Page 44 of Till Cupid Do Us Part

Travis offers me an awkward hand. “One dance?”

“I’ll be generous and give you two,” I say.

Niko grumbles a laugh and kisses my cheek before taking Junie off the dance floor. I watch them until they sit at the head table, and he offers the baby a huge chunk of lemon cake.

“She’ll be up all night,” Travis notes.

“As opposed to every other night?”

I step into his open arms and take his hand while resting the other on his shoulder. It’s the basic awkward dance hold, but for us, it’s perfect.

“Fair point.”

“Did you enjoy the wedding?”

Nearly the same height as me, he keeps his stare level on mine and nods. “It was good. Different than I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“For it to be held at the bar for one. And for both of you to be wearing knitted sweaters or something.”

I laugh softly. “Niko probably would have enjoyed that, actually.”

“Yeah, he would have.”

“This hasn’t been too awkward for you? Being here?”

Travis rolls his lips, hesitating.

“You can be honest. It is a bit weird,” I add.

“Yeah, it’s weird. But it’s not . . . bad, I guess? I know we’ve done the apology shit and kicked everything under the rug, but I still feel bad.”

I nod while we turn. “And even if we talk about it over and over again to try and make it feel easier, I’m married to your dad. That’s never not going to be jarring.”

“It’ll take getting used to.”

The new positioning allows me to look over his shoulder at my family sitting at the table, watching us. Even Junie, who’s currently palming a handful of yellow cake across her face and into her mouth, stares, curious.

Niko lifts a brow in a silent, supportive question, and I shake my head, calling him off. Travis is and always will be family. And family forgives and forgets when there’s a reason to.

Those two sitting at the table are my reason. And as Niko lifts Junie’s arm to help her wave at me, I know that they’re worthevery single obstacle that I have and will ever face. Every tear I’ll shed or smile I’ll give.

As long as I have them by my side.

EPILOGUE

IVY

Jill paces around the kitchen,staring down at the phone in her hand. She may as well be shooting lasers out of her eyes with how angry she is. It’s understandable given the news she just received.

“There’s no way she thought it was okay to do this. I mean, I know I’m not exactly settling down or anything like my sister has, but to invitehim? Are they kidding?” she hisses.

I press back into the counter and watch her freak out, incredibly aware of how many sets of ears are just outside in the dining room digging into our weekly family dinner. The same meal that we’re supposed to be joining them for right now.

“Have you answered her yet?” I ask gently.

“No. I don’t want to. She has another thing coming if she thinks she can wiggle into my personal life like this!”

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