“Oh god,” she says as she darts into the powder room and takes in the full extent of her appearance. From her small clutch she produces more things that I thought could ever fit. She swiftly places another pair of those sticky things on her nipples, plucks hairpins on what she calls her updo, dabs makeup on herforehead. She checks her ass in the mirror, then smooths her dress, takes a deep breath, and says, “You owe me a serious fuck session tonight.”
I’m going to have to think about… nails on a chalkboard to get rid of the hard-on she gave me again with just her words.
A couple of hours later Willow nudges me. “You’re up.”
Alex is going back to her place at one of the dinner tables, having given a speech about how true love just finds you, and there’s no fighting it or trying to forget it. She’s talking about her own story as well as Ethan’s and Grace’s, and I can’t help but wonder again… is there something wrong with me that I didn’t see what was right there, in front of me, several times a week? Am I that broken that I couldn’t see, couldn’t find, couldn’t recognize true love?
I always felt awed and amazed and a little bit scared by Willow. Shouldn’t I have been able to see who she really was?
“Where’s the best man?” Cassandra calls in the mic.
Shit, that’s me. I head to the spot next to Grace and Ethan and recount the expected story about how Ethan fell head-over-heels for Grace. I skip the part where he messed up and disappeared for ten years, because no one wants to hear how a groom fucked up. I manage to make a tasteful joke about them seeing each other for the first time again in a massage tent. “Don’t worry, Ms. Angela was right outside, and I checked with her.Nothinghappened.” The audience is falling over themselves laughing, but Grace and Ethan are just… blushing. A lot.
“Oh… so she lied,” I state in the mic, my attention on them. “Good to know.”
More laughter.
“Cassandra is typically credited for a lot of love stories in this town…” I tip the mic to her and get Cass a round of applause, “but I think Ms. Angela, who I’m actually proud to now call family, deserves a lot of credit as well.” This time the round of applause is for Ms. Angela, who makes all sorts of faces and waves her hands no, then finally gives up and makes a heart sign with her hands like she’s a millennial.
“Speaking of family, we want a redo of the wedding, No-no!” Beck bellows from across the party tent.
“Beck, this is Grace and Ethan’s wedding.”
Beck stands and bellows, “He shorted us a party!”
Is this guy for real? I glance at Grace and Ethan. At least they’re laughing. “No one wants a Callaway family argument.”
There’s a Larsen effect from a mic, then Ethan’s voice comes out. “We’d love to see that, actually. Free entertainment,” he jokes, and Grace laughs.
I shake my head. “I’ll only say this. Can’t blame me for wanting to shield my bride from this little brother. Let her have one day of peace.”
Beck places his hands on his heart as if he were mortally wounded but sits down, getting the message that this really isn’t okay. These kids are going to be the death of me… especially considering they’re absolutely not kids.
I wrap up my interrupted speech with a couple of heartfelt and lightly funny remarks, and am almost at my seat when Grace says in the mic, “Willow?”
Willow turns her head to look beyond me.
“We’re expecting a vow renewal for your first anniversary, honey.”
Willow glances at me like a deer in the headlights.
Kiara’s voice sounds from god knows where, “Yeah, I’m calling in my one chance to be a maid of honor.”
Willow is crimson, but nods at her friends.
“That’s actually a great idea,” I whisper in her ear.
She doesn’t answer, just timidly dips her head down, and I’m not quite sure what to make of that.
forty-four
Willow
Forget my friends’ idea for an anniversary vow renewal—which caught me totally by surprise—this wedding is just massive foreplay. When we’re not glued to each other on the dance floor, Noah’s hands are on my thigh. On my bare shoulder. Lightly squeezing my nape. Down my bare back.
When we’re finally in our bedroom, he locks the door and growls, “Where were we,” as he firmly presses me against the wall and drives his hand up between my thighs. I know exactly what part of the evening he’s talking about. The one where he had me half-naked against the farm wall.
Wetness pools between my legs as my mind insists on holding on to the suggestion Kiara made that we have a renewal of vows. Any lingering doubts I may have had of Noah’s true love for me disappeared at his murmured“that’s a great idea”and it’s not impossible I’ve been planning—
