Page 56 of High Water

“No. This is perfect. We can have some other desserts off the Avarice menu if people want them, but the cake should be something for him.”

“Okay, that makes my life easy then. What else are you all up to today?” Marlowe asks, taking a few sips off her own latte as she waits for us to answer.

“Bristol’s after this. I wanted to show Aspen her latest business expansion.” Dakota grins.

“And then out to look for dresses,” I add. “One for me and one for Fallon.”

“Are you having a bridesmaid or two?” Hazel asks.

“No. All my friends are back in Boston, and I fear they’d try to stage an intervention if they thought I was getting married again so soon. Doubly so if I tried to put them in bridesmaid dresses.”

“Well, we’re happy to be them in spirit. Help you get prepped for everything,” Dakota offers.

“I would love that. I need all the help I can get.” I nod. “Did you pick a wedding dress out yet?”

“No. We haven’t even managed to pick a date. Trying to find something where everyone is available is not going well.” Dakota lets out a sigh of frustration.

“Same,” Hazel agrees. “I still say we just do ours on the same day to avoid a little of the frustration.”

“I love the idea. Grant, however, wants a massive production.”

“I can talk to Grant if you need me to.” It’s my turn to offer help.

“Could you? Just a little hint here or there. I know he wants to do everything for me, and I love him for it, but I just want to be married to him. I don’t care how that happens. You know?” Dakota’s eyes widen, and she nods her head.

“Of course, and I understand completely. I love my brother, and he wants everything to be perfect. But sometimes done is better than perfect,” I agree.

“Exactly.” Dakota seems relieved that one of the siblings in this family gets it.

When we get to Bristol’s antique shop, Many Moons, I’m struck by the selection of antiques she has. They’re tucked into every nook and cranny of the store, and my eyes don’t know where to go first. But apparently, this isn’t the main reason we’re here, a thing I realize when Dakota nods for me to follow her behind a beaded curtain that looks like it could be an antique itself.

The room we step into is much darker than the main store floor, and quite a bit smaller. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to be able to see what I’m looking at, and I blink when it comes into full view. There are several rows of shelving lit with practical lighting, displaying a surprising array of vibrators and sex toys, another with whips and handcuffs, and another still with things like edible underwear and sexy dice games. I turn the corner, and there’s another section with lube and a cute little library of books with titles that promise to help you change your sex life, improve your confidence, or find the fun in sex again at any age.

“Isn’t this amazing for such a small space?” Dakota beams with pride over her friend, and I can’t help but smile back.

“I love it.”

“She’s trying to make it more accessible and a little less taboo for the women of Purgatory Falls, and I, for one, commend her on the effort. I’m not sure what the church ladies will do when they find it though. I imagine pearls will be clutched.” Hazel picks up one of the books and reads the back.

“You’d be surprised about some of the church ladies.” Bristol grins as she walks in to meet us.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” I mumble, and the women all look to me. I shrug. “Usually, it’s the quiet ones.”

“Or Levi ending up with a nun,” Dakota muses.

“Fair point.” Hazel nods along with our assessments.

“All right. My vote is, we each pick out something for Aspen, and quietly tell Bristol so she can keep it a secret as she packs it up while we go look at antiques. Then Aspen and Bishop can open them on their wedding night,” Dakota suggests.

“Oh, I already know what I’m picking.” Hazel sets the book back on the shelf and turns a corner.

“Me too.” Dakota flashes a mischievous grin.

“Then I guess I’ll be out looking at antiques in the meantime. I’ll have to come back though. This is great, Bristol! Hopefully, it gets so popular that you need to expand your footprint.”

“I’m sure getting approval for that would be a fun time at a city council meeting.” Bristol laughs.

After we leave Many Moons, we head over to the boutique dress shop. There’s already a prom dress in the window, but it’s bracketed by two beautiful white wedding dresses. Each more gorgeous than the last, a theme that continues once we go inside. Fallon appears from behind a rack of dresses, pulling out a black one and holding it up for me.