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“You’re just saying that.”

“No. I never say things I don’t mean.” His voice deepens as he pulls me into his arms. He leans down and whispers in my ear, “I want to ravish you right here and now. I want to rip that dress off you.”

“You can’t say things like that, Brett.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

Theodore and Lena head over to us.

“You look absolutely stunning. I can see why my grandson fell for you,” Theodore says, giving me a little bow.

“I love your dress, darling,” Lena says. “It’s so classy.”

And then Celia and Tyson step forward, and I stiffen.

Celia looks me over and sniffs, which I suppose isn’t as bad as it could be. Then she looks down at my hand and starts laughing. “Veronica, come and see this, darling.”

Veronica comes over in a short black dress that looks like a cocktail waitress’s uniform. Her boobs are practically falling out, and I can tell she’s dressed this way to get Brett’s attention.

“Look.” Celia grabs my hand and holds it up for Veronica. “It looks like a Ring Pop. How much did this cost, darling?” She looks at Brett.

“Fifty dollars, tops,” Veronica says. “It looks like cubic zirconia to me. If Brett and I were getting married, I’d have a pink diamond. Five carats. But then, I suppose he only spends money on the ones he knows are worth it.”

I bite down on my lower lip. I’m not going to say anything. I’m not going to ruin the evening.

Brett frowns and looks from his mother to Veronica. “What did you just say?” His voice is low, but I can feel the vibrations coming off his chest.

“This is such a cheap ring,” Celia says, looking at my hand. “Obviously, you’re not that serious about the girl. Or maybe you’re worried she’s a gold digger.”

“You will not talk to my fiancée that way, Mother,” Brett says loudly. “I’ve had about enough of the disrespect you’ve shown Rosie ever since you met her. This is the ring Rosie wanted, and that tells you who she is. She doesn’t care about money. She doesn’t care about big diamonds. She cares about me, and I care about her. She’s the warmest, kindest, most real person I’ve ever met in my life, and I fell in love with her because of who she is. Not because she’s rich, not because she’s poor, not because she comes from a well-off family or a family everyone’s heard of. None of that matters to me. Mother, you may live your life that way, and we may have put up with it, but you are not going to speak to her like that. This is the woman I love, and I demand that you respect her. I demand that you get off your high horse and apologize to her. Because if you don’t, I’ll stop bringing her around. And not only will I stop bringing her around, I’ll stop coming around myself. Grandfather, Grandmother, I love you, but Rosie is going to be my family. We’re going to have children.”

My breath catches. I’m shocked at what he’s saying. I’m shocked that he’s standing up for me. And even more, I feel awful because what happens when we break up? What will his mom think then?

Theodore steps forward and puts his arm around Brett’s shoulders. “Brett, you and Rosie are always welcome in my home.” He looks at Celia. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for you, Celia. You’ve disrespected too many people in front of me, and now you’re disrespecting Brett and his fiancée. No. We will not put up with this. Brett, I’m so proud of you for standing up to your mother.” He turns to me. “Rosie, please know that we love you, and we’re so grateful you love our grandson. We welcome you to the family with all our hearts. And from this day on, Celia will no longer be rude to you. Will you, Celia?”

Celia looks like all the air has been sucked out of her. Her face is white. “Are you going to let them speak to me like this?”

She looks at her husband, and he grunts. She looks at Lena, and Lena shakes her head.

“You really should be much more respectful,” Lena says.

Celia looks at me. I can see the distaste and coldness in her eyes. But then, shockingly, she says, “I’m sorry. My words were harsh. I was only testing you to make sure you’re not after my son’s money.”

I stare back at her because I want to say bullshit. There’s no way she thought I was a gold digger, and there’s no way that was why she was mocking my ring. Instead, I nod.

I’m not going to say I accept your apology because I certainly don’t.

I look at Brett, and he’s watching me, his eyes warm.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I shouldn’t have brought you into a family that’s so mean and so rude. I hope you don’t think less of me.”

“Of course not. I never would.”

“Excuse us for a moment,” he says to the room and pulls me out of the living room. “We should talk. Do you want to take a walk outside?”

“We don’t have to. I know you want to do this for your grandparents, and …”

“No. I should never have let my mother speak to you like that. Not for one second.”