Page 91 of A Very Happy Easter

“You saw Eisen’s wedding. I’m in awe of the way Janie stood up under pressure.”

“We can elope. Just you and me, no guests, no party, no drama.”

“Mama will lose her mind.”

“I’m sure she’ll find it again, eventually.”

“You’d really do that? Have a secret wedding?”

“I’m a selfish, horny jackass, and right now, I just want my ring on your finger.”

In the end, it was perhaps the easiest decision I’d ever had to make. Heath was a man who’d be by my side through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, and there would always be laughter in our home.

“Let’s do it. Good Friday? That gives us a week after Constance and William’s wedding to get our shit together, but we’ll have to fly home on the Saturday because I can’t miss the Easter egg hunt.”

“Works for me. How many eggs are left?”

“At the last update, four and a half thousand.”

Heath made a “yikes” face. “Guess we won’t go hungry for a while.”

“I actually have plans to eat something else.” I circled my hips. “Did I mention that I’m a swallower? Spitting is so unladylike.”

“I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“No, no, no, with what we’ll be doing, we’re definitely going to hell. I’m using the seven deadly sins as an instruction manual.”

“Sign me up for lust and gluttony.”

“We’ve wasted so much time.”

“We haven’t wasted any time. If I’d told you straight up that I wanted you naked and screaming my name, you’d have asked your brother to punch me.”

“Probably. You really liked me eight months ago?”

“A year and six months ago.”

“What?”

Heath nodded. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since Janie and Eisen’s first Halloween party.”

“But we only spoke for a couple of minutes.”

“Didn’t matter.”

“That’s not weird at all,” I said, but I was smiling because I’d thought of that night often too. So many times, I’d wished things could be different, and now they were.

“Why do you think I didn’t tell you?”

“You’re an insanely patient man.”

“You’re worth the wait.”

And I was an insanely lucky woman.

Twenty-Six

The next week flew by. We didn’t say a word to anyone about our engagement. Neither of us wanted to overshadow Constance and William’s big day, plus we liked the idea of keeping things quiet. Just between us.