The Bromance Book Club - Lyssa Kay Adams Page 0,101
airport. Ran to his car. They picked up Mack and the Russian on the way and drove as fast as possible.
But it was now after three, and they were late.
So he sprinted. Because if he missed the vows, he missed his chance.
* * *
• • •
Finally, after what felt like an hour, the bride and groom faced each other for their vows.
Thea bounced her knee up and down, earning another glare.
Her father went first. He recited every word when prompted, though he probably had the words memorized by now. He vowed to love her. To cherish her. To be her best friend through sickness and health and all that.
Thea checked the time.
The bride quietly began to recite the same stuff as her father.
Love. Honor. Cherish. Sickness. Health. I do. I do.
Jesus, just kiss already!
The crowd clapped as her father dipped his head to kiss his bride, but a massive crash at the back of the church sent bride and groom apart. Every head swiveled, ladies gasped in surprise, and men exclaimed a creative collection of bad words.
But then a voice rose above it all. A loud, panty stammer.
“I d-d-do.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Okay, so, he maybe should have thought this through.
Two hundred stunned faces stared at Gavin in the doorway. The bride’s hand flew to her mouth, and the groom—uh, yikes. Thea’s father looked like a storm.
A man from the bride’s side leapt to his feet. “What the hell is the meaning of this?” he boomed. “This is my daughter’s wedding.”
The pounding sound of running and skidding brought the congregation into a collective lean so they could peer behind Gavin.
Mack skidded to a stop next to him. “Shit.”
Del bent and panted, hands on knees. “Did we miss the vows?”
Yan and the Russian collapsed against the wall.
“What is going on?” the man up front demanded again. “Who are you people?”
Mack lifted his hand. “Braden Mack.”
Gavin tugged down on his suit coat. “Sorry. I’m, uh, I’m looking for Thea.”
“Who the hell is Thea?” the man barked.
“My daughter,” Dan said, pointing toward a pew in the back. Gavin could’ve sworn that Dan was smiling now.
Every head followed Dan’s point, and that’s when he finally saw her. Sitting no more than twenty feet away, mouth agape, chest rising and falling with labored breath. She stood slowly. A thousand emotions danced across her face—surprise, embarrassment, amusement. Love.
“Hi,” she breathed.
Gavin wiped sweat from his brow. “Hi. Can w-we—” He motioned to the door behind him.
Thea scooted down the pew, bumping into knees, murmuring sorry, excuse me, sorry until she made it out. She looked up the aisle at her father. “I’m going to, um . . . I’m going to go now.”
“You’re staying for the reception, right?” the bride asked.
“Not sure yet?” Thea squeaked.
“I hope you do, because we haven’t even met yet.”
Heads in the congregation swiveled back and forth during the conversation.
“Right,” Thea said. “Nice to meet you. Sorry. I’m going to just go . . .”
Thea walked stiffly on quick steps toward the door. Gavin waved as he backed up. “Sorry for the interruption.”
He pulled the door shut as he backed out, turned around, and—
“Damn you, Gavin,” Thea said. “I was going to do the grand gesture.”
Then she grabbed his lapels, yanked him forward, and kissed him. Oh, how she kissed him. She kissed him with her hands in his hair, her heart on her sleeve.
She kissed him as she spoke. “I was going to go to New York.” Kiss.
“I was going to find you.” Bigger kiss.
“I was going to walk in and tell you . . .” Deeper kiss.
“I love you.”
Gavin cupped her face and pulled back. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Gavin. I love you. And I’m so sorry. You were right about me. I was scared and stupid.”
“So was I.”
“We’ll probably be scared and stupid again at some point.”
“But we’ll get through it,” he vowed.
Mack cleared his throat. “Speed this up. They’re almost done with their vows.”
Right. He wasn’t done. Grand gesture wasn’t over. Gavin dropped to one knee and took Thea’s hand.
“What are you doing?” Thea laughed.
“I didn’t get a chance to do this right before, so I’m doing it now. Thea Scott, will you marry me?”
“Right now?”
“Yes. Right now. We’re in a church.”
Thea laughed as Gavin stood. “Russian,” he panted. “Come here.”
“His name is Russian?”
“My name is Vlad. Sorry about your bathroom.”
“So you guys . . . you’re the bromance book club?” Thea said.
Mack nodded slowly, then quickly. “I like that. The Bromance Book Club.”