I cock an eyebrow. "Of course I will. She's going to open her bakery come the New Year," I proudly state.

"You are?" Melanie asks.

"Yes," Georgia replies.

"So you're getting your franchise off the ground?" she excitedly quizzes.

Confused, I blurt out, "Franchise?"

Melanie's eyes turn to suspicious slits. "Yes. So you aren't in support?"

Georgia interjects, "I've not discussed that with Sebastian yet. I want to get my feet wet first and then decide if I'm going through with it."

Melanie tilts her head. "What are you talking about? It's your dream. You've done all the work for it. You got your MBA so you could be successful when you did it."

The puzzle pieces start coming together. I don't know all the details, but I recover from my initial shock and tighten my grip on Georgia's waist. "I can assure you if Georgia wants a franchise, she'll have it. But it seems like we have some more things to talk about," I say lightheartedly, then gaze at her.

She gives a tight smile, then adds, "Yes. We do. We just haven't gotten that far."

Melanie continues, "You're marrying him, and you haven't told him? How do you know he'll support you and won't try to stop you from achieving what you want?"

I adamantly state, "I would never stop Georgia from achieving what she wants."

"Let's go eat. I just put breakfast on the table. Plus, you need to meet Sebastian's family. You'll love them," Georgia quickly interjects.

"And give poor Sebastian a break!" Greg declares.

I give him a grateful look. I can appreciate Melanie trying to protect her friend, but it makes me nervous. I reply, "I can't blame her for wanting to protect Georgia. But I can assure you I only have good intentions."

Melanie gives me another suspicious glare.

"Let's go," Georgia says, grabs her hand, and tugs her toward the dining room.

We eat breakfast, and Melanie drops her interrogation. When we finish eating, the kids run off to play.

Georgia asks, "Do you want to see where we're going to get married? It's a secret garden and one of the most beautiful places I've ever stepped foot inside."

"Sure. We'd love to," Melanie claims.

"A walk would be good," Greg adds and rises.

My mom says, "You go ahead. I'll watch the kids."

We get bundled up and go outside. I take Georgia's hand, and we start down the road. We approach the area with the horses, and my brothers are about to train a new one that got delivered yesterday.

Greg whistles. "That's a beautiful racehorse you've got there."

"Are you into racing?" I ask.

Melanie laughs. "He's obsessed with it."

"Why don't you guys stay here, and Melanie and I can go to the garden?" Georgia suggests.

"That sounds good," Greg states.

"All right," I agree, then kiss Georgia on the forehead.