“So, you’ve been flirting all this time? How stupid are you, brother bear?” Courtney asks, but if she’s teasing him, she must be at least starting to believe us.

It’s my turn to nod, looking over at Ross’s eyes a little dreamily. Is he serious? He’s explaining us using bears and flowers and the circus? “Stupid enough,” I quip. The barb doesn’t seem as funny as it would’ve just a few short days ago, though.

“This is ridiculous,” Morgan says, his voice tight with anger. “What are you trying to pull, Ross? And how did he get you tied up in his mess, Violet?”

“Morgan!” Kimberly says, but apparently, nobody is listening to her admonishments about the rules as Morgan continues.

“No, Kimberly,” he says, making the barest effort to soothe her before turning back to Ross. “How can you two be engaged when just a few days ago, she was set to marry Radcliffe and you were splashed all over the papers with Joeden Snow’s wife?”

“Because things change, Dad. Isn’t that what you wanted? Me to grow up and settle down? Well, I am. With Violet.” He gives my hand a little squeeze that reminds of the band on my finger. “As for Colin, he didn’t see what was right in front of him, and I’m damned lucky he didn’t. I was near blind myself. It took me so long, and I’m going to make up for that lost time.”

Morgan’s about to reply when Kimberly reaches out, putting her hand on her husband’s forearm. “Morgan . . . please, let’s enjoy dinner?”

He glares at Ross for a moment, then shakes his head in obvious disbelief and confusion. “This isn’t over.”

Ross glances at me, but I don’t need to reply to feel the burning ember in my chest. “Dad . . . it’s like I just said,” he finally replies, making one more attempt. His voice is softer, more vulnerable than at any point in our conversation. “The fact of the matter is, we’ve always been in love. We just were too caught up in our heads to admit it.”

My heart skips a beat at the seeming sincerity in Ross’s eyes. He looks a hundred percent genuine, and I have to keep repeating a mantra in my head.

This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t real.

It only partially works because Ross’s fingers are woven through mine as he fidgets with my ring.

“Yeah, right,” Courtney hisses, looking down at her plate as Karl and the caterers bring out platters of beef Wellington and vegetables. “I’m with Dad. You can’t be in love, either of you. Violet was just engaged to someone else, and now she’s marrying Ross. It doesn’t work like that, just turning it on and off like a faucet.”

Ross, who looked so genuine and heartfelt just a moment ago, shrugs and snaps at Courtney. “Oh, and you know so much about love? Remind me, how many serious relationships have you had?”

That seems to be a sore spot because she shuts right up, though she’s eyeing Ross with fury and hurt. I tell myself to ask Abi what that’s all about later.

“And you’re such an expert?” she fires back.

“One, that’s how many. One serious relationship, and she’s sitting right here next to me,” Ross tells Courtney.

Morgan stabs at his beef with his fork so hard that I’m surprised he doesn’t put the silverware through the china. “This is just such a surprise.” Morgan is trying to backtrack, but only slightly, still keeping everything on his terms.

“You’d better get used to it fast,” Ross says, raising his voice for the first time and taking over the room, “because the wedding’s in two weeks.”

Everyone stops in shock, except Abigail, who still looks like the cat who got the cream. She’s loving this, for some reason. The whole damn thing.

“Is this your way of testing us, Ross?” Kimberly asks, her voice half choked with emotion. My heart aches for her, and I realize that regardless of why we’re doing this for Ross, it’s going to play with people’s emotions.

We’re going to have to tightrope this as carefully as we do with my own family to avoid hurt feelings on both sides.

Ross turns on his mom, his eyes wide. “You know what Dad said to me?” She nods, though it looks like it’s painful. “Testing you? I think it’s the two of you testing me! Well, never fear, you got your way. I’m just lucky that it’s with someone I love, Violet, because this could’ve backfired on us all, Mom.”

I can sense that Ross is even more hurt that his mother knew about his Dad’s ultimatum than he was about his Dad’s part in the whole argument. They’ve always been such a tight family, one I envied, so seeing them at odds this way is setting me on edge.

“Enough,” Morgan growls, his eyes blazing. “Fine, Ross, you’re engaged. Congratulations, Violet. Or condolences. I’m not sure which.”

“Morgan,” Kimberly says, trying to soothe her husband. “Give them a chance.”

Morgan growls, getting up. “Excuse me. I’ll take my dinner in my study.”

Morgan disappears, and a tense, ugly silence drops over the remaining five of us. I look at Ross, who sighs and gives me a supportive pat on my thigh.

“Well, that could’ve gone better,” he says dryly.

How the hell are we supposed to make this work? And we still have my family to tell. The folks flying in I’m not worried about, but Papa, Nana, and Mom?