Daisy rolled her eyes. ‘But you never had a reception. Don’t you want a big party?’
‘Not particularly,’ Hazel said, and Noah dropped a kiss to her head.
‘That’s my little introvert.’
‘Well, if you ever decide to let all your friends and loved ones celebrate with you, come to me for all your floral needs,’ Daisy said, not letting them get away with avoiding a party that easily.
Gabe laughed. ‘I like your style.’
‘Don’t think you’re off the hook,’ she said, wagging a finger at him. ‘When you decide to be husband and husband, the same applies.’
‘Jesus, Daisy! We just saidboyfriendfor the first time,’ Jack said, appalled.
Daisy shrugged. ‘Just putting it out there.’
Elliot chuckled and Daisy smiled at him.
‘I love you,’ he whispered against her ear as the others started talking about Gabe possibly volunteering for the fire department. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Daisy grabbed his hand. ‘Your place or mine?’
‘Yours is closer.’
Daisy laughed as they waved goodbye and hurried out the door.
ChapterThirty-Six
‘You were right, this is the perfect spot.’
‘I thought you’d appreciate it.’ Daisy clinked her beer bottle gently against Elliot’s, and he kissed the top of her head. They were propped up on pillows, lying on the air mattress she’d dragged up to the roof of the flower shop this afternoon. The Fourth of July fireworks would be starting any minute, and they’d have the perfect view without dealing with the crowd. In fact, if they stood up, they’d probably see Shawn and Greg sipping champagne on the roof of the pet shop, and Jeanie and Logan snuggled up together on the roof of The Pumpkin Spice Café. Annie, Mac, Hazel, and Noah were watching from the harbor on his boat,Ginger. And she was sure the rest of her friends were somewhere in the throngs of people headed to the beach to watch the display.
But Daisy was happy they were here, just the two of them.
Well, three of them if you counted Goldie who was asleep on a beach towel beside them. She was unfazed by thunder, so Daisy assumed fireworks wouldn’t scare her, either.
It had been another hot day, but the air had cooled off considerably once the sun finally set. The night around them buzzed with cicadas and crickets and the laughter of a few stragglers on the street below.
Earlier they’d grilled hot dogs on the little charcoal grill she kept up here and ate them with thick slices of watermelon on the side, listening to theHamiltonsoundtrack on repeat, with Elliot chiming in with his own historical tidbits. The whole thing had Daisy feeling unexpectedly patriotic.
‘Oh, they’re starting!’ she said with a little gasp.
They put their drinks aside and snuggled down under the blankets she’d laid out, Elliot’s arm wrapped around her shoulder, as the sky over Dream Harbor lit up in red and blue and silver. Goldie lifted her head, looked around,and decided nothing was amiss. She yawned dramatically and then continued dozing. Daisy reached over and scratched her head for being such a good girl.
‘I wonder how many of my relatives celebrated the Fourth of July up here,’ Daisy said.
‘Do you think Aunt D and Nate did?’ Elliot asked, turning to face her. He was lit up by the fireworks, the colors reflecting in his glasses. She slipped them from his face and laid them carefully aside.
‘I hope so. I hope they were happy at least for a while.’
‘Me, too.’
‘I wish they’d been happy for longer.’
‘Me, too.’ He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. ‘It wasn’t all on your aunt. Dear old cousin Nate could have given her more time, been more patient with her.’
‘It was the era, I guess? They couldn’t keep being the town scandal. They had to be respectable.’
‘He didn’t have to push her.’ Elliot shrugged. ‘But they made their choices, and we can make ours.’
