Page 17 of Why Not Forever?

She glances at me, and I nod my agreement before she faces Spencer again.

“All right.” He holds up his pinkie. “I’ve got your back. No matter what.”

Vic links her finger with his.

“Let’s talk timeline,” she says, returning her attention to me as though none of that had happened. “When do we announce the engagement? I’m thinking at the next family dinner.”

I let her continue with the details, agreeing to pretty much everything she says. I don’t really care about them, anyway.

The thing is, I know Vic says there will be no emotions involved, but mine already are. And while I’m ready to let her go if I have to, I don’t want our marriage to end.

Chapter 6

Vic

DerekandAva’sweddingis sparkling and perfect. They had decided to go with Adalie’s idea of a Christmas in July theme, so the hall and rooftop patio are decorated in red, green, and gold. We used a lot of our regular Christmas decorations, which kept the costs down for them, dressing up the areas with garlands and poinsettias and other red flowers.

Adalie and I aren’t in the wedding party. Ava had wanted her sister Lacey and no one else. Derek said he couldn’t choose between his three best friends, but they wanted to keep the wedding party even. I opted out right away. I don’t need to be up there to know how much Derek values our friendship.

In the end, Spencer and Adalie played rock-paper-scissors and Spencer won, which isn’t really a surprise since he usually wins at rock-paper-scissors—something about instinct and knowing your opponent.

Spencer and Derek are in a room getting ready, while Ava and Lacey are in another. All that’s left is for me to get ready. Adalie has already gone into her office to change, while I take one more glance around the hall when someone says from behind me, “What themes are you considering for our wedding? I’m guessing not Christmas.”

I gasp and spin to find Tanner. We’d agreed to meet here today. I haven’t seen him since the dinner. He looks disgustingly gorgeous in a tailored charcoal grey suit that shows off his broad shoulders and slim waist. His shirt is a very pale blue and his tie is black. His short dark hair and neatly trimmed beard suit him well. He didn’t have the beard in university, and I admit it looks good on him. But the sexiest part about him is his eyes. Dark brown and hidden by black-framed glasses which always make him seem safe until you look past those glasses to the sharp intelligence behind.

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says, those dark eyes alight with amusement.

“It’s fine. And no. Christmas is fun and all, but I have no particular attachment to it.” I wave a hand at the space around us. “They chose this because they got back together during Christmas the year before last.”

“I see. So is there anything of significance you want at our wedding?” he asks.

I shrug. “Not particularly. Our marriage is temporary. Why does it matter what our wedding is like?”

“Your family will care,” he counters.

I glower. “What if what I want isn’t something my family would approve of?”

“Tell me,” he says, pulling out a chair for me to sit at one of the tables. I do and he sits as well, turned toward me close enough that our knees brush. He catches one of my hands. I’m surprised that I don’t hate the proximity or the simple touch, letting him hold my hand, though I don’t know why.

I take a breath. “My mother would want me in a huge, sparkly dress with like five hundred of our closest friends and family,” I say, rolling my eyes. I can hear the annoyed tone, but I don’t try to curb it. “She’d probably want something colourful and girly for a theme. Something in pastel or maybe a garden theme.”

While I speak, Tanner’s smile grows bigger. He gives my hand a squeeze. “None of those sound remotely like you.”

“You don’t think I’m girly?” I counter.

“You’re very girly. But you don’t want to show people. You like people to consider you in charge and don’t believe anyone will take you seriously if you present too feminine. For your wedding, you’d want something understated and elegant. Something timeless. Black and white?”

I stare at him for a long moment. “How do you know this?”

He smirks. “Am I right?”

“Yes,” I huff.

His smirk spreads into a grin. “Excellent. We have a theme. We should talk more about this later. I’m guessing you need to change.”

I glance at my clothes. “Are you saying I shouldn’t wear a pair of plain black slacks and a white blouse to my friends’ wedding?”

He laughs as he stands, helping me to my feet with the hand he still holds. Even when we’re standing, he doesn’t let go.

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