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“No, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. I’m just afraid this is too good to be true.”
“It’s not. Marigold, I’m in love with you. You’re the oxygen I need to live. I can’t get enough of you.”
She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed me. “I’m in love with you too.”
It was the best thing I’d ever heard in my life. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her hard. “See? It’s all good, gorgeous.”
“Does this mean you’re coming to work with me again?”
“Obviously.”
She laughed. “Okay, then. I guess I should finish getting ready.”
I watched her go back to her bedroom. The undercurrent of rage against the cockmuppet was still there, but for the first time in a long time—maybe ever—the biggest thing I felt was simply happy. Marigold was mine. She didn’t know it yet, but I was going to marry her. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
I didn’t want to waste another minute.
CHAPTER 27
Marigold
The scent of coffee filled the air as the hum of the espresso machine whirred against the backdrop of acoustic guitar music. The Steaming Mug was only about half full, a few people milling around the front counter waiting for their orders and others seated at tables.
I took a sip of my London fog—an Earl Grey tea latte with a hint of vanilla. Audrey was already here, enjoying her coffee while we waited for Annika to join us. I’d recently freshened up Audrey’s dark hair with some face-framing layers and she looked fabulous.
We chatted about her wedding, catching up on details and gushing over the bridesmaid dresses as we savored our drinks. I was so honored to join Annika and Audrey's coworker Sandra as one of her bridesmaids. She’d decided on a deep wine color to match her overall color palette.
As we scrolled through dress photos, it occurred to me that for the first time in a very long time, talking about someone else’s wedding didn’t elicit a little ache of longing in my chest.
Zachary and I certainly weren’t engaged, so I didn’t quite understand the change. But even after just a few days, there was a sense of stability and permanence to our relationship. Like he’d said, we weren’t strangers. We weren’t two people navigating the beginnings of a relationship, getting to know each other to see if we might be compatible.
Maybe we really had been meant to be all along.
Annika arrived dressed in a sweater and jeans with her blond hair up in a ponytail. She waved to us and went to the counter to order a drink before coming to our table.
“We need to talk,” she said, looking straight at me as she took her seat. “The town is abuzz and I’m freaking out. In a good way.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Audrey practically bounced in her seat. “I was trying not to ask her about Zachary until you got here and it’s been killing me.”
“So?” Annika asked, her eyes widening. “Did you and Zachary actually get together?”
I bit my bottom lip as I smiled. “Yes.”
Annika grabbed Audrey’s arm and they both squealed. A few people glanced in our direction.
“Sorry.” Annika put a hand on her chest. “This is just so amazing. I’m overwhelmed.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you immediately,” I said. “So much has happened, I wanted to wait until I could talk to you in person.”
“That’s okay,” Annika said. “And leave it to the Tilikum gossip line to make sure no one can keep a secret in this town. So, what happened?”
“First of all, I decided to end things with Preston, and he didn’t take it well. In fact,” I said, leaning closer and lowering my voice, “he slapped me.”
Both Audrey and Annika gasped.
“What?” Audrey asked, her voice filled with shock.
I put a finger to my lips. “Shh. I’d rather have everyone in town talking about me and Zachary, not this. I filed a police report and they were going to arrest him, but he left town. They haven’t been able to find him.”
