Page 64 of Honeyed

Still, I raise a private eyebrow at my wife, who shrugs from where she stands behind August.

August lets a giggle break loose as I hug her. “I can’t believe it. It feels too good to be true. But I have the email to prove it, and the financial details in the paperwork that they sent me. I’ll be enrolling at Bethson University in New York City in the fall, on a full ride. I can’t believe I’m getting out of here.”

Alana’s lip wobbles behind August’s shoulder, and I know she’ll miss this young woman who has become such a staple in our life. Just like I’ve been taken in by the Ashtons, so too has August. But I’m more relieved that she’ll be getting away from her mother than the fact that I’ll probably be the one to drop her off and say goodbye when she starts her semester.

So, I push the emotion to the back burner. Being able to give her this gift of freedom, of escaping from a home life I know all too well, is the reason why I agreed to Arthur’s will terms in the first place. Yes, I got my entire life along with it, my own happiness with Alana, but supporting August had been the driving factor. To see her this excited about something when I watched her at her lowest in the past year is priceless.

“So, so happy and proud of you. You did it. You did this. And we can’t wait to see what you do next.” I smile at August, then Alana.

“Well, don’t get so sappy about it, big guy.” She rolls her eyes at me like the typical teenager she is. “You have a store to open. Can’t get tears staining your shirt.”

Alana snorts at August’s blunt rebuff of the emotion but comes over to kiss me on the cheek.

“You could not be more attractive to me than you are right now. You’ve always looked out for her and look what you sacrificed to provide for her. You’re an incredible person, Warren Teal,” she whispers in my ear as August walks out of earshot to check over the front displays one more time.

“I could only do it with your help. We did this for her, Al. I’m so grateful that you agreed to be my wife so we could.” My forehead meets hers.

She shrugs but doesn’t break our connection. “I guess the mind-blowing sex is a good perk, too.”

That has me blushing because she’s saying it while half our family and friends wait on the sidewalk outside.

“Good to know. I guess I know what I’m giving you as an opening day gift.” The lust I lace into my voice backfires and has me turning myself on.

“You sure you won’t be too tired after being on your feet all day, old man?” She wiggles her eyebrows, but I see how her irises dilate.

“Who said I’m doing all the work? I know when to lie on my back and let you take the lead.” I have to readjust how I’m standing because my cock is way too interested in the words I’m spewing.

“Settle down, horndog. We’ve got a store to open.” Alana struts away from me but throws her hair over her shoulder and looks at me. “But I’m holding you to that.”

A sneaky smirk plus the nerves from being half an hour away until opening has me jittery as hell.

The next thirty minutes are spent making sure everything is picture-perfect. Shelves free of specks of dust, the POS system up and running smoothly, complimentary samples lining the checkout desk, and every little detail that we hope will make people come back to shop again. By the time the alarm on my phone goes off to give us two minutes to compose ourselves before we cut the red ribbon Alana installed at the front doors of the shop, I can tell she’s full of nerves.

“It’s going to go off without a hitch,” I assure her.

“You can’t know that,” she whisper-hisses as we walk to the doors.

“I know that, because I know you.”

The woman I’ve loved since before puberty turns her eyes on me and reads me like an open book, just like she’s always done. Then she takes a deep breath, nods, and I take that as her being ready.

The three of us walk outside, a small roar of cheers going up, and August takes her place at the front of the crowd, giving Alana and me centerstage. I wrap one arm around her waist, standing shoulder to shoulder, and take in the next few seconds before we start a new chapter. One that is just ours.

Our family stands in the crowd, with Patrick and Liam beaming at their sister, as I catch the eyes and waves of many of her high school classmates. Leona’s eyes are glassy, and Nonna is whooping and hollering to just get on with it already.

“Here we go.” Alana squeezes my hand.

This moment feels bigger. Like something in the universe was leading us here. I felt it the day I met her, the night we finally slept together, the night I married her. There are certain instances in my life that feel like I’m watching them from out of my body, and right now is one of them. With her hand in mine, all the hard work we’ve put in here, the risk we took to branch out on our own, the pride shining in Alana’s eyes knowing that she did this despite naysayers … it feels momentous.

Handing her the regular-sized scissors, I give a short little introduction.

“We’re so happy you could all be here today. My wife had a vision, and she made that come true, as you’re about to see when you walk inside. You all know I’m the less talkative one in this pairing, so I’m going to let my very verbose and beautiful wife talk now. But I just needed you all to know how incredibly hard she worked. Baby, it’s all you.”

She grins up at me while rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t say very verbose.”

The crowd laughs, and many shout out that I’m correct, proving her wrong.

“All right, all right. Well, my husband is making me blush, which I don’t normally do easily, but he may be right. I had a dream, didn’t even know what to call this store when the idea first came to me, but Lily is so much more than I ever imagined. With the help of a lot of hardworking people, plus Warren who does not give himself enough credit, we’ve brought a storefront and display market for the best local products and creations. We wanted to highlight the vast talents of our community, one we love so much, and I feel we’ve succeeded in doing so. Without further ado …”

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