“Oh my God, Casey! The ring! It’s beautiful! … and big!” she exclaimed, holding her hand up behind as she hugged Casey to finally get a good look at it.

“It’s not so big. It’s only a …”

“Don’t tell me how big it is! I don’t want or need to know. All I need to know is that you gave it to me, and we’re gonna be married, and I love you so much! Oh, Casey! I’m so happy!”

“I am too, my beautiful Princess fiancée!” he said and kissed her with every bit of love he was feeling.

They stood there hugging and kissing for several minutes, savoring the moment and happier than they’d ever been. In addition to being proud of himself for having planned and carried out his proposal, Casey was overjoyed that the perfect girl for him was now going to be his wife. Harper felt like the last bit of uncertainty in her life was gone; she would settle easily into life as Casey’s wife and marveled at what a difference a few months could make.

“Would you like some champagne, Princess?” he asked, looking into her beautiful brown eyes and seeing joy unlike ever before.

“You brought champagne instead of Gatorade?” she laughed.

He pulled the bottle from the cooler in his pack, along with two crystal glasses, and worked on opening the champagne; the popping cork signaling his success.

“And real glasses! Not the plastic ones we usually bring? Casey, you really planned this out to the last detail, didn’t you? Oh! Is that why you wanted me dressed in white?” He nodded as he handed her a glass. “I’m not exactly your virgin bride,” she quipped.

“You know that doesn’t matter to me. You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world to me. To us, and our future together!” he offered as they clinked glasses.

“I can’t stop saying this, Casey! I’m so happy! And I’m so in love with you!” she said with tears streaming down her face again. He took her in his arms and sat on the bench with her in his lap, just holding her the way he loved to as she cried on his shoulder.

“Ready for some pictures?” he asked when her crying had reduced to sniffling.

“You’re amazing!” she said, unable to do anything but be happy as she watched him prop his phone up against the champagne bottle.

“Now when I hold my hand up, the camera will count down 1-2-3 and take the picture, okay?”

They giggled as they went through various poses; her holding her ring out while hugging him, him on his bended knee putting the ring on her finger, and the two of them kissing, romantically first, then another more passionately. They took a few jokey pics as well, like her on her knee putting the ring on his finger.

“You’ll appreciate that I dressed you like that when we’re old and gray and looking back at these pictures!”

“Let me see them! Send that one of me holding out the ring to Sherry! Can we skip the rest of our hike and go see her and Jake?”

“Of course we can!”

“Good. Send the picture and tell her we’re on our way there! And after that, I want to go home – our home – and make mad, passionate love to you!”

“Jake! They’re here!” Sherry cried, seeing Harper’s BMW pull up outside. She smiled when she saw Harper charging toward the door with Casey in tow, apparently not walking fast enough. Jake came out of the kitchen, joining his wife at the front door just as they came bounding through it.

“Sherry! We’re getting married!” Harper practically screamed, flinging herself into her best friend’s arms.

“I know, honey! I’m so happy for you,” she told her as she held her tightly. “Let me see your ring!”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Harper said, having stared at it the whole way to the diner.

“It is, honey!” Sherry replied without commenting on its size, but looked over at Casey with a smile and a wink.

“Congratulations, Casey,” Jake had said while the girls were fussing.

Casey thanked him only to find Sherry pouncing on him with a powerful hug after a kiss on the cheek.

“You’ve done real good, Casey! Do you remember my reinforcing your statement about Harper being a special girl? It was kind of a word of warning at the time not to mistreat my girl. Well, I think you’re pretty special, too. I know Harper knows it, or I’d be warning her too!”

“Thank you, Sherry. For that and for taking such good care of her. She became so special largely because of you, and now you’ll make her a good assistant manager too.”

“Sherry, are you sure you want me poking into your business?” Harper asked, feeling she had to hear it from Sherry.

“Yes, I’m sure for two reasons. First, you are capable, and we trust you completely. You already know everything there is to know about the dining room and waitresses. You’ll learn the rest easily! I’ve heard so many stories about a trusted manager who stole from the business, and we know you could never do that!”

“Thank you, Sherry. I guess I’ve known that, but I didn’t see it as making me eligible to help you manage! Maybe I should work some nights now and let you go home?” she offered, both surprised they hadn’t thought of it before. “What’s the second reason?”

“I still get to see you almost every day!”

“Aww, Sherry!” Harper started crying again as she pulled her into a hug.

“With you and Casey living together and getting so serious, I was afraid I’d stop seeing you all the time. I know we’d still be good friends but …”

“We’re more than good friends … Mom? Can I call you that? You’ve been like a mom to me!”

“I’d like that,” Sherry replied quietly, and the two held each other again. “Now you two ought to go someplace to celebrate! We couldn’t be happier for you both, right, Jake?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever met two people who deserved each other more. Congratulations again!”

Harper had to hug them both again before they could leave, and they walked out looking every bit the madly in-love couple they were.

At home, they took a shower, bathing each other slowly and lovingly, but avoiding any escalations, saving that for when they were in bed together. Long and tender, their lovemaking put the emphasis on love, but as special as it was with their new commitment to each other, the passion grew to extreme proportions, and by the time they’d had enough, they needed another shower.

Lying in bed wrapped up in each other as they usually were after sex, Harper couldn’t help staring at her ring. She didn’t care how big or clear the stone was or that it was a platinum setting; she only cared about what it represented, and that was something she’d begun to doubt she’d ever experience before Casey came into her life.

That she didn’t care was yet another example of the difference between his Princess and those that came before her. He could have bought any ring, and she would have loved it, but that didn’t mean she, especially her, shouldn’t have something really nice anyway.

“It’s really a beautiful ring, Casey,” she said softly, tilting her head up for a kiss. “I’ve never been so happy! About everything, Honey! About us, about the diner, about Sherry and Jake, and I really love your wedding gift to me. It amazes me, sometimes, how much you care about me,” she said with tears forming. “Until you came along, I would not have believed men like you existed. And I still can’t believe how much I love you!” she finished with tears of joy running down her cheeks.

“You’re forgetting how much you’ve done for me, Princess! You are still the breath of fresh air I said you were, compared to the girls I’d known before. I, too, wondered whether there was someone who wasn’t like them, always looking for more than just me. Even the night we met, while your efforts were misguided, you were still honest and sincere in what you wanted to give me, and the look on your face when I sent you back to bed was the same precious face I see today. I love you, Harper! Now more than ever!”

Another tender lovemaking session ensued, each eager to prove how much they loved the other, after which they made a quick dinner for themselves, neither wanting to shower again or get dressed to go out. Casey tried to help her, but the sight of her bouncing around the kitchen in nothing but panties often sidetracked him. She jokingly threatened him with a spanking if he didn’t just sit down and stay out of her way.

“Can I tell my friends? Especially Charlie?” she asked over dinner.

“You can tell the world if you want, Princess,” he replied.

“Charlie says congratulations, Honey!” she told him the next day, after she got off the loud, excited call.

“How did your other friends take the news?” he asked.

“Simone was happy for me, but Jenny and Linda both made comments about marrying a rich guy. Why can’t they just be happy for me without making it sound like I’m marrying you for your money?”

“You see? That’s the attitude I was dealing with all the time. It made me wonder whether being successful was even worth it, but then you came along!”

“Aww, Casey. Thank you! Charlie’s gonna take tomorrow off so we can go out and celebrate! We’re gonna go clothes shopping, okay? She wanted to look at wedding dresses, but I think I want Sherry there for that.”

“Yes, have Charlie there too if you want, but Sherry is the most important one to share that with. And it’s fine with me about shopping. It’s been a couple of weeks since you came home with some new panties to show me!”

“Casey, I still have several new pairs in my drawer I haven’t even worn yet! I’m trying to save them for special occasions! Anyway, I am gonna take Charlie to Victoria’s Secret! It’s Monday, so I’m hoping Naomi will be there again!”

“No telling what that naughty minx would be like with the two of you there!” he replied, getting a confused look from Casey, but he didn’t bother to explain. “You’re still working tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I want to have a short meeting with Sherry and Jake about the diner, and I want you there for it. I’m hoping it’s a good time for us all to meet.”

“What do I have to do with that?” she questioned, having seen her part to play when the diner refresh was done.

“I’m going to suggest that I manage the project. Finding people for various parts of the job for Jake and Sherry to meet and approve. There’s going to be a point where the diner has to be closed, probably two or three weeks. I’m going to suggest that Sherry and Jake take a week of vacation during that time and let you and me manage it.”

“Casey! They’d love that, but they probably won’t want to spend the money!”

“It’s in my budget for the project. They won’t have to spend a dime!”

“You’re amazing, Honey! Who else would think of that? Do you really think I can help you with all that?”

“Yes! And more. I’m going to give you jobs to do leading up to the project. Consider it the beginning of your management training,” he finished, giving her surprised and loving face a tender kiss.

“Mornin’, honey!” Sherry called out when she heard the door chime for Harper. “Oh, hi Casey! What brings you here this morning?”

“Good morning! I’d like to meet with you and Jake for ten or fifteen minutes when you can spare it?”

“Okay. I’ll let Jake know. We have one couple who’s always here first thing – in fact, here they come – but once Jake has everything started in the kitchen and their breakfast, we’ll probably have the time.”

Casey went over the budget he’d prepared, explaining why he felt they needed design help for the interior décor, menus, signage, etc. He expected some pushback from Sherry, assuming she’d want to decorate her own way, but she was surprisingly open to the ideas. They were impressed with Casey’s thoroughness and loved the idea that he’d manage the project with their input and approval. That he’d do it with Harper’s help was another unexpected idea that, after hearing everything else, they loved.

“There are two changes I think you can begin whenever you’re ready. When I talked to my client with food service expertise, he was surprised that you’re still open on Mondays. It’s quite common to …”

“Yes, we used to be closed on Mondays,” Jake interrupted, “but when business would slow down, it seemed the logical way to bring in more money. Looking at it through your eyes now, I’m not sure it makes sense to keep it that way. They’re really slow days, right, Sherry?”

“We have some regulars, like that lovely couple over there who are here every Monday morning when we open.”

“I just think you guys need a break, and I can’t help wondering if a few customers warrant the expenses involved in remaining open. Harper says it’s busy in the morning, so maybe consider closing in late morning. The other thing you should get started on is getting Jake some help, as that may take longer to break someone in. How have you recruited for that in the past?”

“Ads in the local papers, and we’ve always gotten a lot of responses, but they were mostly poor choices, and we just took the best among them. They didn’t last, and it was frustrating to spend a few weeks on training only to have them not able to handle it or quit.”

“You never tried recruiting from the local culinary schools? There are a bunch here and more in Atlanta.”

“I thought about it once, but they’re training kids to be fancy chefs, not short order cooks,” Jake replied.

“I checked with a couple of the technical schools, and they do have courses specifically targeting that type of cooking. Those schools usually offer placement services so students don’t see the training as a waste of time if they can’t get a job. I’ll send you the contact information for the people I talked to.”

The meeting broke up with everyone feeling even happier about the project. Sherry and Jake were very comfortable with Casey’s management of it and the fact that he would involve Harper. She was excited to be included, often looking over at Casey with that same awe for his amazing talents. This was all new for Casey too, but he was happy with the meeting and how agreeable everyone was to his ideas.

“Charlie, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I did get Casey to spank me!” Harper told her new friend as she drove them to the same mall she and Casey had been to. “I really loved it and can’t wait till he does it again!”

“I know, right! What’re you waiting for? I’d go crazy for another spanking if I waited for Justin to get around to doing it!”

“How often does he do it?”

“If I waited for him? Probably weeks! I do things I know will bug him, and then he knows I need another spanking. Sometimes I just come right out and ask him!”

“I don’t know. I think I kinda like it to be unplanned, you know, spontaneous! I told him I’d like him to do it sometime when I least expect it! I think that’d be really fun. Just suddenly bent over his knee, getting a stinging red bottom!”

“I agree! Those are the best, but, like I said, if I wait for him I’ll go crazy! I need it at least once a week!”

“I think I can wait. Casey won’t disappoint me. He never does! Like when I wear my crotchless panties under a skirt? He knows I just want to be eaten up without taking anything off!”

“Crotchless panties?”

“Yeah! Casey told me about them!” Harper giggled. “We got them at Victoria’s Secret at this mall we’re going to! You want to check them out?”

“Definitely!” Charlie replied.

Harper told her the story about trying them on and Casey making sure they ‘worked’, which made Charlie giggle too, but the part about Naomi really got her laughing.

They made the rounds of all the stores, especially the smaller boutique shops. Charlie insisted on them being together in the dressing room regardless of who was trying something on. Harper got a strange vibe from Charlie she couldn’t put her finger on. Whenever she was down to her underwear, about to try something else on, Charlie would be touching her; not any place sensitive, but on the arm, her shoulder, or hip. Harper dismissed it as her being a little friendlier than she was used to.

When they got to Victoria’s, she looked for Naomi but didn’t see anyone. She showed Charlie the panties she’d bought, and Charlie was anxious to try them on.

“Harper? Is that you?” Naomi said as she came up behind them.

“Naomi! You remember my name?” Harper responded with surprise.

“You have a unique name, but I’ll never forget that afternoon you and your boyfriend came here, especially hearing what you did in the dressing room!”

“Casey told me when we left that you had some fun of your own eavesdropping on us,” Harper replied in a playful, scolding tone.

“Oh yeah!” Naomi said breathlessly. “Who’s your friend?” she asked, eyeing Charlie with a predatory smile.

“This is Charlie! And guess what! She wants to try the crotchless panties too!”

“Oh! Well, if you need any help, just yell!” she said suggestively, returning to the sales counter.

Charlie chose a variety of styles and colors and headed to the dressing rooms. As before, she insisted that Harper come in with her. Harper was a little uncomfortable with it since Charlie would be naked from the waist down and would no doubt be opening and closing them to see how they worked, but she stood in the corner while Charlie stripped and tried each pair on. She found one she liked and lay back in the chair, legs spread.

“Will you open them for me, Harper?” she asked with a cute smile.

“Oh. Um. I … I don’t think I can do that?”

“Are you sure?” Charlie said, sounding disappointed.

“Yeah. I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay! You can’t blame a girl for trying,” she said in a conciliatory tone. “Naomi!” she yelled, and the sales girl showed up so quickly that Harper wondered if she had been standing just outside again.

“Do you need some help?” Naomi said as soon as she opened the door, and looked at Charlie’s spread legs with nothing short of lust in her eyes.

“Yes, can you show me how to open the crotch on these naughty panties?” Charlie whimpered.

“Certainly!” she replied as she got down on her knees, her fingers nimbly working the tiny bows to open the panties, exposing Charlie’s petite pussy. “Perhaps you’d like me to demonstrate what can be done once they’re open?”

“Mmm! Yes, that would be very helpful!” Charlie replied, and then gasped as Naomi’s tongue slithered through her slit, with Harper aghast at the instant intimacy they shared.

“Harper, could you stand outside the door and let me know if any customers come in? We’ll leave the door open, okay?” Naomi asked, her fingers taking over for her tongue briefly

“Oh. Yeah. Okay,” she said as she stepped outside.

Naomi took a hanger and rigged it to keep the stall door open and was back on her knees with her face in Charlie’s pussy in a flash. Naomi didn’t know how much time she’d have, so she didn’t waste any on the niceties, choosing to devour Charlie’s pussy and bring her to a climax as quickly as possible. Charlie squirmed and gasped as Naomi added two fingers inside, pumping away in her tight pussy, and in just a couple of minutes, she was crying out as her orgasm overtook her.

Harper couldn’t believe what she’d just witnessed. She didn’t have any problem with two women enjoying each other, but so suddenly and in full view of another? She was about to be surprised again.

“Thank you, Naomi! That was a very – enlightening demonstration,” Charlie said with bedroom eyes. “Would you like me to return the favor?”

“That would be very kind of you, Charlie!” Naomi replied as she pulled her skirt up, revealing her lack of panties. “Just stay where you are,” she said, stepping forward while straddling Charlie’s body, bringing her pussy to Charlie’s welcoming open mouth.

“Mmm! I haven’t had my face sat on in a while!” Charlie cried.

Charlie’s hands gripped Naomi’s ass cheeks, pulling her into her face, while the salesgirl’s hips gyrated, grinding her sex against Charlie’s face. Harper couldn’t believe she was watching all this, but try as she might, she couldn’t look away. As with Charlie, it didn’t take long for Naomi to cum, and she stepped back, letting her skirt fall to cover her once again.

“Will you be purchasing those panties, Miss?”

“Definitely! I’ll take all of them except this pair. I didn’t try those on,” Charlie replied, handing them to Naomi as she got up to put herself back together.

“I’ll be waiting outside.”

Harper left the fitting area and waited for Charlie in the store, while Naomi put the one pair back on the shelf and took another pair, like the one Charlie had been wearing, to the sales desk. Charlie appeared shortly after, placing three pairs of panties on the counter, the ‘used’ ones on top. Naomi picked those up, held them to her nose and breathed deeply.

“Mmm, lovely!” she said softly. “I took a fresh pair off the shelf. I think I’ll keep these,” she said, taking another deep breath, adding, “They’re probably defective anyway,” and put them in her pocket. “I’m glad I was able to provide the help you needed today, Miss Charlie. I hope you’ll … come again?” she said as Charlie reached into her purse for something.

“Here’s my card. Send me your work schedule, and I’ll be cumming again before you know it!” Charlie giggled, picked up her purchase, and left.

They walked in silence for a bit before Charlie asked if Harper was okay, and getting no response, they said nothing more until they got to Harper’s car.

“Listen. Harper. I’m sorry if I …”

“It’s okay, Charlie,” Harper interrupted. “I’m okay. I was just … just very surprised by what you did. There’s nothing wrong with it; I just didn’t expect Naomi, who you’d just barely met, to be invited to eat you up the way she did! And then you did the same to her! I don’t care that you’re bisexual, though you know now that I’m not.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a shame. You have a delicious body! So – we’re okay? You and me? Still friends?”

“Yes, still friends, Charlie! You know, I couldn’t take my eyes off you two! I don’t want to do that myself, but my panties are pretty wet right now, and I really hope Casey is home when I get there!” Harper finished, and the two laughed out loud as Harper put the car in gear and sped off.

“Casey?! Where are you?” Harper called desperately as she entered the kitchen from the garage.

“Right here, Princess! How was the shop … OH!” he gasped as Harper pounced on him, kissing him lustfully with her arms tight around his neck. “Wow!” he said when he could speak, though Harper was still hanging on, kissing his face and neck. “Why do I think Naomi has something to do with this?”

“Oh, Casey! You wouldn’t believe it! Charlie tried on some crotchless panties and wanted me to open them for her, but I said no, so she called for Naomi and she was there in a second, opening the panties and fingering and licking Charlie until she came and then Naomi sat on Charlies face and licked her until she came too, and then Naomi sniffed Charlie's panties and said she was gonna keep them and put them in her pocket and I’m so horny I can’t stand it so please take me to bed and let me sit on your face so you can eat me up too!” Harper spilled out in one long breathless sentence.

First things first, Casey scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where they wasted no time in getting naked. He pulled her onto the bed with him, lay on his back, and helped her get in position, Harper sighing sensuously as his tongue gave her exactly what she’d been needing.

Alternating between her staying still with his mouth attached to her sex, and him lying still while she ground it into his face, she came in record time, her body still trembling as Casey didn’t let up for a moment. Harper cried out loud when his fingers found both her holes, teasing one while penetrating the other, and a minute or two later she was coming again. She couldn’t believe Casey was trying again, not realizing her cute whimpering was driving him on. The third time was a charm, and with her clit licked, flicked, and sucked, she came even more explosively than the other two combined, squirting several streams of clear fluid into his face and on the bed.

“No more!” she cried as she fell to the bed still quivering inside. “Oh God, Casey! How do you do that to me?”

Casey sat up against the headboard and pulled her into her favorite place: curled up between his legs, her head on his chest.

“I didn’t know Charlie was bisexual, but you knew Naomi was, right? Or maybe a lesbian?” Harper just shook her head. “You know it was you, not me, she was interested in, didn’t you? She sniffed the panties you had on too. Remember? And then that look she gave you when she told you how much pleasure she had assisting you? No?”

“No. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. I’m so stupid!”

“No. Not stupid. Just surprisingly and delightfully naïve in this area, and I love you all the more for it!”

“Just hold me, Honey! I love you too!”

With the holidays so close, it was hard to get anything started on the diner, so they waited patiently until after New Year's and then kicked it into high gear.

Casey found a contractor his client had recommended when he’d originally consulted him about the diner. He met him at the diner and gave him a quick rundown of what needed to be done. It wasn’t really a lot of construction work, as they weren’t doing any demolition or new walls or anything, but there would be new power requirements, flooring, and whatever décor items that required a practiced hand. The rough estimate of downtime was two weeks if all equipment and materials were delivered beforehand. He recommended an on-site container to store everything until they started.

He set up a meeting for Sherry and Harper with a commercial interior decorator. He listened for the first half hour or so, and left them to discuss furniture, colors, fabrics, lighting, etc. He was pleasantly surprised by the drawings she submitted about two weeks later.

With that done, the graphic designer had something to work from for menus, signage, and such. Harper had done an excellent job studying and comparing menus from local restaurants, as well as several diners in Atlanta. Using that information, she and Sherry came up with several new items to add and decided to remove a few from the existing menu. Jake got busy working out the recipes, putting something of his own touch on them.

They’d taken his advice and were now closing after 11:00 on Mondays, which gave Jake some time to call the trade schools and set up some interviews with prospective cooks. He was thrilled with several candidates and wondered why he hadn’t thought of taking that approach before. He checked with Casey before hiring one of them to start right away.

Jake also handled sourcing the kitchen equipment, which included a new double oven. Again, he checked with Casey about replacing some smaller appliances and some older vessels and utensils. Casey explained the concept of contingency funds, and the two grand he needed fell easily within that.

Everything was progressing very well; the only hiccup was the major equipment arriving almost two weeks later than planned. By the end of February, everything they needed was in the container.

“I can’t believe how much work we’ve gotten done on the project!” Harper said excitedly one evening over dinner.

“You seem to enjoy doing this kind of work,” he observed, knowing she’d needed some guidance along the way, but attacked each new task with her full attention.

“I do! It feels good doing something I feel I’m good at … well, okay at, anyway.”

“More than okay! You’ve done really well, Princess! I’m very proud of you!” he said, and she beamed at the compliment.

“We haven’t talked about our wedding at all. Can we do that now? I have some ideas,” she said hesitatingly, not wanting to seem like she was pushing or rushing it.

“Yes! I’d love to hear your ideas!” he replied, getting another beautiful smile.

“Well, first, it’s obviously not going to be a big wedding since neither of us has too many people we’d want to invite, unless you want to have clients, like that wedding we went to together?” she phrased as a question.

“No, it’s a special day for us, not my clients. Our guest list will be quite short, I imagine. The only family I’d be inviting is the one aunt I have in Pennsylvania. I talk to her a few times a year, so I imagine she’d come. What about your family?”

“I haven’t talked to my dad much since he left us and no contact at all in over ten years, so no to him. Jimmy would have to come with his mom, and she’s my dad’s sister, so if I invited him, I’d have to include my dad and his sister. So that leaves us with your aunt and two couples we’d both want there: Sherry and Jake, and then Charlie and Justin. Agreed? I might include Simone, but that might bring in others as well.”

“Yes. I imagine you’d want Sherry as your matron of honor?”

“Yeah. She’ll be thrilled. Could Jake be your best man?”

“Just what I was thinking. So we have them standing up for us with two couples and maybe a few others in the audience. Can’t get much smaller than that!” he joked, and Harper laughed as well.

“So here’s an idea that’s a little different. You know we have some very loyal, regular customers at the Last Chance who would probably come on their own if they knew when and where. What do you think about informally inviting them by posting an announcement at the diner?”

“I like it! They’re friends to you, right?”

“Yeah, kinda. But here’s the rest of that idea. We don’t need a big, fancy reception either, so what if we had it on a Monday and did a simple cake-and-champagne reception at the newly renovated diner? All those same customers, and maybe some others, would come. Then we go out to dinner at some really fancy place with Sherry and Jake.”

“That’s a great idea, Princess! I love it! It makes being small a positive, and we have just enough celebration to make it all special! I really love you, you know that?” he said, getting up to take her in his arms and kiss her tenderly. He’d had no idea what to do about the wedding, but this was perfect in his eyes.

Harper was even happier now that Casey not only agreed to her plan but genuinely loved it. She sat in his lap with only one other detail to discuss.

“As for the ceremony, you know I’m not religious, but I did go to church when I was younger, so a church wedding seems right for me. Are you okay with that? I know you have no use for religion or the church.”

“That’s fine with me. I don’t think this heathen will be struck down by lightning if I get married in a church. Do you have one in mind?”

“I was thinking of asking Sherry about the church she and Jake were married in. I think it’s close by.”

“Works for me! So, it sounds like you’d like to do this right after the diner reopens?”

“Yeah. Maybe it’s the grand opening event? We’re bringing all those loyal customers back for a sneak preview of it just before it opens?”

“I like the idea; the only hitch is that a project like this could run over. The contractor is pretty comfortable with our start date two weeks from now and the two-week closing we’re planning, but something could happen to delay it.”

“So we dress it up as best we can, and then it really is just a sneak preview?”

“That could work. Not much could go wrong in the dining room, and we’re not using the kitchen where a delay is more likely, so … yeah, it could work! Great thinking, Princess. I’m so proud of you again!”

“Thank you, Honey! That really means a lot to me. You know, it’s you giving me all these other jobs and setting me up to manage the diner that’s given me the confidence for this too. I love you so much I could burst!”

“You know we’re meeting with Sherry and Jake on Monday when you close to discuss the closing. We should tell them these plans too, okay?” he said, and Harper agreed with a sumptuous kiss.

Harper jumped into Casey’s arms when he entered the diner just before 11:00.

“I’m so excited to tell them! You’re gonna tell them about the vacation, too, right?”

“Tell who about what vacation?” Sherry asked as she appeared from the kitchen. “Jake will be out in a minute.”

Jake arrived, and they went over the schedule. With all the materials in the storage container and the contractor committed to a mid-March start date, there wasn’t much left to discuss. Sherry would make up signs for the doors and tables announcing the two-week closure. Harper smiled at Casey when she said that, bursting at the seams, wanting to tell them about the wedding plans. Casey gave her the go-ahead.

“We’ve set a wedding date!” Harper announced.

“Oh, honey! I can’t wait! When?!” Sherry cried, while Casey and Jake shared a smile at the two excited women. Truth be told, Casey was excited as well. So much was coming together at once.

“March 29!”

“That’s only a month away! We still have to make … wait a minute. Isn’t that the week we reopen?” Sherry realized, looking at the project calendar in front of them.

“It is, Sherry! Listen! We have so few people we’d invite to the wedding, so it’s really small. We thought that maybe we’d put an informal invitation up here in the diner for all our regulars to come. You know they’re kinda like family to us.” Harper paused, but still seeing confusion on Sherry’s face, continued. “Then we thought we'd have a simple champagne and cake reception here at the newly renovated Last Chance! It would be like a sneak preview for our friends, and they can share in our family’s happiness!” Harper finished and saw tears forming in Sherry’s eyes.

“Oh, you two! I love the idea, but are you sure you want to have a reception in this dumpy place?”

“It won’t be dumpy anymore, Sherry! It’ll be all shiny and new, and it’s just for an hour or so to share our joy with everybody. And then the four of us will go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. There’s something else. We want you guys to be our Matron of Honor and Best Man!”

Sherry burst into tears, grabbing for Harper to hug. She didn’t have words for how special her protégé had become. So proud of Harper, and herself in a way, she couldn’t imagine a daughter making her any happier than she was right now.

“Thank you, Casey. It would be an honor,” Jake said, offering his hand to Casey.

Somewhat composed, Sherry switched to Casey for a big kiss and a hug.

“You guys are somethin’ else!” Sherry exclaimed when she let Casey go.

“Speaking of something else,” Casey started. “There really won’t be much for you two to do during the first week of the renovation, so you’re going to take a week’s vacation!”

“Oh, Casey! I love the thought, but we can’t afford that; not yet anyway,” Sherry said, sad to be bursting his bubble.

“It’s already booked and paid for,” Casey said to their startled faces. “I factored it into the original project budget. You’re going on a seven-day cruise of the southern Caribbean! You leave for Puerto Rico the day after we close and you’ll have a day in Puerto Rico on each end of the cruise!” Casey said, feeling like a game show host announcing a contestant’s prize.

“Oh my God, Casey! How did you know we’ve wanted to do that!? I really can’t believe you two!”

“You’ve told me several times that someday you’d like to take a relaxing cruise in the Caribbean! What better time than now to get that kind of break from all this!” Harper explained.

“Are you sure about this?” Jake asked, and Casey assured him he was. “Thank you … again! I can’t believe all this is happening, and all because of you and Harper,” he added, getting choked up himself.

“Oh!” Sherry exclaimed. “I don’t have anything to wear on a fancy cruise!”

“That’s taken care of as well!” Harper said. “We’re going shopping this afternoon, all covered by the project budget!” Sherry started crying anew as she fell into Harper’s arms. “There’s something else, Sherry,” Harper said softly.

“Oh, my Lord! I can’t take any more ‘somethin’ elses’!”

“For the wedding ceremony, I was thinking about the church you and Jake were married in. Do you think we could get it on such short notice? Being a Monday, I’m hoping it would be available.”

“Oh, honey, that little church isn’t there anymore. It was really old and falling apart. They tore it down and rebuilt one just down the street here. It’s still kind of a nice, small church, but it’s not the one we were married in.”

“Will you check it out with me before we go shopping today?”

“Of course, honey! Wait! What about your honeymoon?”

“We can’t leave town just as the diner’s getting going again,” Harper explained. “We’ll figure that out later.”

“You guys are too much!” Sherry said with a big smile. “Just sayin’ thank you isn’t enough, but we’ll figure out a way to show our appreciation for all you’re doin’ for us, won’t we, Jake?”

They enlisted the graphic artist to create a dual-purpose announcement about the closure and the wedding, and they were placed on the door and tables a couple of days later. A number of the regulars told Harper they’d be there and congratulated her again.

The diner’s last day open was a Sunday, and the contractor got started the next day. On Monday, Harper drove Sherry and Jake to the airport in Atlanta, offered a tearful Bon Voyage, and assured them they’d take good care of the diner. They stayed in touch via a single email each day, and Harper arranged a call to Sherry about a question from the interior designer. She was confident she already knew the answer, but it made Sherry feel good to know she was needed.

Casey worked his normal random hours whenever his clients needed him and left Harper at the diner to keep an eye on the project.

With a mix of confidence and doubt, Harper handled many issues as they came up, consulting Casey twice. She showed the tanned and relaxed Sherry and Jake around with pride the day they returned, the couple gushing about what a great time they’d had on the cruise.

The project was completed on time, with one hitch: a missing part for the new fryer, which would arrive the day they reopened. Sherry had enough time to make the wedding cake she’d promised Harper and handled the additional wedding decorations in the new dining room.

Harper spent the night before the wedding at Sherry’s, who loved having the chance to help her dress. They’d arranged for a hairdresser to do her hair, but they handled the rest themselves, delighting in the various activities they handled together.

“There’s a Rolls Royce outside to pick you two up,” Jake announced as he was about to leave for the church.

“Oh, Casey!” Harper said calmly, used to these extravagant things he’d do by now. “He said he was sending a car, but I was not expecting a Rolls!”

“Are you ready, honey?” Sherry asked, fussing with little touches to Harper’s hair and the simple, classy, and elegant dress they’d picked out together.

“I am, Mom!” she answered with a grateful smile. “I’m not even a little nervous. I’m just so happy! Everything has gone so well, hasn’t it?”

“It has, and it’s all because of you and Casey! I am so happy for you two, Harper! You can’t believe how much!”

Harper arrived at the church and, a few minutes later, walked up the aisle with Sherry to ‘give her away’. She wanted to hug and kiss Casey when she arrived at his side, but offered a loving smile instead. Casey admitted later that he was a bit nervous beforehand, but instantly calmed when he saw his Princess walking up the aisle.

The minister gave a simple, generic homily about faith and love, and turned it over to them for their individually prepared vows.

Casey spoke of how they met as two broken individuals and, once reunited, set about putting themselves back together with never-ending help and dedication from the other. He promised to love her more every day for the rest of their lives.

Harper recalled the night they met, and how, even as a total stranger, he was more concerned about her safety, and ever since, she’d never felt more safe, secure, and loved. “My Casey is the most amazing man in the world, and I'm so incredibly happy that he’s mine forever and always,” she finished.

The minister asked the final question about loving and honoring, to which they both answered with a positive ‘I do.’ They exchanged rings, and he pronounced them man and wife. They turned to each other for the kiss and said almost simultaneously, “I love you!” before their lips came together for the most meaningful kiss of their lives.

They dashed through camera flashes and a curtain of confetti thrown by their closest friends and the Last Chance regulars to the Rolls. Harper curled up in his lap and proclaimed herself the happiest girl in the world as the chauffeur drove off, taking them to a park for the photographer to get some posed pictures.

They walked into the diner to a chorus of whoops and whistles welcoming the newlyweds to their unconventional reception. They stood before the small crowd flanked by Sherry and Jake, and with champagne glasses raised high, they listened to Sherry’s toast.  

“I know it’s usually the best man who toasts the newlyweds, but I’ve got more time and love invested in my precious Harper and her amazing Casey than Jake,” Sherry began with a laugh they all shared. “I am so incredibly proud of my daughter and my new son-in-law, who started a relationship on very shaky ground, but managed to complement and improve each other till they became the extraordinary and beautiful couple you see before you now. To Harper and Casey Hawkins, may you continue to grow and love each other more every day!”

The small crowd erupted with cheers and well wishes, while Harper and Casey said a simple ‘I love you’ with a tender kiss that had more meaning behind it than ever before.

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I hope you enjoyed this conclusion to Harper and Casey's story as much as I did writing it. They're another pair of characters that I've grown very attached to. I do appreciate all the 'Likes,' 'Favorites,' and comments you may offer and ... THANKS FOR READING!!