Four
Four
Hailey looked past the graceful, white iron railing to the ocean. Gentle waves lapped the pale-colored sand. Tables were set up on the veranda but other than theirs, they were all empty. She knew Wes had money but sometimes she forgot how much money he had. Mostly because she didn’t care. She turned, leaned against the railing, and looked at her handsome fiancé. He wore a soft gray cashmere sweater and a pair of dark dress pants. His hair was on the sexy side of windswept and his eyes were watchful. Curious. Eager.
“This place is stunning, Wes,” she said.
He walked to her, took both of her hands in his. “Could you see us getting married here? We can have the ceremony right here on the veranda if you’d like. Or we can use one of the gazebos on the grounds, get married right on the beach, or in one of the ballrooms. They have one with a glass ceiling so you can see the stars at night.”
Fitting herself against him, she rested her head on his chest. His arms closed immediately around her. “I love it here. All of it sounds wonderful.” She leaned back, looked up at him. She’d fallen in love with him so easily. It hadn’t been the same for him because he’d put guard-rails around his heart, and at one time, she wasn’t sure she’d ever breach them. “I’d marry you anywhere. I was so surprised when Grace and Noah turned a dinner party into a wedding but now I understand. All that mattered to either of them was being married.”
Wes ran his hands up and down her back. This close to the water, the breeze was cool. She’d worn a gauzy green blouse and a fitted black skirt. She knew that he liked the feel of the fabric under his hands; because when he’d come home and seen what she was wearing, he’d told her and then shown her. He made her smile and swoon and think about all the things their life together would bring.
“I get it too, but I want the wedding. More than that, I want you to have the wedding,” Wes said, touching his forehead to hers. “Whatever wedding you imagine.”
“Then I think we’ve found our venue. We can go home and cross it off the mur—”
He cut her off by lifting his head and giving her a mock frown. Now, he arched his brows.
“Wedding board,” she finished with a giggle.
“Really?”
She nodded. “Let’s book it.”
Wes pulled her close, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. “I love you,” he whispered as he set her down and kissed her.
The moon sat above them and the waves danced behind them. In that moment, Hailey was certain that nothing could be more perfect.
Hailey finished up the order of twelve Holly Jolly salads: a mixture of butter, iceberg, and romaine lettuces, radicchio, pine nuts, cranberries, cherry tomatoes, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
“Hey, boss,” Leo said. He’d been working for her almost since the beginning. First, he’d helped make and deliver salads. Now, only a couple of years later, he owned a percentage of the By the Cup food truck.
“Hey,” Hailey said, setting each of the red-and-green cups into the bag, stacking them one on top of the other. “You feeling better?”
Christmas music played through the Bluetooth speakers while the few customers they had this afternoon chatted at tables. An artificial Christmas tree that the staff had decorated together brightened up the corner of her small shop. Sometimes, after she closed and locked the doors, or first thing in the morning before she opened up, she stood in the middle of the shop and turned slowly, taking it all in. She’d worked so hard to rebuild her life and paint the picture she wanted to see day after day. Hailey would always feel grateful she’d taken a chance and walked away from her life in LA.
“A lot better. That was a nasty flu. So?” Leo asked, taking the sealed bag from her. “You finished Christmas shopping?”
Grinning, Hailey shook her head. “Not quite yet. But I’m getting close.” She was struggling with what to get Wes. It was hard to buy something meaningful for someone who could afford anything and wanted very little. “I’m close though. Shopping for my cousin’s kids is always fun and we’re trying a fun themed gift exchange with Wes’s family this year.”
They chatted a bit longer before Leo took the deliveries and returned to the truck. By the time she closed the doors that night, she felt like she’d worked a double shift. This time of year was always hectic, but their family and circle of friends was growing. Which meant more get-togethers, activities, and nights out. Wes’s social battery could only handle so much and Hailey was grateful for it when she let herself into their town house, ready to shower, slip on pajamas, and curl up next to him with a book.
“Hey, babe,” Wes called from the kitchen. The scent of garlic bread and spices hit her, making her stomach rumble.
A person could absolutely not live on salads alone.
“Hi, honey,” she said, walking into the kitchen after leaving her things by the door.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back, the soft cotton of his T-shirt brushing her skin. He covered both of her hands with one of his while he continued stirring his sauce with the other hand.
“That smells delicious,” she said.
Wes’s laughter made his stomach move under her touch. “You sound tired. Your pajamas are on the bed.”
Hailey squeezed tighter. “Best. Fiancé. Ever.”
Wes set the spoon down as she dropped her hands, turned, and pulled her close before she could step away. Brushing her hair back from her face, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her nose. Her mouth.
“You make it easy. Wanna eat in front of the TV? We could watch a movie,” Wes said.
Hailey grinned. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”
Heading out of the kitchen, she stopped to look back at him, overwhelmed by the love that felt like it rushed through her bloodstream. He started to whistle as he cooked, making her smile wider. As she walked to their bedroom, she couldn’t think of any way to make their life together any more wonderful than it already was.