Page 26 of Night Wedding
“Nova, I can’t believe it!” She tackled me with a hug. “I’m so excited.”
I’d told her about the news over the phone this morning, and she’d shrieked with giddiness.
“Me too.” I wiggled out of her tight grasp. “But I need to breathe now.”
“Oh sorry.” She stepped back, and her eyes sparkled with delight. “Let me see it.”
“The ring?” I raised my hand, displaying my new diamond.
“No, the guys’ ridiculous Monty Python collection,” she teased, rolling her eyes. “Of course, the ring.” She took my hand and sighed. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” She slanted it to one angle and then another. “It looks perfect on you.” She raised her index finger. “I better be in the wedding. Don’t forget, I’m your best friend.”
I chuckled and pushed my hair out of my face. “If I have a wedding party, you’ll be at the top of the list.”
She nodded and then hugged Diego. “Congratulations. Great job with the ring.”
“Thanks. I sweated about it a great deal.”
“You should have asked me to shop with you.”
“And risk you spilling the plans to Nova?”
She laughed. “True. I might have had trouble keeping something that big a secret.” She gestured toward him. “I guess that makes you my soon to be brother-in-law.”
Diego arched his brows. “I didn’t realize you and Nova were sisters.”
She hip-checked me. “We are in all the ways that matter.”
“Absolutely.” Neither of us had sisters, but we were as tight as two could be—without all the infighting and sibling rivalry.
Scents of baking bread and tomato sauce wafted from the kitchen where Sebastian stirred something on the stove. A couple of trays of what appeared to be mini quiche and bacon-wrapped scallops were on the counter beside him.
He turned over his shoulder. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I pointed to the dishes as I walked toward him. “You’re cooking up a storm. I thought you were working tonight.”
“I am.” He lifted his shoulders in a modest shrug. “Just thought I’d make a few snacks, you know, something to nibble on.”
Sebastian’s snacks could classify as a scrumptious meal to most.
Gianna stepped farther down the counter. “I have the champagne cooling of course.” She grabbed a bottle from an ice bucket near the fridge and raised it, droplets of water dripped back into the bucket.
I cocked my head and grinned. “It’s funny how often you can find a reason to celebrate with champagne.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.” She winked in a conspiratorial way. “But you two getting engagedismost definitely something to celebrate.”
“Thanks. I think Lucas and Zoe will be here soon. Can we wait for them?”
“That might be a challenge.” She winked and then put the bottle back on ice.
We took small plates of Sebastian’s “snacks” into the living room where we gathered around on the sofa and chairs. Even Diego took a plate with a meatball. He didn’t have much appetite as a vampire, but Sebastian liked to dote on him, and Diego tried to oblige by eating a bit of what he cooked.
“What kind of wedding do you think you’ll have?” Gianna asked.
“And when?” Sebastian added.
I exchanged a quick glance with Diego. We knew this would be coming. And we didn’t know whether we had the answers yet. Since both of us were more introverted, the one thing we agreed on was to keep it small.
“It’s probably going to be small and intimate,” I said. “Just the closest people in our lives.”
