Needing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,22
laugh as they walked across the grass to the riverbank. “How are you doing with all of this? Is it getting easier?”
“If by easier, you mean that I now know the difference between mulberry, plum, chartreuse, and mauve, yes.”
Katie sucked in a breath. “I hate to tell you this, but chartreuse is actually a shade of light green.”
“Dammit!” Faith slapped her hand on the grass as she sat down, but dissolved into giggles. “I will figure this out. Also, I better make a note to check the napkins for next weekend’s wedding.” She shrugged and laughed again. “Honestly, it’s not too bad. I think I needed a break from the city and the nine-to-five of an office.”
Faith had been working as a paralegal in the city before Hope had asked her to come home to help. Katie couldn’t help but admire the way she’d dropped everything, including—according to rumors—a guy, and moved back to Glacier Falls without hesitation.
“Although,” Faith continued, “it would be nice to get outside and actually enjoy the mountains a little bit. What’s the point in having this amazing backyard if I don’t have time to enjoy it? And I think I’m actually getting paler.” She shook her head. “It’s practically summer—I should have a tan, or at least the start of one, not the other way around. I spend so much time inside or out at night that people are going to think I’m a vampire.”
There was no way anyone would mistake Faith for anything else besides beautiful. She and Hope had always had tall, perfectly curvy figures that along with their long blonde hair and blue eyes made them some of the prettiest girls in town. When they were growing up, Katie had spent far too many hours longing for hair just as blonde as theirs. The day her mother had caught her trying to bleach out her own dark locks with peroxide was definitely not one of her proudest moments. But she’d only been ten and didn’t know that the only thing peroxide would do to her hair was turn it orange. Thankfully her mother had taken pity on her and hadn’t let her go around with orange streaks, but instead had gone to the store to buy a box of dye. She’d spent hours covering her color mistake and drying Katie’s tears.
Thinking about her mom again gave Katie another twinge of guilt. She shook her head and changed the subject. “We should go mountain biking.”
Faith turned and stared at her. “Mountain biking? It’s been years since I was on a bike.”
“Well then, you’re in luck.” Katie grinned. “Because it’s just like riding a bike. And I’m sure we could round up a few to go hit a trail one afternoon. It would be fun. I mean, if you can spare a half a day somewhere?”
“I should be able to make that happen.” She nodded and then smiled. “Yes. Let’s make that happen. Now, tell me what this change to your wedding plans is.”
“Right.” Katie forced a smile on her face. “About that…well, we need to change the date a little bit.”
Faith’s face twisted up into mild panic. “Okay. I mean, I could see what I could do. When are you thinking?”
“Thursday.”
Her friend’s mouth opened and shut before she finally swallowed firmly. “Thursday? Like, this Thursday?”
Katie nodded. “Something super small, up at ElkView. Just a ceremony and a champagne toast. That’s it. Okay? Easy?”
“Does your mom know yet?”
Katie shook her head. “I’m telling them tonight. At dinner. You’re coming, right?”
Katie wouldn’t have been surprised if Faith bailed out of dinner. Hell, she would have if she could help it. Telling her family about the wedding was bad enough. But to tell them it was later this week…
Finally, Faith nodded and smiled. “Okay, I’ll come to dinner.”
“And the wedding?”
“Thursday, you say?” Katie nodded and Faith blew out a breath. “Okay. No problem. After all, I am a professional.” Faith attempted a straight face, but when a moment later she asked, “How do you feel about the color chartreuse?” she cracked and they both dissolved into giggles.
Chapter Six
Most of the time, Faith was grateful for the dinner invitations at the Langdon ranch. With Hope and Levi gone on their trip, she had no real family around and the Langdons—with the exception of Logan, who only drove her crazy—were as close to family as she could get. So when the invitation came to join them for a dinner, she jumped at it. And it was always a