Page 103 of Third Time Lucky

Lies.

I shoot her a follow-up text, but before she can respond, Elliot walks through my bedroom door.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. “The kids said you looked upset. Oh shit, why are there balloons in your bedroom? Did I miss someone’s birthday?”

He sounds so upset about it, I send them floating his way. “The surprise is ruined. It doesn’t matter at the moment. Tani needs me down at the courthouse now, so pancakes will have to wait.”

He reads the balloons while I search for a pair of clean pants and a button-down shirt. “I thought you wanted to wait and see.”

“I’ve seen,” I tell him, still clutching my phone as I slip off his t-shirt and reach for my clothes. “Enough to know there’s no point to waiting. I love you today. I’ll love you in fifty years.”

“And you know I love you. That I’ll never leave.” The wonder in his soft words have me pausing, turning back to him.

“You prove it to me every day.”

He takes a step closer. “So you’ll marry me?”

“Whenever you want.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m not giving you an out or letting you get away ever again. You’re stuck with me for life, so I hope you’re serious about this. I’ll be cheering every game. Massaging things every morning. Singing with—”

He’s kissing me as if his life depends on it. As if I’ve given him the world. If this were a movie, cue orchestra and fade out so I can get his pants off again.

I need—

My phone buzzes in my hand and Elliot lifts his head.

“Ignore it,” I moan, trying to follow his lips.

His green eyes are bright with love and desire, but he manages to resist me, taking my device from my limp fingers and reading it before turning it in my direction.

J-Pop:Who the heck is your future husband? One of our new nannies? Winston M’Baku?

T-Diddy:Not exactly. Think the Wayne brother with two little boys. T-minus one hour and fifty minutes to the wedding. Coming?

“Emerson Wayne?” I croak. My best friend is marrying a Wayne? “How did I not know about this?”

“Get dressed fast.” He leans out the door and shouts. “Girls? We’re going to Princess Tani’s wedding. Go get some clothes on. And shoes. Hurry up now.”

What? “What?” I hear two high pitched giggling screams from downstairs, followed by running of little feet out the door.

Elliot narrows his eyes. “If I’m going to be your husband, Tani is basically my sister-in-law, right? She said she’s getting married. We’re going.”

I love him. I don’t care that he’s perfect and without any discernible flaws. I’ll have to learn to live with it.

Somehow, I’ll manage.

I bring the bouquet and as soon as we reach the entrance to the courthouse, I see my best friend. She’s wearing a thick red scarf over a lovely yellow dress.

Yellow means she needs a hug.I wrap my arms around her and then spend five solid minutes attempting to talk her out of her plans. I have logic on my side. Years of knowing her. Statistics and money to throw at the problem.

She isn’t budging.

“This is my decision. I want this. Please respect that.”

“I would, but I’m not hearing anything about crazy sex or love at first sight, so you can understand my concern.”

“Joey.”

Elliot stands beside me with a supportive hand at my back. “We’ll support you, Princess Tani. And we’ll have pancakes after. In fact, we’ll be asking you to meet us here pretty soon ourselves, won’t we, Joey?”

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