Page 92 of Patio Lanterns

“Aidan,” Robin said. “Believe me when I say Rick really struggled with this. He was torn up about what this might do to your relationship, and frankly, so was I. But please, don’t shut him out now. Not when he’s finally in a place where he could be happy again.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Robbie.”

“I know you understand how hard it is to hide your true feelings from someone so you don’t cause them any more pain,” she said, making a point to throw a glance in Lark’s direction. “So maybe cut your dad a little slack, hmm?”

Aidan stared at Robin. Check and mate.

She then pushed her chair back and stood up. “I think it’s time the four of us returned to the party. And when we get back, you better believe I’m going to hold this man’s hand and dance with him, and I don’t care who stares and whispers. Because tonight is supposed to be all about celebrating, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Lark had not uttered a word since Rick shut her down. She got up from the table in silence and left with Aidan at her heels.

Rick and Robin trailed far behind, leisurely strolling to the Blue Canoe Cottage hand in hand. “Well,” she finally said, “that actually went a lot better than I expected.”

“You’ve never been sexier than when you stood up to your sister back there,” he growled. “I love it when you get that fire in your eyes. It gets me so hard.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Keep talking like that and we’re going to end up fucking up against a sycamore tree before we get there.”

“A sycamore, hmm? I’ve definitely got to add that to the list.”

“What list?” she asked.

“Of all the things I want to do with you someday. Ride a gondola in Venice. Scuba dive in Fiji. And maybe, just maybe, we can somehow manage to fit in a dinner date at the Firefly Inn.”

“Ah yes.” She smiled dreamily as she pictured living a fantasy life with this man. “Going on a date does seem like a reasonable place to start, now that we’re official.”

“We are?” Rick laughed. “Forgive me, but I don’t think we’re technically official until we actually make it official.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware of that. And how would one go about making it official?”

“Well, I suppose I’d have to ask you, officially, to be my girlfriend.”

“Your girlfriend?” she smiled. “I mean, you know I’m really not into labels, right?”

“Right,” he said glumly. “I knew that.”

The distant din of the party got increasingly louder as they approached, drowning out the rhythm of their footsteps on the gravel. The gathering at the Blue Canoe was still going strong. The air was filled with laughter and happy chatter, as music played and smoke from a campfire wafted. People still milled about, and conversations spilled into every corner of the yard and down to the dock.

Before they entered the fray, Rick stopped short at the end of the driveway. He turned to Robin, taking both of her hands in his. His soft, almost boyish expression was so open and full of tenderness, his eyes a window to all of the love he had to give.

“I understand that you’re not into labels, but you see, the thing is, I really like you a lot, and I’m serious about wanting to make this thing work,” he said. “So, at the risk of sounding corny and maybe even a little old fashioned… Robin Pelletier, would you do me the honour of officially becoming my girlfriend?”

She sighed in relief. “Oh God, Rick, I thought you’d never ask. Yes, of course I will.”

He leaned in, and they sealed it with a kiss. Official indeed. Robin was one smitten kitten, her heart convinced that they’d find a way to make this feeling last a long, long time.

When she opened her eyes, Dove was standing in front of them wearing a scowl. Both of her hands were anchored on her hips. “So, it’s really true?”

Shit. One sister down, one more to go. Well, if there was one good thing, it was that there was nothing spiteful Dove could say that Lark hadn’t already spewed.

“Yeah, it’s true,” Robin said with a little shrug.

“I’ll give you two a minute. I’m going to go find Aidan,” Rick said, kissing the top of Robin’s head before walking off and leaving the sisters alone.

“I’m sorry, okay? Things just happened so fast, that we really—”

Dove put her hands on Robin’s shoulders, shaking her so forcefully she thought she

might knock a filling loose. “THIS IS HUGE!”

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