Prologue - Wedding Season
Darcy || June
Hazel green eyes bore into mine from over Maverick's already shaking shoulders– from watching his daughter toss burnt orange rose petals to the ground as we wait for Kodi to make her way down the aisle. Bella stands beside me with her woven basket, wearing a dress that matches Sin and Harley’s sand-colored ones except hers has a giant bow on the back and a baby’s breath flower crown sits atop her head. Our best friends are getting married any minute and instead of looking at the flower archway that I painstakingly put together like everyone else,heis staring at me. I want to say that I hate it but I don’t. Tatum Reed has had my attention since we met at dip night, Kodi warned me that he was my type and she wasn’t wrong. His dirty blonde hair is always perfectly swept to the side, and the tailored suits that he lives in are always sculpted to his body and drive me nuts. Continuing to take him in, I wonder what his mustache and five o’clock shadow would feel like between my thighs. Admittedly, we’ve developed a friendship throughout Mav and Kodi’s relationship, but I can’t let it go beyond that. Not only could it affect Kodi and Mav’s relationship, but Tate and Mav’s professional relationship, too. A soft, lyrical version ofForever and Ever and Always by Ryan Mackbegins to flow out of the speakers and I do my best to focus on my best friend as her Mom walks her down the aisle. Kodi’s long black hair is swept up into a bun-braid type situation with gentle curls framing her face, her makeup accentuates her beautiful features but her dress is the star of the show. Her dress is simple yet elegant with its sweep train– its mesh sleeves detailed with flowers and a split front that dons the same detailing of the sleeves. Before she even steps through the archway, Sinclair, Harley, and I burst into tears that don’t stop until Kodi is officially Mrs. Maverick Hart.
After the I do’s, trying to wrangle the men of the Manta Rays for photos, a delicious dinner of filets covered in a Cognac peppercorn cream sauce, and speeches from the parents— it’s my turn to get up and speak on the relationship we are here to celebrate.
Standing from my seat, taking the microphone and one deep breath, I begin speaking, “Hi everyone, for those who don’t know me I’m Darcy. Kodi has been my rock and my best friend since we were teenagers. We’ve been through it all together. The break ups, the makeups, the drama, every nitty gritty detail, so you can imagine that Maverick’s proposal was the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep from her. She stood by me, boosted me up, and loved me even when I was being stubborn.” Feeling the emotions bubbling in my throat, I look at my best friend which was the worst thing I could do because she’s dabbing her eyes and that opened the floodgates. I avert my attention to Maverick and Tatum who both give me encouraging nods to continue, “I’m honored to have gotten to stand by her side today as she married her person. Kodi and Maverick have created a community, bringing people together and giving them a place to always feel welcomed, included, accepted, and loved. To finish off, I’d like to say that my best friend deserves all the love in the world and she’s found that with you, Mav. Good luck and thanks for taking her off my hands. Love you both.”
Claps, laughter, and sniffles are the melody throughout the rest of the speeches before the party begins.
A few hours later, I'm waiting for my next drink at the open bar, when the smell of the ocean—sea salt and cedar—invades my senses. Turning to look, now aware of Tatum’s presence beside me, our elbows touch as he leans over the bar with his order. Whiskey neat—of course, he drinks it straight. “Did you save a dance for me?”
“Oop, sorry. Fresh out of those.” I say with more sass than normal. I probably should have held off on the tequila tonight in lieu of Maid of Honor duty but Maverick and Kodi haven’t left each other's sides at all and I was sober until the party started. They even disappeared for a little while when everyone was out on the dance floor, presumably to consummate their marriage knowing my best friend and her now husband. I can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, Mav worships the ground that Kodi walks on. While I date, I have never felt anything close to what Kodi describes feeling with Maverick. She often describes it as if she was missing a piece of herself until Maverick and my niece by proxy entered her life.
“Is anybody home?” Tatum jibes. I must have been lost in my head longer than I thought I was.
“Uh yeah, sorry what did you say?”
“I said that there’s no way that you are fresh out of dances.” Bumping his elbow into mine again with a smirk.
“You’ve barely left the dance floor except to get more of that horrific thing in your hand.” He adds as he gestures towards my tequila sunrise.
“I could say the same to you, that shit tastes like smoke and wood.”
“I’m going to pretend that I’m not insulted by that.” His bright, white smile makes an appearance across his annoyingly handsome face. “So about that dance? I think it’s like an unspoken wedding rule that the Maid of Honor and Best Man share at least one dance.”
“You’re not going to take no for an answer are you?”
“You know me so well.”
Setting his empty glass down and extending a hand to me, with a sigh I set mine down too and place my hand into his, letting him guide me to the dance floor just asi can’t help it by JVKEbegins to play. I feel Sin and Harley’s eyes on us as we walk by them and I can only imagine the comments they are making to each other. When Tatum finds a spot near the center of the floor, he turns to me, places both hands on my waist, and gently pulls me into him. My hands find their place behind his neck as he sways me back and forth. For a moment, I allow myself to enjoy the feeling of our bodies pressed close and his eyes on me.
“You look beautiful tonight, you know,” he says, interrupting the silence between us. His eyes, which can’t decide if they are more green or brown tonight, find mine.
This morning as we were getting ready I felt like maybe I’d made the wrong choice in dress– the deep V and open back of the burnt orange, floor-length dress making me feel exposed rather than beautiful. All of those doubts flying out the window with this compliment that sets my heart ablaze.
“Thank you. You don’t clean up too bad yourself.” I smile up at him. “I’m really happy Kodi and Mav found each other. Plus, I think it brought some pretty wonderful people into my life.”
“She makes him happy. Until Kodi came into their lives, I hadn’t seen him with so much light in his eyes since Arabella said Dada for the first time.”
“It’s special, for sure.” I sigh, feeling the buzz from that last drink kick in. “Do you want what they have?”
His eyebrows raise, my question catching him off guard. Before he can answer, the DJ calls out, “Alright people. This next song is our last one and then we send the Bride and Groom off for their honeymoon! Let’s end the night on a high note!”
“Better go and get ready for the bubble exit. Duty calls.” I giggle and drag Tatum to the spot by the door we were assigned before he answers. We do a “faux exit” for pictures and then Maverick and Kodi make their final rounds saying goodbye to everyone—spending a little extra time cuddling Bella, their daughter, who won’t be joining them on their honeymoon. She’ll be staying with Stu, Maverick’s dad, while they are gone.
“Byeeee Uncle Tater Tot!” Bella sings from Maverick’s arms, her small arm waving wildly at us before Mav passes her over to Stu.
“That’s new.” I smile in his direction.
“I brought the child tater tots from Sonic one time. So she decided that because tater tots and Tatum sound so similar, that’s my new name.” His grin grows larger as he waves back to Bella.
“Cute,” I say as the DJ begins directing everyone to the doors for the exit.
To my surprise, I can’t help but nudge Tate, and say, “You know, I heard that at these things the Maid of Honor and Best Man are supposed to sleep together.”
“Yeah, I think I heard that too.” His voice is dark and low in my ear, his body heat close enough that I can feel it but far enough away to avoid suspicion. “Come back to my place?”
