He'd kept talking, but she barely heard anything after not engaged. How could she when the blood had rushed from her body, taking with it her brain's ability to function? "I--Spencer--what?"
She heard the horror and shock and confusion in her voice, but there was no other way for her to say those words.
For a moment, he stared at her, confused. Then his eyes went wide, and he said, "Oh, shit!" with such humor that she at least knew that nothing was wrong between them. But she still didn't know the punch line.
"What did you mean by 'not engaged'?"
He forced himself to stop chuckling, then drew in a breath. "It just occurred to me that the best way to render an engagement party moot is to not be engaged. And the only way I intend to not be engaged to you is when we're actually married."
"Oh."
"It's Friday, Angel. What do you say we fly to Vegas in the morning and get married? Then we can have a small reception at The Fix."
"You want to get married tomorrow?" Her head was spinning.
"I know it's not a fancy wedding, but we haven't even started planning since the show is taking so much time. But if you'd rather wait and have a big wedding, I certainly won't argue. I want you to have the wedding you want. I'd never try to--"
"Yes," she blurted.
"Yes?" His brows rose, as if he wasn't certain he'd heard her right.
"Yes," she repeated. Her heart was pounding, full of so much love she wasn't sure her body was capable of holding it all in. "Vegas sounds amazing. Because honestly, the only wedding I want is one where I end up married to you."
A slow smile crossed his mouth--joy, love, passion, friendship. It all mixed together in the soup that was their life. A life that had followed a crooked path, and would turn once more tomorrow when they went from being engaged to being married.
The thought overwhelmed her in the best of ways, and she rose up, needing nothing else in that moment except to kiss him, slow and deep.
The kind of kiss that sealed a promise--or a wedding vow.
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October ~ November ~ December
October
Game Day Wings
3 pounds chicken wings, cut into thirds and tips discarded 1/2 cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning 1 teaspoon salt
6 cups oil, for frying 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 bottle Russian dressing
In a large bowl, toss the wings with 1/4 cup hot sauce, steak seasoning and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 375 degrees. Fry wings in oil until crisp and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees, about 10-12 minutes. Drain on paper towels. While the wings are draining, melt butter in a small bowl for 1 minute in the microwave. Add remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and Russian dressing to the butter and mix well. Transfer wings to a large bowl and pour sauce over them. Toss to coat and serve.
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Reuben Sliders
12 slider potato buns 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing 1 pound deli corned beef, shaved 1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese 1/2 cup sauerkraut
2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice potato buns in half and place bottom half in a 9x9-inch baking dish. Spread 1/4 cup dressing over buns, then top with corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Spread remaining dressing on remaining bun halves and place on top of sauerkraut. Stir together melted butter and Worcestershire sauce and brush over the top of the buns. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
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Corn Dip Fritters