of you by anything. Unless it’s followed by the words ‘you’re under arrest.’”
“Oh, you kinky boy. I’m already taken,” I say as I point at my ring. “But maybe Cassel would be up for a bit of bondage and ‘jail’ time.”
“What? Me? No! Ha-ha!” Cassel says as he holds out his wrists like he’s ready to get handcuffed. Jeremy just glances at them a bit uncertainly.
Jackson comes up and gives Jeremy a nod. “It’s about time to eat and my sister wants to give a toast, so let’s grab a seat. It’s good to see you, Jeremy. Sorry Leland enjoys threatening you.”
Jeremy shrugs like he doesn’t love it when it’s clear he does. Why else would he be here?
Jackson takes my hand and pulls me after him to the main table that’s at the head of the tent. He pulls a chair out for me and kisses my cheek before we have a seat. Ella smiles as she pours champagne into our glasses. After Ella’s ridiculously sentimental toast, Jackson is all smiles as I stare at the traitorous woman. How dare she make me feel? I was already feeling too much today and now she tosses more onto it? “Thank you so much, Ella,” Jackson says, and I just accomplish air toasting her and looking like a fool. We really should’ve had this wedding on a gun range. At least there, I could just shoot something every time I feel flustered.
As they start to serve the food, Jackson turns to me. “Are you doing good?”
“I’d be better if everyone weren’t so sappy and nice. Call Ava over so she can say something mean to me,” I say.
Jackson laughs. “Would making fun of someone make you feel better?”
I nod. “If I can’t shoot anything, laughing at someone will definitely help.”
“Then look at Jeremy sitting next to Cassel.”
I glance over at Cassel who seems to be chatting up a storm as Jeremy silently listens.
Then Jackson goes, “I can just see it now. Cassel’s all like ‘Oh my god, Jerebear, look at your sexy arms! Did I ever tell you that I’m partially blind which is why I love your face?’”
I grin, delighted in Jackson’s ability to be mean to people. “And Jeremy is all, ‘Who are you again?’”
“‘Cassel, remember? Your one true love, I love your face and want to bear your children if you’d just look my way.’”
I’m grinning wickedly and planning on giving Jeremy a wonderful accent when the caterer sets a plate in front of me. “Aw, I suppose we’ll have to put our reenactment of Jeremy and Cassel’s first date on hold. Cassel deserves so much better. What if we try to set him up with that cute guy Henry’s always talking about?”
“We should have invited him. Been all ‘Hey, Henry’s boyfriend, we don’t actually know you or your name, but would you come to our wedding and show our friend what a real man is like?’” Jackson says.
I stab the salad as I grin at him. “We’re so smart. How do you think others feel knowing how much smarter we are than them? And now we’re not only joined at the soul but also merged together with our husbandness. They just have to hate us, right?”
“Probably. I’ve already overheard people talk about how jealous they are of our marriage, and we’ve only been married an hour.”
“That’s sad,” I say as I reach over and take his right hand. It makes it hard for him to eat, but it doesn’t bother me at all, so I cling onto it.
“While I do love touching you, I can’t cut anything.”
“Just gnaw on it,” I suggest. “Do you want me to be your knife?” I whip out one of my combat knives and aim it toward his plate.
“Do not touch my food with that diseased knife.”
“You really think my knife wouldn’t be perfectly clean?”
“I’m confident I could eat off your guns, but your knives don’t get the same attention.”
“True,” I say as I slide it back into the sheath. “But anything that’s on it just adds experience and flavoring.”
“I think you’re confused and disgusting.”
I start laughing. “That’s probably not farfetched.”
I’d hired a live band who plays while we eat and then when we’re finished, I turn to Jackson. “Since there’s not a father-daughter dance, why don’t you dance with your mother?”
“Why? Want to laugh at us?”
“I do,” I tease, but I really just want to see Ava tolerating this whole thing. So far, she seems pleased. I wouldn’t say overwhelmed with