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Kit nodded. “Oh, she so will.”

Lydia huffed a laugh. “Both of you can just fuck right off.”

“I’d love to,” Imani retorted, “but your girlfriend stole my camera, so I have nowhere to go!”

“It’s her camera,” Lydia couldn’t resist pointing out, her smile widening at the easy way Imani referred to Zann as her girlfriend. They hadn’t talked about putting a label on what they were, but she liked it.

A lot.

“Yeah, well…” Imani shrugged. “Get me the camera back, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“Why don’t you go help her, so she can finish their stuff and you can demand it back yourself to take pictures of the bridal party,” Lydia sassed.

“You know…” Imani clapped her lightly on the back. “That’s a great idea. Kit, come help me annoy her.”

Kit laughed. “I can do that.”

Lydia rolled her eyes as she watched them make their way back to the photoshoot, looking like two mischievous peas in a pod. She smiled as Michael and Jack joined their little raiding party, and shook her head sympathetically as the four surrounded Zann.

Zann, for her part, just grinned and tried her best to ignore them as she focused on getting pictures of Aspen and Eve with Aspen’s family. Lydia had known the Collier-Wests were good people and had seen how much they adored Eve, but she was still touched by the way that they made sure she was never left out. Sure, there was a picture or two where it was just Paul, Fern, Aspen, and Alder, but they’d made sure that Eve was in every other shot.

They might not be her family by blood, but they were now her family by choice and by love, and that, Lydia knew, was so much more powerful.

Lydia laughed as she watched Kit, Jack, and Michael try to goad June and Nash into making a break for the surf, and then laughed harder when Alder snapped and threatened to throw them all in the water instead. And throughout it all, Eve smiled like every bit of it was a dream come true.

Before long, Zann handed Imani the camera, and Lydia’s heart gave a happy little flutter when Zann’s eyes found hers and she beckoned her over. Her chest squeezed at the way Zann reached out to draw her into her arms the moment she was in range, and she hid her smile in the crook of Zann’s neck as Michael, Jack, and Kit raucously gave them shit for it.

“Okay?” Zann asked.

Lydia nodded and kissed her throat. “I’m great.”

The arms around her waist tightened. “Good.”

“All right, all right, settle down, children!” Imani called once the group had assembled. “Listen up, so we can get this done and y’all can go and celebrate that Aspen and Eve are married!” She paused for the expected hoots and hollers and cheers. “We did the hers and hers group shots before, so if I can get y’all to line up like you did for the ceremony with Aspen and Eve in the middle, we’ll get some formal shots to make Mama Fern happy, and then we’ll have fun with it. Sound good?”

Lydia smiled when Zann muttered, “Having to let you go sure as hell does not sound good,” and kissed her throat one more time before pulling away. The little pout jutting Zann’s lip was adorable, and she blew her a kiss. “Soon, darling,” she promised.

“Nope, she’s ours tonight,” Kit teased as she looped an arm around Zann’s neck and drew her away.

“Like hell she is,” Lydia retorted. “As soon as we finish here, that girl’s mine.”

“Damn,” Imani cackled. “Wikipedia’s got a possessive streak.”

Lydia flipped her off. “Shut up and take the pictures, Imani.” She smirked at the sharp bark of surprised laughter that got her, and winked at Zann as she turned away.

When she got to the brides, she was selfishly glad that Aspen was talking to her sister because it gave her an opening to pull Eve into her arms. “I am so happy for you.” She kissed Eve’s cheek and squeezed her tight. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Eve replied, sounding happier than Lydia could ever remember hearing her as she melted into her arms.

Lydia closed her eyes as she savored this moment with her oldest friend. She chuckled when Aspen playfully whined, “I want my wife back,” and opened her eyes to meet Aspen’s gaze as she kissed Eve’s cheek again. “Jealous?”

Aspen nodded. “Incredibly.”

“Then my work here is done,” Lydia teased as, with one last squeeze, she let Eve go. “Take care of her.”

“With my life,” Aspen promised.

“Always the white knight,” Lydia replied fondly as she took her place next to Michael.