Emily climbed onto the bed behind him and rubbed the tension from his shoulders. Daniel relaxed beneath her soft touch. She pressed a kiss onto his neck.
“I just called my mom too,” she said.
Daniel turned to face her, surprised. “You did? How did that go?”
“Terribly,” Emily said, and suddenly she couldn’t help but laugh. There was something darkly comedic about the whole thing.
Seeing Emily dissolve into laughter made Daniel crack. Soon, they were both laughing hysterically, sharing their commiserations with one another, connected in that moment and rising above it together.
“I was thinking,” Daniel said once his laughter had finally subsided. “Do you remember when Gus came to stay?”
“Yes of course,” Emily replied. The elderly gentleman had been her first real guest at the inn. Thanks to his custom she’d been saved from the brink of bankruptcy. He was also one of the most delightful people she’d ever had the privilege to meet. “How could I ever forget Gus? But what about him?”
Daniel played with the sleeve of her top idly. “Remember how he went to that party out in Aubrey? The town hall?”
Emily nodded, frowning and wondering why Daniel was bringing it up.
“Have you ever been?” Daniel asked.
Emily grew even more curious. “To Aubrey? Or the town hall?” Then she laughed. “Actually, I’ve never been to either.”
Daniel stalled, suddenly falling quiet. Emily waited patiently.
“The town hall does weddings,” he said, finally getting to the point. “I wondered if we should, you know, make an appointment or whatever it’s called? With the wedding planner? That is if you want to get married in Maine rather than New York.”
To say she felt shocked was an understatement! Hearing Daniel suggest something to do with organizing the wedding without her having to pressure him into it was a huge relief to Emily.
“Yes, I want to get married in Maine,” Emily stammered. “It feels more like a home to me than New York ever did. And I have more friends here. I don’t want to make everyone travel all the way there for the sake of tradition.”
“Cool,” Daniel replied, looking away shyly.
“When were you thinking of going?” Emily asked.
“We could head over next weekend,” Daniel suggested, still shy. “Take Chantelle. She’d love it.”
Next weekend? Emily wanted to cry.