Taylor’s eyebrows lifted, and he looked at everyone around him. “But it’s not because of me. I’d let Travis beat the shit out of me before I made her cry like that.”

“I’m okay,” I said with an appreciative smile. “We’re not fighting.”

Travis made his presence known, stepping into the doorway next to his wife. “Since when does a Maddox not fight with his girl?”

Abby tried not to smile, and she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

“It’s not like I trashed the room or anything,” Taylor said.

I wasn’t sure what he’d meant, but the mention wiped the smug grin off Travis’s face.

Unable to let Taylor take the heat any longer, I spoke up, “We’re talking about something else, something that happened a long time ago.”

“Oh,” Travis said, suddenly enlightened. “Past shit. We know all about past shit.”

Abby narrowed her eyes at Taylor. “What did you say to her?”

“Nothing!” Taylor said, defensive.

Abby pointed at him. “You’d better not have brought her here just to make her cry, Taylor Dean!”

“I didn’t!”

“What did you say?” Abby demanded.

“That I love her! Kind of.” He paused and then turned to me.

My breath caught. “You … what? I’m pretty sure you didn’t say anything close to that.”

“Well, that’s what I’ve been trying to say for a while,” Taylor grumbled.

Abby’s mouth fell open, and then she smiled.

Taylor ignored our audience and took a few steps until he was just inches away from me. He scanned my face with such adoration in his eyes that I began to tear up again.

“Don’t cry,” he said.

“Pussy,” Travis said, hooking his arm around his wife.

Taylor took an offensive step toward his taller, younger brother, and Travis leaped back with an amused smile. I stood and gripped Taylor’s T-shirt, holding him back. He didn’t put up much of a fight.

Abby rolled her eyes. “Just let me know if you need back-up, Falyn. I will kick his ass from here to Sunday.”

“Aw, c’mon, Abby,” Taylor said. “I just told the girl I love her, and you’re makin’ me sound like a bag full of dicks.”

“You are a bag full of dicks,” Abby said. “Stop making her cry.”

Taylor’s mouth fell open, and then he slammed the door in their faces.

I wiped my eyes and sat on the end of the bed. “Was that for them?”

“Was what for them?”

“The whole I-love-you thing. Does that have something to do with you bringing a girl home you’re not fucking?”

Taylor’s shoulders sagged, and he knelt in front of me. “Jesus, Falyn, no.”

“So … you love me,” I said in disbelief.