I’d just tuggedon my suit pants and my undershirt when Hannah knocked on the door. Raleigh let her in, and she rushed into the room, a dress bag draped over her arm and a tote slung over her shoulder. Her hair was in rollers, makeup flawlessly applied.
“Oh, good,” she said. “I don’t have to drag you out of the shower. There’s not enough therapy in the world for that.”
I snickered. “How are you so put together already?”
“Years of practice.” She pulled a chair out from the table. “Sit.”
I dropped into the chair, and it was like the signal for hell to break loose. Hannah worked at my hair while Raleigh took turns feeding me and Evie our breakfast. My dad appeared, then half of the photography team. Noah was a small, quiet guy with dark hair and eager blue eyes. He buzzed around us, camera snapping a mile a minute.
I kept trying to twist around to see what Hannah was doing, so she had Raleigh drag a mirror over so I’d sit still. From there, I watched as she combed gel through my hair and twisted my curls around her finger. Eventually, she picked up a blow dryer and I jolted away from her.
“That looks like a torture device!” I protested, indicating the claw… thing she’d attached to the machine.
“Shut up,” she laughed. “It’s just a diffuser.”
The minutes crept by, and I watched the clock closely. Erin was supposed to show up any minute to give Hannah the first part of her surprise, and I was going to kill her if she was late. The closer we got to leaving for the venue, the more my leg bounced. My stomach fluttered.
“Nervous?” Raleigh teased, scooping the top half of his freshly washed hair into a knot on top of his head. He stood in nothing more than black pants, his piercings and tattoos on full display.
A smile eased across my mouth. My leg didn’t still, but I was no less content. “Wired,” I admitted, taking a deep breath. “I’m ready.” Then to Hannah, “Did you get to see James before you came here?”
“I did. He looks amazing. You’ll see him soon enough. First look is in an hour and we’re right on schedule.”
She tapped my shoulder, a signal that she was finished and I could stand up. Raleigh handed me the black button-up shirt that I’d wear under my tux, and between him and my dad, guided it onto my shoulders. I caught their eyes in the mirror; their deep blue eyes sparkled—as mine did, but for a different reason. I swallowed down a wave of emotion. Raleigh’s deep chuckle rumbled in my ear, and I went to work on my shirt buttons.
“Don’t start crying on us yet, Clark.”
“I’m not!” If anything, Iwasstarting to get nervous. Hannah disappeared into the bathroom to take her hair out of the rollers, and I took the opportunity to check my phone—and stash her dress bag in the closet. Erin still hadn’t shown up, and I didn’t have any messages from her. Dropping the phone to the table, I let my dad help me into my jacket and secure the cufflinks.
“Your mom wanted to help you with your tie, if you’d let her.”
I crooked a brow at him in the mirror. “Does Mom know how to tie a bow tie?”
“She’s been practicing for weeks.”
“Fucking hell.” I couldn’t take it anymore. Tears welled up, and one spilled down my cheek before I was able to press the heels of my hands into my eyes. Dad chuckled and squeezed my shoulder and when I looked up again, Raleigh was in my face.
“Hold on, Matt!” he said, stopping my dad from handing me a tissue. Then he pulled out his phone. “I need to get proof of Ryder Clark crying.”
“Fuck off!” I blubbered out a laugh, shoving his large hand away and accepting the tissue as my mother pushed through the suite door and into the room, feigning offense.
“He’s crying and I missed it?”
Raleigh opened his mouth, but our photographer cut him off, leaning over and showing her his camera. “I’ve got it.”
Screw it. If they wanted to spend the day embarrassing me, so be it. Throat tight, I reached for the scrap of red satin, so dark a red that it appeared black, and handed it over to my mother. “Would you help me, Mom?”
Now it was her eyes turning glossy. She accepted the tie from me and shoved me back into the seat. “Sit down,” she demanded, sniffling. “You’re too tall.”
Dad and Raleigh shuffled around in the background, Raleigh wiggling Evie into her fluffy white dress. She clearly wasn’t pleased with the selection, so my dad joined in, fussing over her to distract her from the stressful event.
“Where’s my dress?” Hannah asked. She had emerged from the bathroom, brown hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders. She scanned the room, searching for the dress bag.
“It’s on its way,” I assured her.
“What are you talking about? I brought it with me.”
“No, you didn’t.”
