Daniel chuckled and kissed his grandmother’s cheek, and then he turned to thank everyone for their support over the past couple of months. Daniel’s family—soon to be mine. I could hardly believe it was possible.
Penny tapped her nails dramatically against her Perrier glass. “I’m just so blasted relieved it’s out in the open. I hate keeping secrets like that.”
“You should all apply for jobs with CSIS because I didn’t have a clue,” I said.
“Years and years of practice,” Gwen said, giving David a wry smile. “I believe it’s hardwired into our DNA.”
“There certainly do seem to have been fenceposts around every corner over the last couple of months,” David agreed. “But I think we can all relax now.”
“I thought you were going to propose over dinner, dude,” Jeremy said. “What happened?”
Daniel gazed down at me. “I think I got caught up in the moment.”
“And almost gave your grandmother the vapors in the process,” Gerald pointed out.
“Sorry, Patty,” Daniel said.
Patty waved her hanky at him. “Don’t apologize. What a treat to share such a wonderful moment, spontaneous or otherwise.”
With his glass held high, Gerald said, “Here’s to getting caught up in the moment.”
“Thanks everyone,” Daniel said, holding me close and tapping his glass against mine before taking another quick sip.
“Now, we’re certainly not trying to get rid of you,” David interjected, “but you have a dinner reservation. Don’t let us keep you.”
Gwen nodded. “Your father’s right, especially with the roads being wet and goodness knows what’s happening with the traffic. It was terrible earlier.”
As we commenced the round of parting hugs and kisses, Gwen made us promise to look at a calendar as soon as possible. Daniel rolled his eyes and assured her we’d get right on that.
I never thought I’d say it, but I did want to get right on it. Neither planning our wedding nor living within the confines of a marriage seemed at all worrisome. My mother had been right in June when she’d told me I mustn’t allow the shadow of her and my father’s failed marriage to cast a pall over my attitude toward a lifelong commitment to one person. My one person was Daniel, a man who loved and supported me unequivocally.
“See you soon!” Penny called out as we escaped the room, a chorus of good-byes ringing out as we closed the door.
Daniel expelled a long, relieved breath. “Jesus, you do realize what you’re getting yourself into, right?” he asked as we crossed the lobby. “Planning this wedding is going to be insane. Why do I feel like I should’ve written an escape clause into the proposal?”
“It’s gonna take more than a few overzealous wedding planners to scare me away.”
“You may live to regret those words.”
“How about if I need a break, I get to bring you with me? Deal?”
“Deal. Shake on it?”
We laughed and shook hands, and then we collected our coats and made our way out to the parking lot arm-in-arm, the faint strains of the orchestra floating out the door behind us.
“Alone, at last.” Daniel sighed as we buckled ourselves in. “Come here. I want to give my fiancée a proper kiss.”
“Fiancée. Wow, I love the sound of that.”
“I think wife sounds incredible too, but one thing at a time, yes?”
I nodded, melting into his kiss.
“Tell me something?” he said.
“Hmm?”
“Was there any hesitation? When I proposed…did you waver?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Honestly?”
“How you can doubt it? You know how much I love you.”
“I defy any man putting his heart on the line like that not to feel a flicker of doubt, Aubrey.”
“Well, to quote your favorite troubled young hero, ‘Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love.’”
“Look at you, stealing my tricks. I’m supposed to make you swoon.”
“I’ve been swooning all night. You don’t need Shakespearean sonnets to bowl me over. Your own words were pretty damn amazing.”
“I meant every one. I hope you know that.”
He kissed me again, and I cursed our plans for the second time that evening.
“Hey, sweet-knees? I know this is going to sound crazy, but how would you feel about skipping dinner and going home?”
“You don’t want to go to Canoe?”
“I think I’d rather get cozy and flake out on the couch. We could order a pizza and have a few drinks without worrying about driving.”
“I don’t think that sounds crazy at all. Can I make a request?”
“Sure.”
“Would you wear your Bard to the Bone T-shirt with some white panties and a pair of sweat socks?”
“I’ll wear that if you’ll wear your holey jeans and a black T-shirt.”
Daniel pulled out his phone and called Canoe, canceling our reservation amid profuse apologies.
“There,” he said as he ended the call. “Easy as that.”
“Thanks, sunshine. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful.”
“Hey, I threw you for a loop tonight. I’m not surprised that you need some time to digest what’s going on.”
“It’s not that. I’d kind of like to dive into planning right away. It would be a good idea to pick a date so I can give my parents and Jo and Matt lots of notice.”
He smiled as he rubbed his thumb across my knuckle. “When you imagine our wedding day, what does it look like?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t one of those girls who spent her teenage years dreaming about her big day.”
“How would you feel about an evening wedding?”
“That sounds romantic.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’ve been looking at next year’s calendar,” he said, his eyes lit with enthusiasm. “How about a ceremony in midsummer, maybe on a Friday evening?” He held out his phone, opening the calendar app. “Look at this. Friday, July thirteenth.”
“Huh. I like it. It sounds right.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely. I think we just set a date.”
He gaped at me. “Jesus, that was easy. Why did I think this was going to be painful?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’m still in shock.”
Daniel’s hand enclosed mine, his thumb curling around to touch the ring.
“Hey, can I make one small change in the wardrobe for tonight, sailor?”
“What’s that, my poppet?”
“No sweat socks. My feet aren’t even remotely cold.”
Daniel grinned and pulled out of the parking space. While he focused on driving, I reveled in my happiness, gazing out at the road ahead. Traffic may have been crazy earlier, but now the boulevard lay before us, virtually clear of cars. Our journey home would be an easy one.
Smooth sailing ahead.
Fin
Acknowledgments
So here we are, at the conclusion of Poppet and Sailor’s journey! It’s been a thrill sharing this story with all of you. When I started writing The Weight of Words in September of 2009, I never dreamed I’d see my words in print. What an incredible year!
To Elizabeth and the Omnific team, I’m so grateful for your hard work in bringing my books to life. To the editorial team — Sarah and Cindy, in particular—thanks for taking such good care of my words. Special props to Micha for designing three stunning covers and to Cory for the impeccable work on the interior design.
Enn, amazing publicist and genuinely wonderful friend, thank you for everything you do, not just for me, but for all of the authors you cheer on. You are a tireless champion for the stories you love. I’m so grateful that you fell in love with mine. I’ll never forget your first review. (In case you’ve forgotten, it was this: “Agh”). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your never-ending (though oftenti
mes inarticulate) support.
Once again, I must thank the readers who take the time to write reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, or simply write a post on their Facebook wall. Word of mouth recommendations are so important to authors. I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the bloggers who spread the word about the books they love. Your efforts are so appreciated.
To my fellow authors, and especially the Omnific family, it’s wonderful to be a part of a community in which everyone respects and helps each other.
Thank you to Jenn and Dee and all the friends who’ve stayed by my side throughout this adventure, and a huge shout-out to my T-dot gals for always having my back.
To my family, I’m so lucky to have your love and support. Thanks, Mum, for saying “well done, you.” You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. And the biggest hug ever to B, my life-long bestie, for taking this crazy turn in my life in stride and rooting for me every step of the way.
To my husband, thank you for holding my hand and nodding, regardless of how crazy the words coming out of my mouth must seem sometimes. I don’t know where I’d be without your unfailing love and support.
~GG
About the Author
Georgina Guthrie is a self-professed book hugger and compulsive diarist. Though GG now resides in Canada, she was born across the pond and still considers herself a Brit through and through, which may explain her frequent visits to her favorite local British import shop.
GG is often happiest when reading and writing, but she’s just as likely to be found hanging out with friends and family, almost certainly with a glass of red wine in one hand a bag of cheese and onion crisps in the other.
Join Georgina on Twitter @georgey_girl
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Information
Dedication
Aubrey
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Daniel
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Aubrey
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Daniel
Chapter 22
Aubrey
Chapter 23
Chapter 24