Ryan
Today’s Learning Objective:
Students will make it last.
One year later
Friendship, Rhode Island
“Listen,Ralston. Listen. What if I walk down the aisle like a bear? Claws out, growling? I could bite the ring pillow like it was a fish I just caught in a stream. I’ll be the ringbear.”
I glanced up from my phone and dropped a hand to McKerry’s shoulder, giving him a good shake. “You promised you wouldn’t make me regret this.”
“How could you regret it?” he asked, his tuxedo shirt open and his bow tie hanging out of his pocket. “It’s going to be the tightest fuckin’ thing that happens all day.”
I blew out a breath. Somewhere in the past year, plans for our wedding had shifted frombig partyat Twin Tuliptothree-ring circus taking over the entire town of Friendship. Though it didn’t bother me and Emme much. Between our kickass wedding coordinator and Grace’s whip-cracking, very little landed on our plates. We sampled the food, listened to auditionsfrom bands, and compared notes on tequila options. We left the rest—which included lodging for roughly three hundred people, conflict mediators to manage Emme’s parents, and pyrotechnics permits—to everyone else.
Except for McKerry. He was always on my plate.
“You can’t be a bear, man,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“Cool, cool,” he said to himself. “I’ll go with my original plan, then.”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. I really didn’t have time for this right now. The show started in less than an hour and I needed to check on a few things before sneaking into the bridal suite.
“Can I ask what the original plan was?”
“Just some backflips,” McKerry replied, as if end zone dances were a common occurrence at weddings.
“Allow me to take this one for you.” Hersberler came to my side, a cocktail in hand. “Time to play it straight. No shenanigans out there.”
McKerry glanced between us, utterly baffled. “But…why?”
“Because that’s what Ralston wants,” Hersberler said. “The princess too.”
With a great heave of his shoulders, he asked, “Why didn’t you say so? Is the princess cool with some breakdancing?”
Hersberler dropped his voice, saying to me, “That’s the best offer you’re gonna get. Take it before he circles back around to the bear idea.”
I patted my breast pocket, confirming for the twentieth time today the rings were safe in there and McKerry’s role in this was purely symbolic. “Sounds great,” I said to him, accepting his high-five.
“Still recovering from the party last night?” McKerry pointed to Hersberler’s drink. “What kind of trouble did you get into?”
Since most of our guests were traveling in for this event, we’d started the festivities last night at the new Little Star Bar and Tavern, my venture with Noah Barden. We didn’t officially open until next month, but we figured there was nothing like a rowdy rehearsal dinner party to shake out the issues. Best of all, there was no shellfish to be found at the tavern. Noah and I decided we’d leave that to the oyster boys.
Redness creeped up Hersberler’s neck and he tugged at his collar. “What are you talking about, man? I didn’t get into any trouble.”
“Looked like you were starting some trouble with Ralston’s sister.”
My gaze snapped to the tight end. “Excuse me?”
Hersberler cringed. The guy was bigger, stronger, and faster than me—and he lookedterrifiedright now. Which was a bad fucking sign. “Nothing.” He shook his head. “I didn’t say anything.”
McKerry doubled over laughing. “Boy, you better run.”
I stared at Hersberler, my eyes narrowed. “Which sister?”
He took a step back, a hand held out like he was trying to calm me down. “I would never?—”
