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Seyla was with them. She rushed over and gave Kate a hug, then me.
“There you guys are,” Elisa said, she and Raze joining us in the parlor.
Gunner dipped his head our way, and Rylee grinned.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Raze said, nodding to my aunt and then my sister.
“King Raze?” Isirell asked. “So wonderful to see you again.”
“King?” Seyla asked Kate with wide-eyed wonder. Kate shrugged.
“None of that, now.” Elisa smirked at Raze. “He’s incognito.”
“Why?” Isi asked, a light smile on her face.
“I’ve abdicated the throne,” Raze said. “I’m a plain ogre now.”
“Never plain, love,” Elisa said, and they kissed.
Isi rolled her eyes. “Romance floats in the air, I see.”
The front door opened again, and my aunt greeted Grannie Vi and Uncle Bub, who looked amazing in dark blue velvet outfits, Bub wearing a suit and Vi a dress. They paused in the foyer while my aunt gave them each a quick hug.
“This is my fiancée, Elisa,” Raze told Isi.
Isi gave Elisa a hug. “Welcome. It’s very nice to meet you.” Her head tilted as she looked at Raze. “Why abdicate?”
“Because I’m a simple guy,” Raze said. His chuckle rang out. “I don’t wear suits all the time. I’m done with all that because I love living here, and I don’t need anything else. Elisa and I are wedding planners. If you decide to get married, look us up.”
Isirell snorted. “I cannot imagine anything like that, but we’ll see.”
“That’s what they all say.” Raze lifted his and Elisa’s entwined fingers, kissing her knuckles. “Look at me, blissfully happy.” He lifted Elisa off her feet and kissed her again.
Kate leaned into my side, and because romance was floating the air, as Isirell had pointed out, I swept her up for a quick kiss that turned into something longer.
“Please,” Isi said with a shake of her head. “Save it for after the wedding.”
We all laughed.
More guests arrived, joining us in the parlor where we sipped endless splendeer and chatted.
Seyla moved around the room, getting to know everyone. Kate told me her friend had a crush on Vrok, but he didn’t seem to feel the same way. I’d thought of telling her to go easy on him, that he was getting over a broken heart, but decided to leave that to them. Seyla didn’t seem like the kind who’d give up until she’d tried almost everything, and Vrok might soon change his mind.
“You two didn’t find true love through Monster Mingle,” Grannie Vi said to me, referring to the matchmaking service she and her boyfriend, Uncle Bub, had recently opened.
She wasn’t my grandmother, and he wasn’t my uncle, but everyone in town called them that. They’d officially adopted the entire community, and they were deeply loved by all.
Grannie Vi was Rylee’s grandmother, and Bub was Violet’s uncle.
“Despite that, we wanted to offer you both a little pre-wedding gift,” Grannie Vi finished.
Bub handed me a bright pink bag festooned with ribbons and sealed at the top.
“Please wait to open it until your wedding night,” Grannie Vi said with a wink.
“What do you think is inside?” Kate asked, looking at me with complete innocence. She sat on a sofa beside me, driving me to distraction with the simple press of her thigh against mine. We’d been together a day now, but I craved her more than ever.
“Long ago, I was a sex therapist,” Vi said, giving Kate a wink as well. “I’ve got a good eye for what works and what doesn’t in the bedroom.”
