“Not for one second. I’m so sorry I made you worry about that.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m also thinking a lot about seeing Toby’s parents at the wedding and how that’ll feel for me—and for them. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them.”

“You know they’re happy for you. They said so when you called to tell them we were engaged.”

“Still… For them to see me marry someone else…” She raised her head to meet his gaze. “I want that day to be about you and me and no one else, but it’s not just about us.”

“It’s never been just about us. Toby is part of us. Remember what I said when I proposed about how I wanted to honor him and his memory and what he meant to you?”

“I could never forget that.”

“We need to find a way to do that on our wedding day.”

“We don’t have to—”

“I know we don’t have to, but I want to. We should.”

She blinked rapidly, trying to contain more tears. “What do you have in mind?”

“You know how we’re doing the unity candle thing during the ceremony?”

She nodded.

“How about we light a third candle in his memory? No one needs to know why we’re doing that, but we’ll know. What do you think?”

“That would be very special, and you’re very sweet for thinking of it.”

“I understand and respect what he meant to you, Jenny, and I know that the only reason I get to have forever with you is because he didn’t. I’ll never forget that.”

“I hate that you thought, for even one second, that I didn’t want to marry you.”

“I didn’t know what to think when you got really quiet and withdrawn.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve talked to you about it, but it seemed so silly.”

“It’s not silly, and I get it. But this time… This time you’re going to have that magical day and every day after, because I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled at him, but the sadness lingered in her big brown eyes. What they both knew but didn’t say was that Toby hadn’t planned to be anywhere but with her either. This time she was going to get her happily ever after, no matter what.

He stood and gave her hand a gentle tug. “Come inside with me.”

“We have to get back to work.”

“I own the company, and as your boss, I’m telling you to come inside with me.”

“Paul’s my boss,” she said with a playfully defiant look in her eyes that he much preferred to the tears.

“Get your sexy ass in the house before I spank it.”

“Do you want me to start throwing tomatoes at you again?”