When we reached a high point on the hill where the early evening sun bathed the cove in warm, golden light, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She touched her glass to mine with a smile.
“I like this place,” I said.
“Me too.”
“Would you want to have our big party here?”
She tipped her glass back and drained the champagne. “I have a secret of my own, you know.”
Now this caught my attention. “Oh, do you?”
Nodding—and so pleased with herself—she said, “I’ve been thinking about having our next wedding here since the day you visited my school.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Do you see now? How annoying it is when someone has an important thought but keeps it to themselves?”
“All right. Fine. I’ll take that penalty.”
“I didn’t bring it up because I knew if I suggested it, you’d go along without question. I wanted you to come here and see how dreamy this place is and then realize that we should have it here.”
I brushed my lips over her temple. “You wanted both of us to choose it.”
“Mmm. Yeah. Seems only fair to reach this decision together, since I was the one who roped us into this pact, and you’re the one who held us to it.”
“With that in mind…” I cleared my throat and pulled a folded paper from inside my breast pocket. She eyed me warily as she opened it. I shrugged. “What’s mine is yours,” I said easily. “Just drawing a line under it.”
She shook the paper at me. “Why does this say I’m the co-owner of your soccer clubs?”
“Because you are.”
“Butwhy?”
“You made this deal happen just as much as Jakobi and I did,” I said. “And I wanted to make it clear that you’re not leverage, you’re not a chess piece to move around the board. You’re my best friend and my partner, and as long as I live, I’ll never again make you feel like you’re anything less than my equal.”
She swallowed hard as she scanned the page. “You didn’t mention this last night.”
“This stake was yours regardless of whether you gave me another chance or sent me packing. I wasn’t going to let it get in the way of that decision.”
She arched a brow. “I’m not that easily bought.”
I traced the pendant around her neck. “Believe me, Muggsy, I know.”
She threw her arms around my torso, squealing a little as she held me close. “I don’t deserve you.”
“You deserve everything,” I said into her hair. “Get used to believing that.”
“Should we go back to the party?” she asked, her head resting on my chest.
I motioned to the wall of sunflowers behind us. “Let’s take a pic.”
Emme set our champagne glasses on the stone path and tucked herself against me as I held up my phone. I held her waist tight and pressed my lips to her neck, and she giggled and squirmed when I nipped at her skin.
She picked out the photo, one where we were both laughing and the breeze hit the sunflowers in a way that they seemed to sway toward us. I loaded it to my social accounts and she helped me find Twin Tulip’s account to tag the farm. She buried her face in my arm with a giggle when I typed out the caption.
Wifey.
epilogue
