“Okay, fine, I have notes.”
He laughed, the sound carrying in the crisp air. Somewhereahead I heard Tony’s distinctive voice calling out in Spanish.
I tightened my hold on Finn’s arm and took a deep breath.
“Hey,” he slowed our pace. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I smiled up at him. “Just getting in the right headspace for tonight.”
“Steady, darlin’.”
“Steady.”
He dropped a kiss on my temple as we rounded the corner to where the whole family had gathered.
The outdoor dining area glowed with warmth, café lights crisscrossing overhead, candles flickering on long tables arranged in a wide U-shape, and the fireplaces at either end putting out an impressive amount of heat and light. The Tetons rose in the distance, their peaks catching the last rosy light of sunset.
“Uncle Finn!” I turned to see Rose break away from a group of kids, her blonde curls bouncing as she ran straight for us.
Finn released my arm and crouched down, catching her as she threw herself at him. “Hey there, Rosie.”
“You look fancy,” she patted the lapels of his jacket with small hands. Then her expression grew serious, the way it did when she had something important to ask her favorite person. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”
“A little bit,” he admitted. “Why? Are you?”
She nodded, her lower lip pushing out slightly. “What if I drop the flowers? What if I walk too fast or too slow? What if—”
“Rose,” he interrupted gently. “You’ve been practicin’, right?”
“Every day with Mommy and Sadie.”
“Then you know exactly what to do. And you know what? Even if somethin’ goes a little different than planned, it’ll still be perfect. Because the only job you have is to walk down that aisle lookin’ adorable, and sweetie, you’ve already got that covered.”
A small smile tugged at her mouth. She reached up with onefinger, touching the scar across the bridge of his nose like she always did. Finn smiled and bumped her nose gently with his, making her giggle.
“You promise?” she asked.
“I promise. And I’ll be right there watchin’, okay? You won’t be alone.”
“Okay,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he stood, lifting her easily. “I like your jacket.”
“Thanks, kiddo. I like your dress.”
She beamed at him, then noticed me standing there. “Hi, Aunt Alex! You look like a princess!”
“Thank you, sweetie,” I smoothed one of her curls back from her face. “You look really pretty yourself.”
“Not as pretty as the grooms though,” she pointed across the space to where Dom and Enzo stood greeting guests, adding with a stage whisper. “Uncle Dom said I could call them ‘the grooms’ ‘cause it makes them both smile.”
“That’s ‘cause they like being a team,” Finn set her back down. “Now go find your sister before she eats all the rolls without you.”
Rose giggled and scampered off, and I watched Finn’s face soften as he tracked her progress back to the kids’ table where Sadie was indeed hoarding a basket of rolls.
“That was disgustingly adorable,” I smirked.
“She’s a good kid.” He offered his arm again.
“I mean you, you big soft softie.”
