So Willa got me all dressed up.
Then Hope practically pushed me down the front path and back into Shep's car.
"That was weird," I declared, shaking my head as Shep pulled away from the curb, driving me in the direction of Malcolm's and my cabin.
"What are you doing?" I asked as Shep not only parked, but cut the engine, and climbed out of the truck.
"Just wanted to say hi to the man," Shep declared, but, again, his ears were red.
Like mine got.
When I tried to lie.
But what would Shep be lying to me about?
Before I could ask, though, he was leading me around the back of the cabin.
Where we found Malcolm.
Standing under strung Edison bulbs that hadn't been there when I'd left earlier.
And for some reason, the very old and somehow even lazier Tommy and Chuckie, along with their younger counterparts Phil and Lil, all had fancy bandanas or flower collars on.
"Malcolm?" I asked, making my way toward him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Hope running up to stand next to Shep.
But that made no sense.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Never wanted a lot in life," he started by saying as I moved to stand in front of him. "My family, my club, a place to rest my head. But I've never wanted anything as much as I've wanted you," he said.
"Wanted me? You have me," I told him, brows furrowing.
"Not in the way I want you," he said, opening the lid of a little ring box that had been hidden inside his massive hand. "In the vows and paperwork way," he added, giving me a sweet smile.
"Oh," I said, immediately feeling the tears flood my eyes.
We'd been serious practically since we'd met. But neither of us had been in a big rush to go through the stress of a wedding, not on top of working on the diner and the bakery. We'd been young. And there seemed to be plenty of time.
Besides, a wedding would mean that the girls club—both first and second generations of it—would insert themselves into our lives day and night until we got the whole shebang squared away.
We'd been happy being what we were. Committed, sure of our future, but not in a rush to tie the knot.
"Seems time," he said, giving me a soft smile as he slid the ring on my finger.
"You have no idea," I said, looking up at him. The smile, when it spread, made a tear slide down my cheek.
Malcolm reached up to wipe it away.
"So, yes?" he asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it.
"With one stipulation," I said, reaching into my bag.
"Stipulation?" he asked, brows furrowing.
"You need to build us a bigger house," I told him, holding up the pregnancy test.
"Yeah?" he asked with nothing but wonder in his eyes.
"Yep," I agreed, nodding, giving him a huge smile that he returned before sealing his lips to mine.
He kissed me until my lips felt swollen and sensitive.
And when we broke away, there was a small chorus of clapping.
Shep.
Hope.
Billie.
Gracie.
Willa.
And, yep, Dezi.
"So, this wedding thing," he said, nodding. "That involves a big cake, doesn't it?" he asked, making a laugh bubble up and burst out.
Yes.
This was absolutely everything the world had to offer.
A loving family.
Amazing friends.
The kind of man they wrote movies about.
A home.
A wedding.
A baby.
And, of course, cake.