He was kind, loving, patient, honorable and generous. He made her laugh. Made her happy. Sure, he had his faults-but hey, what man didn’t leave his socks on the floor and coffee cups all over the place? Growing up with four older brothers, she didn’t let silly little “guy things” bother her. And best of all, Eric loved her as much as she loved him.

Unfortunately their families mixed about as well as oil and water. Jessica’s mother and four overprotective brothers considered Eric not only business competition, but looked down on his franchise restaurant, considering it fast food compared to Hayden’s. Marc, Andy, Robbie and Carl all glared at Eric at every opportunity, resenting both his opening the restaurant and him “stealing” their little sister, whom they ridiculously felt was way too good for him.

To make matters worse, Jessica’s mother had dreamed about her only daughter’s wedding since the day she’d finally given birth to a girl after four sons. Maybe, just maybe, Carol Hayden could have gotten over the fact that Jessica was marrying “the competition,” but she simply could not accept that Eric’s sister, Kelley-who was more like his mother since she’d raised him and their two younger sisters after their parents’ deaths when Eric was twelve-was a wedding planner. A very successful wedding planner whose recent clients included an Olympic gold medalist, a daytime television actress and a state senator’s daughter.

Kelley had very definite ideas about her only brother’s wedding. Ideas that did not in any way mesh with Jessica’s mother’s ideas for her only daughter’s wedding. Indeed, Carol Hayden viewed Kelley’s expertise as a threat to her own plans for Jessica’s wedding. Toss into that volatile mix Eric’s sisters’ resentment toward Jessica’s family for looking down their noses at their beloved brother, and the entire situation was as explosive as a powder keg piled next to an open flame.