Page 26 of The Wedding Engagement

“Wedding stuff. Asking us to help with the planning.”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

She hesitated. “You okay with it?”

He nodded. “Sure.” But his voice didn’t carry its usual carefree tone.

Liv touched his hand. “You don’t have to take it on. I’ll manage, with Elise and Nico’s help.”

Arran paused, then put down his mug, shaking his head. “Nah. Elise has got enough to worry about, and nobody wants Nico thewedding-phobe organizing anything. It’d be a quick exchange of vows at the local registry office, then everyone dismissed.”

Liv laughed.

He shot her a genuine smile. “I’ll be fine. I want to help. And in any case, if we do it together it’ll be more fun.”

Her heart warmed as she met his eyes. “Yeah. It will be.”

He lifted his mug to clink with hers. “To our engagement.”

She paused, eyebrows raised. “Engagement?”

He gave her a wink. “Yeah. Our engagement as wedding planners.”

“Ah, I see,” she replied, concentrating on her tea to stop her imagination from running wild with thoughts of the lucky woman who got to enjoy an actual engagement to Arran.

Chapter

Seven

The landline rang as Arranpassed through the hallway, signaling that either his elderly neighbor, Agnes, or a cold caller was on the phone. They were the only two people who used that line instead of his mobile.

He lifted the receiver. “Hello?”

Agnes’s voice came through the phone. “Make sure you don’t forget the kidney beans.”

He laughed. “And when have I ever gotten your shopping list wrong?”

“Ach, well, there’s a first time for everything,” she replied, a smile in her voice.

“Never fear. I’ll be there to deliver your groceries with bells on. Or should I say with kidney beans on. What do you use all those kidney beans for anyway?”

“They’re good for the heart,” she told him.

He grinned. “Not so good for your wind problem.”

Agnes chuckled. “Cheeky. See you tomorrow.”

Arran hung up and made his way to the kitchen to tend to thestove. The scent of tomato and spice infused the air as he stirred the pan, his stomach rumbling in appreciation and anticipation.

Liv’s voice rang out from the hallway as the front door opened. “Honey, we’re home!”

“In the kitchen,” he called, pretending that he didn’t love the sound of her saying that.

A shuffling noise, indicating that Liv was assisting Jayce in removing his shoes and jacket, was followed by the pounding of small-person footsteps.

“Daddy!” Jayce shouted as he entered the kitchen, and Arran scooped him up.

He kissed his son’s soft brown curls. Jayce’s scent stirred a contentment inside his soul. “Did you and Liv have a fun walk?”

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