare all rolled into one. I don't know which scenario will present itself at which hour."

Both my cousins laughed. "Let me take you to this cool café where the best indie performers show up. We can have dinner there and you can bemoan your comical life," Ian suggested.

"First, we need to shop. We can't come to NYC without taking in a few boutiques." What insane woman would pass up shopping in this fashion-conscious city?

As expected, the men didn't complain. I went from store to store, not able to leave any one without a bag in my hand. My cousins were good sports watching me try on dresses and shoes. According to my family, I took after Mom in the dress-obsessed department and Auntie Jane in the shoe-obsessed category. I loved them both equally. Soon, Ian and JR had enough bags to resemble my personal assistants/bodyguards. Embarrassingly enough, we had to walk back to the apartment and drop off all my goodies.

"Are we through with you opening your wallet?" Ian, the good-natured one, quizzed. "I get that you have credit cards, but who's paying for all this?" He pointed to my many newfound loves.

"Did I not tell you about the _huge_ advance I received for a three-book deal with _the biggest_ book publisher?"

"What the hell?" Ian looked to JR for an answer. He received an I-don't-know shrug in return.

By the time we arrived at Ian's café, both cousins were caught up on my life. It wasn't easy impressing two men whose lives could be chronicled for a TV series, but I had. That was the best start to this trip.

Since JR and Ian practically grew up in New York, they knew tons of awesome places. The café Ian took us to had me bug-eyed the entire time. There were too many celebrities—actors, musicians, and models—to count. I spent more time ogling the stars than listening to the bands. From the little that I heard, they sounded good enough.

That was my first night with the two cousins I love.

The next day brought the four Reid siblings together. After hugs, handshakes, and more hugs, Ellie and I decided we'd let the boys do what boys do and go out for tea and more shopping.

"I take it you've heard about John joining our possible business venture?" I asked Ellie over a blini topped with caviar and the Taj Hotel's special tea blend.

"Yeah," she grumbled out loud, though it didn't sound like a complaint to me. "Are you going to join Nolan? My involvement is purely contingent upon your involvement."

Shit. Was my cousin asking me to join so she could be with her ex? "Do you want me to join?"

She quickly denied, "No. Not if you don't want to. I don't want to get you into trouble with Rhys. You do what works for you." That was _so_ not convincing.

What the hell to do and say? "Will you give me some time to think about it? Rhys has told me that I cannot work with Nolan. Let me see if he might change his mind."

"What are your thoughts, Lilah?" Now, we were both onto the cucumber and smoked trout sandwich.

"I'd be a dummy if I didn't want this. This hair growth idea has been brewing in my brain since I saw my junior high school math teacher, Mr. Lockwood, losing his full head of hair at age twenty-five. As much of a complication as he is, Nolan is giving me an opportunity to save years and years of work and research. I want to join his team. More than me, Nicky wants us to merge. He's been too nice to say anything, and if I wasn't his cousin and this wasn't my invention, Nicky would've jumped on Nolan's wagon the moment Nolan presented the idea."

"Then go for it, Lilah. I can understand how important Rhys is to you, but why do you need to follow his dictate? He's directing which way your life should go; I wouldn't follow it."

"But he's my fiancé, Ellie. We're to be married in two years."

Glumly, my beautiful cousin said, "I know you are a lot farther off than John and I ever were, but I thought John and I would get married, too. He gave me this," Ellie pulled out a band where the gold had been worn and muted with time. "He told me this belonged to his great-grandmother and that he wanted me to wear it as a promise ring until he could afford to buy me an engagement ring."

I was so sad for her. "El...you mean to tell me that your relationship had gone that far?"

"It had, in every sense. I believed we were getting married. Look at us now. As if nothing mattered, he broke it off without much of an explanation. I'm not trying to come off as a naysayer, but you don't know for certain where your relationship will end up until it finishes at the altar. Go and do what you want. Don't let Rhys make you conform."

I heard very little of what Ellie had said. I could only focus on the visual. "Why do you still have the ring? Do you carry it in your pocket, daily?"

"I've tried to give it back, but there hasn't been a good time. Whenever I think I should approach John, his brother, James is with him, giving me the stink eye. I've texted and asked how I can return the ring; he's yet to respond."

"So you keep it on a necklace, near your heart?" Elizabeth winced at my question.

"Yeah. Silly of me, huh? I don't want to let go of the false dream."

"Oh El..." I pushed the dessert portion of our tea tray toward her. "Let's eat and enjoy ourselves."

While pigging out on all the goodies, I decided to help the sister of my heart. She deserved happiness. Since I was in a position to be of some aid, I'd do what I could.

Nolan: "Duh, DUH, duh-duh, duh DUH, duh-duh, DAH-di-doooo—DAH di doooo..." ~Theme song from Mission Impossible

My day started off with a BANG!

I received the phone call that basically sealed the relationship deal with my Delilah. "Nolan?"

"Hey, there, Delilah. What's it like in New York City?" I sang those few lines.

"Keep your day job, Nolan. You'd never cut it as a singer." What a wonderful greeting.

After snorting out my laughter I asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm calling for two reasons."

"Number one?"

"When you come here on Saturday, bring John with you. I'll talk to Grandpa Henry and make sure that he can have the weekend off."

"Done. Number two?"

"I will work with you if you'll find out for me why John broke up with Ellie."

"Damn, Delilah. That's a tall order. How the hell am I to figure that one out?"

"I've no idea, but I want to know if he's worthy of a second chance with my cousin. She still loves him, but if he's going to be a jerk to her, I don't want them working together."

"They already work together, at the hospital."

"Not really, Nolan. They're in two very different departments and on opposite wings. They may come across one another in the cafeteria, but if they wanted, it wouldn't be hard for them not to see one another for weeks."

"So this is your challenge? I find out why John broke up with Ellie and you'll join my team?"

"Yes."

"Done!"

"Good-bye." Cheeky girl hung up on me after she had her say. Damn, I liked this girl.

Since I chose to accept the mission, I was off. The hospital was my first stop.

"Hello, Grandpa Henry." The greeting was met with boisterous laughter—and not the good, encouraging kind, either.

"Hello, beautiful mother. In my eyes, you're as stunning as my mother. Is it already lunch time?"

"Hello, Nolan. What brings you here, again?" My future mother-in-law asked with a wink.

"Delilah's sent me on a mission. I'm here to do her bidding." Father and daughter laughed at me. "Have a wonderful lunch. I'll visit soon."

"He's as much of a fool as your husband was before you married him." I heard Grandpa Henry joke. Dr. Taylor's giggles were music to my ears.

"Hey, John. Thanks for meeting me on short notice."

"No problem. What's up? What was so urgent that you couldn't wait until after work when I have more than thirty minutes?"

Being the brave man that I was, I revealed my morning conversation with Delilah. I also explained my quandary, as well as my wish to help in any way.

"Listen. We're not trying to pry—at least not in the way you might be thinking. Delilah wants to know because she loves her cousin and doesn't want to see her hurt any further. I want to know because I love Delilah and want to do everything I can to make her mine. I also want to see you and Elizabeth back together again if that's what you both want. Please help me, and allow me to help you."

John hesitated for most of his lunch. I truly thought I'd leave without an answer. It was at the last minute when he caved, not so much for me, but for the woman he loved.

"First, you can tell Delilah, but neither of you can tell Els, nor anyone else. It'll stay a secret between the three of us."

"Done. Assuming you're not plotting to harm Elizabeth Reid, I'm sure Delilah will agree."

"Second, I will talk because unburdening myself will help you _and me_ , but you can't expect us to get back together. It won't happen. Don't push me or Els. We can work side-by-side, but I don't want there to be any uncomfortable _coincidences_ created for our benefit. _However,_ the masochist that I am, I want to be near my Els. She's distanced herself from me and I hate it. I miss her smiles."

"Done."

John's explanation almost put me to tears. Here was a man who truly loved the people in his life. There was no damn way I could be as unselfish as he'd proven to be. Poor John. Poor Elizabeth.

"You promised." There was a solemn warning with those two words.

"I promise." I agreed. "I also promised to bring you to New York with me tomorrow."

"What? I can't go on such short notice."

I looked over to my future grandfather-in-law. John turned to my view as well. Grandpa Henry nodded. That was all he had to do and John was free for the weekend and two extra days beyond the weekend.

Hot damn. This was going to be a terrific four days!

Delilah: "I want your sex..." ~George Michael

"My fair lady, how's the Big Apple treating you?" Rhys had surprised me and come in a few hours earlier than expected.

"Rhys!!!" I jumped into his arms. "I thought you weren't getting in until mid-morning."

"I worked a little magic and hopped on an earlier flight. The caveat is that I need to be on my uncle's timetable since I caught a ride on his plane. He's heading back right after dinnertime."

I was bummed, but I knew he couldn't stay the weekend. "Whatever. As long as you're here. That's all that matters. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. What have you been doing with your cousins?"

"I assume one of them let you into his apartment?"

"Yes. We've made casual introductions."

"Let's get the three of you caught up with one another."

Rhys got along with JR and Ian just as well as he did with all my other cousins. It was in vain that I worried my cousins might say something wrong, namely Nolan O'Shaughnessy. Smart men that they are, they only helped my cause.

"What shall we do today, my fair lady? I am at your disposal all day."

"How about we pretend we're New Yorkers and have brunch? That's such the thing to do here."

He chuckled. "It's Friday, technically a workday. Do they do brunch on Fridays?"

"Why don't we go find out?"

We left JR and Ian to their own devices and went to the Lower East Side to find a restaurant that would satisfy my desire to be a true city girl in Manhattan. Rhys found the perfect spot and we dined on champagne, eggs and lobster at eleven in the morning.

"Tell me what you and your cousins have been up to." So I did, not leaving out any details. "Tell me what's on the agenda for the rest of the weekend and how long you're planning on staying here."

This part was more difficult. Wavering back and forth, back and forth, I couldn't decide whether Rhys needed to know that Nolan was coming in tomorrow. It wasn't as though he was my guest. If it wasn't for Nicky and whatever business the two of them would conduct, he wouldn't have joined a Reid-family trip. Knowing he'd be here would only upset Rhys; I so hated upsetting him. We had about ten hours together. To waste that time arguing would be stupid. Really, really stupid.

Making the wisest decision in this impossible situation, I told Rhys everything I'd done and would do, omitting only the parts concerning Nolan; that was such a small part, it was simply negligible.

"What did you think of JR and Ian?" I changed subjects.

"Like the rest of your cousins, they were cool, though not as straight forward as the rest of your cousins. I couldn't quite figure out what JR did for a living and it's surprising that Ian isn't another doctor."

I giggled. "We're kinda boring, huh?"

"Over-achieving would be more like it. Tell me about your writing, my fair lady. How is that going?"

"All I have is time these days so I'm well into the second book. My editors are looking over the first one and I'm making corrections as well. It's a ridiculously fun way to spend my day."

"I can't believe you have a three-book contract. One day, I'll have to read them when they're in print; I'm already incredibly proud."

That was so sweet. "I can give you a copy of the first book if you want a head start."

"I'll wait, my fair lady. When the first book is out, I'll be the first to purchase a hardcover-copy. Right now, I have more reading than I want."

Something about his refusal pricked. It wasn't exactly a refusal, but I was hurt he wasn't as interested as I would've been had the roles been reversed. It bugged, but I pushed it aside. Perhaps he wasn't into fiction.

"How about we go to the Met after our meal?"

"Any chance we can head back to the apartment? Will it be occupied?" My fiancé had that look in his eyes, part feral, part bashful—if those could even be mentioned in the same sentence.

It wasn't that I wasn't interested in exploring sex with him. We'd be man and wife one day. Of course I wanted him in that same way. The biggest problem was fear. While on Reid Place, I'd grown up under an invisible lock and key. Dad, along with every male in the neighborhood, was a pit bull whenever a boy came around. I was stupid enough not to go away for college, so for twenty-two years of my life, Donovan Taylor was my puppet master.

The fact that my older brothers were born seven-and-a-half months after my parents' Christmas wedding wasn't lost on me. I was also aware that my older brothers didn't always come home when they used to live at home. They also had apartments where they were able to come and go as they pleased, with whomever they pleased and pleased them. Yep, I knew the inequalities of being a girl on our block, but it also made me feel secure.

At this moment, with talk of heading back to the apartment, I wasn't feeling too secure. "I'm pretty sure Ian and JR have their orders from my father to guard over me, Rhys. I'm sorry but we can't head back there, at least not for the reasons you're wanting."

"How about I get us a room at the Plaza? Or do you want something swankier and more modern? Whatever you want, my fair lady, I'll provide. Let's spend the rest of our day in bed, sipping champagne and loving each other."

"Absolutely not," I answered a little too vehemently.

The disappointment, maybe even some annoyance, was hard not to see. "All right, then..."

Shit. Awkward...! How to right this wrong turn? "You want to go see a matinee? I've been dying to watch Hamilton. Could you spend your resources on tickets rather than a hotel room?" After a nervous chuckle I said, "Never mind. I can pay for two tickets. You want to watch it with me?"

Rhys looked at his watch and answered, "I think it's going to be nearly impossible to get tickets to a sold-out show that's starting in less than an hour. It'll take us almost half an hour to get up to midtown with all this traffic. Why don't we watch Hamilton another time?"

As he was displeased with my answer, I was just as unhappy with his. He was sulking and that pissed me off.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Well, I've explained what I wanted to do. I didn't think you'd have such a complex about giving me all of you. Do you not find me desirable? Do you not feel anything when you're with me? We've been together and engaged for almost two months now and every time I broach the subject, you run the other way. Lilah, we're going to have a long, difficult road ahead of us if you don't want to have sex with me. I've never been with any woman who didn't want to have sex with me."

Now, he was just pissing me off with that statement. "Why don't you go back to _all_ of those women who want to have sex with you." I spat those words back in his face and stood up from the table.

Rhys pulled me back down. "Don't run away like you always do." Oh my gosh! I wanted to scream. "We need to discuss your apprehension toward the physical aspect of our relationship. I've been on first dates where I've done a hell of a lot more than what I've been allowed to do with my fiancée."

"Why is it that you and I always end our day in an argument?"

"This is more about you than it is about me."

"Hear me well, Rhys Kent. _I don't want to have sex with you right now._ Your pouting is like a tub of cold water on my face. You tell me that we won't work if I don't want sex. I say we will not work if you keep pressuring me."

"Lilah." That condescending tone bugged the hell out of me.

"Listen. Call me a prude. Call me a tease. I don't care. I will do what I want and when I want. You will not pressure me like I'm some high school sophomore on her first date in the backseat of a boy's car."

"Only if you were a tease in the backseat of my car," he lamented. "Let's go to the museum as you asked, Lilah. We'll talk about this another time. Obviously, I'm not getting anywhere today." Once again, the condescension infuriated, but I let it go for the sake of the relationship. I wasn't dumb. I knew Rhys was frustrated too.

"Sure. Let's spend the day together visiting the Met."

The strain of the conversation lessened with the day, but our relationship didn't stabilize and normalize for a very long time.

Nolan: "I need your love...I need your time..." ~Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding

I'd been putting off talking to my best friend Cam for as long as I possibly could. After the bombshell she laid, I didn't know what the hell to say. She, too, stopped contacting me. It was my turn to reach out, but I'd been too chicken to do anything about it. Before I caught my afternoon flight with John and Nicky, I put on my big boy pants and called Cam.

"Hello, Friend." I said with trepidation.

"It's no longer _best_ friend?" Her tone told me she was still upset. "When did I get relegated to the _friend_ department?"

"Cam, you know there's no friend in my life as special as you. Don't be silly. I will consider you my best friend for life."

"Even if Delilah and you become a couple? What if she asks you to cut me out of your life?"

"That's not going to happen, Cam. Delilah's not that kind of girl."

The snort was undeniable. "Yeah. Whatever. As if you know exactly what kind of girl she is. You barely know her. How can you think you're going to marry a girl you met, twice, at age five?"

"I was hoping to talk to you about us and not bring up Delilah. I think what's between us has nothing to do with anyone else."

"All right, Nole O," that was Cam's nickname for me, "what's between _us_ that you want to discuss? I've poured my heart out to you and you've ignored me for days. Is this how you treat the people closest to you?"

Ah, damn. Why did Cam choose to be a complicated woman, _now_? "I'm sorry about not coming to you with some sort of an answer. Time to think was of the utmost importance. I didn't want to lose you and what we have."

"Explain to me what it is that we have and how you see us moving forward, Nolan. I want to be in a relationship with you. We're already the best of friends. I'm attracted to you. There'd be no transition period with us. Everything with us would be easier than being pro on a 'Should we ban GMOs?' debate topic."

"I love the analogy," I answered with a laugh. "You're one of the wittiest girls I know, Cam. And you're right. I don't know Delilah as well as I know you. The thought of Delilah and me working out is ridiculous. You're the one who's perfect for me—at least that's what I think in my mind. But, my heart feels differently. I want to try for a relationship with her. It's crazy, but I'm pretty sure I already love her. None of this makes sense to you, me, and especially Delilah. I need to try, though." That wasn't the best answer during this sensitive time. But, it was the only answer I could think of at this juncture.

"I won't wait for you, Nolan."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Cam. But, can we stay friends? Does it have to be all or nothing? Can't we go back to hanging out on a Friday night without being angry or awkward with one another?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to see." Hearing Cam's sadness made me feel like shit. "Can we talk some more over dinner?"

Hell. This wasn't going to end well. "I'm headed to New York in about an hour, Cam. Can we do dinner when I get back? Would Wednesday work for you?"

"Are you going with Delilah Taylor? Isn't she engaged to be married to another guy?"

How did women know these kinds of things so well? Women's intuition was a real world problem. "I'm not exactly going with Delilah, but she'll be there." The wounded sigh told me I needed to explain further. "Some of her cousins were heading to New York and Nicky invited me along. We're going to visit a few pharmaceutical companies." Cam didn't believe me. "Really. I'm going there to work."

"Really? Pfizer will meet you on a Saturday or Sunday?" Ouch. Her distrust hurt.

"No, but we have an appointment with them first thing Monday morning."

"So this is all part of your plan to woo a woman who's already engaged?"

"It wasn't by design, but I'll use our proximity to my advantage."

"Well then, bon voyage. Call me when you're done _wooing_ a girl who's already committed to another guy. That doesn't speak too highly for you, nor for the girl who might be tempted by you."

"We'll talk again, Wednesday?"

"Whatever." She blew my request off. "Just remember that our team is counting on you to be prepared for the debate next weekend. You think you'll be able to prepare while Delilah is in the same city?"

"I'll be there and I'll be ready. How about we pick up this conversation in San Francisco? I'll see you soon?"

Pissed, Cam hung up. What the hell had I done wrong this time? This relationship stuff was damn hard.

Delilah: "Reunited, and it feels so good..." ~Peaches & Herb

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Rhys came into town just in time to pick a fight with me, he stayed perfectly long enough to piss me off, and he left right before we could right our relationship. What. The. Hell!

"You're mumbling profanities again." James alerted me to the fact that I was cursing, not so stealthily, and not so quietly.

"Sorry, James." I decided to put on my happy face for James and Ellie. "How was your flight? Is Jacob bummed he can't be here?"

James chuckled. "Yeah, he was pretty pissed the four of us were hanging out while he had summer school to finish up."

"Maybe he can come with your dad in a few days." What? I had no idea Dad was headed our way.

"Ellie, what do you mean? I thought Dad was headed to San Francisco?"

"Right before we left for the airport, your father and Auntie Jane said there were issues in the Manhattan and San Francisco offices. They were picking straws to see who would have to travel. Uncle Donovan lost." My cousin explained.

"Gotcha. I guess we'll see Dad, soon."

"That's not all, Lilah." James added, with another manly chuckle. My cousin James was such a good-natured guy. I couldn't wait to see the woman who fell in love with him and vice versa. She would be the luckiest girl alive. "We ran into a friend of yours."

"Which friend?" I asked, wondering who they met. All four Reid siblings busted up in laughter. "What?" The question begged itself.

"Let's just say," James was interrupted by the door chime. "Never mind. He'll present himself."

The four Reids motioned simultaneously for me to open the door. I did as was asked and SHIT! What. The. Hell! _Again!_

"Delilah!" Nolan barged in and hugged the breath out of me. "It's good of you to welcome me at the door."

"Get your hands off me, Nolan. I'm a third-degree black belt. If you value your reproductive organs, I'd let go."

Most normal guys would've let go immediately and stepped aside. But this guy, he wasn't normal. He was _not normal at all!_ Instead of walking away, afraid, he laughed, pinched my cheeks, and kissed my nose like he was greeting his little niece. What was wrong with this guy?

"Hey. Keep that third-degree black belt action to yourself, Cuz." Nicky raised his hands in mock-surrender and walked in behind Nolan.

"Hello. I'm Nolan O'Shaughnessy. You must be Ian." Damn fool was ingratiating himself with all my cousins. I was about to slam the door and have a word with him when he called out, "Wait—"

Another surprise greeted us, _Ellie mostly_ , at the front door.

"Hey, Lilah."

"John!" Now this man, I was thrilled to see. "Welcome! Welcome! Ellie. Look who's here!"

"John..." Uh-oh. My cuz didn't sound all that pleased, though the soft expressions on both their faces made us all want to leave the room to give them some privacy.

"Hey, Els. I hope I'm not bothering you."

_Els_ didn't know what to say so I said the words for her. "You're not bothering us at all, John. We're glad you're here. Do you know all of my cousins?"

James, my sweet cousin who was going to make some woman deliriously happy one day, made the introductions. "John, this is Ian, our world traveler and number four out of five. Ian, John—our friend and co-worker."

"Let's not forget, _Els'_ ex," JR reminded all of us in a threatening way. He was most upset when we all learned about the breakup. He had actually threatened to kidnap and torture John for making his sister cry.

"JR," I tried my best to ameliorate the tense situation, "John's our guest."

"He's not my guest," was not what I wanted to hear. Yikes. What had I done?

To my surprise, Nolan came to my rescue and broke the stare down. "JR, I was told you do work for the government. I'm in the midst of negotiating a contract with them for one of my software programs. Could you give me some advice on dealing with military people?" That did the trick. JR immediately did an about-face and animatedly struck up a conversation with Nolan. I stared at the man, curious and impressed, and he stared back with a smile and a wink.

Shit. How could I have forgotten myself? He was the enemy. Being impressed with his many talents was only going to get me into trouble.

"What's he doing here?" Ellie asked quietly, but urgently.

"I don't know," I answered innocently, adding a shrug to aid my cause.

"Bullshit, Lilah. I know you're lying. Your nose starts twitching when you lie."

"It does not!" I spoke indignantly. "How dare you malign the Taylor nose?"

I thought I was pushing away from the topic at hand, but my cousin was no dummy. "Fess up or I'm going to make it my duty to pair you up with Nolan this entire trip."

Damn. I couldn't fess up or I'd be in deeper shit with Ellie. Without a choice, I had to stick to my original tale. "Seriously, I don't know why he's here. Why don't you ask him?" To that, I called, "John, come here. Tell us what brings you to the Big Apple and where you're staying."

As soon as John walked over to us, I excused myself to the little girl's room. Genius! I could be a genius at times.

There were two goals for this trip: 1) Avoid Nolan like the plague. 2) Get John and Ellie back together.

So far, so good!

Nolan: "I heard it through the grapevine..." ~Marvin Gaye

"Whatcha doing today, Delilah? I'm free all day today and tomorrow. You want to hang out?"

"Good morning, Nolan. Thank you for bringing John. I trust you both enjoyed your accommodations next door?"

"We did. The Benningtons and the Reids have fabulous apartments here in New York."

"They do." Delilah poured herself a cup of coffee and stepped aside for me to do the same. "From the looks of it, Ellie was really happy to see him. I don't even know when she came to bed last night. They stayed up and talked. Hopefully, they'll have worked out whatever their problems are by the time we get back to LA." So formal. That was never good.

"I hope so too. How about going to brunch with me? I have someone waiting in line for us at that famous pancake place on the lower east side." That was too random. I needed to learn how to be smooth like other men.

"What does that even mean?"

"Well, in New York City, there are people who wait in line for a living. For items like Cronuts, restaurants that don't take reservations, tickets to impossible-to-get shows like Hamilton, there are companies who will stand in line for you."

"Isn't that kind of crazy?"

"Yeah, but New York is kind of crazy—in a very good way."

In her eyes, I saw indecision. She was struggling with what she wanted to do and what she thought she should do. "Thanks for the offer, but I've already made my coffee. I'll stay here. Why don't you take Nicky or one of the other guys instead?"

Damn. She said no again.

Rather than fight her, I gave in to her wishes. "Sure. If you don't want to go, I'll give John the spot and he can take his lady."

"But..." I liked the hesitation. "Didn't you pay a lot of money to have some guy stand in line for you?" Even more so, I loved her undesired angst.

"I did— _for you_. But, I don't want to make you do something you don't want, or are not comfortable doing. I'll let John enjoy the fruits of my labor. No worries."

Delilah's face displayed a myriad of thoughts and expressions. The foremost one was regret. Next, she was apologetic. _No matter_. I didn't want to play those cards. I wanted her to hang out with me because she wanted to, and not because she felt bad I'd wasted money on her.

"Maybe another time..." she whispered.

"Definitely another time, Delilah." Impulsively, I took a few extra steps, got close to her and gave her a firm side hug. She didn't freeze, nor did she push me away. We were making progress.

With a smile and a mug of coffee, I stepped into the large living room where I found all the Reid men, plus one John Solomon, hanging out.

"John, you have forty-five minutes to get your lady to the Lower East Side for brunch. Call your lady and an Uber driver and enjoy yourselves." Smart man that he was, he didn't ask questions. He did exactly as was told.

"Are they back together?" JR asked with a growl. "It pisses me off that he's here. I don't want Ellie hurt again."

Though I wasn't family, yet, I decided to butt in. "The last thing John wants is to see Elizabeth hurt. I think he's caught in an unfortunate circumstance." All the men looked to me for an explanation. "I swore I wouldn't tell," was the only one I could give them.

"Why'd you give away your reservation, Nole?" Nicky, who understood my morning plans, asked with a laugh. "Lilah turned you down?" he teased.

"I think you're barking up the wrong tree." Ian laughed alongside his cousin. "However, since you brought a smile to my sister's pretty face last night, I'll offer you a boon."

"Anything, please!"

"Delilah's fiancé was here two days ago, and he and Lilah had a tiff over something. Our cousin came home pissed!"

"What'd they fight about?"

"No clue. Ellie's probably the only one who knows. Maybe John can ferret that info for you since you gave him another opportunity to be alone with her."

"Great thinking." Immediately, I texted John for help.

"Another word of advice," JR helped, "Lilah is a trusting and trustworthy person. She won't cheat on her fiancé."

"I'm not asking her to cheat on that guy." Ian, JR, and Nicky called my bullshit with all kinds of coughed-up responses. "All right. Cheating is a harsh word. I want her to come to realize that maybe he was the man for her this summer, but I'm the man for her from today on out."

JR continued, "If you want to spend time with her, utilize her friends and family. Being alone with you equals being unfaithful to her man."

"So..." I hadn't thought of that before. This was the problem with not having much experience with women. I understood them very little. "You're saying if I want to have brunch with her, I should invite _all_ of you?"

"Yep." Ian agreed with his brother. "We'll have to see how far you're willing to impress our cousin. I know she wants to see Hamilton. Perhaps you can buy _all of us_ a ticket to see the sold-out musical. That should be a pretty penny." The three had a good laugh over my plight.

"Why don't you throw in a fancy dinner before the show?" Nicky added between snorts.

"We're _all_ free this weekend, Nolan." JR revealed. "I have meetings next week. Ian is a travel bum so he'll be wherever the freebies are. You already know Nicky's schedule. If you want our help, we're willing— _for a price_."

If they weren't laughing hard before, they were bowled over now.

Nicky slapped my back and good-naturedly said, "No pressure."

These guys might have been joking, but they'd given me some valuable advice. With Delilah having pledged herself to another man, I needed to work the friendship angle, first. I remembered now that Dr. Taylor had given me that same advice. Maybe there was something to being friends with someone before pledging to marry.

Once Delilah liked and trusted me as a friend, then her eyes and heart might open to possibilities of a relationship. If family meals and musicals were the ways toward earning her like, then so be it. I'd empty my bank account to become rich in love.

Delilah: "New York, New York..." ~Frank Sinatra

"How's it going with John?" With so many male bodies in the apartment, it was hard to get a moment of privacy with my cousin.

"I don't know, Lilah. I'm still upset you brought him here. But, I'm also grateful. I shouldn't be this happy to see him. He's only going to break my heart again."

I couldn't help the coy smile. "He loves you. You love him. What's so difficult?"

"Who the hell knows?" my cousin asked. "By the way, you missed out on the best pancakes. In your stead, I enjoyed them." She grinned. We had all missed her smiles. "What's next on yours and Nolan's (rejected) agenda so I can benefit?"

I chose not to understand her meaning. "I want to go to MoMA. You want to join me?"

"Sure. Let me see what the guys are up to; they can join us."

Before I could stop her, Ellie called over to the guys and invited them. Along with a huge smile, she stuck her tongue out at me and walked away. I'd have to grin and bear a couple of hours with Nolan, thanks to my dear cousin.

Because of the large number in our party, we always had to catch two separate cars and Nolan made sure to not only sit in our car, but also to sit right next to me.

"May I ask you a question, Delilah?"

"If I say no, will you not ask it?"

His lips perked up and I had to say, this Nolan was kinda cute in his own geeky way. "Maybe?" As soon as that word came out, he changed his mind. "Probably not. I just wanted to see if you'd be willing to watch a show with all of us?"

"What show and who's all of us?"

"I have eight seats on hold for us at the Richard Rodgers Theater. In about ten minutes, those seats will be let go to other buyers. Everyone else has agreed to attend. Would you like to join us?"

"Richard Rodgers Theater, as in, _Hamilton?_ " My voice squeaked while asking this question.

"Yes. Shall I buy seven tickets or eight?" Was I imagining the smug grin on his face? Damn! He'd placed me in a serious predicament.

"How'd you get that many tickets? I thought the show was sold out." I asked this bratty question.

"I had the same guy stand in line for me. He just called to say that in about ten minutes, the box office will open and he predicts there will be about ten tickets for resale. I need to give him an answer immediately."

"Won't it be expensive for you to buy so many tickets?" He shrugged his shoulders. I so wanted to watch this musical, but I didn't want to do it with Nolan. My preference would have been to watch it with my fiancé, who had other ideas in mind.

"Not to pressure you, but I need to call my guy in the next minute, Delilah."

"All right. I'll go with all of us, under one condition." I needed to feel like I was in control somehow. "We will each pay our own way. You will _not_ buy the tickets for us."

"Lilah..." Nicky and JR groaned. "Why the hell would we pay for something that's given to us as a _present_."

"Nope. We will each pay our own way or I won't go."

"You can be such a pain in the ass, Lilah." Nicky lamented.

Nolan's silent plea was as unmistakable as my cousins' annoyance. JR called Ian in the other car and told everyone of my "stupid idea." Each person agreed that my idea was indeed "stupid" _and_ that everyone would fork over money for his and her ticket. With a gigantic grin, Nolan called and purchased all eight tickets. This was going to be a phenomenal night.

"I'm sorry I couldn't convince my cousins to split the stand-in-line-guy fee." I whispered to the man sitting next to me, _Nolan of course_ , after the first "Alexander Hamilton" musical number.

Brazenly, Nolan kissed my nose and said, "For a chance to sit next to you, I would've paid for all your cousins' tickets every night we were in town." Truly, I had no words. What he said befuddled me even greater than the kiss. What was wrong with this man?

"Let's continue watching the show," I whispered while trying hard to ignore his presence.

The problem with buying such a large number of tickets was that they weren't all together. There were three sets of two seats, with James and Ian sitting by themselves in random places. All our views were fantastic. The show could've only been better if I'd sat next to my cousins as well. For now, I was enjoying myself with a man who gave me too much attention.

"So, what do you think so far?" It was intermission and Nolan and I stood up to stretch our legs. New Yorkers must've been much shorter, than they are now, when this theater first opened. With no legroom to spare, we were desperate to feel our legs again.

"Absolutely epic!" I exclaimed. "I can't imagine how a show can top every expectation. Thank you for having the forethought to hire people to get our tickets. What an exceptional night."

"Come," he placed his hand on my back and led me up the stairs. "We need to get circulation back in our legs and I'd like something to eat and drink. We should've grabbed food from a street vendor on our way here from MoMA."

"Sorry. That's my fault. I couldn't get away from the Monet watercolors. My parents love Giverny. That place has a special place in their love story."

"Your entire family appears to have a hell of a love story. I've been told of a few of the stories. One day, I'll have to ask each couple to let me in on their secrets."

I thought about each of my aunts and uncles. They all had an indelible love. "My family's neat."

"They have to be extraordinary in order to produce offspring like you and your cousins."

"Thank you, Nolan. That's kind of you to say that about my cousins. They, along with my siblings, are the best. We all love each other."

Nolan wistfully added, "Your family is a dream for an only child like me. One day, I'd like to be a part of that kind of love and camaraderie."

"But it won't be with me, Nolan." I lost the bratty tone and let him down gently. "I'm engaged to be married to Rhys. I'm not the kind of girl who can promise to marry one man and fraternize with another. I hope you'll understand. As kind as you are to me and my family, you need to understand my stance. It won't change."

What I said altered the man who'd had a smile on his face, talking about family. Nolan grabbed us a few items to eat and drink and kept to himself until it was time to head back to our seats. Even seated, his usual gregarious nature turned blank. It was as if I was sitting next to a complete stranger.

In a small way, my heart broke for him. I didn't mean to upset him. All I wanted was for him to be clear where I stood in this bizarre situation/relationship.

During the second act, Nolan still wouldn't acknowledge me. He watched the show without a reaction and oddly, I felt him separating himself from me physically, mentally, and emotionally. Finally, I could stand it no longer. I reached out first.

At the very end when we all rose to give a standing ovation, I placed a hand on his wrist and confessed, "I'm sorry, Nolan. I wish we'd met earlier. From the little I know, you'll make some girl feel like you've handed her the moon. Thank you for showing me what it might have been like to be your girl. Maybe..." I was going to say "in the next life," but was stopped by a kiss to the tip of my nose again, along with a sweet smile.

That was it. He still didn't say a word to me, but a message was conveyed. I understood that his heart would still be mine if I chose to take it. I understood that he didn't care that I was engaged to Rhys. Somehow, his defiance had no malice, but it was resolute. He would continue his pursuit.

I shouldn't have been...but I was relieved he was back to being the Nolan I knew and didn't understand.

Nolan: "I'm up all night to get lucky..." ~Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk

I caught a serious break right before I was to leave NY for LA. When I say I caught a break, it was like the Powerball of breaks. This was what happened.

After Hamilton and a great dinner at a two-Michelin starred Italian restaurant, we all hung out as friends. I learned something very important that night. Delilah was as kind as I knew she would be, but she was also a fierce friend. She protected those she believed were being taken advantage of, and for some reason, I was in that category.

When dinner was over, she made sure I wasn't stuck with the bill when all her male cousins concluded it should be me who picked up the tab. John offered to pay for dinner, but embarrassingly enough, Delilah paid. I didn't like it, but I did like the mama-bear role. I decided it was to my benefit not to upset her.

To all our surprises, Delilah's father came into town on Tuesday, the day John, Ellie, James and I were to leave. He stopped by the Reid residence and this was where my Powerball-sized boon happened.

"What brings you here, Daddy? I thought you were coming later in the week."

"Meeting dates were changed between New York and San Francisco, Baby. How's your trip going so far? Your brothers are none too happy that you're here living it up while they're working their asses off."

Delilah gave an _I-don't-give-a-damn_ smile. "How long are you here for, Daddy?"

"Just one night. How much longer are you here for, Lilah?"

"I don't know. Unless Nicky needs me, I thought I might hop into London to see Rhys. We didn't end well and I need to talk to him."

"That's an expensive way to talk to him, Baby. _Use the phone_." Donovan Taylor was shaking his head no. _Way to go, Mr. Taylor!_ I wanted to give him a high-five but I knew this wasn't my place to say a word. Thus, I stayed as silent as a statue. "Don't forget our rules that you and Rhys have agreed to. You're not to see him alone."

Delilah's aggravated face was adorable. "If Nicky comes with me, will you let me go?"

"Nicky?" Mr. Taylor asked. "Do you have any reason to be in London this week?"

My future business partner wanted to help his cousin, but he couldn't lie to his uncle. "Um, not this week, but in three weeks, Uncle Donovan."

"I guess Nicky's headed home like you will be."

"Daddy!" Delilah argued. Lucky for Donovan Taylor, her phone rang. Unlucky for me, it was Rhys. She ran into her room.

"Do you three have to leave today?" Delilah's dad changed topics. "And when do the rest of you leave? I have the plane with me. If you can hang out a little longer and make a pit stop in San Francisco, you can catch a ride with me."

Here was the boon I was talking about! "May I, Mr. Taylor?" The invitation wasn't exactly handed to me, but I was the first to jump at the opportunity. "I have a debate tournament this weekend and would love a flight straight into San Francisco, rather than heading to LA and then to SF."

He thought about it a split second longer than I wanted and answered, "Why not?" Then he asked his niece and nephews, "Anyone else?"

"We wish we can play longer, but the three of us have overstayed, Uncle Donovan. Ellie, John and I were supposed to be back at the hospital today. We'll be doing midnight shifts for a while to make up for the five days of freedom."

"You always were a model child, James." Delilah's father slapped his back. "You," he pointed to John in a scary manner, "did you make my niece unhappy this weekend?"

"No, Sir."

"Did you make her happy?"

"I hope so, Sir."

"Are you going to break her heart again?"

"I hope not, Sir."

Then he asked Ellie, "Are you two back on?" John and Ellie looked longingly at one another but had no answer. _"You!"_ He now turned his attention on me.

"Yes, Sir?" I answered with respect.

"Did you make my daughter unhappy?"

"Definitely not, Sir."

"Did you make her happy?"

"Probably not, Sir."

"Are you going to piss off her fiancé?"

"Most definitely, Sir." I thought I saw his face crack just a smidgen. The smile was there, somewhere. "May I ask you a question, Sir?"

"Go ahead."

"How long will you be staying in San Francisco?"

"We leave tomorrow night, I have a meeting Thursday and Friday, and I'll be home in time to take my wife to the theater that night. Why?"

"I was wondering if you'd allow Delilah to stay in San Francisco with me?"

"Hell, no." Donovan Taylor snorted. "I won't let her go see her fiancé. What makes you think I'll let her be with you?"

Damn. I thought I was further ahead than I really was. "I know Lilah really likes dresses and there's an Oscar de la Renta dress exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum. I thought she might want to see it."

Donovan Taylor thought about what I'd said. Had I actually stumped him? "Delaney mentioned wanting to see this exhibit. How long will it be there?"

"I believe the exhibit is done at the end of the month."

He thought again and then called his wife. "Princess? Can you meet me in San Francisco?" She must've asked why because the man in front of me answered, "I have a surprise for you. I'll be there early Thursday. Meet me, Princess. We haven't had a weekend away in a while." There was some form of complaining. "How about you come Friday after DJ is done with summer school? He can go stay with anyone on the cul-de-sac and the twins can fend for themselves while you're away. It's not like they're home much. As for the theater tickets, give them to your parents. Anything else?" I guess Mr. Taylor had resolved all the issues. "Good. I'm here with the kids. I'll call again when I get to the hotel. Bye. I love you."

"Good thinking, Nolan. _If_ Delilah agrees, you can hang with her until the Mrs. and I leave on Sunday."

"Where will you, Mrs. Taylor, and Delilah stay?"

He stopped to think again. "The Mrs. and I will be at the Fairmont. Delilah will stay at the Reid apartment."

"May I—" I don't know why I tried. I was shut down immediately.

"When hell freezes over."

"What if Nicky joins us?" We both turned to my only true ally in this room.

"You coming, Nicky?"

"Contrary to what you think, Uncle Donovan, I do work for a living." The snort was back. "However, I have a lab I can visit in San Francisco, so yeah, since you brought the plane, I think I will hop along."

"Can the three of us, plus my two debate partners, stay at the Reid apartment?"

Once again, the pause before he asked, "Ellie, how many bedrooms in your SF apartment?"

"Three, Uncle Donovan."

"Are there still all those crazy beds? Jungle room still exists?"

"Last I was there it did."

"All right." He looked dead at me. "If Delilah agrees, you and your debate partners may stay there. Boys in one room. Girls in the other. _You got it_?"

How could I not get such a scary overture? "Yes, Sir."

"Good. See you later."

Donovan Taylor left the room after giving me a gift like no other.

San Francisco! Here we come.

Delilah: "And I say, hey, hey, hey, hey, I said, hey, what's going on?..." ~4 Non Blondes

How on earth did I end up in San Francisco with this man? How did Nolan keep ingratiating himself into our family ventures and adventures? To be fair, he had a purpose for being in this city. I was here because I wanted a ride home with my father.

Ellie, James, and John went back to work, JR had meetings to attend in DC, and Ian decided to head back to Iceland, so Nicky and I followed Dad. Nicky told me that he, too, had meetings scheduled. I was the only one with absolutely nothing to do.

"Mom's coming?" I asked when I received a text asking about the weather up here. I told her it was cold, like always.

"Your mother and I will have a romantic weekend away from you kids." Dad made us sound as if we were still dependent upon him and Mom. I supposed we kinda were, but mostly, we weren't.

"What am I to do?" I asked no one in particular.

"Can you help me, Delilah?" Nolan queried.

What could I possibly do to help this man? "I suppose?"

"Have you ever debated before?" I nodded yes. "Great! Can you help me with research on this topic here?" He pointed to the one section of his laptop that had a big empty space. "I've been having too good of a time in New York with your family. I should've done more studying, but I didn't. Instead, I played."

"Why do you do this, Nolan?"

"The debate?" he asked.

"Yes."

"It's something I did in college with my two partners, Cam and Eddie, and we enjoyed it so much, we continued on. This weekend is a super important tourney that I haven't been faithful to—too many distractions in my life."

"So when will Cam and Eddie arrive? And is Cam a man or woman?"

"Tonight, and Cam is all woman. She was the homecoming queen, president of her sorority, summa cum laude graduate. She's beautiful, she's sweet, and she's as funny as they come. You'll love her when you meet her tonight. They're flying up after work."

All the enthusiasm in _all_ those adjectives irked. Who was this _perfect_ Cam?

What also kind of irked was the fact that in the course of one trip, Nolan felt comfortable enough, with my family, to bring his friends to our place. No one minded, and there was plenty of space. However, there was just this weird sense of closeness that happened since New York. How it was actualized was beyond me.

"Give me your laptop. I'll help." I grabbed his computer and went from site to site looking to fill in all the blanks. Nolan walked back and forth in the living room and recited his speech. He also played the role of the other team members and asked counter questions. Then, he'd answer those points. He was quite a good actor and debater.

After watching him briefly, Dad asked, "Nolan, you ever think about becoming a lawyer? We could always use another acute lawyer."

"For about a year and a half when I went to law school and passed the bar."

"You have a law degree?" Dad was impressed and interested. He was always dismayed by the fact that his three oldest never wanted to take over the family business. There was still hope that DJ might turn out to follow in Daddy's footsteps, but that was a longshot. DJ was more interested in playing football than arguing a case.

"I do, Sir. I have a law degree, and a business degree, but I'm a few years away from earning my MD and doctorate. The lab has taken too much of my time. I dropped out of the classroom a few months ago and haven't been tempted back in."

"How old are you?"

"Same age as Delilah, Sir."

Dad was now damn impressed. "Have you invented anything like my nephew Nicky?"

"I have, but nothing as successful—at least until my hair growth serum gets FDA approval. That's my slam dunk. I'm hoping Nicky and Delilah will join efforts with me since they've begun working on one for men. My product is for women. We can market them together."

"How long does it take to come up with something viable and sellable?"

"Years. Research alone takes years and years. I'm willing to share my secrets and the lab, but your daughter is resisting."

"Why, Baby? Why are you still saying no?" Dad thought I was nuts. He'd go ballistic if he knew I'd already bound myself to work with Nolan when he ferreted that information from John. I'd been a chicken and hadn't kept my end of the bargain. Nolan was a gentleman about not calling me out. "Why would you give up this kind of an opportunity? You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Hop aboard and enjoy the ride."

"I've told you, Rhys isn't crazy about the idea."

"You can tell Rhys I said to man up. If he's insecure about you working with Nolan, then he has no business believing he's going to marry you. I don't want a pansy-assed son-in-law. Since you don't appear to have direction in your life right now, I'm insisting you start working with Nolan and your cousin. That'll get you up every morning and keep you from becoming lazy."

"Lazy? Did you call me lazy?" _What the hell?_ "Daddy. You do understand that I—"

"Enough," Dad cut me off. "You start working with these two fine young men once we're home," he said to me. "You," he pointed to Nolan, "come see me in my office and work on a case with Jane. I think you'll be perfect for this medical patent case we've been having trouble with. Your expertise in medicine, law, and debate will come in handy. Can you do that?—Spare some time for our firm? We will pay you, of course."

"I'd pay _you_ to work for you, Sir." What a kiss-ass.

Daddy smiled his evil smile. "Good. Now that we're settled, I'm off to work." Dad took a few steps before he said, "I change my mind. Nolan," he commanded, "come with me. Let's see how good you can really be."

"Where are you taking him, Daddy? He has to prepare for a debate."

"There's no better debate preparation than doing battle in a conference room. You see that thick file over there?" Dad pointed to the tome-sized folder. "Start skimming while we're sitting in San Francisco traffic."

"With pleasure, Sir."

That's how Nolan ended up with a job with my dad, and how I ended up with a job with Nolan. What the hell was going on?

I...

### Donovan: I...mpressed

This kid was a freaking genius!

Between his orating skills, his knowledge in medicine, and his law degree, he singlehandedly ran circles around the opposing team.

"Where'd he come from?" Jane, who flew up here to help, asked. "How'd Nolan O'Shaughnessy end up in this conference room?"

"Forget Rhys. I'm going to push for this kid. He's a damn prodigy," I told my partner. "Nolan, what kind of law were you going to practice had you decided on this profession?"

"Patent." He answered during this quick break. "Patent law was most necessary for my inventions. That was one of the reasons why I went to law school before finishing my medical degrees. I needed to know what I was up against, I didn't want to get hosed by my competition with in-house lawyers, and I didn't want to pay the exorbitant lawyer fees."

"I like you better and better, Kid." The smile on his face said it all. "Get back to work," I commanded, not wanting him to lose focus or to feel too confident about himself.

Jane whispered, "So you'll switch allegiance just like that? You're going to make Lilah break off her engagement?"

I snorted. "Like I have that kind of power. Can you exert that kind of influence over Maxie?"

Jane replicated my sentiment. "Yeah, right! Especially since her father is such a sucker for his daughter, I'm screwed. We're all screwed."

"How about we let Nolan and the rest of our staff finish this up? Let's go meet our spouses at the Giants' game."

"That's the best idea I've heard all day. Let's go."

Call me crazy, but between Nolan and the staff Jane brought up with her, I felt pretty good about our chance of winning. I let them be and went to meet my bride of almost thirty years.

"So you really like this kid, huh?"

"You saw him. Wasn't he impressive to you?"

Jane answered, "Yeah, but being smart and being good enough for my daughter are two very different ideals."

"Honestly, I like both guys. Rhys appears to be a fine young man. Nolan is no less a fine young man. The advantage Nolan has over Rhys is that he lives in LA. I want to keep my daughter here in town with me. I don't want her living half her time in England and the other half with us. Eventually, when she has children, I want to see them daily."

"You were smart to buy up all those homes behind us. We can most definitely open up a small pathway between us and what will eventually be the next generation. With Lilah getting married, I guess she has first pick."

"I'm just glad everyone was willing to invest in those houses. It wasn't easy purchasing each and every one behind us. That street is huge. It has fifteen homes."

"When will you let Lilah know about your wedding present to her?"

"Once she picks a husband," I answered with a chuckle.

Jane and I arrived at AT&T Park and found our spouses already imbibing in their afternoon delights.

"Hello, Princess." I gave my wife no less a greeting than the one Max gave his. "You're both earlier than I expected."

My beautiful wife said, "It was pretty slow today so we left the hospital early, with the blessings of the chief and former chief."

"Jake and Grandpa Henry have been on double duty these days. Your dad is too old to be working this much."

"You know Dad loves it. He's as sharp as ever and he even told Jake to take the weekend off since the three young doctors were back. Jake should be picking up his wife right now as I speak. They'll be joining us in a few hours. We're to meet them for dinner," she added.

"Nick and Bee coming, too?"

Max informed us, "They said it's a definite possibility. Apparently, Bee flew up to Seattle last night. She was coming home tonight but Nick told her to meet him here instead. Last we heard, it wasn't a done deal."

"This is going to be fun. All of us haven't traveled as couples in years." I couldn't remember the last time we all traveled without kids—though technically, Lilah and Nicky were in the same city.

"So, Laney," Jane said, "Donovan is vetting a new boy for the position of your son-in-law."

"What?" My sweet wife asked aloud. She turned to me for an answer.

"I'm not vetting anyone, _Jane._ You always were a troublemaker." The accusation was met with an eye-roll. I explained further, "A simple comment about Nolan O'Shaughnessy being an impressive lawyer has Jane believing I'm looking to replace Rhys."

" _Are you_ looking?" My wife knew me too well.

"Not looking, just observing."

"None of our parents pushed us one way or the other where our relationships were concerned. Let's not play matchmaker with our daughter." The warning was there.

"I thought you were Nolan's champion."

"I never said I was his champion. I only commented that I felt a kinship."

"Whatever. Let's forget about our daughter and her beaus. When are Jake and Emily arriving and where's dinner?"

I wasn't lying when I said I was just an observer.

I also wasn't lying when I said that I was impressed with Nolan O'Shaughnessy.

### Nolan: I...nsane

"Why did you insist Eddie and I join you here?"

"Cam. We have a free place to stay. Why spend money when it isn't necessary?"

My friend was unhappy with this situation and especially with me. Eddie, speaker number one, tried to help. "This apartment is kickass, Cam. It's not far from our tournament location, Moscone Center, it's right across from AT&T Park so we can catch a game, and like Nolan said, it's free!"

"When has it been such a hardship to get a hotel room? I don't want to stay here." Cam was loud enough for the everyone at AT&T Park to hear her. "After practice, I'm leaving."

" _Leaving?"_ Shit. If it wasn't bad enough that Cam was pissed to be in this apartment, Delilah walked in and wondered what the argument was about. "Why are you leaving, Cam? What's wrong? Why are you yelling at your friend, Nolan?" This five-foot-nine blonde bombshell protecting my five-foot-two blonde warrior made me chuckle. There wasn't anything about Delilah I didn't love.

"Sorry, Cam. My bad. Let's forget all that's happened and focus on the day ahead." I pleaded with my best friend. "Could we do that for now?"

"Fine," she said grudgingly.

With much interest and intent, Delilah watched us and slowly handed my laptop back to me. "I'm done. I hope that was helpful."

"Thank you. I'm sure you did a great job."

Right before she left us, Delilah said, "Dad wants to thank you for your good work today at the office. He and my aunts and uncles are at dinner. He invited you to join them if you want..." stopping to gauge the atmosphere, she decided, "never mind. Dad can take you to dinner another time. I'll give you some peace."

"Where will you be?" I wanted her to stay. Though with Cam here, that wasn't going to be fun.

"I was going to join my family for dinner if you could attend, but since you can't, Nicky and I are going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like me to bring back something for everyone?"

Why was I this surprised, and pleased as hell, that she was wanting to attend dinner with me and her family? Something had changed since our stay in New York. I knew it. I felt it.

"We'll just order a pizza, Delilah. Don't worry about us."

She wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? Nicky and I could take our dinners to go. Why don't we do that? We'll go to the Ferry Building and get Vietnamese food. Do you all eat Vietnamese?" She looked to my partners for approval. Eddie gave two thumbs up. Cam pretended she was busy on the computer.

"Whatever you want to eat is fine with us, Delilah. Thank you." I walked her to the door so she wouldn't be subjected to my friend who was doing her damnedest to ignore her.

"Nolan?" Delilah whispered and pulled me out of the room. She then whispered in my ear like a little girl. "Why doesn't Cam like me? Did I do something wrong? I'd love for us to be friends. I hope I didn't offend her somehow. You'll let me know if I did?"

It was moments like these where I was screwed because I was too in love with Delilah Rose Taylor. I kissed the tip of her nose and said, "You've been an incredible hostess, Delilah. Please excuse Cam. She's usually friendlier, but there are some unresolved issues with us. She's mad at me, not you."

Delilah peeked into the room and then decided to close the door altogether. "Why is she upset with you? What'd you do wrong? You're such a sweet guy."

The chuckle that escaped made Delilah realize what she'd said. "You think so?" I countered her statement. "You're always mad at me. I could've sworn everything I did with you and for you was wrong."

Her lips curled slightly, and then some more. Damn. I was lost in the sudden giggles. How could one woman have it all?

"Sorry." She straightened her face and displayed the pretense of a stern schoolmaster. "Get back to work, Nolan O'Shaughnessy. Your group is counting on you. I expect nothing less than first place at tomorrow's competition."

"Yes, Ma'am." I whispered and couldn't help but kiss the tip of her nose one more time.

By the time I returned, I was on cloud nine. This was the closest I'd felt to Delilah. Of course, the good feelings didn't last; Cam yelled from the other side of the room that I was wasting all their time. After a gentle squeeze to her arm, I was back to work.

Luck, good and bad, came in all forms. Late in the night, or rather, early in the morning, Eddie woke up to horrendous nausea coupled with vomiting. With all the racket we were making, Nicky came out from his room to help and eventually went to wake up his cousin.

"I don't think I'll make it to the competition today, Nole. Can you and Cam handle it without me?" Eddie asked in between retching up yesterday's meals.

For any normal competition, I'd say no problem. With this being a qualifier for Nationals, I didn't think we could do it. "It's all right, Eddie. I'll call Cam and ask if she wants to withdraw. It's going to be difficult for us to handle a three-man team with only two people."

"I'm sorry, Man. What crappy luck."

"No worries. This is only for fun. Let me call Cam." My best friend decided not to stay in the Reid apartment last night. She was staying at the W Hotel, across from our debate site.

"Nolan?" Delilah called after getting Eddie some more water. "Can I help?"

"Thank you, Delilah. You've been a great help, already. Why don't you get back to sleep? I'll take care of Eddie."

"What I mean is..." she held back, somewhat, before saying, "can I help you with your debate?"

I wasn't sure what Delilah was talking about until Nicky said, "You're talking to a state champion debater, Nolan. Lilah and her mother can talk rings around any expert debater or lawyer. Uncle Donovan forever wanted his wife and daughter to take over his half of the company. He's still waiting for Lilah to head to law school."

"Really?" I asked in huge surprise. "How did I not know this about you?" My informant had been negligent in telling me this bit about my future bride. "I thought I knew everything about you."

With a bashful grin she said, "A girl's gotta have some secrets."

What the hell had happened between us? How had we gotten this close? Whatever was happening, I didn't want it to end. "Thank you. I accept." I secured her help before she decided against it.

### Delilah: I...mpossible

"You sure you want to do this?" Nicky whispered when we left Nolan to care for Eddie. "I'm all good with you and Nolan, but what about Rhys?"

"Rhys and I are..." I didn't know how to answer this thought. It wasn't that we had any huge issue. It was that every time we talked, whether on the phone or in person, we argued. Maybe all young people in love argued? I had no idea since I'd never been in love before. "We'll talk more later, Nicky. Right now, I need to get Nolan's notes and study the topics. I have a long night ahead of me."

That's what I did the rest of the night. I felt really good about myself, and how well I knew the subjects until I saw Cam at Moscone Center. Her _"what the hell is she doing here?"_ set the tone for the rest of the morning.

No matter how well I filled in for Eddie, Cam was unhappy. Even with our landslide win in the last morning rounds, she was pissed. I didn't know what to do with this situation.

Nolan was between a rock and a hard place; I felt terrible for him. "How about we celebrate our morning wins with lunch or tea at the Rotunda? We can get some fresh air by walking up to Neiman's and fortify ourselves with a delicious meal. Being inside a convention center all morning is giving me a headache."

I thought I'd support him by saying, "What a great idea. I love tea at Neiman's. I'm also starving. Let's go."

Of course Cammie was staunchly against the idea. "No. I need to prep for the next round since our substitute is lacking Eddie's knowledge and presence."

That dig bugged, but I let it go. Nolan, however, didn't. "Fine, Cam. If you want to stay here, go ahead." Nolan grabbed my hand and said, "Let's go." To that, I followed his dictate.

He was quiet the entire ten-minute walk. I had nothing to add, so I stayed quiet as well. It was only when we arrived at the Rotunda and were seated that he started explaining the drama.

Boy, did he have a mouthful to say. "So you see why it's my fault? Cam is only reacting to my feelings for you."

I had to state the obvious, which wasn't as obvious anymore. "Cam does know that I'm engaged to be married?"

Nolan stared at me as if I'd slapped him in the face. "Are you still...?"

"Nolan." Damn. I had to convince the man in front of me, as well as myself. "Rhys and I are still engaged to be married. I won't lie and say I don't enjoy spending time with you. I do. You and I have a lot in common and my family likes you. However, I've pledged myself to another man. He and I are in a bit of a troubled spot right now, but we'll work through it. We're just going through growing pains."

"But, don't you see how well we get along? You went from hardly acknowledging me in New York to being my debate mate in San Francisco. I know you enjoy being friends. I sure as hell enjoy being your friend. Since I've come back into your life, you and Rhys have been on the outs. Your cousins told me that you two had a serious argument in New York. Why can't you see that he's not the man for you? He is all wrong for you, Delilah."

"Right or wrong, _in your eyes_ , he's my fiancé. We love each other."

"But you knew each other for a month and got engaged. How much love could there be? Infatuation, maybe, but love? I don't think so."

Now that just pissed me off. The reason for my anger wasn't clear to me, but I knew I had to feel indignant about what Nolan had said. "Who are you to say what's right and what's wrong? You and I've known each other less than a month. It's not your place to say who I belong with."

"You belong with me, Delilah," Nolan stated succinctly.

This conversation pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. The three of us were all pissed for different reasons, but the effect was the same. This mad-at-the-world attitude put us at the top of our game and we won. However, this mad-at-the-world attitude also had us parting without a good-bye. I went to meet my mom at the Fine Arts Museum, and Cam probably hightailed it back to LA.

Nolan—who knew what Nolan would do?

"How was the competition?" Mom asked with exuberance. "I wish we could've been there."

"We won," was all I wanted to say.

"You won? That's it? You won the entire competition and you show this little excitement?"

Before we headed into the Oscar de la Renta dress exhibit, I told my mother everything—from my terrible blow with Rhys to another terrible blow with Nolan to my confused state.

"Do you still love Rhys?"

"Yes," I answered after giving it some thought.

"Are you beginning to have feelings for Nolan?"

"No," I answered without a moment's thought. Mom watched and waited. I gave in and confessed, "It's not that I have feelings for him. It's just that everything is much easier with him. I don't know if it's because Nolan's trying to impress me, but we get along well."

"And with Rhys?"

"We got along just as well when we first started, but now we're learning that we have differences. These differences shouldn't be that big of a deal but they are, and we're both too stubborn to meet halfway."

Mom placated my hurt by saying, "Every couple has issues, Lilah. Your father and I were plagued with issues from the onset."

"Then how do you know when a problem is resolvable and when it's time to let go and move on? I don't want to find out after I'm married that Rhys and I can't work out our issues."

"The best advice I can give you is for you to ask yourself if you love Rhys enough to overlook his iniquities. The same goes for your fiancé. Does he love you enough to cover your faults and even let them go? If so, then yes. You can spend your lifetime loving, caring, and fighting. If no, you need to let each other go now."

"But we're engaged, Mom. I've made a commitment."

"Why don't you talk to Rhys and see about this commitment and whether he still believes in it as strongly as you do? Maybe you both need a time out to come to a resolution?"

Ugh! Why was life so difficult? "But, what about Nolan?"

"What about Nolan? Why do you bring him up when we're discussing you and Rhys?"

"How do I know if these good feelings with Nolan are just like the good feelings I had with Rhys in the beginning?"

"I didn't realize that Nolan was on par with Rhys." Had I just done that?—put my fiancé and Nolan on the same level?

"They're not, Mom. Never mind." I had to stop talking before I confused myself even further. "Let's go enjoy ourselves. How'd you know about this exhibit? It's perfect for you and me. It would've been nice if Auntie Jane and Auntie Emily joined us." I threw out random thoughts and questions.

Mom answered all my queries in one shot. "Nolan bought two tickets for you and him. Since the exhibit is coming to an end, he was only able to secure two passes. Not even your father could get any more. Knowing how much you and I liked dresses, _Nolan_ gave the passes to your father to give to us. Enough said?"

Shit. That was enough said for sure.

### Nolan: I...nvolved

"Yes, Mr. Taylor?" I received an early, unexpected call this morning. "How can I help you?"

"You did a fine job in San Francisco but the case is long from being over. When can you come in? Do you have set work hours?"

Hell. What to say? I had so many damn things going on in my life, another job was the last thing I needed. Had it not been Delilah's father on the line, I would've said no a long time ago.

"I can come in immediately," was the lame-assed proclamation I'd made. Of course, I got ready in record time and attempted to race down to their downtown office.

Since this past weekend in San Francisco, I was lost. I literally wandered aimlessly after Delilah insisted she was still very much together with her fiancé. After New York and our incredible weekend up north, I thought she would reconsider her position. She sure as hell gave me hope.

That hope was crushed in an instant. Maybe Cam was right. Maybe it wasn't cool for me to chase after an already-affianced girl. I was sick and tired of thinking about Delilah. There was something I needed to resolve before I would think more about the girl plaguing my mind.

"What do you want?" was the response on Cam's end when I called her.

"Well hello to you too."

"Like I said, Nolan, what do you want?"

"I was hoping we could have dinner tonight and talk?"

"Why?" The tone was a little softer so I thought maybe there was hope of a reconciliation.

"Because you're my best friend, and I haven't been a good friend to you. Can we meet and discuss what's been going on with us?"

"All right," she grudgingly accepted a meal with me. "Text me where and when and I'll be there. It's not like I have a job or anything. I suppose I'm free."

"A job is exactly one of the topics we need to discuss. See you soon?"

"Yeah. See ya."

With my relationship with Cam almost on the mend, I went to my...job.

"What took you so long?" Donovan Taylor asked. "Is an hour later what you mean by immediately?"

"Sorry, Sir. I needed to speak with my friend and clear my mind before coming to work."

"Donovan." The other half of Ascot, Ascot, and Pemberley chided. "Leave the boy alone. May I remind you that he's doing us a favor? It's not as if he's even on payroll, yet."

"Payroll or not, I don't like waiting."

"Yeah, we all know," Jane Davis answered with heavy sarcasm. "Hello, Nolan. Come with me and I'll get you updated on all that's happened since this past weekend."

"How much could have transpired?" I asked. "It's been less than forty-eight hours since I last spoke with their team."

She cackled at my statement. "You know little of our world, Nolan. Come. I'll show you all the work you have before you."

She wasn't kidding; I wished she had been. I worked through the morning, through a catered lunch, and right up until it was time to leave for dinner with Cam. Had I not made prior arrangements, I would've worked right through the night. _That_ was how much work awaited me.

Oddly, I found patent law invigorating. The fact that the topic was a medical patent piqued my interest even further. I was wise to set up a reminder for my forgetful self. Standing up Cammie would not have been good for our friendship.

"Hi Nolan." That beautifully melodious voice greeted me. "You're finally done."

"What brings you here, Delilah?"

She stood there, bashful, not knowing what to say. "I guess I came to talk to you—if I had to tell the truth."

"All...right..." How the hell to answer that one...

I didn't have to answer her at all. She went straight to the point. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I waited for you to finish so maybe we could talk while grabbing a bite to eat?"

Damn! Damn! Damn! Why now?

"Um..." I so didn't want to do this, but it was necessary. "I already have a dinner date."

That was when it got _awkward_! "Oh, OK. No worries. During dinner, I wanted to tell you that I hoped we wouldn't lose our friendship over your interest in me. You and my cousins get along well. I'd love for us to stay friends. Would that be possible?"

What to say to this woman? I wanted to be everything to her, not just her friend.

"Aren't we friends, already? You've come a long way in a short time to becoming my friend. I thought that was established already."

Even more awkwardly, she said, "Oh. OK. I guess so."

I watched her fidget and squirm. Unlike her usual self, she was terribly unsure of just about everything.

"What is it that you really want to say, Delilah?" I decided to be frank with her.

"Well...I...thank you for the tickets to the Oscar de la Renta exhibit. Mom and I loved it. I'm sorry you had to give up your tickets for us."

This was one of the oddest conversations I'd ever had. "You're welcome, Delilah. Those tickets were meant for you. By now you must know that I'd give up a lot of things for you."

"Well, good-bye. Have a great dinner." She completely ignored my words and tried to leave. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and turned her attention back to me.

"What will you do about dinner since I'm previously engaged?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out." She sounded unsure.

"As a friend," I wondered if I should pull this card, "may I take you to dinner one night this week for your birthday?"

Her lips formed a perfect O before she asked, "How did you know?"

I chuckled, but didn't answer. "May I?"

She struggled for an answer that didn't come easily. "I'm not sure that's proper," my hope was dashed, yet again, until she continued to say, "however, you're welcome to join us for our August birthday celebration. Mom will host the party since everyone in my family, but dad, was born in August."

"Should I bring a bathing suit?"

"Always," she said with a giggle. "Have a good dinner..." There was always so much left unsaid on her side. "Who..." she thought better and finished with, "see you later."

I understood what she wanted and hesitated, myself. However, where Delilah was concerned, I couldn't help myself. I didn't want her wondering what my intentions were. I wanted her to be included in all facets of my life.

"Cam and I are having dinner tonight to discuss a few things that I've let sit for too long."

"Oh...sure...have a great time. Tell her I said hello. No, never mind, don't tell her since she doesn't like me."

I lightly squeezed the shoulder I was still holding. "I'll tell her hello and one day, I hope the three of us can be good friends."

"I'll see you Saturday?" She changed the subject.

"Without a doubt." I confirmed.

We silently went to the parking lot and waved good-bye. No words were exchanged in all that time between the office and garage. It was a silence filled with all kinds of anxiety, wonder, yearning, and hope from the both of us. I felt it. It wasn't just me who was affected by us. Delilah knew her heart wavered and her mind wondered. No matter what she said, we were headed in the right direction, together.

Now, if only I could get Cam on board as a friend. That would make my life complete.

### Delilah: I...n trouble

"Happy birthday, my fair lady!"

"Rhys!" I jumped from my seat and ran to greet my fiancé who'd just entered our backyard. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a family commitment this weekend."

He returned my hug and kissed me just long enough to warrant only a glare from the men in the backyard. "Since we haven't been getting on very well, I thought seeing you took priority over anybody else. I've missed you." He went back to holding me tight. I had missed my fiancé. There were days when I'd forgotten who took priority in my life. This was the man I'd pledged to marry—not that I needed any reminders.

"I've missed you, too. I'm so glad you're here."

"Can we go somewhere and talk privately? I have a lot to say but I prefer not to do it with an audience."

Without asking for permission, I led him to the pool house and locked the door.

Having Rhys here made me feel wonderful and anxious. I loved that he was here to resolve our issues, but I also wondered if our issues could be resolved. As time passed, it appeared we had more problems than we ever imagined.

"We can talk here," I said, leading us to the small sitting area.

"First of all, I want to apologize for being an arse back in New York. My only excuse is that I wanted you badly. I didn't stop to think how you might react. I apologize, my fair lady." He did appear sorry. At least I thought so until he added, "However, I hope you won't be skittish after we marry. I have a healthy appetite and I can't be with a woman who doesn't want me in the same way. We need to be especially compatible where that's concerned." He never said the word, but I understood him loudly and clearly. What he said annoyed me.

"Are you apologizing or threatening me?"

"That's not a threat, Lilah. Why the sudden anger?"

"Because it sounds like a threat and I don't like it."

He placed kisses on my hand like an old-fashioned gentleman and explained, "My intent was not to upset you. I only wanted to explain the importance of the physical aspect of our marriage."

Tamping down the anger, I told him that I understood. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions, Rhys. I guess I'm a little on edge right now."

"What makes you nervous, Lilah?" When I didn't answer, he encouraged me by saying, "It's me, your fiancé. You can tell me everything."

He asked. I answered. "I'm going to work with Nolan on our invention." Before Rhys could object, I explained the entire spiel and all the benefits for John, Elizabeth, and Nicky. "I have to do this for my cousin, Rhys. Ellie's been miserable since she and John broke up. If this gives them an opportunity to reunite, I need to help. Please understand. Please say yes."

"No. I don't understand. I won't say yes."

I just didn't expect this stubborn of an answer. "But Rhys, can't you understand that this isn't for me? It's for my cousin and her future." I was practically begging.

"Your cousin will find her happiness on her own. You don't need to be _that_ involved in her relationship, especially since that asshole probably orchestrated this scenario."

"Rhys, please!" I begged. "Please let me do this for my cousin. I'll join the project, get them started, and then I'll phase myself out. It's not for Nolan's sake that I'm doing this. It's truly for Ellie's benefit."

"I'm sorry, Lilah, but I can't allow it. That damn Nolan has been a thorn in my side since he showed up at our engagement party. Why can't you see how manipulative he's being? He's trapped you into a no-win situation. What kind of man seduces a woman into cheating on her fiancé? Is that what you really want, Lilah? Is this Ellie and John excuse a ruse to get together with Nolan? What's been going on here while I've been slaving away, trying to finish my degree, so we can get married?"

Ugh! This man was impossible. "You're going to grovel, Rhys Kent, before I speak another word with you." Talk about being an asshole. I walked out and jumped into the pool, knowing Rhys, fully clothed, couldn't follow me in.

I was sure he was calling my name, but I cared not to hear it. I stayed underwater until I reached the other side of the pool. Then, I jumped out, challenged DJ on the slide, and had myself a merry time.

"You're being childish, Lilah. I didn't fly all the way here to argue with you."

All I heard was _wah wah wah wah wah_ so I ignored Rhys and continued swimming.

"Hey. Stop yelling and borrow my suit. You're both ruining the birthday party." Scottie threw a pair of swim trunks at Rhys.

While Rhys huffed back into the pool house to change, I said, "Thanks a lot, Scottie. Now I have to continue this argument."

"Why are you making the rest of us miserable? Just break up with the guy and let's all live in peace!"

"Some older brother you're turning out to be. What happened to offering your help when I'm in trouble?"

Scottie's retort made me roll my eyes. "From where we're watching, you're the star of this ugly show."

As luck would have it, three not-so-stellar things happened at once. Scottie stopped reprimanding and started walking away. Rhys walked out in a set of swim trunks and headed my way. Nolan—whom I'd forgotten was coming—called out my name and dove into the pool, gunning straight for me.

HELP!

### Nolan: I...mpossible (Part 1)

So much, too much, seriously, way too much happened today!

How did one even begin to explain the ugliness of one morning?

Before getting to the crux of the matter, I needed to talk about brunch.

Last night, I was headed to dinner with Cam when she called to say she had an impromptu family dinner. Since I had nothing going on until later in the afternoon, I was happy to reschedule. It would give me some more time to think through our conversation.

"Hey, Cammie Cam!" I greeted my best friend with a tight hug. "Everything OK with your family?"

"Yeah. None of us was clear on why we were told to meet last night, but even before we could ask questions, Brent proposed to Amy, and we all understood."

"Your cousin, Amy, got engaged?"

"Yep! After ten years of dating her man, they're finally getting hitched."

"That's wonderful."

"It is." Cam agreed. "Let's order." Like her usual self, she got down to business.

I watched Cam take control and order all our favorites. Watching her made me realize that maybe I had a type. On the outside, Cam and Delilah had similar features. They were both blonde-haired, blue-eyed. Delilah had many inches on Cammie, but both ladies had knockout bodies—not too thin, curvy in all the right places. Either lady would be considered any man's dream. As beautiful as they both were, Delilah's features leaned toward the innocent beauty and Cam's looks could be viewed as sexy. Neither was prettier than the other. My heart had just always belonged to Delilah.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Without a second thought I answered, "How beautiful you are." By the smile on her face, I knew omitting Delilah's name was a bright idea. All those degrees resulted in a bit of common sense.

"Stop with the bullshit and get down to why we're here."

"Can we not have a meal together without a purpose? Don't we usually hang?"

She, too, was quick to answer. "Not since _Delilah_ has come into your life. Now we're practically strangers when she's around."

"All right." If Cammie Hillhurst wanted to play hardball, I would. "Let me say what's on my mind and I want you to tell me what's on your mind. Let's have it all out and then decide where we want to go from here."

"OK." Her sigh didn't make me feel good but this conversation was long overdue.

"Though odds are against me, I need to have my try with Delilah. Her attitude toward me has changed, _considerably_ , since New York. We didn't end well in San Francisco, but I believe I have a chance. I can't give up."

"All right. So you've told me what you want with Delilah. Where do I fit?" The once-confident Cammie wilted with my statement.

"I love you, Cammie. I've always loved you. You will be my best friend for life no matter who I marry. Since I've only ever thought of you as a friend, I don't know how I feel about loving you any differently, though the idea doesn't turn me off, either."

"So, what you're saying is a yes with Delilah and a maybe with me?"

"Damn. I didn't want to come off as an asshole, but that's how I sounded, huh?"

"Basically, you want to have your cake and eat it too."

"Shit, Cammie. I don't know. What I know is I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"And if I said it was me or Delilah?"

"Would you really do that? Would you really make me choose between you and Delilah?"

Her look of anguish turned to an almost evil look of triumph. I didn't like it.

"Listen. I've put myself out there for you. All you've done is hedged your bets. You don't _not_ want me, but you also don't want me. You can't have it both ways. You say you need to try with Delilah. I say I need to try with you. If you don't want me, say so and we'll be done in every way. I can't be your best friend, smiling at your victories with Delilah Taylor. I'm sorry I can't be a bigger person. It'll kill me to watch you so _in love_ with your woman."

"Dammit. _You're killing me_ , Cam."

"Make your choice and let me know. I won't be waiting, so choose wisely and quickly."

Damn. Damn. Damn. Fuck!

### Nolan: I...mpossible (Part 2)

I left the restaurant with a heavy heart and an empty stomach. After years of friendship with Cam, I couldn't salvage anything. She was demanding all or nothing. I wasn't ready to give either.

Arriving at Reid Place, I decided to put on a smile and stop worrying. I'd figure something out.

"Hey, Nolan."

"John." I didn't know why I was so surprised to see him here. I supposed he had just as much right to be at this party as I had.

John sensed the questioning and answered, "James invited me on behalf of Jacob."

"Or maybe on behalf of his twin sister?"

"Maybe..."

"How's it going with Ellie?"

"It's not."

_What?_ "I thought all was going well in New York. What happened?"

"Life happened. We're back to reality and back to status quo."

"Explain that to me, John. Last I left you two, you were practically back together. I don't understand."

John answered, "All I can say is that we don't have a future together. As much as I'd like a relationship, it's nearly impossible. I've told you why, Nolan. Please don't make me rehash the pain." If that wasn't the answer to end all answers, he added, "Plus, James received an offer at Mass General so we might be moving by the end of summer."

"Wait! What the hell? I assume when you say James, you're talking about _your_ twin James, and not Ellie's twin, James?" He nodded in the affirmative. "You're going to leave Ellie at Reid Place and move away to Boston? How can you do that? Don't you love her?" Were my questions too invasive? It wasn't as though we were best friends or anything.

Sadly, he answered, "There are times in life, I've learned, when you have to take unwanted actions for the sake of others."

" _Wha, what?"_ Why was this guy always so cryptic? "Details?"

"No details, Nolan. I'm basically here to wish Jacob a happy birthday and to tell Ellie that I will soon be out of her hair."

I could've been totally imagining this, but I swore I saw tears in his eyes before he turned toward the house. "But John—" He didn't look back. He marched in with determination.

"Why're you out here when Lilah's in there?" Nicky tapped me out of my stupor.

"Hey, Nicky. I'm just dazed from all that's happened to me today."

With an easy grin he said, "It's only two o'clock, Nolan. How much could've happened?"

To me, this was an invitation to spill my guts and cry over an imaginary pint of ale. At times, my friend appeared uncomfortable listening to my spiel. At other times, he outright laughed in my face.

"How about I give you some good news?"

"Hell yes. Sock it to me."

"Regardless of my cousin, I'm in. I'll join your efforts." When I was silent for too long, he laughed loudly and said, "I take it that you don't give a damn if I'm in. All you want is my cousin to be in."

"No. No. That's great news. Hopefully you can convince Delilah to join, but as you can see, if I choose to explore something with Cam, then I won't be able to work with Delilah, regardless."

Nicky's eyes bugged out as he asked, "You're considering hooking up with Cammie? What about your undying love for my cousin?"

"I don't know what the hell I'm to do, Nicky. Cammie and I have a perfect friendship. I never thought of her as anything but a friend, but I can't say I'm not intrigued by her proposal. If we were to start a relationship, it'd be nothing short of ideal."

"What about my cousin?"

"Your cousin is the star of my dreams, but I wonder if that's all they are—dreams. Perhaps I made an error in judgment by continuing to believe that a kindergarten crush equated love. Maybe I should let go of my pipe dreams and return to reality? I've been causing a ruckus for no reason—maybe?"

"You're giving up that easily? I don't know anything, first hand, about love and relationships, but from what I've heard from the couples on this block, no one had it easy. I'm not supposed to tell you this but secretly, we're all rooting for you."

"Yeah?" That was a huge, surprising, ego boost. "You all like me that much?"

Nicky chuckled. "Well, I like you _that much,_ I suppose."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"What it means is that the rest of the family doesn't want Lilah to move away to England. It's not so much you, but your proximity that puts you on the top of their lists."

I was mildly offended. "So it could be anybody vying for Delilah's hand, as long as they live in LA? Not even an Orange County or San Diego guy will do?"

"I guess." Now Nicky was in full laughter mode. "Hey, don't look at me that way. It's not me who makes up these silly-ass rules."

"You haven't made this decision process any easier, Nicky."

"Sorry, Man. Why don't you go in and talk to my cousin and see what she says? Tell her the offer you have on your table and maybe she'll switch seats?"

"You think it'll be that easy?"

"Hell no. But what do you have to lose? You're already going to lose one woman or the other."

"You're right. I'm a loser either way. I might as well go into that backyard with a smile."

That was when I rushed into the party, spotted my woman, yelled out "Delilah!" and dove into the pool straight for her.

### Nolan: I...mpossible (Part 3)

I popped up from the pool, gave her a "Hey there, Delilah," and stole a kiss from her.

Then, all hell broke loose!

Within seconds of that kiss, a large body practically cannonballed into the pool, jumped up in my face and swung his giant fist at me. Instantly, I was knocked back into the water, taking Delilah with me since my arms hadn't quite loosened after the kiss.

"Nolan! Nolan!" I heard Delilah yell, the guy with the big fist growled, women screamed, and men rushed our vicinity—it was utter chaos in the pool. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Delilah was yelling at _Rhys_ when I came to. What was he doing here and when had he come?

"He kissed you!" Rhys yelled back.

"So what?! You don't go around hitting people like that, Rhys. You could've really hurt Nolan, not to mention me, _your fiancée._ Did you not notice that I was right next to him?"

"I'm just sorry I didn't _really_ hurt him."

I had to protect my Delilah before this Rhys got even more violent. "Hey. What you did wasn't cool. You might have hit Delilah, instead of me, thanks to your outburst."

Those words riled him up even further. Delilah's twin brothers held back each arm. "You asshole! Lilah is engaged to be married to _me._ I'd never hurt her. You're the one I'd put six-feet under if I could."

"You could've fooled me with the way you swung your arm without a thought for Delilah's safety. You're the asshole for putting her in danger. You don't deserve her with that foul temper of yours."

"Fuck you! You have no right to hang around my woman. You have no right to think of her as anything but an acquaintance. And you have no damn right to kiss her. You have absolutely no claim on her."

"Can't take a little competition?" I taunted. "If you're so insecure, why don't you give up already? What Delilah and I have is none of your damn business."

"Say that again, to my face, without using my fiancée to protect your sorry ass." He returned the taunt.

Sweet Delilah was in front of me trying to protect me from that man she'd engaged herself to—it was adorable, but unnecessary. I could defend myself as well as my woman's honor.

"Let's get out of the pool and take care of this," I challenged.

"Boys!" Dr. Taylor hollered. "You're ruining our party and it's pissing me off. Get your asses out of the pool, dry yourselves off and come into the pool house. We need to get this resolved once and for all!" Delilah's mother was _un_ happy.

Hoping to get on her better side, I quickly did as Dr. Taylor had commanded. I saw Rhys attempting to talk to an angry Delilah while drying himself off. It was like watching a good comedy as he begged her to talk to him.

"Lilah, you know I wouldn't have hurt you. I knew what I was doing. You were never in any danger from my fist," was his stupid-ass explanation.

"What I don't like is your temper. It sets off too easily, Rhys."

"What was I to do when I saw another man kissing you? I can't believe I'm in the doghouse for defending us from that bastard. Why aren't you on my side? You're _my_ fiancée. You're supposed to be with me through thick and thin."

"I am with you, Rhys, but I don't like what I see."

"But you do like what you see in Nolan?" If I didn't think Delilah would be in a worse situation, I would've laughed out loud at Rhys Kent. What a fool.

"Boys!" The holler came from the pool house.

The three of us hightailed it into the room, coming face to face with two angry parents and three even angrier brothers—if that was even possible.

"We should've kicked your ass back in London, Nolan."

"What? But Henry—it wasn't my fault. This jerk punched me."

"Neither one of you jokers deserves our sister." Scottie announced while throwing an ice pack at me. "Put that on there before the swelling gets worse."

"Thanks, Scottie."

"When my parents are done with you, we'd like a word as well." Henry spoke, Scottie and DJ agreed with a nod and left the room. This situation went from bad to worse to worst.

Just in case I survived round one, the Taylor men would make sure they'd bury me alive in round two. What was I thinking? Maybe Cammie was the better, easier choice.

### Delaney Reid Taylor: I...n love (Part 1)

"Rhys, you owe Nolan an apology." I hated sounding like a harpy, especially in front of the man who was to be my future son-in-law.

"But—"

"An apology! You can't go around beating up a man because he did something you didn't like." Damn—still a shrew. I saw my husband's oh-so slightly upturned lips. He was quietly smirking at me.

Another oh-so silent smirk I saw was on Nolan's lips. If he thought Rhys was the only one on my shit list, he was sadly mistaken. By the end of my tirade, I'd ream both boys for making my girl's life miserable—though she was no innocent bystander. She'd have her day on the stand, too.

"I'm sorry." Rhys grumbled.

"Nolan—it's your turn to apologize to both Rhys and Delilah. Stealing a kiss from our daughter wasn't right, regardless of your feelings for her." The look on this kid's face was priceless. Mr. Genius thought he was safe. Little did he know that I was only just beginning.

Per his usual bright self, he didn't argue. He, too, mumbled, "I'm sorry" to Rhys and Delilah.

"Now—" I barked out, "I want all this nonsense to stop. I'll give each of you a chance to say your piece, then I want you," I looked dead-on at my daughter, "to put an end to all this." I couldn't believe how my own daughter had the gall to look innocent—as if she wasn't the instigator in all this nuttiness. That cheekiness definitely came from the Taylor side of the family. We, Reids, owned up to our mistakes and faults. We didn't cover them up with cute expressions.

"I know what you're thinking, Princess. No, it's not a Taylor trait. If I recall, you looked just like our daughter when I accused you of playing both Michael and me," my dear husband whispered then kissed me by my ear.

"Shut up, Donovan. This is no time to stroll down memory lane," I whispered back. "We need to take this issue at hand and squash it."

"Be my guest." All his kisses threw off my groove and I needed to find order again before these three thought they were excused.

Pushing my husband away was no easy feat. When the loving was done, I asked, "Who wants to go first?"

Rhys and Nolan spoke at the same time. When I gave them both the stink eye, Nolan stepped back and allowed Rhys to have his say.

"I am Lilah's fiancé. We are pledged to be married. I shouldn't have to justify my actions to protect my fiancée from predators like this guy."

"Where the hell do you get off calling me a predator?" Nolan fought back. "Delilah and I are friends, good friends, and I was invited to attend the birthday party by the birthday girl, herself."

"Is that true?" Rhys asked. Delilah nodded her head yes. "Why? Why would you invite him?"

"He's become a friend, Rhys. It's nothing more, nothing less."

"Truly?" Both men asked—Rhys with relief, Nolan with sadness.

"Nolan," our Lilah addressed the man whom I believed was the front runner, but was receiving the consolation prize speech, "I've grown to like you as a friend, very much so."

"But..."

"But, that's who you are to me, a friend..."

"Truly, Delilah? Am I just a friend to you?" There was something about this Nolan O'Shaughnessy that spoke to me. Though I'd be fine with Rhys as my son-in-law, I was rooting for Nolan. I think deep down, my daughter knew who she'd end up marrying. It might take a while for her to understand, but when she got there, she'd end up as happy as I'd been with Donovan.

Speaking of, my husband leaned over and said, "You have a look of love and heartbreak on your face, Princess. You're sending the wrong vibes to the man who's already won our daughter's heart."

"Which man is that?" I asked in secret.

"Touché."

"What do we do, Donovan?"

"Absolutely nothing, Delaney. This is her battle, not ours."

"But—"

My husband wouldn't allow me to continue. Instead, he decided it was his turn to talk.

### Donovan Taylor: I...n love (Part 2)

"You, three, are keeping us from celebrating with the rest of our family. I have three other children out there, along with the rest of the family, worrying about what's going on in here. Can we come to a resolution—and quick? I've yet to have lunch." I knew those weren't the most sensitive words to say to my daughter, but I wanted to break up this tense moment for her. She was at a loss for words where this Nolan kid was concerned.

"I want to hear the words from you one last time, Delilah. Will I ever be anything more than a friend to you?" he pressed.

My daughter was on the verge of tears. In the course of a few weeks, I guess she'd formed an attachment to this boy. I knew she shouldn't have rushed into a relationship with Rhys. No different than her mother, our daughter fell in love in London. However, _our_ story would live on forever. I wasn't so sure about our daughter's story.

After looking at her fiancé and perhaps the man who could've been her fiancé, she said, "Nolan. Thank you for...everything. I hope we can stay friends."

"Donovan," my precious wife said aloud, grasping my hand. We both felt our daughter's pain. However, in this instance, she did the right thing. If she wanted to pursue a relationship with Nolan, she needed to, first, take care of her relationship with Rhys.

"Our Lilah will be fine, Princess."

"But..."

"Our daughter has made her decision. Let's help her live with it."

"But..." Delaney was at a loss for words. She, too, had developed a soft spot for this boy who wore anguish all over his face. He might be a loser now, but I knew he'd be all right. All three young people in front of me would be fine.

"All right. Are we all done with this nonsense? Do we still have a wedding happening in two years?" I addressed my daughter, mostly.

With tears in her eyes, she nodded yes but couldn't step away from or take her eyes off Nolan.

"Why don't we all go outside and enjoy the rest of the party?" My wife gently placed her hand on Nolan's back and led him out.

He followed while telling Delaney, "I thank you, Dr. Taylor, for all your encouragement and help. I think I'll head out for now. I don't wish to be anywhere I'm not wanted."

"Nolan," I heard mother and daughter call out.

I chose not to involve myself any further. Instead, I joined Jake and grabbed much needed sustenance.

"So?" Jake inquired.

"Damn. It's not easy having a daughter. If I were you, I'd lock up Ellie. She, too, doesn't look happy with that Dr. John. Whatever he just said to her made her cry." No sooner had the words come out, than Ellie ran out of the party.

"Oh, shit! What the hell is going on today?" Jake wondered. "I suppose Ellie will want her mother over me?"

"If I had answers to questions like that, I wouldn't be involved in this ménage-a-trois mess."

"Who'd Lilah choose?"

"Can't you tell?" I followed a defeated Nolan O'Shaughnessy out of the pool. "Nolan!" I yelled out. "I expect to see you in the office on Monday." He gave a barely there nod and kept walking with his head down. Nicky kept patting him on the shoulder, cheering him up, but it wasn't working.

"I thought with all our knowledge, our kids would have it easier. Didn't we teach them anything?"

"Not a damn thing, apparently. My daughter has two men after her, no different than my wife. Only difference is the fact that I didn't give up no matter what Delaney said. After all his bravado at the engagement party, I'm surprised Nolan's given up."

"Me too. I thought, for sure, he'd come out the victor. Momentum was his ally."

"I think he got to Delilah, but in the end, she still chose Rhys. This drama is too much for me. Let's grab our swim trunks and take our wives down those slides like old times. Let the young figure out their own problems."

Jake stood there and watched John walk out with his head down just like Nolan. It wasn't a good day for either man.

"Praise the Lord we are married, settled, and on the other side of all that misery!" Jake declared with his hand up.

"Amen, Brother!" I concurred and answered his high-five.

### Delilah: I...am screwed!

"Lilah!" an annoying voice continued calling my name. "Lilah!"

"What is it, Rhys?"

"You made the right choice."

"Then why does it hurt so much?" I thought I said that softly enough for no one to hear, but I was wrong. All hell broke loose, again, after that slip.

"What does that mean? Why would you hurt? Is it because of Nolan? You hurt because you told him to get lost?"

"Oh my gosh, Rhys! Can we just stop? You've won. We're together. What's your problem, now?"

"You want me to spell out _all_ my problems?" Dear God, there were veins popping out of his forehead. I didn't need another headache on top of the pounding already happening. "You cheated on me!" My _fiancé_ yelled.

" _What?"_ I yelled back.

" _You cheated on me with that bumbling nerd!"_

"He's not a bumbling nerd. You take that back."

"So you don't want me to take back the cheating accusation but you want me to rescind my commentary on your _precious Nolan_?"

"It's been a seriously long day, already, Rhys. Let me say what I want to say and then let's end this mistake."

"End? Mistake?" The veins on this man were seriously unattractive.

"I did not cheat on you. I formed a friendship with Nolan, and I felt bad that I turned him down, _again_ , for the umpteenth time. When you and I first met, I thought I was in heaven. You were sweet, gentle, loving, and understanding of all my foibles. After we parted, all we ever did was argue. As much as it kills me to say this, my family was right. We went at this too quickly. I should've been cautious about falling head-over-heels for you. You're a phenomenal catch, but I don't think you're my catch, Rhys." I took my ring off and handed it to an unwilling man. "I'm sorry. Please tell your family I said I'm sorry."

"Are you doing this so you can run to that Nolan?"

"No, Rhys. I'm doing this because you and I are not right."

"Once I leave here, I won't come back. I'm not spineless like your other suitor. If you reject me, I'll leave for good."

"Good. Bye." I walked out wondering where we'd gone so wrong. How could I have thought I could marry this man and live happily-ever-after like my mother?

The entire backyard watched Rhys hightail it out of here. As soon as he was gone, everyone hightailed it to me.

"What happened?" Mom asked.

"I broke off the engagement, Mom." I said without any tears, surprisingly. "You, Dad, Henry, and Scottie were right. It was too soon. I should've dated him first. I feel all kinds of foolish for rushing into marriage."

"Good thing you learned that before the wedding vows were said," Auntie Emily spoke with a gentle hug and kiss to my cheek. "Your prince will come... _back_ ..." She was now chuckling with all my other aunts.

That reminded me. I perused all the faces and didn't see the one I expected. "Where's Nolan? Did he really leave?"

"Gone, but I'm sure he'll be back if you call him. Now that Rhys is out of the picture, I'm sure he'll be back too many times for our liking," my brother, Henry, said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Lilah. I think you lost your chance with Nolan."

Scottie refused to believe Nicky. It was sweet the way my older brothers were trying to protect me and make me happy. "The idiot broke up an engagement and swore up and down to us that he was the man for our sister. Why wouldn't he jump at the chance to court her?"

Nicky was the bearer of bad news. _Ugh!_ "His best friend Cammie—who's seriously hot in my humble opinion, and has been in love with Lilah's other man for a while—gave him an ultimatum, her or Lilah. Since Lilah rebuffed her other man, Nolan was heading for her."

"What the hell, Nicky. In simple English, please." Dad wanted to know.

"In short, Lilah's lost Nolan to Cammie Hillhurst. Nolan wasn't completely against a relationship with his best friend. He thought it'd be a hell of a lot easier than courting someone who didn't want him. Right before he got in his car, he told me he was headed to her house."

Damn. I went from no man for twenty-two years of my life, to two men in the past few months, to no man again. What the hell!

"Whatever. I don't care." Every pair of eyes was surprised by this statement. "I don't need a man to make me happy. I don't need a man to complete my life. Rhys was a mistake and obviously Nolan was too. As of Monday, I'm going to work on my hair serum and I think I might look into going to law school as well. Since no other Taylor wants to take over half of Ascot, Ascot, and Pemberley, I'll be the one." The smile on Dad's face was incredible. It must have hurt to smile so big and wide. "Incidentally, Dad, we need to change the name of the firm. Perhaps it should be Ascot, Taylor, and Davis?"

"That's my girl!" He grinned. "There's your first project."

With that, I went to find my cousin, Ellie, to give and receive updates on both our lives. There was plenty of Ben and Jerry's Pistachio, Pistachio ice cream in our freezer. We could break open a few pints and enjoy our solitude.

It'd be nice to go back to my life of school and family. Who needed a man, anyway? When the time was right, maybe I'd ask Mom or Dad to introduce me to some nice guys. Maybe my brothers could make introductions to a few of their doctor friends. I'd study. I'd work. I'd be the old Delilah Rose Taylor with no social life outside of my family.

I'd be all right without Rhys or Nolan...right?

### Author's Note:

I know what you're all thinking. _How can she do this to us?_ I have to say, it doesn't bother me all that much to make you wait to find out how Nolan and Delilah end up getting married.

To be completely honest, I have a lot of ideas on how they're getting there, but Vol. 2 is nowhere close to done. In fact, it's only forming in my head; none of my ideas are even on paper, yet. It'll get there soon.

Stay with us on the blog if you're a follower. If you are new to my world, subscribe on wwww.dwcee.com and join the party.

Thank you for enjoying this new Reid Place series and if you get a chance, please write a kind review on my behalf.
