CD? Huh. Maybe my workaholic nature had rubbed off on them.
"Brenda!" a voice shouted.
Colt waved at me from where he was helping an older woman into a chair near the front. Things were about to start, so I hurried to give him a quick hug. I wouldn't get to see much of him later since he was the best man.
"Hey," I said, looking him up and down. "You clean up nice."
He posed in his dark purple three-piece suite, his ear gauges the same color. "Ah, shit, thanks." The older woman smiled up at me—and I froze. "Brenda, you remember Drezden's mother, right?"
"Of course," I said, leaning down so she could see my lips. My belly shrank at the memory of this sweet woman and her deafness. "How are you?"
Beaming, she dabbed at her eyes. "Already crying," she said, a little too loudly. Music piped through the garden; it was time.
She couldn't hear it, so Colt bent down, pointing at the flower arch. "I need to go!" he shouted.
Nodding, she settled in with her mouth thin and tight. The face of a mom who didn't want to lose it before her son even said his vows.
Keeping a happy look on, I backed away—thumping into something solid. "Oh!" I gasped, spinning to face... Sean. He was wearing a silver vest over a black shirt, his slacks darker than his hair. He looked delicious. "Brenda," he said, guiding me up aisle. "Hurry up, it's starting."
"Uh, right." Clearing my throat, I stood under the flower arch with my knees pressed together. I could smell him over the garden flowers—musky and orange citrus.
Lola and Drez weren't exactly traditional. They'd decided to just have people close to them on the day of. There were no bridesmaids or the like—I kind of wish she'd bothered, then I wouldn't have had to pick a dress.
But no, she had to be kind and all, do what you want!
There was an inch of existence between my bare knee and Sean's. I started wondering if I'd shaved close enough. Had I used enough lotion? I was more conscious of that inch of air that could have been erased with a simple adjustment of my toes than I was of how the sitting crowd was watching me.
Drezden lined up beneath the arch with Porter and Colt beside him. He was standing still, that seemed... weird. He isn't nervous? How could he not be nervous on his wedding day?
And then Lola entered, and I understood.
He looked at her in that gorgeous cream and purple ombre excuse for a wedding gown, and I'd never seen such a pure expression of love.
Cameras flashed, I was sure the media would have their hands on the photos by tonight in spite of how intimate Lola and Drez had tried to keep this event. She swayed up the aisle, her teeth sparkling and her eyes so big I thought they'd fall from her head.
Her tattoo shined under the setting sun. It had been updated recently, the castle added onto. The curling font spelled out Honesty along the top. I didn't know what that meant, except my guess was it had to do with Drez's little game back when he'd auditioned her for the band.
"She's so pretty," I whispered to Sean.
He smiled tenderly. "Damn right."
Lola and Drez embraced under the arch. I wasn't shocked at the lack of a priest—they'd arranged for an officiant who worked for the hotel. It was all just to make it official, I knew neither of them cared who married them.
They just wanted to be married.
I had to admire that.
And then the officiant passed around instruments to Drez, Lola, and the rest of the band... and it got a little nuts. Sweet, but nuts.
Normal people write vows. Musicians sing their hearts out. But what really impressed me was the paper screen that had been set up for Drez's mom. As she watched the lyrics roll down the board, her eyes never stopped spilling tears.
Even I was getting a little watery. Rubbing my eye, I mumbled, "Bunch of cheese, huh?"
Sean smiled down at me. There was no doubting the red tinging his lower lids. Scrubbing at his face, he laughed. "Yeah. Cheesy."
His raw emotion made my heart stutter.
Standing there, I applauded with everyone else, smiling at the pair as they strut down the aisle to the stampeding sound of Colt's drums. Freed from being locked next to Sean, I bolted into the crowd and followed them eagerly into the reception.