his smile was a wee-bit forced.
“Absolutely,” Donald said, taking a step back. “See you two at dessert.”
The band was playing a slow ballad and as soon as Levi had Willow in his arms, he rested his cheek against hers. “Mango.”
“Hmm?”
“Mango.”
She pulled back slightly and looked at him like he was crazy. And then…the lightbulb when on. “Oh, no. What happened?”
Levi repeated the conversation he just had with her father. “I’m really sorry, Willow. I know I should have held my cool a little longer, but…”
“Dad knows how to push people’s buttons. Trust me, it’s like his gift.”
“I should probably go and apologize.”
Shaking her head, she pressed in closer. “Nope. No way. He’ll be expecting that. I say we enjoy the rest of the party–the Romeos have our backs and will keep us away from my parents when we sit down for cake–and then we just have to get through breakfast.”
“Yeah…about that…” He explained the advice he had gotten earlier. “I’d totally understand if you don’t want to–you know, if you want more time with Gammy before we get on the road.”
“Levi?”
“Hmm?”
“We’re not leaving until Monday, so…”
Oh, shit. He had completely forgotten about that!
His nervous laugh was out before he could stop it. “Well, then I’ve really gone and made things awkward, huh?”
Luckily, she laughed with him. “Are you kidding? If anything, you made it more interesting.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
“And Levi?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Now it was his turn to look at her like she was crazy. “For what?”
“For sticking up for me. Gammy tries, and I know all her friends are always praising me when my folks are around, but…this was the first time someone really stood up for me, so…thank you.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and he wished like hell that he had punched the old guy in the face. It just about gutted him that he had done so little and yet it meant so much to Willow.
“I’ll always stick up for you. And trust me, after that conversation, I won’t let you be alone with them. Not while I’m here.”
The music died down and it was announced that it was time to sing Happy Birthday to Gammy. Willow took him by the hand and led him across the floor and over to where the massive cake had been wheeled out. The closer they got, Levi realized it wasn’t a cake at all. It was a tower of cupcakes.
“Oooh…cupcakes,” Willow said with awe. “How fun and totally Gammy.”
“She…likes cupcakes?”
“Loves them! Goes back to her days of teaching. Whenever there was a birthday for one of her students, there were always cupcakes. She hates a regular cake.”
“What? How is that possible? They’re essentially the same thing.”
Looking at him sympathetically, she said, “Are they? Because a cake is usually one flavor, a filling, and the icing. But a cupcake tower like this offers a bunch of possibilities.” They stepped closer. “See? There’s yellow cake with chocolate icing, yellow cake with vanilla icing–which, to me, is a little boring, but…whatever–chocolate cake with vanilla icing, chocolate cake with chocolate icing…”
“You’re beginning to go a little Forrest Gump on me, Willow. I can see the different varieties.”
“There are literally a dozen different varieties on here and way more than twenty people can eat–unless we each have two or three. And I am totally on board with that.”
Before he could respond, Gammy stepped up beside them as the bandleader cued the guests to start singing. A small portion of the cupcake tower had candles, and once the song was over, she blew them out and grabbed the microphone to make a speech.
“I cannot thank all of you enough for coming to celebrate with me today. It means the world to me.” She smiled out at her guests. “Some of you traveled a long way to get here, and I just want you to know that it made my day that much more special. We all live so far apart now but I love that you took the time from your busy schedules to get here.” She turned her attention toward him and Willow. “And I don’t know if you’ve all had the chance to chat with my beautiful granddaughter Willow and her handsome, handsome, handsome boyfriend, Levi!”
He groaned as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
“I didn’t even think she’d have a microphone,” Willow murmured.
“I am thrilled the two of you drove all the way here and chose my birthday party to make your debut as a couple at a family event!”
“Oh,