The little boy kept himself occupied using the small pack of coloring books that I’d asked Miley to place there for him. She’d done the same for all the children.
I took a moment to quickly scan the room. Everyone was now seated. Most were admiring the décor and snapping pictures. Others were chatting or laughing. Some guests were already shooting Hope looks of distaste. Her burning cheeks said that she was well-aware of it.
Shortly after, the food began to arrive. For starters, we had creamy soup served in small, artificial, hollowed-out pumpkins. I saw several people snapping photos of them, clearly appreciating the creativeness of it.
For the main meal, we enjoyed Thanksgiving-style platters of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, dinner rolls, green beans, turkey stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce.
Dessert wasn’t served, since we had a dessert table that included fruit pies, pumpkin spice cake, red velvet cupcakes, and a whole other selection of goodies. The kids mostly enjoyed themselves at the cookie bar and Trick-or-Treat candy buffet.
The wedding cake was smack bam in the middle of the dessert table on a tree trunk cake stand. The classic three-tiered cake was embellished with silk roses, fondant leaves, winding branches, and was topped with a bride and groom underneath a leafy arch. It was so gorgeous I wasn’t sure I could cut into it—I didn’t want to ruin it.
As the waiters began collecting the dishware, Simon leaned into me. “Have you noticed that Travis’s wife keeps trying to pluck drinks out of his hand? I can’t say I blame her. He’s been knocking back champagne like it’s his job.”
I had noticed. “With any luck, he’ll pass out right there at the table.”
Simon snickered. “One can but hope.”
At a cue from Miley, Dane rose from his seat with his champagne flute in hand. The room quieted in an instant. “First, on behalf of my wife and myself, I’d like to thank you all for coming,” said Dane, smooth as glass. “Especially those who’ve travelled far to be here. And thank you Simon, Melinda, and Wyatt for making me feel so welcome into the family you’ve made together.”
Warmed by that, I had to smile. Yeah, they’d been great with him from the start. There’d been a “bump,” thanks to Travis, but my family had gotten past that.
Dane thanked a bunch of other people, including the wedding planners and venue organizers. He cast me a brief look and then added, “Anyone here who knows me is very aware that I always said I’d never marry. It’s not that I have anything against marriage; I just simply never saw any appeal in it. Until Vienna.”
There were a few awws.
“I first met my wife when she came to work at my company. I thought she was the most stunning creature I’d ever seen, but I have a hands-off policy when it comes to my employees, so I took a while to act on that. During the time she worked as my PA, I came to learn a lot about Vienna. I learned she’s sweet. Loyal. Kind. Caring. Fearless. Honest. So honest she never once hesitated to flip me off or call me an asshole if need be.”
My father muttered, “I can imagine.”
Dane looked down at me. “You once asked if I thought I’d be the same in a relationship as I am in matters of business; if I’d always be pushing for more, never quite satisfied with what I had. The answer is absolutely no. You’re the only person in my life who’s ever made me feel content. The only person I’d ever want to share my life with. And the only person I’d never want to live without.”
Sensing he meant every word, I swallowed hard. My throat felt thick. The bastard was good with words.
He turned back to the guests. “So I’d like everyone to stand and raise a glass to my wife, Vienna.”
They all did, but I only had eyes for him.
“Now I’ll hand you over to Vienna’s father, Simon, and foster father, Wyatt,” he said.
As Dane retook his seat, I leaned into him and smiled. “Dude, that was pretty sweet.”
“It was pure truth.” Dane pressed a kiss to my mouth. “If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have to drag you into a dark corner and have my way with you.”
We looked up as Simon and Wyatt stood. They did a speech together, like a damn comedy duo. It was pretty funny, actually. There were smiles, laughs, and the occasional heckle from