Grant kept his expression impassive as Dan’s question struck at the heart of his insecurities. Despite frequent attempts on his part, Stephanie had dodged all conversations about setting a date for their wedding. But Grant would never admit that to anyone, so he went with the obvious excuse. “We’re both so busy. We haven’t had time to breathe, let alone plan a wedding. We’re not in any rush.”

“Need I remind you that you’re thirty-six now, too? Just in case you’d forgotten.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” That was one of his many concerns. He wanted a family, and he also wasn’t getting any younger. At some point he’d have to sit Stephanie down and force the issue, but he was reluctant to do that during her busy season at the restaurant, when she had more than enough going on. Timing was everything in these matters, so he planned to wait until October, after the season ended, to try to get her to set a date.

After hearing last night that Evan and Grace were getting married in January, he felt a greater sense of urgency to nail down his plans with Stephanie. They’d been engaged longer than Evan and Grace. Shouldn’t they have plans by now? Even after more than a year together, he still worried from time to time that they weren’t as solid as they could be. Part of that went back to her upbringing and her constant fear of the floor falling out from under her without any warning.

That was one reason why he’d proposed when he did. He wanted to assure her that he was in it for keeps, but every time she dodged talk of their wedding, he had reason to wonder if she was in it for keeps, too. The very thought that she might not be was enough to give him heart failure, so he tried not to think about it. Much… Absorbed as he was in writing about her fourteen-year effort to free her beloved stepfather from prison, it was hard not to think about her all the time.

This was especially true in light of the crisis they’d withstood following the sailboat accident, when he’d been so riddled with guilt over his inability to save both Dan and the boat captain, Steve, who’d died.

“What planet did you just visit?” Dan asked.

Jarred from his musings, Grant realized Dan had been talking to him and he hadn’t heard a word. “Sorry. Just thinking about some stuff.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Sure. A lot going on as always. Did you hear the plan the girls have for surprising Blaine and Tiffany with a shower this weekend?”

“I heard some rumblings about that. What I’d like to know is why we have to be part of it. Why can’t we take him out and get him drunk the way men are supposed to?”