For this announcement, she needed to stand on her own.
Because if he won—no matter how much she liked him—she’d have to carry that disappointment solo.
Mayor Wilson handed the microphone to Travis, whose grin practically crackled with mischief.
His eyes found Finn and Daphne in the crowd.
“Come join us onstage,” he called, waving them forward.
And then—oh no—he handed the mic off to Lindsay.
Who turned toward the videographer.
Videographer.
Oh good heavens.
Stage.
Public humiliation.
Possibly live-streamed.
Could this night get any worse?
Daphne forced up a good-natured smile—at least, she hoped it looked good-natured—and made her way to the stage with Finn’s hand steady at her back.
“When Travis and I lost our caterer three weeks before the wedding,we never imagined becoming a part of such a rivalry as #TeamTea and #TeamPub.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Someone shouted, “I love you, Finn!”
Daphne’s eyes pinched closed.
Finn chuckled and leaned her way. “It was the ribs.”
And she giggled, despite the boiling temperature in her face and the very real chance she was about to lose this competition in front of the entire town like some low-budget reality show contestant.
“Surprisingly,” Lindsay continued, “this rivalry has helped quiet some of the chaos leading up to our wedding—and reminded me just how much this community means to me. How much it’sshapedme.”
“And that’s why we want to invite everyone to the reception,” Travis said, nodding toward the crowd. “Hosted by the Wisteria Inn and Lindsay’s team at Lindsay Monroe Official.”
“And sponsored by Travis’s company,” Lindsay added, giving his hand a squeeze.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Daphne blinked.They were inviting the wholetown?
What on earth was happening?
This was not a wedding. This was anevent.
“We also didn’t plan to struggle so much choosing between two incredible culinary artists,” Travis said, gesturing to Daphne and Finn.
“And the outpouring of support, fun, and social media chaos has been absolutely fantastic,” Lindsay added. “Honestly? I think we’re all winners tonight—because we’ve proved just how special Wisteria really is.”
Another rousing response.
