13. Best Boyfriend Ever

"Ican't believe we are riding a helicopter to your brother's," Lilian said on the phone Saturday morning.

If she didn't feel out of place before, she sure the hell was now.

Not only that, Braylon's sister was meeting them at the airport and flying over too. Then she'd meet West and his girlfriend, Abby, and their other brother, Foster.

It was as if she was being thrown into the fire with gasoline poured over her.

She wanted to say no in the worst way but then told herself Braylon had been the best boyfriend ever to her. He'd let her control the pace of the relationship and the fact he wanted her to meet some of his family went a long way to her thinking this was more than a quick fling.

For the past month she'd been trying to figure out how this was going to work out when things ended, but maybe they wouldn't.

No, she wouldn't allow herself to feel that way. She was just going to take it one day at a time.

"Are you nervous?" he asked. "We are five minutes out."

"I'm kind of nervous," she said. "I've never flown in a helicopter. I think that will be exciting more than anything, but I'm more nervous about meeting your family. I'll meet your sister before the rest."

"They know about you. They will be good. Don't think of us as the Carlisles. Just think of them like me. I told you about Abby. You'll get along great with her. Laken and Abby get along too. I told Laken you are a communications major. She'd love to talk to you about that kind of a career."

"Really?" she asked. "I don't want anyone in your family to think I'm using them or you."

"No one will think that," he said.

"If you say so," she said quietly.

"I do," he said. "I'll see you in a few."

She hung up after that and grabbed her bag for the weekend. Braylon had told her to pack casual clothes and that was what she did. Because it was a long holiday weekend, they'd just chill and hang out. He'd take her around to some of the shops but nothing that called for anything other than jeans the whole time.

This was going to be the first adult vacation she'd had in her life and she was almost too embarrassed to say that.

Max and Quinn had taken her with them on two vacations while she was on summer break. She hadn't wanted to go but knew that Quinn could use the help with the kids and did it for that reason more than anything. The other two times they'd asked her, she'd declined and said she had to work at her part time jobs and couldn't get the time off.

When she grabbed her purse, her fake engagement ring was knocked to the floor and she heard a tinkling sound and realized the diamond fell out.

Crap. Now what was she going to do come Monday? Maybe she could get it fixed or something. Or just order another. It didn't cost all that much.

She set it aside and locked her apartment.

Just as she was opening the door, the town car pulled up and Braylon got out, the trunk opening for her bag.

She tried not to be embarrassed it wasn't much more than a tote bag, but it was not like she had actual luggage. She'd never had a need for it. Just duffel bags and totes.

She slid in and they pulled away from the curb to drive to where they were catching the helicopter.

"West doesn't own a helicopter," he said. "In case you were thinking that."

"A jet is enough?" she asked, forcing a smile.

"It is, but this is a charter company he has under contract. He doesn't use it enough to own it. Abby flew in last night and they drove to the Hamptons since they'd be there longer."

"Is he flying back with us on Monday morning? Laken too?"

"No," he said. "Laken is leaving on Sunday and Foster will only be there today. Abby is staying until Tuesday night, so West will take her to the airport then and come back."

"So we are staying the longest?" she asked. "West is okay with that?"

"He is more than okay with it," he said. "His place is big. They have the primary on the first floor, we'll be upstairs and there is almost like another living quarter up there. We're out of the way and will do our thing. It's fine."

"If you say so."

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching for her hand. "Is it just nerves or something else?"

She turned to look at him. She didn't want to say this but figured she might as well. "Do they know about the whole fake ring?"

He laughed. "They do. Don't worry. I just had to explain how we met." She put her head down and he lifted her chin up to look at him. "What?"

"The diamond fell out just now when I was leaving. I knocked it on the floor. I don't care, but now I'm not sure what to do come Tuesday." At least it was a long holiday weekend for Columbus Day and would give her time to figure it out.

"Nothing," he said. "No one says people have to wear their engagement rings all the time. People know we are together, right?"

"They do. But they might think you broke up with me," she said.

"Not happening," he said. "Stay with me Monday night. We'll go into the coffee shop together. You won't have the ring on and it won't make a difference."

"I can't ask you to do that," she said. "You've already done so much."

He laughed at her. "Not really and you aren't asking me. I'm offering. I want to do it. Maybe I want everyone who doesn't know to realize that I exist and who I am."

She turned and looked at the grin on his face but saw the truth in his eyes. "Okay," she said. "We can do that and I'll put it from my mind."

"Good," he said. "Sit back and relax. My siblings are great. Laken is outspoken but not in a bad way. Foster might not speak much at all. West, he's not like you hear people talking about, and Abby, she's great. You'll love her.

Three hours later, she realized that Braylon was right.

Abby was only a few years older than her and they got along great. Laken had a snarky wit about her, but it was directed toward her brothers while she was open, friendly and accepting of her.

West talked more with his siblings than her, but he was also accepting and open. His smile and welcome were genuine.

Foster, he did keep to himself too, but again, not one of the siblings made her feel like she wasn't good enough for Braylon.

"I'm going to get dinner started," Abby said. "I know you four have things to talk about."

She looked at the siblings and saw they did. "Can I help you in the kitchen?" she asked.

"You can," Abby said. "I like to cook when West and I are together. Makes me feel a little bit more like a normal couple and not someone who can call up his private chef."

"He has one here?" she asked when they were in the kitchen of the beautiful beach house.

Lilian tried not to let her eyes pop out of her head. She was expecting something like this but found the inside was extremely comfortable and cozy feeling.

"Someone who does the shopping more than anything but not much else unless West is entertaining. He used her more when he was here alone. But I laid the law down," Abby said. "I don't like feeling as if I'm being waited on."

"I've never been waited on before. I'm used to fending for myself."

"Me too," Abby said. "My father raised my sister and me and we helped out around the house. Liz is older than me and a stand-in mother too. She's getting married in less than two months to her old high school sweetheart. I'm so happy for her."

It was something the two of them had in common. "I don't talk to my mother at all. No relationship there. Quinn is my older sister. She's ten years older and she has been like a mother to me too."

"Sometimes I think that is better," Abby said. "Now we are adults and have the sister bond, but I know Liz struggles to turn off the Mom part of it. How about Quinn?"

She laughed and started to prepare a salad while Abby got the rest of their dinner out. Looked as if they were going to have stuffed pork chops and mashed potatoes.

This was a meal that Quinn would make and she felt more at home rather than if a fancy dish was on the menu.

She didn't know if this was planned or not and wouldn't question it.

"Quinn still has Mommy mode with me. But she's got two teenagers and two younger ones. So she can't break out of it. She struggled with me moving here, but she's been good too."

"Have you told your family about Braylon?" Abby asked.

"Not yet. I think there is part of me that worries this is too good to be true and why tell them?"

"I felt the same way," Abby said. "Do you know how West and I met?"

"In Aruba, right?"

"Yes," Abby said. "Let me explain it all to you."

When Abby was done she started to laugh. "So West kind of saved you the same way?"

"He did. Maybe it's a Carlisle thing. They were all raised well and taught to respect women. Wait until you meet their mother. Aileen is wonderful. She is the mother I always wished I had. These tough guys, it's funny to see them not so tough around her."

"I doubt I'll meet their mother," she said.

"Please," Abby said. "That's the next step. The minute Aileen finds out about you, and it will be pretty soon, you'll be flying to North Carolina or Aileen will be coming here."

"Seriously?" she asked. This might be moving too fast for her.

"Yep," Abby said. "I know, I get it. I see the panic on your face. I'm just saying, let it fall into place. If anyone can understand what you're feeling, it's me. I want you to reach out to me whenever you want. I'm here."

Lilian felt her eyes start to fill with tears. "Thank you for that."

"Don't thank me," Abby said. "Maybe I'm just as happy to know you exist as you are that I do. This family is a big name and carries a lot of clout, but when it comes down to it, they have hearts of gold. I had to understand that and stand my ground at the same time."

"Stand your ground?" she asked.

"Well, they are used to calling the shots in their professional lives. I don't know any of them well enough to know if they do it in their personal ones or not, other than West."

"Braylon is awesome," she said. "So sweet. He's let me set our pace and always asks what we want to do. He never pushes me for anything either."

"Then consider yourself even luckier," Abby said. "Maybe he learned from his older brother's mistakes or maybe West can learn from Braylon."

"I'm starting to feel pretty lucky."