Geneva stood opposite us. My attention turned toward Steele and Cin. Steele’s jaw was tight, and a muscle twitched in his jaw, while Cin smiled brilliantly as if she were walking the red carpet at a Hollywood premier. Steele took his place next to me.
“Relax and smile,” I ordered, elbowing him sharply.
His forced smile didn’t reach his eyes. I glanced past Steele and Axel to catch sight of the groom. Easton was pale, almost green. I prayed the dumb shit didn’t throw up at his wedding and become a viral video of the worst hockey grooms or something equally appalling.
“Axe,” I whispered, “tell him a joke or something before he hurls all over the place.”
Axel leaned toward Easton and said something in his ear. Whatever he said got a smile out of our buddy, hopefully distracting him from his nervousness.
Juniper walked up the aisle, and I noticed Ziggy eyeing her as she passed him. Those two had a thing, but none of my concern. Heath followed, carrying the ring on an orange pillow. He was stone-cold serious about his task. Behind him and in direct contrast to her brother, Hailey skipped along, throwing out pink and orange flower petals. She beamed at the guests, causing many to smile back. She was adorable. I didn’t envy Easton when that girl was old enough to date. I’d be cleaning an assault rifle whenever a teenage boy came to the door to pick her up. Wasn’t there a country song about that?
I heard the exclamations and turned my attention to the back patio of the inn. The guests stood and turned as Caro emerged from inside the inn on the arm of her former father-in-law, Howard.
My heart caught in my throat, and I tried to clear it. What the fuck was wrong with me? This was just a wedding. I heard a sniff and caught Steele dabbing his eyes. I guess I wasn’t the only guy affected by how radiant Caro was. I swear to God, the sun was reflecting off her like she was an angel. The dress was awesome. It was long and white and had lots of lace, but it wasn’t overdone. It was actually pretty simple and elegant. I’d never seen Caro look so beautiful. Easton was grinning from ear to ear as if he’d won the lottery. Maybe that’s how it felt to marry the love of your life. Regret flooded me as I worried I’d never feel those feelings.
One last time, my gaze strayed to Lanie. She’d come out from behind the flowers and was blinking back tears. Our eyes met, and so many emotions were conveyed without one word. I’d never be able to explain what I was experiencing to anyone else, but Lanie knew. I saw it in her eyes.
I love you. I mouthed the words.
I love you, too.
At that moment, Caro and Howard had reached Easton, and the wedding party turned to face the justice of the peace. Reluctantly, I turned with them. The rest of the ceremony was a blur as I listened to the words and imagined they were being said to Lanie and me. I’d never been the sappy type, but Lanie had broken all my previous beliefs about myself.
The bride and groom kissed and strolled down the aisle, waving and smiling as our rowdy group of friends and guests cheered.
I grinned from ear to ear and naturally sought Lanie again. She was gone, probably inside to help Mandy. Masking my disappointment, I joined the group of well-wishers on the lawn to congratulate my buddy and former roommate.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Man in a Tux
~~Delaney~~
I’d always loved a man in a tux. What woman didn’t? Kaden in a tux was about the best thing I’d ever seen. He’d slicked back his longish hair somewhat, yet unruly strands kept falling across his face, and he’d shove them back behind his ears.
Someone had trimmed his beard. There’d probably been a barber on-site in the afternoon. I’d been too busy helping with preparations to notice what the guys were up to. The guest list had been limited to one hundred, and even then, it was a lot to handle for Mandy and her crew. I was her girl Friday, running around performing last-minute tasks and fetching stuff, being available whenever needed.
Once the ceremony started, I’d watched from behind a large bouquet of roses placed on a plastic Greek-styled pedestal. Caro was beautiful, the kids adorable, and the wedding was perfect, despite everything, including the colors, the mystical