Page 35 of Seale the Deal

She leans in close and says, It’s not an invitation. It’s a demand. She pats him twice on the shoulder like she’s congratulating him for surviving the day. I’ll see you both tomorrow for dinner. Then she flounces out the door.

Ruger groans and leans back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face.

Tired? I ask.

Too much Alpine Harbor, he mutters.

I laugh softly. I’m starting to understand what Remi was saying about how everyone knows everything.

It’s usually not this intense, he says. At least not for me. Normally, I can go into town, grab a coffee, talk to three people, and leave. But admittedly, this is not the first time I’ve watched the town take something small and make it massive.

I nod. Yeah, we kind of acquired a wedding today.

His expression turns thoughtful. We did. When I agreed to marry you, I didn’t think it would become this much.

Guilt immediately curls through my chest.

I’m sorry, I say quietly. I know I asked for a lot from you, and now—

His eyes lift to mine. Wren. No. His voice softens. I’m not talking about helping you. I meant all— He gestures vaguely in the direction of town. —that.

The wedding?

He sighs. I just don’t love the idea of turning something that’s supposed to be private into a public event.

I tilt my head slightly. You don’t like weddings or something?

I don’t like performances, he corrects.

Wasn’t this always a performance? I ask.

He shrugs. It felt different when the idea was to just stand before a civil servant and say what needs to be said for this thing to be legal. Now… He trails off and looks thoughtfully out his kitchen window.

I bite my lower lip, waiting for him to continue.

Now? I encourage.

He shakes his head. It’s nothing.

I nod, trying to stamp down the curiosity of what he was about to say.

Instead, I ask, Do you think we’ll be able to pull off a believable wedding?

With Remi on our side? Absolutely, he says. She’s sweet, but when she gets an idea in her head, she is full force on it. Lists, to-dos, and she will make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

And if it doesn’t go according to her plan?

He shrugs. Oh, it will. She’s a force of nature when she needs to be. A little thunder, a little lightning.

That’s true. I don’t think this whole plan to move here would’ve happened without her persistence.

I wondered about that, he says. I know we’ve known each other all of two seconds, but it’s clear Remi takes the lead when it comes to this whole thing.

I shrug. She’s just good at thinking on her toes in a way I’m not.

He nods.

I like that she’s the opposite of me. She says what she wants. She doesn’t wait around for someone to give her permission. I admire that. I want to be more like that. I draw patterns with my finger on the table. Sometimes she forgets other people don’t run at the same speed.