Page 101 of Butter My Biscuit

“Yes.” She smiles. “Of course it does. And I’ve had my fair share of weekend flings.”

I love that she’s open and honest. She’s not afraid to say what she thinks and backs her opinion. Maybe it’s the lawyer in her, or maybe it’s her lack for bullshit, but it’s respectable and one of the traits I love most about her.

She clears her throat. “Things seem like they’re getting serious, and I guess what I’m saying is, when forever isreallyin the picture for us andifyou decide to slide a ring on my finger, I’d like to be exclusive. Just us.”

I nod. “When forever is in the picture, I want the same. No way I’d be okay with my fiancée being with anyone else.”

“Okay.” She lets out a relieved breath and pulls away from me, cleaning up the flower tips from the counter. “I’m just so damn scared of choosing the wrong person to spend forever with. After one failed engagement, making the wrong decision scares the shit out of me.” She meets my eyes. “I also noticed how you saidwhenforever is in the picture, not if.”

“I chose my words wisely for a reason.” I glance back at the brochure and try to imagine a life with Stephanie. “Progressing our relationship is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”

“We’ll be twenty-eight soon,” she reminds me. “I guess our little pact can still come true after all?”

“I think what we’ve got is deeper than that, don’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Zero hesitation.

She washes her hands and then turns to me. “I think you should join Grace in Hawaii.”

“Why?” I study her, not fully understanding. “And where did this come from?”

She makes a face like I’m the dumb one. “Because she’s your best friend and she needs you. I don’t want her to think I’m the reason you’re not there. You agreed to be her plus-one. No one likes a ditcher.”

“You’re serious about this.” I tilt my head at her.

She brushes her thumb over my bottom lip. “If you were my best friend, started dating your shitty ex that I didn’t like again, and ditched me a month before a trip that we’d planned to attend together since December, I’d cut you off forever and not care how much history we had.” She shrugs. “Harsh, but it’s a dickhead thing to do to someone. She deserves better than that. You just don’t do that to people, especially not your bestie.”

“Point taken.” I don’t want to have this conversation, but I can see it’s happening anyway. “My ticket has been canceled. I don’t even have a flight there.”

“So, book one.” She says it like it’s easy as she walks over to me. Stephanie hesitates, but then finds her confidence again and clears her throat. “I just want you to be sure that when you’re ready to be mine, I haveall of you.”

I lean forward, kissing her. “When I decide to slide a ring on your finger, you will.”

“I’d better. I believe in us.”

“Us,” I whisper, the word hot on my tongue. “I kinda like the sound of that.”

“Me too.”

Stephanie grabs my hand. “Let’s go out for dinner.”

“Yes, I’d love to. I’m starving.”

We return to the living room, and she grabs her coat from the rack by the door.

As I help her slide it on, she looks at me over her shoulder. “I want you and Grace to keep your friendship. I don’t need you to decide on Hawaii tonight, but please think about it because the whole town’s talking. You have three days.”

“I promise to think about it. Now, let’s go eat some chips and salsa.” I place my hand on the small of her back, leading her to the truck.

“And margaritas?” she asks.

“Sure.” I smile.

“And guac?”

“The biggest bowl you’ve ever seen,” I say, opening the door for her.

Before she climbs in, she turns and looks at me, and I clear my throat.

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