Page 12 of Fighting Happily Ever After

Damon groaned.

“It may have taken us a little bit to realize how perfect we are together,” Logan continued. He was fully aware that he might be laying it on a little thick, but Stephanie was eating it up and Logan ignored Damon, who was no doubt rolling his eyes. “But now that we’ve finally come to our senses, I’m never going to let her go. She is the other part of me that I was always missing. You know what I mean?”

“I do! Dax is like that for me,” Stephanie said. “I always felt like I was missing something in my life, you know?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I mean, my parents were amazing growing up and while we haven’t been close lately, they’re good people. I have a career most people would die for. But…I don’t know…maybe it was because I was adopted and I never knew who my birth parents were.”

“You were adopted?” Damon had maneuvered his kayak so that Stephanie was between them now and, as they let the current carry them gently down the river, only needed to paddle once in a while. “I had no idea. I mean, not that I should know. It just wasn’t—”

“It’s okay.” She saved him. “It’s not really well known in the media, small wonder, and it’s not something I’ve ever really thought too much about. I mean, my parents were great growing up, and I don’t think I missed out on anything. Not really.” She shrugged and once again, her bright smile lit up her face. “But I do think that’s why Dax and I are so perfect together. He just makes me feel so…special.”

“That’s really great,” Logan said sincerely. “When is he going to join you? Will we get to meet him before the wedding?” He knew he was pushing it because they didn’t officially have her wedding business yet, but he didn’t care.

“He’s filming in New Zealand right now.” Her face once again shadowed, her smile dipping a little. “It’s the hardest part about what we do. Being apart. But we’re going to make it work.” She sounded almost as if she were trying to convince herself and not them, but still, both men nodded and agreed with her. “And that’s even more reason why I need a lucky in love wedding venue like Ever After,” she continued. “Identical twins both falling madly in love and planning weddings for other brideswiththeir partners? It just feels so perfect, you know?”

Logan did.

“I’m so glad I saw that article,” she continued. “You and Faith are just…well…it’s perfect.”

It was perfect. For so many reasons, none of which Logan was going to say. His eyes caught Damon staring at him from across the water, a knowing smirk on his face.

“It is pretty perfect.” Damon winked. “Almost like you couldn’t have planned for anything more perfect if you’d made it up.”

If there hadn’t been a person between them, Logan was sure he would have reached over and capsized his brother-in-law for his smug remarks. After all, it wasn’t so very long ago he’d faked his own relationship. But Stephanie hadn’t seemed to notice anything amiss, and no matter how hard Damon pushed and prodded, Logan wasn’t going to admit the truth. If anything, he was going to work that much harder to make it clear that he was madly in love with Faith.

After all, it was pretty damn close to the truth.

Faith hated to admit it, considering it was Logan’s idea, but a float down the river was exactly the right thing. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, but with just enough cloud cover to keep them from getting too sunburnt. The water level had come down and the river was moving at a leisurely pace. Just slow enough to look around and enjoy their beautiful surroundings, but fast enough to keep them moving.

It really was a peaceful way to spend the day.

And Stephanie was enjoying it. Which had been the whole point. She’d hardly stopped gushing about how much fun it was to get out and do things in nature and how much she’d missed the Canadian forests and mountains by living down in Los Angeles. There was something about the woman that Faith couldn’t help but like. It had started out as a business opportunity, obviously. But it was quickly turning into more of a friendship.

Faith turned as Sarah and her young daughter, Rory, paddled up alongside of her.

“This is so great,” Sarah said.

“So fun!” Rory lifted her paddle in the air, sending water raining down on her mother. “I’ve seen like two deer and three of those big birds with the white heads.”

“Bald eagle,” her mother supplied.

“Yeah, those.”

Faith laughed. “I’m glad you’re having fun.”

“Can we do this again, Mom? Brody would love it.”

“He would,” Sarah agreed. “And yes, of course we can do it again.”

Faith smiled at them. She’d known Sarah a long time, since they were kids. And she’d known Sarah’s first husband—Rory’s dad—Josh, too. After Josh died when Rory was only a baby, Sarah had shut down for a long time. It was nice to see that she’d found love again in Brody, who’d proved to be an excellent father figure to Rory, too. Sarah excited about things again, and showing her daughter all of the amazing things their small town had to offer as well instead of hiding.

“It’s too bad Brody couldn’t join us today,” Faith said. “I don’t suppose he’s paddled a lot of rivers before.”

Sarah laughed. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he had. But yes, it is too bad. He said there was just too much to do with the wedding tomorrow. Now that he has all the catering for Ever After, he’s super busy, especially now that business at Birchwood has picked up, too. He was talking again about hiring some more staff, and that’s definitely a good problem to have considering it was only last month that he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay all the bills. So as much as I know he’d love to be here today, he’s super happy to be busy.”

“I can appreciate that.”

“In fact,” Sarah continued, “I’m surprised that you guys suggested this today. Don’t you have a ton of work to do tonight, too? And with Hope and Levi coming home—”

“Don’t even get me started.” Faith groaned, thinking about all the work they had to do still. It was going to be a very long night getting ready for the wedding the next day. “But having Stephanie Starz in town is kind of a huge opportunity, and when Logan suggested showing her some of what Glacier Falls really had to offer, well…”

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