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“You’d be the other man?” Now I’m laughing, too, because it didn’t happen, so it’s fine, but it almost did.

“I’d keep him up late drinking, and wake him up early go golfing, so he never got a minute alone with you in this room.”

“I’d have picked another room,” I whisper. “With a bigger bed. And a couch. And floor space.”

“You’d have made him sleep on the floor?” He gives me a look of mock horror.

“I’d have taken the couch, of course. We’d only have stayed one day. I’d have made up a reason to go back to Toronto as soon as possible.”

“It sounds terrible.”

“Awful.”

He cups my face in his hands and gives me a slow, serious smile. “It wouldn’t have happened. Because you are mine, Cara. And I am yours.”

“That was a big risk you took…”

“Hindsight being what it is, maybe we could have both gone about it differently, but I’m happy with where we’ve ended up.”

I press up onto my tiptoes. “Me, too.”

Ben arrives with Nana in tow two hours later. We’re on the beach when they arrive, and Elana calls for us from the deck. Toby scoops up my youngest nephew and fireman-carries him along with us.

“What?” he asks innocently as I give him a knowing look. “I’m not above using a child as a shield.”

He’s smart, too, because all the kids descend on Uncle Ben, which leaves Toby free to charm Nana for at least a minute before he needs to go toe-to-toe with my older brother.

“So,” Nana says, eyeing him up hawkishly. “You are the young man my granddaughter has married.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And you are gainfully employed?”

He grins. “You own seven percent of my company, Mrs. Russo.”

“Indeed I do. You give adequate returns, but I have some thoughts on your customer service practices.”

“I’d love to discuss those over a cup of tea.”

She winks at him. “She prepped you.”

“She did.”

“She must like you, then.”

I clear my throat. “I’m standing right here.”

Nana frowns at me. “There’s no need to be lippy, Cara.”

“I can’t help it,” I say cheerfully. “And Toby doesn’t mind.”

He grins at me. “I don’t mind at all.”

“Well, then,” Nana says, holding out her hand for me to take. “In that case, I want to hear all about this whirlwind wedding. Elana says that you wore blue?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

TOBY