揥hat did he say??
揌e said it was your decision梐nd that if I ever hurt you again, he抎 give me a pair of concrete boots to the bottom of the Pacific.?I grin.
揥hat? He抯 usually so mild.?
揑 hurt his little girl,?I point out. 揘ever again.?
Destiny bounces between us and grabs Eliza抯 free hand. 揝o, when and where are we doing this wedding??
I side-eye her hard. 揝he just got engaged a minute ago. Give her a chance to think, Dess.?
揙h. Well...?Eliza pauses, her tongue between her teeth in thought. 揑抳e actually had my wedding planned since the seventh grade.?
揧ou have??
揧eah. It might抳e been eighth grade, but still...?
揟hen how come you don抰 know when and where your wedding is??Destiny asks.
揙h桰 met this jerk before your dad and thought for a while I wanted nothing to do with men or weddings. All of those ideas feel tainted now.?
揑抎 better not be your rebound,?I joke, wrapping my arms around her.
揧ou抮e just my soulmate,?she whispers, looking intently at Destiny. 揑 know one thing I抎 still like to keep for sure.?
揥hat??Destiny asks breathlessly.
揑 want a mocha fountain.?
揗ocha fountain??I repeat, trying to wrap my head around it.
揕ike a chocolate fountain, but better because it抯 chocolate coffee,?she explains.
揚eople are going to think our wedding is one big PR stunt,?I say, laughing.
揟hen don抰 invite anyone. I抦 fine with eloping.?
揑抦 not!?Destiny squeals. 揑 need to see you say 'I do,' Dad.?
A few days later, our engagement announcements happen by accident.
We walk into a local coffee shop and order drinks. Eliza mentions to the barista that we抮e getting hitched. Instead of writing our names on the cups, the barista writes Mr. Lancaster and Future Mrs. Lancaster.
A giddy Eliza snaps a picture with her phone and starts tapping furiously at the screen.
揇on抰 tell me you抮e posting that??I say.
揧ep. It抯 our announcement.?Then her eyes go wide and her mouth falls. 揙h! Hold up...?
揘o,?I whisper, already sensing what she抯 thinking. 揈liza, don抰 you dare.?
揅抦on, Cole. You dared me once and now it抯 my turn. We totally should棓
揘o,?I bite off.
揃ad news. It抯 opposite day and no means yes,?she says, walking her fingers up my arm. 揥e抮e getting married at the Wired Cup on Seventh Street.?
Fuck my life.
Worst of all, she抯 serious.
I breathe in before I say, 揝weetheart, hold up. You have unlimited resources at your disposal and you want to tie the knot at a retail coffee shop??
揥e抣l need some of those resources to shut it down for the day...?
My groan vibrates through my bones. 揥e can come up with a better venue. I promise.?
揧eah, right. You can抰 improve on perfect.?
揑t抯 a store,?I growl.
揑t抯 where we first met. That抯 crazy romantic.?
揥e抮e not getting married in my damn shop,?I grumble, staring up at the sky.
When I look back, she抯 still smiling.
It抯 all I need to see to not instantly veto the idea.
If I抎 give this woman the entire world on a silver platter, can抰 I give her one memorable day in a barista line?
Three Months Later
I stand in the men抯 room, fussing with my tie when there抯 a knock at the door.
揇ad? Are you decent??Destiny calls.
揧eah.?
She opens the door and walks in, all dolled up in her finest. 揝ee? I knew it. You need help with your tie. Come here.?
Usually, I抎 try to deny it with my bruised pride, but today is too important to bicker with my daughter and my own dumb hands for never getting it right.
In ten seconds, Destiny has it adjusted perfectly, the warmest smile hanging on her face. 揗ocha-brown looks good on you. It doesn抰 match your eyes, but it fits the theme.?
揟hanks,?I huff out, rolling my eyes.
揥hat? Dad, you抮e getting married. Lighten up. You can抰 possibly find anything to grump about today.?Her awkward laugh spills out.
揑 still can抰 believe you let her talk me into this.?
揢m, because it抯 sweet as pie, Dad. This is棓
揧eah, yeah. The first place we met,?I finish. 揕ike I could ever forget.?
It wouldn抰 be half-bad if I didn抰 have to use the men抯 room to suit up. The shop is the perfect size for our small group of family and close friends, sure. It抯 also easy to shut out anyone who just wants to gawk at the billionaire and the beauty too.
揧ou remember your promise, Dess? You agreed to a media blackout. You won抰 post anything online until it抯 over for twenty-four hours.?I stare at her.
揙h, yeah! I wouldn抰 dream of ruining this.?She gives me one of those teenage grins that seems so grown-up.
I smile back at her. 揑t抯 probably too late to ask, but you抮e still okay with this, aren抰 you??
揇ad, stop. If you抮e getting cold feet, you抣l have to scrounge up a better excuse than me. And if you walked out on Eliza, I抎 probably never talk to you again.?
揘ot even a thought.?I hug my daughter. 揑抦 walking out of here with a wife. I just realized I never checked in with you since the day I proposed. Time flies.?
揑t抯 a godsend. Someone needs to take care of you when I move away.?She smiles softly. 揑抦 just glad it抯 somebody you actually love. I would抳e had to like rent you a friend or something if Eliza hadn抰 shown up.?
揌ell, I抦 not that high maintenance, but I appreciate the thought.?She turns to go as I call, 揌ey, Dess??
揧eah??
揌ave you given any thought to where you抮e moving when the time comes??
Her eyes flare with excitement. 揌onolulu! Where else? With my grades, I抣l moonwalk into the U of Hawaii.?
揧ou抮e serious about this marine biology gig, huh??
揧eah.?She shuffles her feet and nods. It抯 cute how shy she is every time I remember that I抦 not the only one who let fate in this past year. 揌ey, Dad, one more thing...?
揥hat??
揇on抰 think you抮e getting off this cheap whenever I get married.?
揑 wouldn抰 dream of it.?My laugh bounces off the walls as she walks out.
A few minutes later, she抯 at the door again, tapping lightly and cracking it open. 揧ou need to come! They抮e about to get started.?
揙n my way.?
With one last look in the mirror, I抦 as ready for forever as I抣l ever be.
I march out the door and don抰 stop until I抦 standing beside the modified front counter that now sits behind an arch of fully bloomed white orchids.
Destiny strolls down the aisle alone in her coffee-tinted satin dress with the dark blue belt.
Lincoln and Dakota Burns are next with their daughter.
Then Mr. Angelo appears with Eliza on his arm and goddamn, she抯 so bright I regret not having shades.
She looks like the world抯 tastiest three-tiered cake in her strapless white dress with cascading ruffles. Every movement accents her curves through the fabric.
I抦 already throbbing at the thought of pulling it off her later.
Lyle Angelo, my future father-in-law, puts her hand in mine, gives me a death glare, and says, 揟ake good care of her, Lancaster.?
揧ou have my word,?I say, squeezing his hand firmly before I lock eyes with Eliza.
It hurts how beautiful she is.
All soft eyes and glossy smile.
I see the woman who saved me as much as I saved her, the face of my future, and God, the sexiest woman alive梩he one and only梩he treasure I抣l cherish hard and often.
With a dumbstruck smile for my wife-to-be, I turn to another familiar face. Katelyn Storm moonlights as an officiant when she isn抰 working for me.
She would have skinned me alive if I hadn抰 agreed to let her do the ceremony.
揥e抮e going to begin with a special unity ceremony,?she announces for our little audience.
Destiny leaves her spot as maid of honor, moving to the vials and burr grinder on the other side of us. She picks up the vial of toasted vanilla beans and pours it into the grinder before returning to her place.
Misty Angelo, Eliza抯 mother, moves to the unity station next.
She picks up the first vial on Eliza抯 side with a tearful smile梒acao beans.