Page 154 of Choosing Forever
“He hates this album cover.”
“Why? He looks adorable.”
I snort. “He looks like a grumpy teenager. Garrison still teases him about how pissy he was during the photoshoot.”
“I still can’t believe Garrison’s his boss. Or that they didn’t get along at first. They seem pretty close to me.”
“It’s also been like four years since Brody came back home. Time changes everything.”
She hums, leaning her cheek against my knee for a second before getting back to work. It’s only been a month since I brought her to our new plot of land, but it’s like we’ve hit fast-forward on life. One minute, I was listing my house for sale, and the next, it was selling, and we were breaking ground on a forever home. The place we’ll grow old together.
Abbie’s probably the most excited out of everyone. She’s already demanded exactly what she wants in her new room, from the size of the closet to the colours of paint on the walls. Ifthere was any doubt that she would be happy about my decision to sell our old house and build a new one for us, she proved them all wrong. Her love for Delaney was instant, and I’ve watched it grow tenfold. As if I had any worries about that.
“Should we just start a pile of donation things?” Elle asks.
“That’s probably the easiest way to do this. I’m sure Poppy can take it all with her to Calgary and drop everything where you want her to.”
“I’ll call her tonight?—”
The doorbell rings four times, and Delaney starts pushing herself off the ground before I drop a hand to her cheek and say, “I’ll get it.”
She nods, settling again.
The first face I see when I open the door is Johnny’s. He’s flashing me that shit-eating grin he always wears as he shakes a brown takeout bag in front of him.
“The cavalry has arrived,” he announces, strolling inside as if he’s been here a million times before. “And we have food.”
Rory rolls her eyes at him and pats my arm. “Hi, Darren. I hope we aren’t interrupting.”
“As if. Not unless they were plannin’ on getting busy on dusty boxes,” Brody says.
He steps inside and immediately takes his boots off, leaving them beside Johnny’s before passing me with a slap on the back.
Anna follows, her hand tucked into his. Then, my sister comes in carrying a tray of drinks. Garrison’s glued to her back, holding another.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking between everyone who passes and the Rustic Ridge haul they’ve brought with them.
Poppy grins at me as she steps over the collection of shoes beside the door. “We figured you guys could use some help.”
Shutting the door, I watch as my closest friends greet my girl, immediately setting their things down and grabbing boxes and getting to work.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, the faster you get this place organized and cleaned out, the faster I can have Delaney’s attention while we get the details sorted for my wedding. We’re only six months away now.”
“Don’t you have a wedding planner?”
Poppy huffs at me. “It’s not the same thing.”
“Right.”
“When you get married, you’ll understand what I mean.”
“I had a wedding before, Poppy,” I say, wincing at the reminder.
She scowls. “That didn’t count. A quick trip to the courthouse is not the same.”
I let it go, knowing I won’t win here. With a glance at everyone piled in the cramped living room, I ask, “Where are Bryce and Daisy?”
