CHAPTER 34
“So, what do you think?” Candace asked eagerly.
“It’s good,” Maisie replied.
“If it’s an autumn wedding?”
“Still good.”
“But does it fit the season?”
“You finally set a date?” Rory asked Candace as she approached. “You guys didn’t tell me that.”
“Not yet. We keep going back and forth on the whole thing because of Keith’s family. We throw out a date. Some can make it and others can’t, so we try another one.”
“But it’s in the autumn?”
“I don’t know, Rory. Probably. Maybe. It might be,” Candace said. “Not next year, though. Well, it might still be next year.”
Rory laughed and replied, “I am the maid of honor, you know? Probably important for me to know this information sooner rather than later, Candace.”
“I’ll tell you right after I tell my wedding planner,” Candace said, nodding over at Linden, who was standing next to her girlfriend, Asher, talking to Logan and Gwen. “When do you think Linden’s going to ask her?”
“Why do you assume Linden will be the one to ask?”
“Oh, come on,” Candace replied.
“They haven’t been together all that long,” Rory said. “Since what? April? Right before Logan and I got together.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Exactly what?” Rory asked her. “Logan and I already moved in together quickly. Are you suggesting we should be getting married soon?”
“Uh… I heard my name,” Logan said, walking over and glaring at Candace. “What are we talking about? Candace’s wedding?”
“No, ours,” Rory said.
“What? Our what?” Logan asked.
“Candace here thinks you and I should be getting married soon, even though we just started dating six months ago.”
“She does, does she?” Logan asked, extending that glare to Candace again.
“Crazy, huh?” Rory said with a laugh and wrapped her arms around Logan. “Don’t get me wrong – I love you. I’d marry you yesterday. But we’ll get there when we get there.”
“Yeah, we will,” Logan replied as she wrapped an arm around Rory’s shoulders and smiled.
Then, she glared at Candace for a third time.
“I think I’m going to find Keith,” Candace said.
“Good idea,” Logan agreed before asking Rory, “Want to go in the back and maybe grab some of that pie we just got in to celebrate?”
“Sure,” Rory replied with a smile.
“You’re not grabbing pie, are you?” India teased.
“We’re not only grabbing pie,” Logan said.
“Logan!” Rory laughed, but she pulled Logan along until they were behind the swinging door.
“What’s going on?” Maisie asked India.
“Not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say Candace knows something.
Maybe Logan is a little further along in her proposal thinking than Rory is expecting.
” India was standing behind the stool Maisie was sitting on, and she wrapped her arms around her, lowering her lips to Maisie’s cheek. “I’m really proud of you, you know?”
“I know. Thank you. I just still can’t believe I did it. In a way, it feels like it was so easy, which is weird.”
“Easy? Babe, it took you years, a city council run, arguing with my pain-in-the-ass brother, calling a sitting city councilor to get yourself back on the agenda, filling out another application, and giving another presentation. You call all that easy?”
“I meant that they just accepted it,” Maisie replied with a little laugh, holding on to India’s arms. “I guess I expected them to take some time or something.” Maisie paused for a second. “And speaking of your pain-in-the-ass brother…”
“What?” India asked and looked up, seeing Colter was walking into the bar.
“What is he doing here?”
“I invited him,” Maisie said. “Well, I texted him, anyway, suggesting he stop by to talk to his sister.”
“Maisie, this is your night.”
“And I’d like my girlfriend and her brother to maybe try to make amends. I think I’ve caused some unnecessary drama between you two.”
“No, he caused it,” India replied as Colter approached them.
“And he’s here to fess up,” Colter said as he undid his jacket button. “Hi, Maisie.”
“Hey, Colter.”
“India, care to introduce me?”
“You just said her name, Colter. You know–”
“I meant introduce me to who she is to you,” he said.
“Oh,” India replied. “Maisie is my girlfriend. We’re together.”
“Why didn’t you say anything, to begin with?”
“Because in the beginning, we weren’t together yet. And even if we were–”
“I wouldn’t have wanted any special treatment,” Maisie added. “Independent woman.” She pointed to herself.
India laughed at her.
“Well, it passed, so your shop is good to go now. I hope we can maybe put all this behind us,” Colter said.
“Some of it,” Maisie replied.
“I’m with her on that,” India added.
“That’s fair,” he said. “I have ideas. I think a lot of them are good, and I believe in them, but that doesn’t mean all of them are. My offer still stands to join my staff, disagree with me, and get paid for it.”
“Thank you, but I think I have to pass. The shop is about to get really busy.”
Colter smiled and said, “I suppose it is. It’s going to be listed on all the landmark sites, along with whatever it is you plan on doing to bring in more business.” He sighed. “Well, with you and India being together, I suspect we’ll be seeing each other around at some point, huh?”
“Probably, yeah,” Maisie replied, grasping India’s arms more tightly with her hands.
“Not too often, though,” India added.
Colter laughed and replied, “I’m making a run for mayor next cycle, like I told you, Maisie. Let’s keep in touch, okay? If you’re thinking about running for city council again, I could endorse you should the time come.”
“Endorse your sister’s girlfriend? I’m not sure how that would look,” Maisie said.
“Based on my sister’s smile right now, I don’t know that you’ll be just her girlfriend then.” Colter laughed. “Hell, you might even be family.”
Maisie looked up and behind her to see India’s face.
“Colter, want a drink?” India asked. “Literally anything to get you to shut up.”
Colter chuckled and replied, “No, I’ve got a car waiting. But have a good night, you two. And congratulations, Maisie.”
“Thanks?” Maisie asked more than said.
They watched Colter leave the bar before Maisie stood and turned around in India’s arms.
“Was he right?”
“Maybe,” India said. “First time for everything, I suppose.”
“Family, huh?”
“It’s been a few weeks. We’ll see.”
Maisie smiled and asked her, “So, what would you think about having a fiancée or a wife who was a city councilor?”
India wrapped her arms around Maisie’s waist and said, “Well, if that was what she wanted, I would be supportive. I would wear all the buttons.”
Maisie laughed, kissed her, and said, “You’d look cute wearing my buttons. But are you sure you’d want to mess up those fancy clothes of yours with holes?”
“Well, I can always wear the buttons on my non-fancy clothes.”
“What non-fancy clothes?” Maisie laughed harder. “The ones you keep stealing from me?”
“I don’t steal them. I borrow them.”
“So, the two shirts you already have at your place, I’m going to get those back one day?”
“Yeah,” India told her and kissed her nose. “Probably when you move in.”
Maisie’s eyebrows lifted.
“In the future,” India added.
“You know what I want?” Maisie asked, turning in her arms and looking out at the crowd of women and a solo man.
“What?” India whispered into her ear.
“Nights with you where we share that wine you like and you play the piano for me.”
“Mm…”
“Nights where you massage my feet while we watch the sports I like.”
“Mm…” India let out again while kissing her neck.
“Nights where we make love and mornings where we read in bed.”
“Mm…” India repeated and held Maisie tightly.
“And nights where you go watch the state championship soccer match my two best friends are coaching because it’s the last time Lainey will be coaching high school, and I can’t miss it.” Maisie gritted her teeth through a smile, looking hopeful.
India laughed and said, “I’ll be there with your sweater on.”
Maisie held on to India’s arms and added, “And nights after a day of you teaching me how to ski, where we sit by a fire and drink hot chocolate.”
“Can I still have wine, and you have the hot chocolate? The place we’re going has this really amazing 1932–”
“Yes, babe. Hold on. Did you say 1932?” Maisie turned around. “How expensive is that bottle?”
“More than eight hundred,” India answered. “Which is why I’d only order it for this very special occasion.”
“What special occasion? Watching me fall on my ass all day?” Maisie chuckled.
“Our first trip together,” India said.
“Hey, you two,” Finley said, walking up with a beer in her hand.
“Hey, Fin,” India replied.
“Hey. We haven’t met yet,” Bridgette said, walking up to them and holding out her hand for Maisie to take. “I’m Bridgette. This is my fiancée, Monica.” Bridgette motioned to Monica, who walked up beside her.
“Nice to meet you, Maisie,” Monica said. “And nice to see you again, India.”
“You too,” India replied.
“Anyway, we own a little family-owned-and-operated greeting card company in the city, and I was thinking that in your presentation, you mentioned working with Mel. She’s my best friend.
I know you’re working with Southern Roastery, too, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in working with us.
We could have some cards there for you to sell. All locally crafted.”
“She’s always thinking about the company, even when we’re supposed to be celebrating tonight,” Monica added as she wrapped her arm around Bridgette’s waist.
“Really? Yeah, that would be great,” Maisie said. “I was hoping to get in some new items, actually. I only have bookmarks, a couple of pens, and actual books right now, but I was thinking about adding other things, along with some new shelves under the counter.”
“Great. Let’s talk.”
“Now is fine with me.”
India let Maisie go and watched her walk off with Bridgette and Monica until they were sitting at a booth and talking business.
“You look happy,” Finley noted before taking a drink.
“I think I am,” India replied.
“You think?”
“It’s a new thing for me. I’m figuring it out,” she said. “No offense.”