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“Give it to me.”

“Ask politely.”

“You hate forced politeness.”

“I love it in this moment.”

My breath caught against his throat. Ryan felt it. His grip tightened as he lowered his face, his forehead against mine. “Careful, mami.”

I snatched the envelope and dropped onto the grass. “You’re losing your edge.”

“I’m letting you think that.”

“Whatever helps you cope.”

Ryan followed while I tore open the seal. The first clue had been printed on thick white paper beneath a drawing of two wedding rings.

Begin where love becomes a promise, beneath flowers that never fade.

“The ceremony arch,” I said.

“The rose garden,” Ryan answered at the same time.

We looked at each other.

“The ceremony arch is covered in flowers,” I argued.

“They’ll remove those after the wedding. The clue says they never fade.”

“Stone flowers?”

“Carved over the rose-garden entrance.”

I frowned. “You noticed those?”

“I notice important things.”

I said those same words about him when he made sure Vivi’s cabin was to her liking. Those words struck softly now too, carrying the weight of every book, every gift, and every small part of me Ryan remembered while I kept the most important part of him hidden.

He saw the change in my expression and held out his hand. “Come on. We’re losing.”

I looked at his open palm.

Ryan could offer his hand without offering me another chance. I could accept it without pretending otherwise.

I placed my fingers inside his. “Run, pastel boy.”

His hand closed around mine. “You’re going to regret that.”

We took off toward the rose garden.

Ryan pulled me across the lawn at a pace my shorter legs struggled to match. I laughed while trying to keep my sunglasses from falling, and he slowed for several strides before looking at the teams disappearing between the hedges.

“At this speed, we’re going to lose.”

“You have nearly a foot on me.”

“That sounds like poor preparation.”