“No, you said—”
“Just call her Jasmin,” Kevin cut in. “Jasmin works fine. I have to admit, this seems so surreal. The two of you are actually married. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“I know. It’s been a long wait. Mom has already started nagging us for more grandkids. She’s even picked out names—”
Max was cut off when his best man came rushing out of the church. Up close, Jasmin could see that even though his hair was almost completely gray, he didn’t look a day older than Max.
“Oh, my God!” he gasped. “Danny, how are you? Are you fine? You were in church for so long…surrounded by all that holy water and…goodness. I thought you were gonna burst into flames.”
“Go to hell, Charlie!” she snapped.
Kevin seemed taken aback and Jasmin stared wide-eyed as the two of them went at it. Max, however, just shook his head as if this type of snarling was a regular occurrence.
“Do you have a room set up there for me?” Charlie retorted. “I never pegged you for the hospitable type.”
“Oh, there’s a room there for you all right. Right there in the senior section,Grandpa.” Danny sneered her irritation and turned to Max. “Why did you even invite this loser?”
Max chuckled. “He’s kinda the reason we’re together.”
“I’m just kidding,” Charlie said, and just like that, the fake animosity between them faded. “You clean up good, Satan.”
“Thanks,” she replied with a smile.
“Well, I’ll see you two at the reception.” He patted Max on the shoulder. “I wanna say congratulations, but I think good luck is more appropriate.” He gave Danny one more teasing grin, then walked away.
“I’m dying to hear his best man speech,” Kevin commented.
“I think he knows better,” Max said, putting his arm around Danny. “My wife is the violent type.” Another broad smile stretched across his face and he leaned down to kiss her. “I like the sound of that. Mywife.”
He kissed her again and Kevin groaned. “I think we’re gonna leave before I lose my breakfast.”
“Sure, Kev,” Max replied with a laugh. “We’ll see you later.”
They left the two lovebirds staring adoringly at each other and walked back to the car. His mother’s tears of joy were still flowing ceaselessly as they drove to the reception venue.
Once they were inside, Jasmin was overwhelmed with the amount of people. Kevin introduced her to his aunts, uncles and cousins, and after about the first dozen, she stopped trying to remember names. Cousin Morris really was creepy. He didn’t sit at any of the tables, but rather chose to linger at the back of the room, watching everyone like he was about to set the building on fire.
His parents sat up front with the bride and groom while they sat at a table with the rest of his siblings and their partners. Dom and Shane were equally welcoming, greeting her with a warm hug. Jasmin sat down beside Tyler, who seemed to be in a heateddebate with Kevin’s youngest niece, Makayla. She was trying to convince him that the flowers on her dress were pink and he insisted that they were peach. Although his stamina to argue with a toddler was impressive, after a few minutes, his growing irritation caused him to relent and he let her win the squabble.
Shane was exactly as Kevin described him, talking non-stop. As if the color debacle wasn’t enough for Tyler to deal with, he also had to fend off comments from Shane about him and Jordan living in sin and how he should make an honest woman out of his sister.
Dom got involved too, and she heard the words balls and shears thrown around a lot. But thankfully Tyler was taken out of the hot seat when Charlie stood up and tapped his fork against his champagne glass to get everyone’s attention.
“Hi, everyone,” he said as the room settled into quietness. “As many of you may have experienced, the road to happiness for every couple is different. For Max and Danny, the road has been hard and very,verylong.” There was a slight titter from the crowd. “My man, Max, here was stuck in the friend zone for many…many, many, many years, just hanging onto the hope that one day the woman he loved would want something more. And then one day, she did. Although tragic, Danny finally got some sense knocked into her. She finally realized that the love she was looking for was right in front of her. It goes to show that every moment should be embraced, the good ones and the bad. Sometimes the most beautiful thing can blossom from what you thought was a tragedy.”
Kevin clasped her hand in his and held it tight. “I agree,” he whispered.
“Sometimes it just takes a twist of fate,” Charlie continued, “and a very trustworthy friend to set you on a path that eventually leads you to your destiny.”
Those words hit home for Kevin and she noticed his other hand move to his chest, rubbing against the medal of Saint Christopher hidden beneath his shirt.
Charlie smiled at the crowd. “If any of you are wondering, I’m the trustworthy friend and, not to brag, but it’s because ofmysound advice that you see these two before you a happily married couple. If it weren’t for me, all of us—including Danny—would still be waiting for Max to make a move.”
Max gave an irritated humph and the crowd erupted with laughter. Charlie turned to face them then. “Max, Danny, I know this road hasn’t been easy for either of you and there will definitely be more bumps along the way, but that’s love and the love the two of you share is strong enough to conquer anything.” He raised his glass. “To Mr. and Mrs. Shepard! Congratulations!”
Whoops and zealous cheers filled the room and Max pulled Danny in for another kiss. He whispered something in her ear, which made her giggle like a love-struck teenager, then they stood up and made their way to the dance floor for the first dance. There were a few confused faces as everyone watched Danny kick off her heels. Max loosened his tie and they smiled at each other when the beats of Timberland’sThe Way I Areboomed through the speakers. They bounced and hopped and slid across the dance floor. It wasn’t the best choreography. Actually, it was ridiculous, but it looked like it was very well-practiced by the two of them.
“Is that the robot?” Jasmin asked, barely containing her giggles.
