Page 155 of Choosing Forever
“Ice had something to do before she came. They’ll be here soon.”
“Alright. Come on, I’ll show you what I found in one of the boxes.”
“Oooh, I do love hidden treasures.”
Anna’s sitting on Brody’s lap on the armchair as they sort through one of the smaller boxes. I smirk when I pass, my hand running over the back of Delaney’s head.
She looks up at me, her eyes so full of light they’re almost blinding. “Did you call them over?”
Crouching beside her, I grab the CD album and shake my head. “No, baby. They came all on their own.”
The immediate warmth that spreads across her face . . . Yeah, I’m pretty lucky. Lucky to have her in my life but also all of these people here in this room.
“What do you have there?” Johnny asks, leaning over my shoulder.
With a smirk, I lift the CD into the air and wave it around. It’sGarrison who recognizes it first, his deep laugh drawing Brody’s attention.
“Risky move, Darren,” Garrison says.
I shrug. “It’s such a beautiful photo, it would be a waste not to show it off again. Remind everyone about it.”
Brody finally catches on to what I’ve got and pounces. With his wife on his lap, he can’t get close enough to grab it from me, especially not when Johnny takes it and cracks into a fit of rumbled laughter.
“How come I don’t think I’ve ever seen this?”
“We changed it after the first run sold out,” Garrison says.
“Oh, precious Brody,” Poppy coos.
Anna pats Brody’s chest and tries to soothe him. “You look handsome.”
“It’s a collector’s piece. Elle’s grandma was holding on to it for us,” I tease.
Delaney runs a hand down my arm, grinning. “She probably knew we would do this.”
“It’s no wonder she and Eliza got along so well,” Poppy says while pulling all of the Styrofoam cups from the holders she and Garrison hauled in.
She hands Delaney hers, and Rory reads the flavour scribbled on the side of it.
“Banana pudding?”
“Careful there, Rory. Delaney takes her milkshake flavour very seriously,” I warn teasingly.
Johnny rolls his lips while Brody chuckles. Delaney looks at them both, growing suspicious.
“Why do you look like that?” she asks.
Garrison stops looking through the box he grabbed. “I’ve never seen that on the flavour list before.”
Poppy smirks, glancing at me as if to warn me before saying, “That’s because they stopped offering that kind, what? Seven years ago now, Darren?”
“So, how come I’ve been ordering it for twice that long, then?” Delaney asks, assuming they’re lying to her.
I take a seat on the floor beside her and watch every slight twitch in her expression as everyone continues talking.
“Darren told them to keep sellin’ it to you. Wouldn’t let them get rid of it completely,” Brody explains.
First, there’s confusion and then a flush of pink. Delaney’s lips curl at the corners in a delicate smile that I want to feel against my skin. She sighs, the sound light and easy, before her hand is on my cheek, holding me steady. Our kiss is full of everything she won’t say in front of everyone, and I soak it all in.
