Page 80 of Loving You

Yes, even in June.

Not my sister. The month.

Was I a little tipsy?

Maaaaybe.

Not drunk by any means, but I was definitely feeling light and breezy and… hmm, maybe it wasn’t even the alcohol. After all, I’d only just finished my third glass of champagne of the day, but myfirstsince before the ceremony began. Definitely not enough to feel this buzzy.

If I wasn’t drunk, maybe it was the fact that my chest felt lighter than it had in who knew how long, and I was… happy.

So damn happy.

But who could blame me? I’d kicked my dumbass ex to the curb, finally told the man I loved that I loved him, and was at aweddingfor crying out loud.

And not justanywedding, but a wedding hosted by my family’s business, and that business had secured the kind of cover story amazingness that would hopefully amount to lots of eager new guests. According to Amanda, anyway, who had finally taken off her metaphorical work hat and was now dancing with Sammy because, well, it was Sammy.

And he wasallcharm and swagger. He and Rachel had moved right along from the trust issues they’d once had, and since he knew how much we all needed this lady to do us right in her magazine, the boy was putting on the charm likewhoa.

Oh, yeah, and perhaps most importantly, I was also happy at this wedding because one of my best friends just marriedherbest friend. And now that Eric was a best-friend-and-then-some for me too, damn, was I ready for a night like this for us.

And yes, I got this night was not about me. But still.

“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re peas in a pod, honey, because I tend to get a little claustrophobic, but we’re pretty close, right, Candace?” Jenna turned to my mom with a wink, andholy hell,my mom grinned back at her with absolutely no frost shooting from her eyeballs.

Yep. It was official. This was the best night ever.

“We are,” my mom agreed, reaching over and taking Jenna’s hand. “I’m grateful we didn’t wait too long to resolve this, as hard as it was to do. Especially since we might be in-laws one day.”

I perked right up at this, pointing to my chest. “You’re talking about me and Eric, right? Or is there a mysterious extra Walker brother I don’t know about who’s gonna marry one of my many sisters?”

Judging from the brows arching on both women’s faces, I belatedly realized that was averydumb joke, considering.

“Pretty sure she means us, yes,” Eric said from my other side, making me jump.

I looked over at him with a playful glare, and he winked in response, making my belly droplow.

“I did, yes,” my mom said, tilting her head at Eric. “And from everything I’ve learned about you from your mother, Eric, I have to say I’m not at all upset at the notion.”

It was a far cry from dancing in her seat with glee, but I’d take it.

And based on Eric’s small smile as he shared a heartbreakingly sweet look with his own mom, it seemed to please him, too.

“How did it go with the magazine, April?” Jenna asked when the big-happy-family moment had passed.

Clapping my hands, I filled her in on the stuff I’d already told Eric and my mom, more than happy to do it again. When I was done, I was shocked to find that there wasn’t just pride evident on Eric’s face, but on my mother’s, too.

And the night kept getting better and better. That woman was stingy with looks like that, and as much as I wished it weren’t true, considering the things we were slowly healing from, I ate that shit up. My sisters were the same way on the rare occasion this happened to them, unfortunately for us all.

“Are you ready to dance again?” Eric asked after a few more minutes of chatting with our moms.

I nodded, and we waved to them before heading back toward the floor. But then I wrinkled my nose and held up a finger. “Hang on, gimme two seconds. Or maybe longer. I have to pee, and this dress isnoteasy to get in and out of. Especially not with the special-occasion shapewear I was dumb enough to bother with.”

He chuckled. “There is so much to unpack there, I don’t even know where to start.”

I tilted my head up to meet his eyes and pretended to think it over. “Hmm, how about a joke about how you’ll help me take it off later? Though, you may need to do some ripping. This thing is abeast.”

“I would,” he whispered, leaning close enough for his breath to tickle my ear, “but if I said I’d tear you out of that dress later, it’d be a promise, not a joke.”

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