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“I’m sure you will be.” Zann kissed her softly. “Just remember that there are little ears present.”

“I’m not the one you need to worry about there,” Lydia chuckled. She squeezed Zann’s thigh one more time before getting to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Zann promised.

Zann took a slow sip of her wine as she took advantage of the opportunity to ogle Lydia’s toned legs and delectable ass as she made her way to where Michael, who’d gone to sit with his parents at another table after they’d finished dessert to listen to Alder’s speech, was waiting for her. She groaned when she noticed the all-too-knowing grin on his face and realized she’d been busted.

Oh, shut up, Zann thought as she discreetly flipped him off.

That, of course, just made him laugh, and she rolled her eyes when Lydia glanced at her to see what he thought was so funny. Resigned to her fate, she could only laugh as she watched Michael wag a finger at Lydia’s dress as he gleefully ratted her out.

Honestly, it was worth being busted for the way Lydia smiled at her in a way that said she was pleased by it all, and Zann’s stomach fluttered when Lydia blew her a kiss before, with a wink, she turned to go take the microphone Alder was holding out to them.

“You’re looking a little flushed, there, sport,” Kit teased, elbowing her lightly in the side.

Leaning into the fact that she was completely and thoroughly busted, Zann arched a brow at Kit and asked, “Can you blame me?”

Kit laughed. “Not at all.”

“Thought so,” Zann muttered, sharing a quick smile with her old friend.

She sipped at her wine as she turned her attention back to Lydia, who was now standing elbow-to-elbow with Michael at the side of Aspen and Eve’s intimate little table for two at the front of the room, just in time to blow her one more kiss before they started their speech.

“As Eve’s co-Maids of Honor,” Lydia began, and the room erupted in laughter when Michael popped a hip and snapped sassily over his head, “it is our honor—”

She was interrupted by Michael grabbing the mic and correcting, “—Pleasure!”

Lydia huffed and shot Michael a playful glare that was clearly rehearsed as she yanked the mic back. They stared each other down until another ripple of laughter rolled through the room, and she took a deep, dramatic breath as she turned back to the room with a practiced smile. “As I was saying, as Eve’s co-Maids of Honor”—she rolled her eyes as Michael did his sassy little hip pop and snap again—“it is our honor, and our pleasure,” she stressed as Michael nodded beside her, “to stand before you today to talk a little bit about these two wonderful women and the incredible love that they share.”

Zann chuckled as Michael lunged forward to grab the mic again, and the pair had a mock tug-of-war over it before Michael came away the triumphant winner.

He grinned at Lydia cockily as he took a long step away from her and held a hand out like he’d stiff-arm her if she tried to get closer. “Eve,” he said, smiling sweetly at Eve in a way that had her shaking her head and muttering, ‘Please behave’, “I had hoped when I asked Aspen to step in for me as your plus-one for the gala that you two would get along, but this…” He blew out a loud breath and waved at the room. “I should’ve known you’d be an overachiever.”

Zann smiled as, to the room’s uproarious delight, Lydia ducked under his arm to steal the mic back.

“Yes, well, I had the honor,” Lydia emphasized, pursing her lips as she stared him down, daring him to challenge her choice of words again until he nodded and rolled a hand in a silent go right ahead, “of watching you two take those first tentative steps toward love, and I knew from the beginning that, someday, we’d be here. Alder spoke about how she was struck by how much you settle Aspen,” she said, smiling at Eve, “and it was clear from the moment I saw the two of you together in that Sno-Cat that Aspen does the same for you.”

The room “aww-ed” as both Aspen and Eve nodded, and Michael and Lydia took advantage of the pause to, willingly, this time, transfer possession of the microphone.

“All joking aside,” Michael said, and grinned when Jack and Kit booed. “I might not have intended to play cupid when I introduced you, but I am so, so glad that, in each other, you’ve found the peace, love, and unwavering acceptance you deserve. You are two of my most favorite people in the world, and”—he lifted his glass as, beside him, Lydia did the same—“I wish you a lifetime of happiness.”

“To Eve and Aspen!” Lydia called as she turned to smile at the brides.

Zann laughed as their table lifted their glasses and raucously shouted the words back at Lydia, their exuberance carrying easily over the crowd. The smile lighting Lydia’s face when she turned toward them all melted into something gentler and wonderfully intimate as their eyes locked, and Zann returned it as she held her gaze.

The connection was broken when Eve touched Lydia’s elbow to get her attention before pulling her into her arms, and Zann sipped at her wine as the two friends embraced, affection swelling in her chest as she watched them. She could see the history between them in the way they clung to each other, eyes closed, and expressions full of that quiet, overwhelming joy that came from seeing someone you loved find the happiness they so rightly deserved.

The music picked up as they broke apart with a shared, watery smile, and Zann licked her lips as she set her empty wine glass on the table. Her breath caught as Lydia’s eyes once again found hers, and she got to her feet with a muttered not-exactly-an-apology that she wasn’t sure anyone heard as she went to her because a top-40 pop song began to play through the speakers spread around the room.

With dinner, dessert, and speeches done, it was officially time to party.

Her heart swelled at the way Lydia didn’t hesitate to fall into her arms, and she cradled her against her chest as they swayed lightly to the music.

“You did so good,” she murmured, her lips brushing against Lydia’s forehead. “That was great.”

“Thank you,” Lydia hummed.

Zann’s heart swelled at the way Lydia rubbed her cheek against her shoulder as she snuggled closer, and she sighed as she tenderly kissed her forehead. “You okay?”