Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Avery checks his watch while Hazel climbs on him. “Two hours, give or take.”
Ah.
“Dad, can I watch a movie?” Jayden asks.
I nod. “Go for it.”
He disappears inside, with Justin following, and then I have little Cassidy jumping over to my seat.
“Hi!” That’s her favorite word. And one of the few she knows.
“Hey, angel.” I grin when she squishes my cheeks together, and I give her a loud smooch that makes her giggle.
“Hi, hi!” she laughs. She sees you returning behind me, so obviously, you get a couple hellos too. “Hiii! Hi!”
“Hi, little darling.” You wink at her and set a tiny porcelain dish on the table.
I’ve seen it in Elise’s shop. It’s a miniature version of one of those tiered cake stands on which she puts truffles, and of course you’ve bought one. Can’t you see it’s tiny? What am I gonna do with that? Precisely seven truffles fit on that thing, and we’re three grown men.
“Do you need a hand, Gray?” Ave asks.
“No, no, you sit. I’m almost done.”
Cass mirrors Hazel and starts climbing on my back, so I lean forward and snatch up one of the truffles and pop it into my mouth. And it’s fucking delicious. I’m usually more of a baked-goods type of guy, but every now and then, my sweet tooth calls for chocolate with my coffee.
Next time you come out, you have a tray with three cups of coffee, and you sit down next to me and ask, “Isn’t the serving dish pretty? I thought we could have a combination of dishes at the center of each table at the reception for when dessert is served.”
Ah, so you have a plan for this cocktease of a cake stand.
“I’m just gonna point this out once,” I say, still chewing. “It’s tiny.”
You grin a little at me. “Well, aside from the actual wedding cake, there will be a couple trays too. Which you already have at the restaurant—but I thought the cake stands look more wedding-y. They’d make a nice addition, I think.”
You’re probably right. You have an eye for this. I have my own wedding-related responsibilities I’m more invested in.
I’m really fucking invested in these truffles, though. I take a sip of my coffee and steal one more piece.
“If our budget allows it, order a bunch of these,” I say.
You look amused. “They’re not Elise’s, if that’s what you think. I bought them at Target as a placeholder.”
Oh hell. Then I can’t eat them in front of her. I just made it off her shit list again.
“In that case, don’t tell her I’m enjoying them a fuck-ton.”
You think I’m joking, knucklehead.
The next day felt weird. It was a break they needed. To just chill by the pool, discuss the mission, have a few drinks, and eat good food. But at the same time, their bags were packed, they had checked out of their bungalows, and they were all anxious to go home to their families.
“How can I be so relaxed and tense at the same time?” Gray yawned and stretched out on his lounger, and he reached for his margarita.
He was feeling the country song Cullen was playing on his Bluetooth speaker. Carrie Underwood was a goddess.
“Enjoy it while it lasts, baby,” Darius murmured drowsily. “It’s gonna be wedding mayhem the minute we get home.”
Mayhem.
Gray snorted softly.
There would be no mayhem. Gray had turned wedding planning into a structured dream, and almost everything was ready. Of course, Mom had helped a lot. Running her own inn had turned her into a party planner over the years, after hosting so many bachelorette parties, birthdays, and anniversaries. Countless people had gotten married there too.
Gray had a binder and a tablet. His shit was organized, thanks to her assistance.
He bit his lip and glanced over at Darius’s lounger. And yeah, Gray was curious about a couple things that Darius was in charge of. Such as the freaking honeymoon. The children’s entertainment at the reception. The playlist. And the wedding itself.
A year and a half ago, they’d divvied up the responsibilities with little thought to how things would turn out. When Darius had said he wanted to be in charge of their honeymoon, Gray had gone, “Pshht, sure!”
Now, he had practiced his reaction in the event that Darius took them camping.
Gray would genuinely like that; he loved going camping with Darius and the kids. But maybe it wasn’t honeymoon material? At the same time, he had faith. He didn’t truly believe they’d go camping. His money was on Victoria or Vancouver. They’d shared a couple romantic getaways there, when pandemic restrictions allowed it, and each weekend had been wonderful. Plus, both places were stunning.
He wasn’t worried about the ceremony either, not after the creativity Darius had shown earlier this year. Gray had been shopping for place card holders online one day, and Darius had done a double take at the laptop screen. Because Gray had found these beautiful holders that were essentially sawed-off pieces of natural wood. Like from a young tree. Which would fit their nature-like theme. Their colors were moss green and white, with wooden accents. A theme Gray had chosen because he thought it was perfect for Darius—and the life they shared in the cabin. It was rustic and modest with a touch of elegance. Just the way Gray loved life.