I stood and hugged her before she hugged Matt and went off in search of her apron to start bussing tables.
"What should we do with ourselves today?" Grey asked as we finished our coffees.
"I don't know. Do you have any work to do?"
"No. I only have to go to work when I want to, remember? I'm freelance. I want to spend my day with my fiancée!"
"Okay, well I have an article to finish, but that can be done tomorrow. I guess we could go to the mall and start looking at tuxes for you. You need to pick a best man, too."
"We've only just got engaged and we haven't set a date yet. We haven't even discussed where we'd like to get married."
"I know, but you know me. I'm organized. I plan things out to the last detail."
"Okay, well, I think we should drive down to the lake house so I can ask Tim to be my best man. What do you say to a day by the lake?"
"Sounds great!"
We finished our coffees and said our goodbyes to Matt before jumping in the car and heading in the direction of the lake house.
Once we arrived at the lake house, Tim and Naomi welcomed us in. Naomi put a pot of coffee on.
We were sitting round the kitchen table in contemplative silence when Tim asked what had prompted our impromptu visit.
"Well, brother, I finally asked Carly to be my wife."
Naomi squealed and asked to see the ring. I showed her and watched her face light up.
"He really went all out on that. Wow. Grey, did you choose it yourself?" she asked.
"I did. There's a lovely little antique jewelry shop online and I knew that this one was perfect. I had to buy something that she would look at and love for the rest of her life. Do you think I chose right?"
"Hell yes, the boy did well." She smiled at him.
"It's beautiful," Tim said.
"Thanks. I think Grey made the perfect choice. There can't be a ring in the world I would love more. But then, he could've spent far less money on it and I would still be happy because it's not the expense of the ring that matters, it's the fact that we want to spend the rest of our lives together."
Grey smiled at me as I spoke. He knew how I felt without me even voicing it, but I think it made him happy to hear.
"Looks like you two will get your happily ever after-it's been too long coming, brother," Tim said as he topped our coffees up.
"I know. I regretted moving away, but I was young and naïve. I didn't realize what I was giving up, and by the time I did, I knew it was too late to come back and beg forgiveness."
"But ten years later, here you are, together and disgustingly happy." Naomi laughed as she made a gagging motion-pretending our loved-up union made her sick.
I laughed and so did Tim. Grey looked mildly affronted but I knew he was faking it.
"Well, it wasn't only our engagement that brought us here," Grey said, looking at Tim.
"Well, what else is there, brother? Not a baby, too?"
"Not yet, Tim. We are talking about moving into the cottage, though."
"Oh, finally!" Tim exclaimed.
"You knew about the cottage?" I asked.
"Of course. I helped him out when he first moved back." He smiled at me.
"Oh!"
"Yeah, Tim and Naomi both looked on websites with me and came to see places on the odd occasion. I wanted to ask you instead, but we weren't exactly talking at the time."
"Oh, okay. I guess it happened when I was ignoring you."
"Yeah." Grey's face showed a flash of pain before he replaced it with a smile.
"Well, what's the other news, brother?" Tim asked. Obviously he'd seen the flash of pain cross Grey's features, too.
"It's not news as such. I wanted to ask you something." He took a deep breath and continued. "I wanted to know if you would do me the honor of being my best man?"
Tim smiled and grabbed Grey in a hug.
"Of course I'll be your best man. Dude, it would be an absolute honor!"
Naomi smiled at me as the brothers embraced.
"Naomi, I'd like you to be a part of the wedding party, too. Would you be a bridesmaid?" I asked.
"I would love to!" she squealed and pulled me into an embrace.
I hugged her back and was happy she had accepted. I wanted Jodie to be my maid of honor, but I also wanted to include Naomi.
"You, Jodie, and I should all go shopping together. We'd have so much fun, I loved wedding shopping when it came to mine and Tim's wedding."
"That would be great. Naomi, could we talk in private for a few minutes?"
She looked surprised by the request but quickly pulled me into the other room for a chat.
"I wanted to buy something for Grey but I don't know whether it's a silly idea."
"Okay, what is it?"
"An engagement ring. I know men don't traditionally wear them and I know he'll have his wedding ring but … " I trailed off.
"I think it's a great idea. What's good about being traditional? You two aren't all that conventional-I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean that you're … well … "
"Never have been one for tradition, Naomi." I smiled at her to ease her discomfort.
"I didn't mean anything by it, honey, I just mean that you're more modern, I guess."
"I know what you mean. So if I could get away from Grey in the next few days-I'll tell him we're doing wedding shopping-would you come with Jodie and I to help pick the perfect ring?"
"Me? Oh I'd love to!" Her grin nearly split her face as she beamed at me.
"Thanks!" I said and hugged her.
We walked back into the kitchen where the boys were talking best man duties. They looked up at us, obviously wondering what we had been discussing.
"Girl stuff." I answered the unspoken question.
"We were talking about tuxes. We're going to need to know the color scheme so we can get our cummerbunds to match," Tim said.
"That's one of the first things on my ‘to do' list."
"Well, setting the date should come first," Grey said.
"I know, but color scheme is right up there as an important detail."
"We need to decide on a location, set the date, sort out the reception venue."
"I know, Grey, seriously, I know. I have a few places in mind. We can go and look around venues together."
"How about Mother's house for the reception? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help."
"We'll have to ask when we see her later, but that's a good idea."
I smiled at the thought of holding our reception in Katrina's glorious show-home looking house. It was elegant, classy, sophisticated, what more could a girl need on her big day?
"I'm sure she'll say yes!"
We sat talking things through a little more with Naomi and Tim. I chose purple as the main color of the day. It had been my favorite color since I was a little girl, after all.
I could see myself getting married in a deep purple dress and the bridesmaids being in lavender. Now I had to choose the bridesmaids.
Of course, it was up to Grey to sort ushers out. He wasn't going to get away with not helping with the planning and he didn't want to-he wanted it to be perfect and I knew he would help me organize much more than just the ushers.
We stayed for another couple of hours, ate a great lunch that Naomi whipped up, and then we left to go and tell Katrina the good news.
I called Aunt Lizzie on our way to Katrina's and asked her to meet us there. She was only too happy to be getting together.
We arrived at the Sterlings' home and were greeted with hugs and kisses from Katrina and Lizzie. We sat in the living room and told them about our engagement. To say they were happy for us was the understatement of the century. They both squealed at the sight of the ring.
"You'll have to have an engagement party!" Katrina said joyfully.
"Of course, Mother," Grey said.
We both knew that Katrina would want to organize the party. She always loved entertaining. I didn't want to make a cake but knew Katrina would insist we had one.
"You would be most welcome to host it here, you know. I would be more than happy to make the necessary arrangements and get the caterers in."
"That would be wonderful, thank you, Katrina," I said as I looked at the beaming smile on her face.
"Wonderful, that's agreed then!"
"Would you like me to bake a cake?" Aunt Lizzie asked.
"Would you, Aunt Lizzie?" Grey asked.
"But of course. I may not be as good as Carly but I can still bake, you know!"
"Thank you for the generous offer, Aunt Lizzie, we'd be very grateful," I said.
"Then that's settled. Leave the rest of the arrangements to Katrina and me."
"Thank you," Grey and I said at the same time.
"Mother, there was something else we wanted to ask you," Grey said tentatively.
"Oh?"
"Yes, it's about the reception. Carly and I have been thinking of places for it and I wondered if you'd let us have it here?"
"But of course!" she squealed.
Katrina was more than excited by this prospect, I could tell by the look on her face.