a smile. “It’s best we leave all that in the past and move toward the future. Our future.”
“Since we’re on that topic, what’s the status of Ritter?” Luke asked.
Lando caught Lianne cringing at the name. “He waived extradition. He wants back in Oregon. Somebody from Portland will be here Monday to pick him up.”
“Thanks, Lando,” Lianne muttered. “I’m grateful.”
“We’re both grateful,” Luke corrected.
“Happy to do what I could to speed things up.”
When the food arrived, Leia plopped down next to Zeb to join them. The group finally moved on from the Ritter topic to other things.
Digging into the meal with gusto, they chatted about the wedding.
“I know she has her dress,” Gemma began. “Leia and I were there when she picked it out.”
Leia nodded. “Be ready to get blown away, Luke.”
“Shh,” Lianne cautioned. “Don’t jinx me. I could end up getting a bee sting on my nose or fall and poke something in my eye. My face could literally blow up overnight.”
Luke leaned over and kissed her hair. “If any of that happened, I’d still be blown away.”
“He’s in love again,” Lando cracked.
“I was never out of love, not completely anyway,” Luke corrected. “Kind of like you were with Gemma.”
Lando raised his glass of tea. “Touché. Here’s to second chances working out better the second time around.”
Gemma elbowed him in the ribs. “We were apart for years. They were barely apart for two days. It’s hardly a second time around kind of thing. More like a spat that got out of hand.”
“Could we just move on from said spat,” Lianne suggested. “Once Ritter leaves, I never want to think about him again. So could we not bring up the situation every time we get together?”
Leia nodded. “Sounds good to me. No sense beating a dead subject.”
After lingering over a generous ninety-minute lunch, Gemma looped her arm through Lianne’s and tugged her toward The Crazy Daisy next door. “Come on, let’s celebrate you and Luke getting back together for real by picking out your wedding flowers.”
Amused, Lianne poked a finger in Gemma’s ribs. “I thought you wanted to browse through the perennials?”
The women broke apart as they entered the garden center through the double doors on the building's north side. “That too. Good thing we can do both in the same afternoon.”
Lianne gravitated to the display of houseplants. “What’s with you lately? You seem so much more relaxed and a lot less stressed out by the mayor’s job.”
“I’m glad somebody noticed. Sometimes, I take the mayor's paperwork home with me and go over it there. Sign on the dotted line here and there. It’s quiet and gives me time to peruse contracts and documents better. Then I go over the store inventory. Keeping up with ordering stock is critical. I check the website for any orders that need mailing. Box those up and take them to the post office. And then, somewhere in between all that, I take the time to make chocolate. My customers have been great about it. That’s when it finally sunk in that I can handle both jobs. Then there’s you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You’re the backbone, the glue that holds everything together. You’re always willing to step up every single time I need you. If not for you, I’d have to give up the mayor’s job. Because I could never give up the store. Not ever. Through it all, you never once complain. It occurs to me that I’ve never had a friend quite like you before. Never. Not even Leia. You’re the best. Which is the reason I’ve decided to pay for whatever flowers you want for the wedding. The sky’s the limit.” She held up a hand. “No. Don’t give me any grief about it. My mind’s made up. It’s my small way of saying thank you to the bestest girlfriend I’ve ever had.”
“You mean that? I’m finally someone’s BFF?”
“Yep. Totally. You are my best forever friend. We’ve been through a lot together.”
Lianne wiped away tears from her cheeks. “Can I confide something to you?”
“Sure.”
“I was never that close to Collette. I loved her dearly, but she was always doing her own thing, going her own way.”
“Like moving to Coyote Wells and leaving Portland behind?”
“Exactly. Collette was a terrific person, a wonderful sister, but we were never best buds. Maybe it was the age difference. She was the older sister and got to do everything first.”
Gemma slung an arm over Lianne’s shoulder. “I don’t want to take Collette’s place, but we’re closer than best buds. Think