“I agree to that.”

They stared out at the water for a minute, the sun momentarily covered by a white fluffy cloud.

Harper was about to say something. What? She didn’t know because the next words that came out of Adele’s mouth had her brain going blank.

“Don’t hurt him.” Even though the again was left off the end of that sentence, both of them were aware of it lingering in the air around them. “My brothers are the best kind of men out there.” Adele turned, and Harper mirrored the movement, looking at the woman next to her. “And if you ever tell them I said that, I will deny it to my last breath.”

“Understood. Thanks for not hating me. For giving me a chance.”

“We all make mistakes.” Adele shrugged. “I believe in second chances…not so much third chances, though.”

“I agree with that.”

It was then that Logan was at the French doors calling their names. “You guys should get in here. Something epic is going down.”

They both turned and headed for the house, and before they stepped inside she heard what was so epic.

Liam was singing “I’m Gonna Be” by the Proclaimers.

He was sitting at the very back of the living room, Hamilton on his left and Dale on his right. Dale didn’t have a guitar in his hands, but he was making use of them by tapping out the rhythm of the song against the legs of the chair he was sitting on. But even though his lips were moving, he wasn’t very loud.

“Of course this is what he’s singing,” Adele said as she took the spot next to Harper. There wasn’t that much space left as most of the people from the party were filling the room. “The eighties is his favorite decade when it comes to music.”

“I actually knew that one,” Harper said as she glanced over. “David Bowie is at the top of the list.”

“Yup, and I’ll bet you money he pulls out a Bruce Springsteen song before the end of the night.”

“Well, Shep will appreciate that. He’s a huge Springsteen fan.”

“I’m going to need you to get a little bit louder there, Dale.” Liam broke away from the song for just a moment, but Hamilton carried on by himself, not breaking stride. And when Dale and Liam rejoined a second later, Dale was definitely singing louder than before.

When they got to the chorus Liam’s eyes came up, focusing on Harper with an intensity in his gaze that instantly had her stomach fluttering.

“See, it’s that right there,” Adele whispered in Harper’s ear. “That look he just gave you. I’d swear on anything that my brother will never walk away from you.”

Harper really wanted that to be true. Wanted it to be true more than anything.

*  *  *

Someone had brought whiskey to the day’s festivities and it was cracked into about an hour before the fireworks show started. The fact that it was Tennessee whiskey only sweetened the whole experience.

Not all that shocking, Logan and Jace were right next to Liam with their own glasses, and they’d been joined out on the wraparound balcony by Brendan, Jax, Bennett, Shep, Finn, Tripp, Baxter, and Preston.

He remembered all of that without writing anything down, and would be able to repeat it back immediately no problems at all. He was just that good.

And he was feeling good. Like really freaking good. Not just because of the liquor—that was actually the smallest portion of the pie—but because of everything.

The first perfect moment of the day? Waking up next to Harper that morning.

Consciousness had hit him about two seconds before he’d opened his eyes, and in that moment all he’d known was contentment. When his eyes did open a second later that contentment transformed into something else. Sheer joy didn’t seem like an adequate enough descriptor.

Elation? Euphoria? Jubilation?

No, they weren’t strong enough for the reality of it.

She’d been snuggled up against his side, her head on his shoulder and her hair spread out across his arm like a blanket. One of her arms had been lying across his chest, with her palm resting right over his heart. She’d still been asleep, her warm steady breath washing out across his skin every time she exhaled.

It was the most perfect and peaceful moment that ever existed.

For anyone else it might not have been that big of a deal, but it was the first time he got to wake up with her in his arms. Something he’d wanted desperately from the very beginning. And as he’d looked down at her, finally getting it, he found himself praying that it wasn’t the last time he woke up exactly like that.

He wanted every morning with her. And though he knew that wasn’t a possibility—especially with his chosen career—he wanted as many of them as it was possible to get.

He wanted all of the nights that preceded them, too. Wanted to spend as much time as it was possible wrapped up in sheets, wrapped up in her. Wanted to talk about everything with her laugh lingering in the air. Wanted to make love to her for hours on end. He wanted to fall asleep next to her before they would wake up and start all over.

And he wanted everything in between.

All of it.

The second perfect moment of the day? Making love to her that morning.

Another thing he could do every morning for the rest of his life.

The third perfect moment? All of the other moments.

He was getting to meet her friends, talk to them, learn more about her, see her life up close and personal. Yeah, he was feeling good because of the whole day. And not only was the day not over yet, but when it did end he was going to get tomorrow with her, too.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

And the day after that. The thing was, he wanted all the days.

Every. Last. One. Of. Them.

Her laugh—a sound he would know anywhere—carried across the porch and the instinct to look over at her was automatic.

Harper was holding Penny in her arms, the little girl’s hands on the sides of Harper’s face. Penny was moving in and out, coming in and kissing Harper’s nose before she pulled back and they both giggled like crazy.

It was a preview of what was to come. Harper holding their child and their laughs filling his chest, making it expand like a balloon.

He was going to marry that woman. He knew it with every fiber of his being. She was his. Had been since the moment he’d seen her.

“Now there’s a look that most of the men in this circle are very familiar with,” someone next to Liam said, causing him to pull his gaze—more than a little reluctantly—from Harper.

He looked around to find all eyes on him.

“And what look is that?” Jace asked.

“What look is that, Shep?” Brendan tipped his glass at his friend.

“That would be the I’m going to do anything to keep her look,” Shep answered, looking a tad bit smug.

“Show of hands,” Bennett said. “Who’s been there?”

There was an immediate lifting of hands around the circle…everyone except Jace, Finn, and Tripp.

“Though you might need to amend said statement from her to him for those two.” Jax nodded at Preston and Baxter.

“True story.” Baxter grinned as he held up his tumbler to Preston, who immediately clinked his glass in cheers.

Preston took a drink of his whiskey before he turned to Liam and asked, “So tell us, Liam, why are you good for our Harper?”

“Yeah.” Brendan nodded. “You’re going to need to get the approval of everyone here.”

“How did you pass this test with Abby?” Liam nodded at his brother.

“I’m not sharing my secrets with you.” Logan shook his head.

“Probably bribed them all with hockey tickets,” Jace said.

“Actually, the only person here who’s benefited from that is Bennett.” Finn pointed at the man across the circle from him.

“And why is that?” This from Tripp who was now shaking his head with a mock frown turning down his mouth.