Tina visibly sagged, falling back in her seat. “Really?”
I smiled. “Yes. Everyone was very understanding.”
“Wait.” Tina sat up, her eyes widening and a ghost of a smile forming. “If we have to change venues, does that mean we can have it at the inn now?”
I tipped my head. “I suppose you could. And considering the circumstances, I’m sure Luke and my dad would be agreeable to waving some of the rental requirements, like using our kitchen to cater. We could probably come down on the rental fee too.” For this one event, we could forgo a profit, so long as the cost of staffing the event was covered. I’d have to do some math on that.
Tina’s smile bloomed into a wide grin. “Really? That would be fabulous. When do you think we could do it?”
“It would have to be after Luke and Mina’s wedding in July. I’ll call all the vendors on Monday and see what date I can get in common from them and let you know. I would think we could do October, though. Maybe September.”
Her shoulders fell slightly. “That long?”
Dustin put a hand on her thigh. “We can always forget the big wedding and just go to the courthouse. I don’t need all the trappings. If this experience taught me one thing, it’s that I just want to be with you.”
Moisture gathered in Tina’s eyes. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Oh.” She flapped a hand, then shook her head. “That’s so sweet. But no. We already paid out all this money for flowersand food and music. If they’re not going to charge us again and we can just move everything, I’d rather do that than lose all that money.”
“Whatever you want, sweetie. I just want to call you my wife.”
Tina’s smile could have powered the sun.
I couldn’t help but grin at her happiness. It made all the craziness and chaos of the past few days worth it.
I lightly tapped the desk. “Okay, then. That’s settled. I’ll get on rearranging everything and let you know what date I come up with.”
Chapter 26
Toren
My crutch smacked a table leg as I wove between the couch and the coffee table. Muttering a curse, I caught myself with the other one. These stupid things would be the death of me. The doctor said I could transition to a walking boot after my hand surgery. She’d wanted me to keep my weight off of it for a couple of days, so some of the swelling could go down. I had a feeling she’d rather I stay off of it longer, but the surgery would put a bigger cast on my hand, making it harder to use the crutches. In that way, it was a blessing. I couldn’t wait to ditch these stupid sticks.
I flopped onto the couch and propped my foot on the coffee table, wincing as the bones, tendons, and ligaments settled. I had some stronger painkillers I could take, but I didn’t want to. They made me loopy, and I hated the feeling. I’d probably take one tonight just to help me sleep a little better. But for now, I planned to tough it out.
My head fell back against the cushions, and I closed my eyes.
There was a knock at the door.
“Seriously?” I groaned, opening my eyes. Who could that be? Lana had left an hour ago. Since then, I’d put my gear away and started a load of laundry. I just wanted to sit for a few minutes.
Another knock sounded.
Rather than get up, I just yelled toward the door. “It’s open!” If it was Deke, come to take me out, well, I guess I was screwed.
But it wasn’t Deke. It was Walker.
“Hey, man.” He walked in and shut the door. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. What are you doing here?” I looked up at him from my spot on the couch as he stopped in front of me.
“Just checking on you. I didn’t hear from you yesterday, so I figured I should stop by and see if you need anything.”
“I’m good. Pantry’s stocked.” I waved a hand toward the kitchen. “I’ve got pain meds. I’ll be all right. Plus, I can still drive. My right foot is fine, and I have one good hand.” I raised my right hand and flexed my fingers.
Walker grinned. “Why do I feel like you’d still try to drive, even if you didn’t?”
