“I hope our wedding isn’t this big. I think we should do something smaller,” Timber says as we walk out the front door. I almost trip over my own feet because it catches me off guard, but his arm comes around me and keeps me from falling.
He lets out a deep laugh so loud that Simon turns around from where he’s standing to look at us. I can’t help but smile because I adore the sound of his happiness.
“Are you excited about the flowers?” I nod, thinking yeah, we’ll go with that for now.
“I told you I’d take care of it.”
I stop and stare as thousands of beautiful flowers come flowing from a crew of white vans in the driveway. People bustle past us carrying bushels inside and every one of them is breathtaking.
“There are so many,” I say in awe. Did he get every flower in the city? He plucks one from a giant vase passing by and gives it to me.
“This one smells like you. It’s why I picked it.” I stare at the beautiful white flower before bringing it to my nose. The smell of sweet creamy peaches fills my nose as the soft petals brush against my skin. “It’s called a frangipani.”
“It’s perfect.” I tilt my head back, offering Timber another kiss.
I’m going to marry this man. I love him and I think I have since that very first day. It was too easy to give in to living with him. I gave him crap about running from me but now here I am hiding behind fear.
“Timber,” I say against his mouth. Should I tell him now or wait until we’re alone?
“Pippa!”
I turn my head at the sound of my sister’s voice. She’s practically running up the long driveway since the white vans have blocked the path. She can freaking move for a woman with heels and a tight pencil skirt on. Her eyes are wide as they bounce between Timber and me.
“Hey!” I raise a hand, giving a little wave, but drop it quickly when I see my engagement ring. This might not be the time for her to learn about all that. She could blow a gasket. She has a party to focus on and we can talk about that later because I know she’s going to say we got engaged too quick. I put my hand behind my back as casually as possible. I can at least wait until the party is over. She’ll find out when she sees I won’t be coming back home with her. That thought sets me off kilter for a moment. I won’t be going home because this is my home now. Warmth blooms inside me and excitement bubbles up.
Myra stops when she reaches us and I go in for a hug because she just stands there looking between us.
“You were kissing him,” she says in my ear while she hugs me back.
“Yeah, sometimes people kiss,” I tease and pull away. “Timber, this is my sister Myra. Myra, this is Timber Grayson.” He holds his hand out to shake my sister’s and her mouth falls open.
She recovers quickly like she always does because this is what she’s good at. “The same Mr. Grayson who wouldn’t bother to answer a call from me?” She raises one of her perfect eyebrows at him while keeping her voice soft.
“The one you sent me to come talk to,” I slip in, and she drops his hand. Timber only shrugs like he doesn’t have a care in the world and then she’s the one to chuckle.
“Thank you for letting us use your home for the party.” She smiles, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. “If you don’t mind, I’d love a moment alone with my baby sister.”
“Of course,” Timber agrees, but he doesn’t look like he wants to. “You can use my office.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder as he guides me back into the house.
I have to fight not to laugh because I know neither of them will find this funny. Timber wants me back in the house and I can feel the tension in his body. The sound of my sister’s heels on the marble floor alerts me that she’s following us.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper to reassure him. I feel a trace of tension leave his body and he kisses me on top of the head. As he opens one of the doors to his office, he ushers me in and holds the door open for my sister too.
“I’ll make sure everything is going as you instructed,” he says with his eyes locked on me.
“Thank you.” I smile brightly to try to reassure him that everything is going to be fine.
My sister might lose her cool when she finds out everything, but she’ll have to learn to deal with it. I know she wants to say something but we are in his house, a house he’s letting us use for a party. She’ll bite her tongue for now or at least until the door closes.