Page 161 of Friends Don't Kiss

“You done with work?” I ask as I place one last silver pearl on the wedding cake.

Our wedding cake.

His cheek caresses my temple and he takes a deep breath. “Done for today, and so are you. Done for the next couple of weeks.” Our wedding is tomorrow, and we’re flying to Paris the following day for our honeymoon. “I don’t think you can make that cake any more beautiful, Sweets.”

It stands on the prep table that’s under the large window facing the valley. The landscape is lush now, full trees lining the blue ribbon of the river as it meanders lazily through the village.

Colton presses his face into my neck and takes a long inhale, then stops abruptly. “Is that…?” He steps to my side and crouches slightly. With astonishment in his tone, he asks, “Are these race cars?”

I smile. “M-hm.” In the intricate details of the white cake, I carved a racetrack lacing around it. It could be mistaken for a vine or a ribbon, but up close, there are race car cutouts I shaped from white modeling chocolate. They are barely there, only for us to see.

“And the A frame!” Colton exclaims, pointing to a shape high up.

I turn the cake around for him to see the other side. He squints. “Avalanche?”

I nod. “Look at the bottom.”

“Ah, man, that’s me carrying you off Devil’s Pass after you fell!” His eyes are misty as he scrutinizes the cake. “And that’s the garage, and Sweetness Delivered!” he adds, pointing to the white-on-white shapes hidden amid the piping of simple flowers that cascade down the cake.

He turns and stands to his full height, pulling me into him. His heart beats loud and fast in his chest. “I can’t believe my luck. Thatyou’remarrying me. So fucking talented, Sweets, and kind, and loving.”

He kisses me, then steps back to look at the cake. “You sure you’re gonna be okay cutting into that masterpiece?”

I lift my face to him. “I can’t wait.”

Colton turns me in his arms again and draws me in another long kiss. “Did I ever tell you that you give my life meaning?” he says when we come up for air.

My heart stutters. Colton’s been expressing his feelings more and more—we both have. We’ve made the conscious decision to tell each other how we feel, and it now comes naturally to us. “Not in so many words.”

“Well, you do. I used to believe my purpose on this earth was to help keep people safe as far as driving around in their cars. And that’s still the case. But helping you get the life you want and deserve has topped that now.”

“Colt…”

“It’s true, sweets. You have something to offer the world, and I was literally put on your path to help you achieve that. End of discussion.” He boops my nose right as the front door chimes despite theClosedsign.

“That’ll be Chris and Skye,” I say. “Help me with this?” I ask Colton. He’s already opening the walk-in fridge, and I delicately place our wedding cake on the middle shelf.

“Aunt Kiara!” Skye screams happily as she rushes in.

A huge smile splits my face as the little girl encircles my waist in her arms. I twirl her around and pull her slightly off of me. “What did you just call me?” I say, knowing the answer.

“You’re marrying Daddy’s cousin which s’posedly maybe makes you only a cousin, at least that’s what Caroline says, but I already call Uncle Colton uncle and Aunt Grace aunt so I can call you Aunt Kiara, right? Tech-ni-cly I should wait until tomorrow but I can’t.”

She has no idea how happy she’s making me right now. “You absolutely can and should call me Aunt Kiara. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

She sighs deeply. “I call Uncle Justin uncle but he’s not a real uncle, and same for Uncle Craig and Aunt Lynn. But you’re a real aunt.”

I tilt my head. Actually, there is a remote connection between the Kings and Alex, but I’m not getting into the family trees right now. I’m just soaking in the happiness of making a connection with this little girl. We were both adopted by Emerald Creek in different ways, and although we’ve experienced that the love of a found family can run way deeper than that of your blood family, we’re always looking at ways to cement these new ties. Calling someone aunt or uncle does that.

Maybe it’s why it came so naturally to me to call Shannon and Dennis, Mom and Dad. That’s how they feel to me, and now that I’m marrying Colton, I feel… entitled to it.

“I’m honored to call you my niece, Skye. I think it’s freaking cool.”

She high-fives me.

“You know what else is cool?” I ask her.

“What?”

---