The World According to Vince - Jane Harvey-Berrick Page 0,67

that long!”

I groaned. “Please, Gracie. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll … I’ll try to remember what I was going to say. I’ll write it on the tablecloth.”

I cleared my throat as everyone turned to stare at me.

“Because I’m a gentleman—or that’s what my mum told me once after drinking a bottle of Cinzano—I’m going to let the gorgeous maid of honor, Gracie Cooper, go first.”

Rick was frowning and Cady was staring at me questioningly. I gave her a weak smile.

Standing gracefully, my girl smiled at the audience and began speaking without missing a beat—she was brilliant.

“I’ve known Cady since I was 18 years old, a freshman in college. She was loud, funny, confident, daring, adventurous and challenging—and none of that’s changed. What I didn’t know that first day but have since learned, is that she’s also kind, caring, unfailingly loyal and an all-around amazing woman. She took pity on a gawky, awkward kid, and allowed me to hang out with her for the next twenty years. I was welcomed into her family, too, with Rachel, Sandy and Davy, and Cady became the sister I’d never had. But she has two weaknesses—or maybe that’s three, now she’s marrying Rick!” and she smiled at him.

Thankfully, Rick was no longer glaring at me like I’d be sleeping with the fishes. Which was good, because I had plans for tonight.

“Cady’s first weakness is that you can dare her to do anything and she’ll do it. Whether it’s to eat three-dozen donuts at a single sitting before dancing the twist on a table in a restaurant, or swimming with sharks, or talking live on air to seven million people every morning! Anything. Last year she was dared to run the New York marathon. She had to endure months of people laughing and saying she’d never do it, but they didn’t know our girl. Not only did she finish the marathon but she raised over a quarter of a million dollars for veterans charities. Pretty amazing, right?”

I clapped along with everyone else because holy shit! Thirty-six donuts in one go? The woman was a legend.

“Cady’s second weakness is lemon-glazed donuts, which you may have guessed by now. Cady, hon, I don’t think I’m giving away secrets here!” and Gracie pointed at the wedding cake which was chocolate, perched on a massive mound of multi-colored donuts, and with two little figures in icing laying on a giant donut-shaped double bed.

Cady laughed and shrugged.

“And of course now we all know that Cady’s biggest weakness is for a certain Manhattan gym owner who also happens to run marathons, and has been inducted into the lemon-donut appreciation society.”

I wondered if that was a real thing, because it sounded fun.

Gracie drew a deep breath and turned to talk directly to the bride.

“Cady, thank you for the privilege of being your maid of honor, but most of all, thank you for the privilege of being your friend for so many years. Love you, hon.”

The two women hugged and whispered tearfully to each other as the crowd applauded. I wanted to grab Gracie and hug her too, but I knew that she had more to say.

Wiping her tears but still smiling, she turned back to the wedding guests.

“And thanks to all of you for being here today to celebrate with Cady and Rick. I think we can all agree that we have awesome taste in friends.” Then she turned to the happy couple again with more tears in her eyes and a hitch in her voice. “Cady, Rick, when I look at the two of you I see the love you have for each other; I see the joy you share in so many ordinary moments in each day; and I see a long and happy future for you as husband and wife. Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses to toast the bride and groom, Cady and Rick. Mazel Tov!”

Everyone stood and roared their names. The two grandmas had to be helped to their feet by Ben and Leon because they were completely sloshed.

“You were brilliant,” I said kissing the tears off her cheeks as Gracie sat down.

She smiled and kissed me back.

Grace

Finally, with nothing left to say, I leaned back in my chair, watching helplessly as Vince lurched to his feet and stood motionless in front of the wedding guests. I prayed that his natural exuberance and showmanship would save the day, and it hadn’t escaped my attention that half the wedding party had been talking about the