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Your info is special to me and will never be sold or given away. Now, read on to see if Cyndi agreed to marry Blake. Did you guess right?

XO, KKJ

Love You Better Bonus Scene

At Last

Olivia

“Guests are already sitting in their chairs.” Daddy didn’t like it when people were late, and we were twenty minutes behind.

“Did anyone see you?” Mom, well, Cyndi asked.

I never imagined calling anyone Mom except for my Momma. That’s why we were all shocked when I blurted it out last summer. Daddy had walked into my room while Mom and I were packing to move to our new house. She made a game out of sorting the stuff to keep and what to give away. She could make boring chores fun. Anyway, she said a ridiculous joke and mom was suddenly popped out of my mouth.

Daddy coughed, like he didn’t know what to do or say. Cyn stared at me, her eyes wide and teary. Next thing I knew, we were all hugging. And she was Mom or Cyn after that. When we finally talked about it, she said I was old enough to call her both, as long as I didn’t call her a bitch. See? That’s why I loved her. From the moment we met, Cyn treated me like an intelligent person and not like a dumb little kid.

“Nope. All good.” Watching the clock increased my anxiety about running late. Plus, I was ready to go, so I had gone across the hall to a guest bedroom that looked out on the back of the Harrison’s property and peeked at the setup. I wanted my dad to have the best day ever and hoped he wasn’t upset with us. “I didn’t see Daddy or his groomsmen.”

“They’re still in Thomas’s office,” Aunt Kick said absently.

When Daddy and Mom got together for real, Miss Kick became another auntie. She told me her kids thought of Cyn as an auntie, so it was only right to reciprocate. So far, she’d taken the role seriously and even went to my first jumping competition. My real aunt hadn’t done that, but I also thought Aunt Kick missed her kids. They were all grown and moved out. Only one still lived in Raleigh.

Mom turned around and looked at me like she knew exactly what bothered me. “Weddings never start on time, honey. Sunny will tell the fellas when to go down to the pond.” She stood and went to the full-length mirror and tugged at her sleeves. “I can’t believe I’m wearing white.”

I brought over the gardenias for her hair from Aunt Kick’s side table. “Didn’t you call it pearl or oyster something before? That’s not exactly white.” The dress had a silvery shimmer like the stones did.

Aunt Kick giggled as she pinned the flowers around Cyn’s braid. “I always thought you’d wear black if you remarried.”

“Same, Chica. Same.”

Kick fluffed out the cape-slash-train of Mom’s dress. “It’s still uniquely you. Not an exact copy.”

I whispered in Mom’s ear. “More like uniquely Daddy.”

“No kidding.” She smiled as she adjusted her boobs. “That’s better.”

Kick nodded. “He’s going to be speechless.”

Mom and Aunt Kick had known each other so long they acted more like sisters than friends. Since we arrived at her house in the morning, they had finished each other sentences and knew what the other wanted without having to ask. It was cute. I hoped my best friend Sofia and I would be that way when we were old.

The neckline of Mom’s dress was lower than the inspiration pictures, and my opinion on it was torn. Cyn looked beautiful, but knowing the extra cleavage was for Daddy made me woozy. The dress itself was a gift to him because it honored General Leia from Star Wars. Mom also said it made her feel like a badass.

On the one hand, seeing Daddy so happy was big. Really big. I wanted him to smile the whole day. When the pains of losing my mom threatened to swallow me up, being with him and Cyn reminded me that everything would still work out.

On the other hand, shouldn’t he and Mom be too old to…? Just eww.

“You wook wike a pwincess.” My soon-to-be little cousin, Addison, shifted my thoughts, thankfully. She was propped up against Aunt Kick’s headboard with a book. “I want to be a pwincess when I get married.”

Cyn walked over to her and booped Addy’s nose with her finger. “You mean a general, honey.”

“Whatever.” Addison shrugged. “As long as I’m pwetty.”

“No worries about that.” Cyn kissed her forehead. “You’re already gorgeous.”

Addy’s big sister, Willow, sighed. “Mommy and Lola can’t believe you agreed to get married.”

Mom snorted. “After all her years of prodding, I’m surprised Auntie Star isn’t taking credit for this wedding.”

Calling a grandmother Lola was still a little funny to me, since I had a friend at school with that name. After Cyndi’s dad asked me to call him Lolo for Grandpa, I had been learning other Tagalog words, including Lola.

Come to think of it, I had picked up many new aunts and cousins in the last year, but I didn’t mind. Everyone had been so nice, and I’d learned a lot of new things. My world expanded with each person.

“Mommy and Lola should be wif us,” Abby whined, her lower lip suddenly shook.

Cyn tapped her chin like she was considering it. “No, Abs. Let’s keep it just to the ladies in the wedding party.”

“But I want Mommy to see me.”

Mom lowered into a squat. “If everyone’s up here with us, no one will be outside to watch us walk down the aisle.”

Abs touched her chin like Cyn had. “Okay. I fink see what you’re saying.”

All of us laughed at how grown-up she sounded.

“That’s my sweet girl.” Mom kissed her head.

I smiled to myself. Cyn had asked Aunt Kick to be her matron of honor and me to be her maid of honor. At first, I felt bad about not standing on Daddy’s side. Then he told me that being with Mom meant I loved her a lot, and it made him happy too. She let me help pick out Willow’s junior bride’s maid and Addy’s flower girl dresses too. It was fun to learn about design and color schemes from her. She also took me to her appointments with the dressmaker. Well, the ones that happened after school.

If you’re wondering about how Daddy got Cyn to marry him, I wouldn’t blame you. He was kinda shocked when she agreed to it instead of just accepting the ring as a symbol of becoming a family.

Pretty much everyone we knew had flown out to Phoenix to celebrate Daddy and me officially changing our last names back to Nez. Sneaky Daddy had planned a bigger surprise with Auntie Sherry. He insisted on taking Mom on a hike to the trail where I had my asthma attack. Then, they got into an argument over leaving the party, and it was kinda funny. Mom felt bad about ditching Auntie Sherry until my aunt practically shoved her out the door. Afterward, Auntie filled me in on Daddy’s plans so I wouldn’t feel bad about not being able to go. I had wanted to let the trail know I wasn’t afraid of it. Auntie said she’d take me the next time I came to visit.

When Daddy and Mom returned to the party with giant smiles on their faces, I knew she had wanted everything he asked. The whole family erupted in a cheer when my dad yelled, “She said yes!” Then he picked up Mom at her waist and spun her around while we clapped. It was a great trip.

All that happened only two-and-a-half months ago. Life had been a whirlwind since. Fortunately, Mom was good at being decisive. It also helped that it wasn’t tax season. Normally, she used the Fall months for her side hustle selling jewelry at holiday craft shows and boutiques. Instead, she shut that down to focus on the wedding.

We scrolled through social media looking at dress pictures for only a day. Mom thought she wanted a dress with white underneath and a black lace overlay. I learned that term from her too. Then, a photo of Princess—oops, General—Leia showed up in her feed and she had a lightbulb moment. Cyndi drew a couple of sketches and took them to a designer who works at her favorite dress shop. Apparently, the lady had made Auntie Kick’s wedding dress super-fast too.

And here we were, in Auntie Kick’s bedroom, getting ready for the big day. Rachel, Kick’s daughter, was finishing Mom’s makeup. She was a bridesmaid too. It had taken a lot of work to get her some time away from her musical job, but I was so glad she made it. She was lit. Anyway, after hanging out the day before. Now I didn’t know if I wanted to own a bakery, run a stable, or be an actor when I grew up. I did know I couldn’t sing or dance. Not like Rachel anyway. She was going to be big.

“Are you ladies ready?” A woman named Sunny asked. She worked for Auntie Kick, but I met her when Mom brought me to the interview to hire her as the wedding planner. Sunny managed another business the Harrisons owned. She was lit too. Sunny was a goth hippy who wore pink hair in a French braid down to her waist, with the sides shaved. I wondered if Daddy would let me do that. Probably not, though Mom might. I had asked for combat boots just like Sunny’s for Christmas. They were black with custom designs from a local fabric artist that Mom knew. I discovered all that during our second meeting with her when I complimented them.

“All… done.” Rachel drawled. She stepped back to let Mom check her work. I scooted over to see her in the mirror.

“Aww.” Auntie Kick cooed. She fanned her eyes with hands.

“Badass?” Cyn asked her.

Kick sighed. “Perfect.”

Since the weather was warm for late December, the Daddy got his wish, and the wedding ceremony was held outside at the edge of Auntie Kick’s pond. He said it reminded him of a place he used to go to when he was a kid. I think he went there to get away from the bad stuff, which made me sad. But having the wedding here made me happy that his life had changed so much.

Aunt Kick and I stayed with Mom and Lolo at the top of the treed path while Addy, Willow, and Rachel walked down to the arch at the edge of the water. I peeked through the greenery and watched them without being seen.

“Please stop crying, Tatay.” Mom patted his arm as he dabbed his eyes.

“Can’t help it.” He shook out his handkerchief. “I wish Mommy could be here.”

Mom rested her head on Lolo’s shoulder. “Me too.”

“She is,” Auntie Kick said as she adjusted a gardenia in Cyndi’s hair. She picked it because it had been her mother’s favorite flower.

Mom touched the petals. “Right.” She and Lolo looked like they might cry more, and my lips quivered.

“Olivia.” Sunny snapped her fingers as she called my name.

My turn.

I walked down the hill through pine trees until the path opened to a clearing surrounded by more evergreens. The air smelled like Christmas because of them, which was appropriate since it was December twenty-fourth. Chairs covered in green velvet formed a semi-circle around the arch. Instead of a white runner, evergreen boughs lined an aisle of pine needles for us to walk on. The blue sky shined brightly, making the day feel like even the heavens were excited for our wedding. Sunlight shimmered on the water like diamonds.

Uncle Felix winked at me as I got close, and Daddy looked like he might pass out. Everything else whizzed by in my memory, even the other people.

Cyn had bought two pairs of shoes for me to wear. She called the first pair of kitten heels. They were for the indoor part of our day. The others were platforms matching hers but in a smoky green like my dress. I thanked God for them, as they helped me walk over the pine needles without falling. Even more when my dad scooped me into a rib-squishing hug when I was about to pass him.

“Hi Daddy,” I squeaked.

“You look so damn beautiful.” His voice broke, like he was about to cry, and two tears slipped from my eyes. “Shit. Sorry about swearing,” he added.

The guests laughed, and so did I. It helped me stop any more tears from falling. “Since I got a horse now, how about we use the swear jar to buy a car instead?”

He leaned back, all thoughts of the wedding vanished from his face. “Fuck no.” Then his eyes widened as he realized he’d swore again. “Aw hell.” The crowd laughed harder.

I patted his shoulder. “A sports car.”

“That’s my girl,” Auntie Sherry chuckled. I looked at her and waved.

Next thing I knew, I was standing at the archway, behind Aunt Kick. Mr. Thomas mouthed beautiful to her from the other side of the arch, behind Uncle Felix. The air shifted, like I could feel her love for him flow back. It made my stomach swoop and not gross out like when Mom and Daddy got mushy. Rachel sniffed behind me, but I didn’t think their PDAs bothered her. Guess I needed to get over it too.

Uncle Fee said something to my dad that made him laugh. Daddy was looking at his feet to get himself together when the music changed to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Cyndi appeared at the bottom of the trees, and the guests hummed their approval as they stood, grabbing my dad’s attention. He sucked in an emotion-filled breath when he saw her. His hand went to the bridge of his nose as he stepped away from his spot, laughing up at the sky.

Daddy muttered something that sounded like, “How’d I get so lucky?” He cleared his throat, followed by Uncle Fee and Mr. Thomas. Aunt Kick let out a quiet whimper and pulled a tissue from her pocket. Guess I was crying too, because she handed me one. I know Mom wanted to look badass in her dress, but her glowing smile also made her seem angelic as she practically floated to my dad.

He was still chuckling as he approached Mom and Lolo. “Princess Leia, I presume?”

“General,” she corrected, a smirk on her face.

“Right.” Daddy laughed harder and nodded. He dropped his forehead to hers. “For me?”

Mom touched his jaw. “You’re only going to get married once.”

“Damn straight.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Another one for the jar.” And everyone chuckled again.

“Your hair—” Daddy’s touched Cyn’s braid by her ear.

“Slow your roll, Big Guy. It’s a piece.” Rachel twisted Mom’s hair up and wrapped a braid around the bun, so it looked like Leia’s during the ceremony at the end of A New Hope. The only difference was the flowers pinned in it made her look more like a bride.

“Thank you.” He hugged her gently, like she was precious. When he pulled away, Mom was crying.

“Don’t do that, honey. Not today.”

She wiped the tear trailing down his cheek with her thumb. “You started it.”

A broken sob came from Auntie Donna or Auntie Sherry. I couldn’t tell. “You two are killing us.” We all laughed. Auntie Kick and I dabbed our faces again.

Lolo pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Daddy. “It’s my clean one.”

“Um. Thank you.” My dad took the square and patted his cheeks.

Lolo took one of Daddy’s hands and one of Mom’s and put them together. “No. Thank you.” Then he hugged them both. My dad pulled out his free arm and wrapped it around Lolo. The sound of tears and runny noses from the guests echoed off the pond.

“Are we sad?” Addison yelled at her mom.

We all laughed, releasing the emotion-filled tension, and Mom and Daddy stepped up to their minister. At first, I thought it was strange to have a minister named Banger. Then Cyn explained he was an officiant, and this was more of a side gig for him. In fact, this was his first wedding ever.

“Was I supposed to wear a Wookie costume?” Mr. Banger asked under his breath, and some of the wedding party snorted. He tipped his head at my dad. “You fit the part. Minus a gun belt, unfortunately.”

Daddy looked down at himself. He wore a cream-colored button-down, black pants, and a black vest. Except for the Jacla necklace that Auntie Sherry made him, and shoes instead of boots, he kinda looked like Han Solo. His eyes filled with surprise. “Is that why you had me wear this?” I didn’t realize Mom was involved in every detail, but I should have.

She shrugged as a knowing smile crossed her face. “Surprise.”

“Is our whole wedding Star Wars themed without me knowing?”

Cyn made eye contact with Sunny and seemed to have a wordless conversation with her. Then she smiled at my dad. “There might be a light saber fight later.”

Daddy’s hair fell over Cyn as he bent to kiss her. I didn’t mind so much this time.

Mr. Banger cleared his throat. “We haven’t made it to that part yet.”

Despite all the work we had put into planning the wedding, the ceremony part was surprisingly short. Before I knew it, vows were said, rings were exchanged, and they were kissing again. I rolled my eyes at Daddy when he dipped Mom, but Uncle Gabe whistled from the second row. Maybe it was a guy thing, because it looked scary to me.

Before he brought Mom back up, Daddy said, “I love you, Sparky.”

“I know,” she returned, adding a wink.

My dad laughed as they faced everyone so Mr. Banger could pronounce them married. As our little crowd cheered, a flock of Canada geese took flight.

The reception was held at the Garage. No surprise. The restaurant was already decorated with evergreens and white lights for the holidays, but Miss Meredith added extra touches for the wedding. Groupings of candy cane amaryllis in green vases decorated tables that were set with Christmas colors. Poinsettias were everywhere, but that might have been part of the regular holiday decorations. I had been too busy to stop by after school to check it out. The effect was lit though.

Fortunately, there were no spaceships on any of the tables. I had been afraid we would walk into a movie set when Cyn teased my dad about the Star Wars wedding. I should have known she wouldn’t do that. She had big taste. The nod to the movie showed up on the wedding cake, which had a cute Han and Leia on top. Also, guests received light saber ornaments for their favors. I reluctantly liked them.

Auntie Kick’s son, Liam, stood at a mic to announce the wedding party. For a second I was mad because no one ever told me her Liam was the Mack from the band, Co(NA). In interviews, no one ever called him Liam, only Mack. I heard his voice before I saw him, and my feet stuck to the floor from shock. Their song “Kiss Me Forever” was my current favorite. Sofia and I listened to it all the time.

Auntie Kick nudged me. “Go ahead, sweets.”

I turned around and glared. Did my hair look okay? I had a protein drink in the limo. Did it give me a mustache? I couldn’t walk in front of Mack with a chocolate stash. I wiped my lip hard when Kick tapped my shoulder again. “But… it’s—”

She bent and whispered in my ear. “I’m hungry, sweetie. Get a move on.”

Next thing I knew, Mack called my name for a second time, and I had to make my legs walk. I spotted Sofia sitting with her parents at a table across the room, and we both eye-freaked-out. I couldn’t wait to spend time with her to talk about how we knew him now. The girls at school were going to be so jealous. I made my feet practically run so I wouldn’t squeal like a girl in front of him. That would have been the worst.

The reception menu was a mix of traditional Filipino and Navajo dishes. Uncle Felix allowed guest chefs to take over his kitchen for the day. It was his gift to my dad. He even promised to not yell if the equipment was out of place when he opened the Garage after Christmas. Auntie Sherry brought a chef from Phoenix for her gift. Mom knew a local one who made the Filipino food. I couldn’t pick out the scents of individual dishes, but it smelled amazing together.

Since the wedding had been outside, and it was a little breezy to keep candles out there, Mom and Daddy added them to the reception. The lighting ceremony took place as appetizers were served, with the guests watching as they ate.

In Cyn’s family, candles were lit to represent the couple coming together. Auntie Sherry had shared a wedding blessing with my dad. They blended the traditions and added to them by having a third candle for me. I lighted all three small candles, then we ignited a bigger, center one together. While it happened, Uncle Gabe recited the Navajo blessing:

Now you have lit a fire, and that fire should not go out.
The two of you now have a fire that represents love,
understanding, and a philosophy of life.
It will give you heat, food, warmth, and happiness.
The new fire represents a new beginning—
a new life and a new family.
The fire is to be kept burning; you are meant to stay together.
You have lit this fire for life until only old age separates you.

While the wedding technically made Cyn and my dad my parents, this mix of traditions made me feel like we’d become a family.

When dinner was over, Liam sang “At Last” for Mom and Daddy’s wedding dance. Then he switched to “In Your Eyes”. Despite my dad’s initial fussing about the song from Say Anything, he eventually admitted he liked it. I didn’t think he had anyone to connect it to before Cyn, even my mom. Seeing Daddy find his person after so long made me happy for him.

After that, he danced with Grandma Gracie, and Mom with Lolo. I paired up with Uncle Felix and Auntie Kick with her husband, Mr. Thomas.

“You know, today might be the first time I’ve seen your grandmother smile,” Uncle Fee observed.

Gigi and Daddy danced past us, and she laughed at something he said. “I think you’re right.” It was weird and good at the same time.

Daddy had expected her to be mad when he found his birth family. Instead, she became easier to be around. Like she wasn’t so defensive anymore.

The song changed, and Uncle Felix kissed me on my forehead. “I’m proud of you, little one,” he said before finding his boyfriend to dance with.

Daddy pulled Grandma Rose onto the dance floor, and I slid into the chair next to Gigi to give her a hug.

“You’re becoming a beautiful young lady,” she said as she hugged me back. It was the first time she’d ever told me something like that. Most of my life, I couldn’t tell if she even liked me.

I sat back and studied her for a minute. “You’re different.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Good or bad, different?”

“Good. Definitely good. Big.”

“Big, huh?” She picked up her glass and swirled the liquid in it thoughtfully. “I enjoy seeing him happy. He’s struggled his whole—”

“Excuse me. May I sit?” Grandma Rose interrupted her. “I want to thank you for…” She settled onto the chair on the other side of Grandma Gracie. “For taking care of my Blake.”

Gigi’s eyes widened, then tears formed as she stuttered, “I-I swear I didn’t know about y’all.”

“I believe you.” Gran placed her hand over Gigi’s arms. “I know he’s had challenges, but you tried your best. So, thank you.”

My grandma’s chin quivered as she nodded. A tear dropped from her eye, but the words wouldn’t come.

I got up to stand between both women and hugged them. “Thank you, Gran.”

She tapped my back. “We grandmothers know life doesn’t always turn out the way we expected. You still make the best of it. Hear me?”

I smiled at her and nodded. Grandma Rose was the wisest person I had ever met. She was like a guru or something.

Then she added, “And sometimes, the reality ends up better than the dream.”

When Momma died, I thought my world ended. I still wished she had been alive to see how much had changed. I knew she would have been happy for my dad. I also knew she would have insisted on making his wedding cake. Part of me felt her smiling down at us for the whole day. But having this new, enormous family gave me the love I needed to get through a life without her. They let me know my days would get better, because they already had.

Thank you for reading Love You Better. If you haven’t read Cyndi’s best friend, Kick’s story yet, you can read it now. It’s a mysterious romance trilogy that begins with Kick Start and builds to a suspense story. Kick McKenna is a single mother running a coffeehouse, on the verge of an empty nest, and trying to get on top of a chronic illness while dealing with a smear campaign. Thomas Harrison is a mysterious science professor with a looming research deadline. Something about Kick stops him in his tracks and finds him willing to put everything on the line for her, even his secrets. Find out more here.

Love You Better Playlist… Did you notice the chapter titles in Love You Better are also song titles? All the songs mentioned in the book, as well as the one that inspired Cyndi’s opening scene, are available as a playlist on Spotify. To listen to the list, click the button.

What’s next in Oakville? I’m so glad you asked. Next up is a Next Gen series, where Kick’s three kids get their happily-ever-afters. They will be interconnected standalones with an overarching suspense plot. Dylan’s book,
A Real Kiss, is first, and you can keep track of it/find the pre-order link by clicking the next button.