Page 53 of Honeymoon Phase
Regardless, I rip into the paper and my jaw drops when I see a familiar logo on the box. “Is this?” I look to Chuck and Bullhead and all the other guys who look like they’re positively bursting with excitement.
I drop down to my knees and go nuts ripping off the rest of the paper. “You got me the Challenger Bread Pan?” I squeal as I grip the box in my hands so hard, I could break through the packaging.
“You’ve only been talking about the damn thing for two years,” Bullhead croaks, taking a sip of his coffee mug.
“You guys!” I shake my head and stare down at the three-hundred-dollar black cast-iron bread pan that I’ve wanted but refused to ever buy because the price is outrageous and I have a perfectly good pan that makes bread just fine.
But this... this feels... special. I’m overcome!
I glance up at the mostly middle-aged and senior men all staring at me like I’m their kid opening a bicycle on Christmas morning, not their boss who signs their paychecks. My face contorts out of nowhere and without a word, I throw myself into Chuck’s arms, hugging him with every shred of emotion I have swelling inside of me. I bury my face in his chest to hide my tears. He smells like gasoline and tobacco and it feels like home. He shakes with silent laughter so I pull away, wiping aggressively at my face.
“You’re all a bunch of assholes,” I snark, thrusting a finger at the lot of them, and they all chuckle back at me. I clear my throat and nod, staring down at my gift that I can’t wait to test out. “And you’re all getting fresh loaves of bread next week.” They cheer and I sigh heavily before adding a heartfelt “Thank you.”
“Monroe Lumber belongs to a Monroe... or I guess Fletcher now?” Chuck shrugs and puts his arm around me, his face going serious as he looks out at everyone. “And we’re all just real grateful we get to keep calling you boss for the foreseeable future and not some asswipe from Colorado Springs.”
The guys all cheer and I let out a garbled laugh.
“Now get back to work, you slackers,” Chuck shouts, waving his hands out. “We’ll have potluck with the blushing bride at lunchtime.”
Everyone grumbles their replies and disperses, leaving me alone to dab at my eyes and inhale a deep breath. I’ve just about gathered my thoughts when I spot a tiny blonde woman in the corner of the showroom. Is that my...
Mother-in-law?
Johanna Fletcher waves enthusiastically and makes her way over to me with a big smile. “I’ve never seen anyone cry over a bread pan before.”
“You saw that?” I cringe and sniff loudly, trying to hide the remnants of my emotional outburst.
“What a testament to how loved you are around here.”
I wrinkle my nose and shrug. “Or a testament to how many hints I drop about the things I like.”
“That too maybe.” Johanna laughs, glancing down at the pan. “You know when Steven was alive, I used to use my granddaughter to drop hints to him about what I wanted for Christmas or my birthday.”
I smile at that. “I’m sure that was effective.”
“Oh gosh yes. Steven would do anything Everly asked of him. All my boys would too.” She laughs and I can’t help but see the pain in her eyes with her casual discussion of her late husband.
My brows lift. “I enjoyed getting to know Everly in Mexico. She’s so... dynamic.”
“As are you, dear,” she says, setting a binder on the counterbetween us. “Now, I know this is sudden, but if you want to get this wedding planned before Christmas like your father wants, we have no time to waste.”
I force a smile I don’t altogether feel. “You know, if you wanted to just take over and do most of it, I would be totally okay with that.”
“Well, what about your tastes? Do you have a mood board or a Pinterest board or something I can use for inspiration?”
“A mood board?” I rasp, blinking back my bewilderment. “No. I don’t have a mood board.”
“Well, what do you like?” Johanna asks, propping her elbow on the counter and smiling excitedly at me. “What are your favorite colors? Favorite flowers? What kind of esthetic do you envision for this special day?”
“Oh gosh...” I murmur, wracking my brain because I’ve literally never thought about this in my entire life. I barely even celebrate my birthday, let alone have an opinion on what I like for a wedding esthetic.
“This is no problem!” Johanna opens her binder and points to the first sheet of paper. “I printed off a little QR code thing you can scan that takes you to a quiz online that you can fill out and that will help guide all of our decisions. Let me know when you have it done and I can take it from there. Oh, also, I’ve taken the liberty of setting up some dress fitting appointments.”
My lips part. “Dress fittings?”
“Yes. The bridal stores in town require appointments. Such a pain, but I managed to snag a time at one this Saturday. We need to move quickly because if they have to order, they’ll need several weeks I’m sure. Do you want me to invite the girls? Or do you want to let them know yourself?”
“The girls?”
