Gemma

My heart is racing so fast I think I might pass out.

I promised myself I would never become one of those overexcited brides who continues to fantasize about her wedding and just how perfect it's going to be. I promised myself. Yet here I am, scrolling through all the pictures I took of Quails' Gate Winery and the Lake House, excited for what's to come. I'm also brainstorming last-minute ideas about my makeup and hair style. I can't decide whether or not I want my hair to up or down, if I want my makeup to be subtle or bold. I heave a heavy sigh, tossing my phone to the couch. After all those years I spent moulding myself into different women and pairing their personalities with the proper wardrobe and makeup habits, you'd think I'd be able to decide what the hell I want to do with my own face and hair for my own wedding. 

"How are you still brainstorming?" Jake laughs, walking up behind me and resting his hands on my shoulders. He begins to massage them in a slow, mind-numbing way. I close my eyes, letting myself fall victim to his strong hands. "I don't think I can brainstorm for the next week. My cloud has run dry."

"Mine too," I sigh. "Why are hair and makeup so complicated?"

"Don't know, Gem," he laughs. "But I'm sure as hell glad I'm not a woman."

"Right," I chuckle. "Because you won't go anywhere near any waxing products."

His deep laugh vibrates through his chest as he pulls me up and turns me around so I'm facing him, me kneeling on the couch, him standing behind the couch. "Nor will I go near any sunscreen bottles that have been touched by you," he jokes.

Warmth spreads through my chest, and I lean forward to kiss him. He kisses me back, tangling his fingers in my hair and tilting my face upward to deepen the kiss. My lips part without hesitation and I taste the sweet buttery flavour of the pastry we shared at The Market before leaving. Every stroke of his tongue is like a match to gasoline, as is the way he skims his thumb across the bare skin between the waist of my shorts and where my shirt as slightly rode up. I'll never be able to fathom how he continues to have this effect on me, but I hope it never fades away.

"How about we go out and get some dinner?" he murmurs against my lips. "Sustenance will help you make final decisions about your hair and makeup."

I rest my hand on his cheek. "I don't think anything is going to help me at this point, but I never say no to food." I glance around at the mess I've made. I'm kneeling in the middle of a storm of scattered papers, open notebooks, bridal magazines, and my iPhone. "I'll clean up quickly and then we can go. It looks like a bomb went off in here."

"Yeah," Jake says, scratching his head. "You'd think a woman like you would work like a grown-up and not some little kid."

I throw a magazine at him, but instead of it hitting his head, he manages to deflect it. "You just wait," I scowl. "If we ever decide to have kids, the mess is going to be triple this, mark my words."

He cocks an eyebrow, though I can see a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Despite the fact that he did an excellent job of raising Hanna, he still questions raising kids of his own. I'm hoping that will change after we tie the knot. For years, I vowed left, right, and centre that I would never have kids. But as soon as my job as a counsellor started up and I began to work with kids, I learned to love them. Now, I want my own kids. Plural. Jake would probably shit himself if he knew I wanted more than one, which is why I only make carefree comments when it comes to discussing potential future children. "I'm not concerned about kids, Gem. I'm concerned about teenagers. Especially ones who do their makeup and hair in the bathroom and get it all over the sink, making it nearly impossible to clean."

I smile as I get to my feet and begin collecting my belongings, staking the papers, notebooks, and magazines in a neat pile on the coffee table. I slip my phone into the back pocket of my jean short shorts. "I like how you didn't categorize said kids by saying they were females."

Jake shrugs, flashing me a lopsided smile. "Nowadays, why should makeup be based on gender? It's just another typical stereotype people can't seem to get over. Ending on that note, I'm going to get changed into something a little more suitable for dinner."

"Oh, going somewhere fancy, are we?" I tease. "Jake Swift never sees a point in dressing himself in something more suitable unless he's going somewhere fancy."

Jake winks at me, and then turns around, disappearing around the corner. I go back to organizing my belongings. Unlike our house back in Saanich, I have to be aware of what I'm doing around here. If there is any form of damage done within the two weeks we're here, Jake and I have to pay for it. At our house, Jake and I believe that small forms of damage, such as a scratch in the floor or a broken knob from a cupboard in the kitchen, only add character. Wary of the coffee table and the metal rings on my notebooks, I pick them up and slip them back into my white tote bag. This tote bag was a gift from Parker when I broke the news to him, Morgane, Hanna, and Penelope that I wanted them to be part of the preparations. We're not doing the typical thing where bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle – the wedding is just too small for that. But that doesn't mean that the four of them haven't played a big part in planning and celebrating.

Smiling to myself, I set my tote bag down on the floor, leaning it up against the matte-style grey couch. I then stand up and double-check my phone, making sure there aren't any texts from Morgane. She's acted as our coordinator, scheduling hair appointments, dress fittings, cake tastings, et cetera. Thankfully, she hasn't texted me. As much as I love her and the upcoming wedding, it is nice to take small breaks from the planning portion.

Quickly, I round up my purse and sling it over my shoulder, heading over to the front door to wait for Jake. While I'm waiting, I inspect the area. I like the industrial feel this place has, with the white wall on the far side, the slightly darker paint on the walls, the light grey hardwood, and the maximized windows that give us a beautiful view of a local vineyard. There are also exposed pipes and air conditioning ducts. The majority of the lighting is provided by the three large windows in the living room and two in the kitchen, but there are also a few brass pendant lights hanging from the ceiling. However, as much as I enjoy the style, I still prefer our house. It's been hard to stop calling the house my house, but once Jake finally got all his stuff in and added his own personal touch to the décor, it got a little easier. Compared to this basement suite, our house is much more inviting and homier.

Two minutes later, Jake exits our bedroom. Instead of the muscle shirt and shorts he was wearing, he's now dressed in shorts and a navy-blue button-up. The first two buttons are undone, revealing the tanned skin of his chest. I draw my bottom lip between my teeth and suck in a deep breath. I don't know why I get all hot and bothered whenever the first two buttons of his shirt are undone, but I just do.

"Hey," Jake says, greeting me as he walks up to me. He's acting as if we didn't just have a conversation five minutes ago. He plants a kiss on my lips, gripping my hips like there's no tomorrow.

"Hey," I reply, surprised by his kiss. Honestly, it's left me a little dizzy, as if I'm drunk on a sweet summer wine. "That was, um, unexpected."

Jake snakes his arm around my waist and guides me out the front door. It's warm tonight, the smell of a nearby barbeque and lingering heat of the day mixed with the breeze. Pressed together, Jake and I stumble up the concrete stairs to the road above, where his truck is parked. "What's the special occasion?" I ask.

He flashes me a sly smirk. "It's our reward for all the brainstorming we did today."

I don't buy his response for one second. For one thing, he responded to my question way too fast, as if he were expecting it. Secondly, he won't make direct eye contact with me; he's looking at my lips, my nose, my cheek, but definitely not my eyes. Something's going on, but I decide to play along. Jake is a master at surprising me. "Okay," I reply, giving him a side-glance. "Whatever you say."

He kisses the top of my head and murmurs, "Trust me, Gem."

Without saying another word, Jake and I get into the truck and drive to a restaurant in Kelowna. It's a Thai place, supposedly the best in the Okanagan (according to the review websites), and I'm already excited to try it out. If there's one thing I love, it's Pad Thai. Pad Thai is the one thing I would choose over any sweets that could potentially soothe my sweet tooth. The drive only takes about ten minutes, mainly because traffic isn't bad going into Kelowna.

When we find a parking spot and have paid for it, Jake and I walk a street over to the restaurant. It smells like food, heated asphalt, and the lake. People are bustling down the streets, laugh and talking loudly. It's almost like we're walking around downtown Vancouver, only the buildings aren't as tall and the smell of saltwater is lacking. The restaurant is a fair size judging by the outside, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I can see that there are already quite a few people inside enjoying their dinners.

"Well, well, well," says a familiar voice. I jump when a hand comes down on my shoulder and gives it a good squeeze. "Fancy meeting the two of you here."

My head jerks up and I see a familiar face composed of olive-coloured skin, thick eyebrows, big brown eyes, and black hair. "Cassian?" I frown. "I thought you weren't coming until next week?"

Instead of hugging me as a normal friend would, he decides to ruffle my hair – which is something I hate. Just because he's taller than me doesn't mean he's allowed to walk all over me. "Did you really think we'd miss out on the celebrations? Jake has got a whole two weeks planned for all of us. He figured that – OUCH!"

Jake brings his foot down hard on Cassian's, shooting his friend a glare. "You really can't keep your mouth shut for one fucking second, can you? Have you lost your mind? A surprise is meant to be a surprise, you jackass."

Cassian gives Jake a playful shove. "Don't be an asshole, Jake. She was bound to figure it out the moment she saw everyone inside."

"What?" I ask, my gaze flicking to Jake.

Jake rolls his eyes. "Goddamn you, Russell." He then glances at me, an apologetic look in his eyes. "I know what I'm doing isn't very original, considering what happened the day I proposed, but I thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone to the Okanagan early. I have some events planned for all of us. Like laser tag, hiking, zip-lining, paddleboarding, et cetera." He briefly looks over at Cassian, shooting him a dirty glare. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but Loud Mouth over here doesn't know how to think before he speaks."

The corner of Cassian's mouth turns upward and he claps Jake on the back. "She would have figured it out eventually. Hell, I bet she was questioning you the moment you put that fucking shirt on. How original, Jake. How original."

Jake glances down at his shirt. "What's wrong with my shirt?"

"Nothing," I quickly input. If Jake becomes too self-conscious about having the buttons undone, I'm going to throttle Cassian. I like it when the buttons are undone. "Cassian's being an ass."

Smugly, Cassian pushes his sunglasses down onto the bridge of his nose. "I mean, there's no Cassian without ass. Besides, I've got a pretty fine one. All of those squats are paying off."

I glance at Jake. "Why are we friends with him again?"

"Because," Jake sighs, running a hand through his disordered hair. "It's impossible to hate someone you love."

"Aww," Cassian drawls. He pushes his sunglasses back atop his head, and then adjusts the tight-fitting black T-shirt he's wearing. "He is still a suck."

While Cassian and Jake partake in their usual banter, I look at my reflection in the reflective glass of the building across the street, grateful that I can't see a non-distorted version of my face. I don't think I can bear to see the happy, goofy smile that's on my face.

Soon, I'm going to be a permanent part of Jake's family; I'll be forever tied to not just Jake, but also Hanna and Cassian. I know I'm only marrying one of them, but the three of them are like a package. They've been together since the beginning, only stepping apart to make room for me to join their circle.

Smiling, I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, holding back the excitement and anticipation inside me. In two weeks, everything changes.

In two weeks, I'll be changing my last name from Alder to Swift