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“Then we can just toast to the feeling, then.” Alissa tapped her glass against his.
“That works for me.”
They both took a sip and the boat pulled off. Dane put his arm around Alissa, holding her close as they enjoyed their champagne. It was a gorgeous day, a clear blue sky with a few fluffy clouds floating in front of the sun from time to time. The small islands around Blueberry Bay were a vibrant green, contrasting the deep blue water.
Dane closed his eyes for a moment, letting the salty air mingle with the scent of Alissa’s hair. The sun was warm on his face and the champagne was perfectly chilled in contrast. Alissa rested her head on his shoulder and let out a content sigh.
“It’s such a gorgeous day,” Alissa said.
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Dane ran his hand up and down her arm. “And it’s also making me wonder where we should go for our honeymoon. There are so many places out there that we haven’t seen. Places just as beautiful as this.”
“Maybe we could go to a few places,” Alissa said. “Somewhere classic. Somewhere offbeat.”
“Somewhere we can relax.”
“That too.” She nudged him and laughed. “I can’t believe you’re the one suggesting a place where we can relax.”
“After planning the wedding and everything that goes with it, I’m sure we’ll need a break.” Dane sipped his champagne. “And speaking of the wedding, do you know what you want to do?”
“I’ve had my little daydreams about it, but nothing serious,” Alissa said. “Maybe we can look around town and think of a few ideas for venues and themes.”
“That sounds like a plan.” He tucked some of her hair behind her ear, but the wind blew it back out of place. “I’m looking forward to the wedding, but I’m looking forward to the rest of our life even more. I’ve seen you in my future for a long time but now it’s so much more real.”
“What do you want to do?” Alissa reached out for a chocolate bonbon and popped it into her mouth. “What do you see for us?”
“Buying a house together. I like my place, but I think we could find one that suits us both perfectly.” Dane sipped his champagne and thought it over more. “Maybe somewhere in your neighborhood, actually.”
“Yeah, there are a lot of adorable houses for sale there. Like the one that Caitlin was interested in around the corner from me. They’re ranch-style houses with nice backyards. And they’re within walking distance of town but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s so calm and quiet. We could walk to the office in nice weather.”
“That does sound perfect.” Dane suppressed a smile, but it came out anyway. “Who’s going to be in charge of designing it?”
The contrast between Alissa and Dane’s places was almost comical. Dane’s house was minimalist and masculine, filled with neutral colors, flannel, and paintings of sea landscapes. The craziest thing he had was a hula dancer figurine that Alissa had gotten him at the Blueberry Bay Luau. His books were organized in alphabetical order by genre on the shelf, like a mini-library.
Alissa’s apartment was the opposite. She was clean, but every spare surface was filled with knickknacks and unusual art. Every room was a riot of vibrant colors that somehow didn’t clash. Her bookcase was just as big as Dane’s, but all of the books were placed in no particular order. Alissa claimed she knew where every single book was, but Dane had a hard time believing it.
“We might need a neutral third party to help us mesh our styles,” Alissa said. “Unless we want to drive each other nuts trying to fit a painting of a sailboat and a hot pink and orange elephant print together.”
“Who knows? Maybe it would work.”
“Maybe. But would you accept all of my throw pillows?” Alissa asked.
Dane didn’t hate the mountains of throw pillows Alissa had on her couch, her bed, or her armchair. He just didn’t understand the point. They did add some color and vibrancy, but they weren’t actually comfortable.
But they made Alissa happy, so he’d put up with them.
“I’d let you choose as many printed throw pillows as you wanted,” he said.
“How romantic.” Alissa’s laugh warmed him from the inside out. “What if I wanted ten on the bed? And ten on the couch?”
“We’d need a big basket to put them in so we could actually use the two for their intended purposes.”
“I like the way you think.” She took one of the chocolate-covered strawberries and held it up to his mouth. “Eat this before the sun melts it.”
Dane took a bite. The sweetness of the strawberry balanced out perfectly with the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate.
“That’s delicious,” he said. “I had no idea what they were going to taste or look like.”
“You didn’t?”
