“That’s part of the way you glow.” Adrian spoke softly. “The two of you light up when you’re together.”

“As I told Elise as she eagerly planned the wedding earlier tonight, it’s our first date. I like him. He likes me. I don’t know what else it is past that.”

“Little liar.” Adrian smirked as he took a big bite of pizza. “You and Cope have been having foreplay for years now. More for him than you, at first anyway.”

“Ew. Well, okay not ew, but what the heck did I miss?” Elise slid into the booth. “Foreplay for years?”

Adrian laughed. “I was disagreeing with Ella that this was her first date with Cope.”

“Oh that. Yes, I agree that they’ve been dancing around each other for years. Though Ella didn’t know it for some reason.”

“Okay, hello, I am right here.” She took a bite of her pizza and looked back at Andrew, catching his gaze immediately because he’d been looking at her too.

Cope moved to her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “What’s that smile for?”

“Just looking at you makes a girl happy, Andrew.”

He grinned, a dimple showing just to the right of his mouth. “I’m at your service.”

“Stop flirting and take your turn,” Ben called to his brother.

“Hush, you. I’ve got something more important to do first.” He kissed her again, this time on the lips, and went back to the game.

“Anyway,” she said, blushing madly as she returned her attention to Adrian, “it’s different. We know each other, yes, and there’s a level of trust between us that I don’t share with too many people. I haven’t dated someone in years. Years. Believe me when I say this is new.”

“But good, right? ’Cause, honey, you’re giving off loopy happy like mad. There’s something major between you and Cope.” Adrian filled her glass as he spoke.

“I don’t really know what it is beyond good, but yes, it feels major. Maybe just to me. But really good in any case.”

Elise raised her glass, Adrian and Ella doing the same. “To really good. Also, dude, we’ve gone over this; it’s not just you.”

That was something Ella could wholeheartedly endorse.

Todd won, and Elise went over to take Ben’s place. Erin managed to con Adrian into letting her play another round in his place. Todd only rolled his eyes, standing behind Erin, his hands on her belly.

Cope slid in beside her, closer than he had to, not that she was complaining.

“Hey there.”

“Hi. Sorry you didn’t win.”

“Not a chance with Todd playing. He’s good. The only person nearly as good is Erin. Anyway, I’d rather be right here.”

She poured him a beer, sliding it and a plate his way. “Plenty of pizza left. I saved you three slices of the everything.”

“You’re pretty perfect. Thanks.” He dug in, totally satisfied with his life at that moment.

“You’re welcome.” She wore her joy on her skin, in her features, making the smile she gave him utterly infectious. Fuck, he was happy to be there with her. It did something to him, to watch her there with his friends, with those people he loved, and to know she felt the same about them. To a guy like him, a guy who put a lot of importance on connection to family and community, that she did too was simply a sign of how perfect she was for him.

“Are you free next weekend?” He needed to get that established right off. She wasn’t just some woman he dated, they had more, and he wanted everyone to understand that. Especially Ella. The challenge would be to let her see his intentions without making her feel hemmed in or controlled.

“Sure. Wait.” She eyed him carefully. “For what? My answer depends on yours. Ice camping? I’m busy. Other things that won’t get me killed or give me frostbite? I’m available.”

He laughed. “I was thinking of going to the ocean. No hiking or anything. One of my friends owns a house out there and offered it to me for the weekend. If it wasn’t so damned cold already, I’d suggest a trip out on the bike. But we can save that until the spring since we know how you feel about ice camping.”

She looked at him seriously without speaking, and he got nervous. “I mean, obviously he’s got more than one bedroom. It’s not . . . that’s up to you. God, I’m f**king this up.” He actually fumbled; he never fumbled. Good god.

Laughing, she hugged him briefly. “Yes, I’m free.” She leaned a little closer. “It sounds like fun.”

Her voice rose in a delightfully squeaky way at the end.

“All right. We can leave Friday night and get back Sunday after breakfast? Does that work?”

She nodded slowly, and he went back to his pizza.

The group hung on for another two hours until Cope was just about ready to text his brother to get the hell out of there so he could leave with Ella. Finally Erin stood and stretched her back.

“I gotta call it a night, boys and girls.”

Everyone got up and tossed money down, put coats and hats on and headed toward the sidewalk just out front.

“You ready to go?” Cope said it quietly, his lips close to her ear. “Care to come back to my house for a while? I’ve got some ice cream to go with the cake you have left over.”

“Mmm, cake.” She actually giggled, and his c**k hardened. What the hell else was she going to do that would turn him on so unintentionally? “Your house? Or the condo? I mean, yes to either. But I’d love to see the house.”