Page 97 of Stay for Forever

“I’m ready!” I holler as I exit my office.

I find Ashlyn leaning over the fence by the llamas.

“You know llamas spit,” I say as I come up behind her.

She startles and nearly topples over the fence. “I swear your goal in life is to scare the crap out of me.”

“It’s good to have goals,” I say as I follow her to her golf cart.

When we pull up to the bakery five minutes later, Aspen, Lilac, and Ellery are already waiting for us.

“I want to be supportive when one of my sisters is heartbroken, but I don’t think eating your misery is a good idea,” Lilac says as soon as we stop.

Ashlyn pats me on the back. “She’s not heartbroken.”

“Then, why are we at a bakery?” Lilac asks as she motions to the storefront.

Ashlyn bounces on her toes. “To taste test wedding cakes, of course!”

Lilac’s brow wrinkles in confusion. “But you’re already married.”

“It’s not for me. It’s for Ellery.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Aspen explodes. “No way! I will not allow another sister to get married before me.”

“What are you? The wedding police?” Ellery asks.

Aspen growls and gets in her face. “In this family, I am.”

Ellery shrugs. “All you have to do is set a date and get married.”

“Yeah, big sis. You’ve been engaged since the fall. What’s the holdup?” I ask. Ashlyn was right. This is a great way to get my mind off ‘things’.

“I want everything to be perfect.”

Lilac reaches forward and grasps Aspen’s hand. My mouth drops open. Lilac doesn’t touch people unless she has to.

“Life is not perfect. It’s full of ups and downs, surprises, and twists you never saw coming. If you love Lyric and want to be his wife, make it happen. Don’t wait for perfect because it will never happen.”

Now, my mouth is hanging open. When did Lilac become smart about people stuff?”

Ellery finds her voice first. “Hell, Aspen. If Lilac’s saying you should get married, you better do it.”

“Since we’ve got Aspen sorted, it’s time to go taste some cake,” Ashlyn says and skips to the entrance.

We follow her inside. Bake Me Happy is usually closed this late in the afternoon, but there’s a table set for five in the middle of the room.

“Where is my baking god?” Ashlyn hollers before dashing around the counter and into the kitchen area.

“We might as well get comfortable. She may be a while,” Ellery says before sitting down. “Is it rude to put my feet up on an empty chair? I promise to clean it before I leave.”

Lilac frowns at her. “Why are your feet swollen? You’re no longer pregnant.”

“Who said anything about my feet being swollen? My feet are killing me from being on them all day.”

“What kind of cakes did Rowan bake?” I ask Ellery who shrugs in reply.

“I gave him free rein.”

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