Page 50 of A Small Town Spring

“Your family will be there,” I guess.

“Yep, they’re in.They love Beck more than they love me at this point,” Van says, but he doesn’t sound mad about it.

“Wow, so not only are you getting married, but you’re doing it all big and fancy and shit,” I say, not above needling my formerly romance-averse friend.

Van doesn’t even blink.“Beck’s right—we’re only going to do this once.Might as well do it right.It’s not going to be as big as Pete and Jack’s, but along those lines.”

“You mean Jack and Pete’s simple backyard wedding that turned into a hundred-person extravaganza?”

“It’s going to be fine,” Van says, refusing to be baited.“You just have to do your part.”

Toby comes through the back door, underdressed in sweats and a long-sleeved tee for the short walk from the studio to the house in the near-freezing temperatures we’ve been having.“Hey, do you know if we have any—oh, hi, Van.”He comes in and shuts the door behind him, but a waft of cold outside air sweeps through the kitchen.“I was looking for a bin liner, one of those big heavy ones?”

I think for a second, translating his request for a trash bag.“If there aren’t any under the sink, there might be some in the basement.”

Toby crouches low to inspect the contents of the cupboard under the sink.I let my gaze slide over the curve of his ass in those sweats before remembering I have company and redirecting my attention to my phone, where I input the blessed event on my calendar.

“Hey, Toby, are you free April 4th?”Van asks.

“I have absolutely no idea, so probably,” he says, rising to his feet holding a heavy-duty black trash bag.

“Save the date, because Beck and I are getting hitched that day.”

“And I’m invited?”Toby’s smile is wide and genuine.“Cheers.”

“Of course you’re invited.Beck is beside himself with excitement after you asked him to design a cookie bar for your big gallery opening.He keeps rethinking the menu.”

“As long as there are plenty of those heavenly sugar cookies, that’s all I care about.”

“He’s making sugar cookies the centerpiece.Did you know Kingston here is doing the honors at the wedding?”

“I’m aware,” Toby says, throwing his smile my way.“He’s been angsting about it since you asked him.”

“I have not,” I protest.“I just want to do a good job.”

“And I keep telling him he’s going to do a magnificent job.Good choice, Van.He’s got the gravity and the élan to make a perfect officiant.”

Van looks between us, a curious look on his face.“We didn’t only pick him for his public speaking skills, though that will come in handy.He helped me get my head out of my ass where Beck was concerned.Though I still say I would have figured it out, eventually.”

“Figured out you were head over heels for the boy?”I snort.“I’d like to think so.”

“Shut up.I would have gotten there,” Van says.

“Kingston got you two together?That I didn’t know,” Toby says with interest.

“Kingston is the biggest romantic of us all, even if he pretends otherwise,” Van says with irritating certainty.

“Is he?”Toby sounds surprisingly… surprised.

“He’s a big ole softie,” Van says, and I glare at him.

“Stop ruining my reputation,” I snap.

“Oh, that I knew.All you have to do is see him spoil Luna and you can imagine him doing the same to?—”

Toby stops talking abruptly, and I look at him curiously.

“To who?”Van asks.My question exactly.

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