NOVEMBER 19

I held Willow's hand as we made our way through the small crowd to where the wedding party stood. It hadn't been a huge wedding, but it'd had a pretty good turnout.

I stopped next to Jon, who had Roman in one arm, while his other arm was wrapped around Charlie's waist. He looked pretty darn happy, not that I could blame him.

His parents stood beside him, looking stiff. It had been a very casual kind of wedding, and I was sure that they weren't exactly comfortable in this crowd. I should have introduced Willow to them earlier in the day, but…I'd been putting it off. Things were still very awkward between my paternal grandparents and me. But I didn't think I could stall any longer.

Charlie didn't have any parents for me to introduce Willow to. They had died when she was eight, in a car crash. She'd grown up in foster care.

"Willow, I'd like you to meet some people. You've already met my father, Jonathan. And you know Charlie and Roman, of course. These are Jon's parents, Paul and Marie Essiter. They live in Hawaii. Paul, Marie, this is my girlfriend, Willow Griffin."

Willow smiled at my grandparents. "It's very nice to meet you both."

They nodded, still stiff, but didn't say anything.

Charlie clapped her hands, breaking the awkwardness. "Well, I don't know about any of you, but I am ready for some more dancing. And I think I want a turn with my new stepson."

Before I could protest, she yanked me out onto the dance floor.

"You could have asked," I told her, as we started dancing.

"You would have said no."

"I would not," I argued. "Not on your wedding day, at least. Any other day, sure." I wasn't a big fan of this kind of dancing. I looked closely at her. She had been smiling nonstop all day. "You're really happy."

She nodded. "I am. I love Jon a lot. We work so well together. I'm glad that we're finally married. And I'm so glad that he's got you in his life now. You're good for him. You're good for me, too. I like having you as a stepson."

I glanced over at Jon, who was dancing with Willow – despite her own protests; she wasn't a fan of formal dancing, either. Roman was in Marie's arms, trying his best to ruin her perfectly sculpted hair. He wasn't being very successful, but I was sure it was just a matter of time. "I want to thank you for that, by the way. I'm glad you encouraged Jon to reach out to me. It's been good to get to know him. Sure, it was awkward at first, but once we got over that awkwardness, it's been great."

She smiled. "I felt it was important. He has regretted the way that he treated you and your mother, for a long time. I felt that he at least needed to say he was sorry for that. I want to thank you for giving him a chance. He's a great guy. He just made some bad choices."

I grinned. "Yeah. It happens to the best of us, right?"

She laughed. "It sure does. How are things between you and Willow? You both look pretty happy together."

I couldn't stop the smile that pulled at my lips. "We are. I'm so glad that we started out as friends first, because I feel like we really got to know each other, without all the pressures of dating. We totally get each other."

"And she understands your diabetes, doesn't she?"

I nodded. "Her mom's a doctor, and she's totally comfortable around this sort of thing. She can sometimes catch my highs and lows before I do. She's not squeamish about the needles and finger poking and all. She's even given me my shot a few times. She's actually really good at it. She's got steady hands."

Charlie's smile widened. "I'm so glad. She seems to be perfect for you, Stryker. She really does."

"I know. I love her, Charlie. I really do."

My new stepmom's eyes widened at that. "Does she know how you feel?"

I shrugged. "I think she's guessed it, but I haven't said anything. Not yet. We've only been an actual couple for three months. And even though I was already in love with her when we started dating, I think it's still just a little too soon to say it."

"Maybe. Just don't wait too long, young man."

"I won't, I won't."

We finished the rest of the song in silence, and then Charlie returned me to my girlfriend with a wink.

I pulled Willow toward me. "Care to dance?" I teased.

She grimaced. "No. No more dancing. Please."

I laughed. "I don't really want to dance, either. Let's go get some punch, then. I see my mom over there. Maybe later we can pull out some crazy rock dance moves or something."

We headed to the punch bowl. Mom and Dad had both been invited to the wedding, and had gladly accepted. There was absolutely no animosity between either of them and Jon, which I thought was great. I didn't think that happened very often in a situation like ours.

I poured Willow a glass of punch before getting myself one, too. I started to drink it.

"Stryker," Mom said sternly. "I don't think that's sugar-free. You should get your insulin before you drink it."

I rolled my eyes. "I won't forget my insulin, Mom," I grumbled.

"I'm just saying. That sugar is going to act faster than the insulin will."

"She's right, Stryk," Willow said gently.

Sighing, I handed my glass to Willow. "Be right back," I muttered. "I'll go get my shot." I was tempted to just do it right there, in front of everyone, but I didn't.