Page 118 of The Guy Who Fake Dated Me

He knew my mom well enough to understand the danger I was in.

“I do.” Alex had agreed to ferry me two towns over so I could catch the puddle jumper that would then take me to Juneau. My stuff was already on his boat, and my vehicle was out front on the street so I didn’t accidentally get stuck in the parking lot behind the Crazy Moose.

It had taken me a week of prep to make sure this would go off without a hitch. Since I’d gotten back, we’d integrated several strategies that I’d learned at the trade show, not to mention the inventory system and a scheduling system.

I’d planned to space each of the changes apart more, but I’d needed a distraction from my concern about Victoria.

Now that I had a time and place to see her again, the last thing my mind wanted to focus on was work.

“You’d better get back there,” Vincent said. “The party starts in five.”

“Right.” I grabbed several trays of food and headed into the Magnificent Moose.

I’d petitioned the city to cover the alley and maybe box it in, but I hadn’t gotten a definitive answer from them yet. So we’d draped a thick canvas above the walkway. It would keep the rain off until the heavy snow hit. Then I’d have to come up with a more permanent solution.

It did nothing to stop the chilly air from blasting me in the face. I blinked and darted to the next building.

The door was cracked, and all I had to do was push it open with my shoulder to get through.

The sounds of talking and laughter filled the air. Warmth poured from the main room, and I followed it all to the banquet area.

I’d continued to add little things to the walls, mostly pictures or antiques of Shane’s dad, the guy who had originally started the Crazy Moose Garage. The Magnificent Moose was my expansion, but Peter had always wanted to do something like it. So I’d dedicated the place to him and his generation.

The room consisted of six tables with six spots each. We’d squeezed in a dozen more chairs, and the place was packed.

Family had flown in from all over the world, including Aunt Angela who’d gotten here from China the night before. She, my mom, and a handful of others were clustered around my aunt looking at pictures on her phone.

Mom had made a huge display that stood in front of one wall with what had to be almost every photo we’d ever taken as a family.

Crystal sat at a table with a bunch of our cousins and their spouses. Most of them lived in the lower forty-eight, and they were all swapping stories about their lives, their jobs, and their kids. Several greeted me as I went by.

My dad, his brother, and one of their cousins stood by the fake fireplace, cracking up over something. I got a wave from the group as I set the trays down on the long buffet table.

Mom had tried to insist that we have servers, but we’d learned over the past few months that most families weren’t into sitting in one place and having a nice meal when they had the option of moving around and visiting. So we’d come up with a good system for a buffet, and so far, it had worked like a charm.

This was our first instance of crab legs, so that might be a learning experience, but I’d have to hear it from Vincent. I had exactly thirty-two minutes before I bolted, and I needed to mingle.

Once I’d arranged the trays, Vincent and another worker arrived with the rest. We readied the table, then I let out a piercing whistle.

Silence ensued, then a few people laughed. My mom shot me a glare that probably should have cut me in half.

I waved a hand. “Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Magnificent Moose and the celebration of my parent’s fortieth anniversary.”

That got a round of applause.

Forty years. If Victoria and I got married, we’d be in our seventies by the time we had our fortieth. We’d be the old parents that our kids would beg not to come to things because we were too embarrassing. I’d totally play that up, and I was sure Victoria would too. Maybe get one of those twisty megaphone things to put up to our ears so we could hear.

All of this went through my head as I kept talking.

“The food will be here all night, so eat when you want. I think my sister has a little program planned, but she promised it wouldn’t be more than ten minutes.”

Crystal glared at me. She’d told me fifteen. I smiled back at her.

When Victoria and I had a big anniversary party, I was going to pay someone outside the family to do everything.

“We’ve got a book over in that corner that we’d love for you to write any memories you have of our parents in. The juicier the better.”

Everyone chuckled.

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