Needing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,10

looked up and smiled as she wiped her cheeks. “My baby is getting married. Married! And that is a very good thing. There’s so much to do and plan and prepare.”

And just like that, the tears were dried up and Katie’s mother was in full-on planning mode. She moved quickly through the kitchen to fetch her ever-present notepad that hung with a magnet on the fridge and a pen. She pulled out her chair, sat, and immediately started scribbling things down while Katie looked on in awe.

“You’ll need a dress, and we’ll talk to Faith about the food. Maybe we can get Brody Morris at Birchwood to cater. His food is so good.” She looked up for a moment before once more bending her head to her task. “How many people are you thinking? Maybe keep it small, like fifty or sixty people? I’m not sure what Damon’s list will look like but that’s probably a reasonable number.” She thought about it for a moment before nodding to herself. “Yes, very reasonable.”

Nothing about what she was saying sounded reasonable at all but Katie did her best to try not to look too panicked. “I hadn’t really thought much about it yet, Mom. I mean, it’s weeks away, right? And I still need to write this exam.”

“Weeks? Weeks! Exactly. It’s only weeks away, Katie. Do you know how fast that will pass?” She snapped her fingers. “Like that. We really need to nail down some details.”

Katie moved quietly to her stack of books. What she really needed to do was nail down the concepts surrounding standard deviation for her exam. “Maybe you could go through some of this with Faith, Mom? I’m really not too fussed with the details. And I really don’t want anyone to go to any trouble. Can we please just keep this small?”

Debbie smiled. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I just got excited.”

“It’s okay. But really, I do want to keep things simple, if it’s all the same to you?”

“Whatever you want, Katie. It’s your day. But I will be talking to Faith about a bridal shower.”

Katie shook her head. “No way. I put my foot down with a bridal shower.” When her mom’s face dropped, she added quickly, “Mom, I mean it. Please. Really simple.” It would be way easier to break the news that none of it had been real if people didn’t make a big deal of it. Katie pushed away another flicker of guilt and picked up the rest of the muffin, cramming it in her mouth.

“You know,” Debbie said. “I really do think you and Damon are a great match. He’s just always kind of gotten you, ya know?”

Katie nodded with her mouth full. It was true. No one understood Katie like Damon did.

“Not like Jeremy,” she continued. “I know you’ve liked spending time with him over the years, but I never was really convinced that the two of you were a match. You know what I mean?”

Katie did know what she meant. Very much. But she couldn’t have answered if she’d wanted to because she was far too busy choking on the muffin that had suddenly become very dry in her throat.

Jeremy. Shit.

She’d forgotten all about him. And sure, it’s not as though they were serious or anything. At least, not serious serious. After dating through most of high school, they’d decided to keep things casual.

As casual as you could be in a small town.

It wasn’t anything serious. They both knew that.

But still.

Shit.

It felt good to breathe in the fresh mountain air as his feet hit the pavement beneath him. Damon moved quickly, pushing himself faster and farther as he picked up momentum. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone for a good run in Glacier Falls. Maybe never.

He hadn’t really picked up running as a hobby until college and then it was only out of necessity, to get him away from his computer screen for a few hours a day. A situation that had only gotten worse when he’d dropped out to develop his microchip designs.

But those days were behind him, and it had never felt better to stretch his legs and push his body further.

He cruised easily down the side streets before hopping onto the gravel path that wound its way through town and into the forest on the other side of the river for the best view of the falls before working its way back into town and onto Main Street. It was a beginner trail and often full