Page 18 of Why Not Forever?

“You could wear whatever you want and look beautiful.” He raises my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it, his eyes meeting mine.

Butterflies take flight in my belly, and I tell them to calm the fuck down. It’s a little light flirting. It doesn’t mean anything. I’ve flirted with a bunch of people before. Most of the time, it doesn’t go anywhere.

Of course, none of those people were my fiancé.

“Before you go,” Tanner says as he lowers my hand but doesn’t let go. “I made this for you.”

He pulls out another piece of origami from his pocket, raises it to his lips and blows on it, making the body inflate. Then he hands it to me.

“A frog?” I ask.

“Who knows? If you kiss it, it might turn into a prince.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re ridiculous. Do you carry these around with you everywhere?”

“Only when I’m going to see you. I don’t make origami for just anyone.”

“Mm-hm.”

He laughs. “Put it in your office. You don’t have to carry it around all day.”

I go downstairs, turning the paper frog in my hands. I played it off like he’s being a fool—which he kind of is—but I also have to admit to myself that I kind of like it. It’s nice being given things, even if they’re only silly folded pieces of paper. But he’d had to think of me and spend time to make it. That care isn’t something I’m used to in relationships.

In my office, I close the door and set the frog on the shelf. I’d set the crane next to my mug and Pride flag, but more would make my desk feel cluttered. I’ll have a zoo in here before long.

I change into my dark green dress and go to check on Derek and Spencer, then Ava and Lacey. Everyone is fine, as I knew they would be. Our assistant, Denise, has taken over for the day—as she will be doing more often when she becomes the coordinator at the Crescent Beach location—and has everything under control. On my way out of the room where Ava and Lacey are getting ready, I run into Lis, who is coming out of the kitchen.

“Can’t stay out of it anymore than I can, huh?” I ask her.

She grins and shrugs. “It’s going to be hard taking a break when the baby comes,” she admits, placing a hand on her belly as we start up the stairs together.

“It’ll be easier than you think,” I say. “This little one will take up all your thoughts and we’ll have to wrestle you back into the kitchen. Then again, maybe we won’t. Maybe you’ll take the executive chef position we asked you to take.”

We want Lis to be the executive chef, in charge of both locations’ menus. She wants to remain in the kitchen. She has, however, been in charge of the renovations of the new kitchen.

The ceremony is beautiful. Derek cries when he sees Ava, like she told him she wanted him to, and everything is perfect. We go into Stanley Park for pictures, then return to the venue to take a few more on the beach before the reception begins. Food, speeches, cake cutting, everything runs like clockwork.

Then comes my favourite part of most weddings: the dancing. Not because I like to dance—I don’t—but because this is the part of the night when all the work is over except for the clean-up at the end. My job is done. Even though I’ve technically been off the clock for this one—and for Spencer and Lis’ wedding last year—I’m still relieved when we get to this point of the night because, if anything were to go wrong, it would have been earlier.

I’m considering going to get another glass of wine from the bar when someone touches my shoulder.

“Would you care to dance?”

I look up to see Tanner with his hand out, waiting for me to accept or decline.

“I don’t really like dancing,” I say.

He leans close and says, “Maybe you haven’t found the right dance partner.” I consider him for a long time before he says, “Come on, Vic. Let’s give them something to talk about.”

I take his hand and stand. “Who exactly do you think will talk about us dancing together?”

He draws me with him onto the dance floor, placing one hand on the small of my back, turning me toward him as we begin a slow sway to the music.

“Anyone. Everyone. People who are going to find out in a few days that we’re engaged.”

“About the engagement,” I say. “I’ve been thinking I should get my own ring.”

Tanner shakes his head.

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