Not that it matters. I love Ashley no matter what. But we’ve known each other for less than a month.

What the hell am I doing? This is so off-brand for me.

Ashley’s twenty-five, which means Willow is forty, only five years older than I am.

“How old are you?” I ask Dennis.

He laughs. “I admit it. I’m a cub, and I have no problem with it. I’m thirty-three.”

Again, I stop my jaw from dropping. This guy is two years younger than I am.

“We joke that she’s a cougar,” Dennis continues. “But you have to admit, she looks amazing for forty.”

“She’s very striking,” I agree.

“It’s a match made in heaven,” he says. “I never wanted children, and she’s not looking to have any more.”

“How long have you known each other?”

“About six months, but Willow only just told Ashley. She didn’t want her to worry.”

“Why would Ashley worry?”

“Ashley’s very protective of her mother, apparently,” Dennis says. “At least that’s what Willow says.”

I nod. That’s certainly understandable.

“What do you do, Dennis?” I ask.

“I’m a pastry chef.”

Good. That’s a decent living.

“Where do you work?”

“At Chevalier in LA,” he says. “They’re getting bought out, though, so I don’t know if I’ll have a job in a couple months. We’re all hoping the new owners don’t want to bring in all new people.”

“Oh. I hope not.”

“I’m not overly worried. I have a good reputation in the area. Something will come up.”

Nice. He has a good attitude.

“And Willow does hair?” I say.

He nods, swallowing another sip of latte. “She does. She’s great at it, too.”

“I’m sure she is.”

More silence.

“How old are you, Dale?”

Weird question, though I did just ask him how old he was.

“Thirty-five.”

“Older than I am? You look younger.”

“It’s probably my hair.”

He nods. “Not too many guys our age wear it long like that. Looks good on you, though. I could never do it in my line of work. The hair net’s bad enough on short hair.”

Ashley and Willow squeal in unison.

“Okay,” Dennis laughs. “You got our attention. What’s going on?”

“Look at this rock!” Willow shoves Ashley’s hand under Dennis’s nose. “My baby girl is getting married!”

“My God.” Dennis leans back. “I think I might have just gone blind from that glacier.”

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Ashley says. “Dale knows my favorite gemstone is the garnet.”

Willow meets my gaze. “Dale, I have to tell you. As a stylist, I’d love to get my hands on that hair of yours.”

“No, Mom. Never,” Ashley says. “Dale, don’t you dare ever cut that gorgeous hair.”

I smile—a bit forced, but I get it out. “Don’t worry. If I haven’t cut it by now, I never will.”

“How about a deep condition, then?” Willow says. “You can’t dangle that glorious mane in front of me and not let me work with it.”

“Mom’s deep condition treatments are the best,” Ashley says. “You really should, Dale.”

“I’ll go to bat for Willow too,” Dennis adds. “Her scalp treatments are heaven.”

Really? Is this really happening? What am I supposed to say?

“Maybe,” I finally relent. “But this is vacation for you, Willow.”

“I don’t mean now,” she says. “I’m talking about when the two of you come visit Dennis and me in LA.”

“Of course.” I hope my cheeks aren’t red from embarrassment. “I’m sure we’ll visit soon.”

“Not until my internship is over, of course,” Ashley says. “I’ve already taken too much time off by coming here.”

“Isn’t this your boss?” Dennis gestures to me.

Ashley laughs. “He is, but Mom will tell you about my work ethic. I learned from the best.”

“Ashley…” Willow begins.

I get it. Willow hasn’t told Dennis about their homeless past. I understand. There’s a hell of a lot I haven’t told Ashley about my own past, and still, I’m going to marry her.

What can it harm?

I can’t let myself think about the answer to that question.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ashley

Mom and I leave Dale and Dennis at the hotel to go shopping.

I had no idea when I left Colorado that I’d be getting married. I brought along a nice dress to wear to Mom’s wedding, but now that it’s my wedding as well, I want something special.

“I had no idea the two of you were so serious,” Mom says as we peruse shops neither of us can afford.

“I’ve been serious since the first day I met him,” I tell her. “I just didn’t know he was.”

“Love at first sight, huh? Miss I-don’t-believe-in-love-at-first-sight? Miss I-love-sex-and-I-offer-no-excuses? Miss I-leave-condoms-on-the-floor-for-my-moth—”

“Okay, okay.” I interrupt her with a gesture of my hand. “That all changed when I met Dale. It was love at first sight for me. Honestly, the way I feel now, I can’t even remember a time in my life when I didn’t love him.”

“Ashley, of course you can.”

“You know what I mean. Everything about him fills me. It’s like I wasn’t even me before I met him. Isn’t that how you feel with Dennis?”

“I love Dennis very much,” she says. “But you and I are different people, Ash.”

“A woman in love is a woman in love.”

“In some ways, but you… You feel things differently. Maybe it’s because of your synesthesia.” She laughs. “I still remember that day you told me the sound of the gunshot we heard was yellow. I was scared out of my wits, but you were jubilant because you’d never heard a yellow sound before.”