“Beats me.”
I eye Adam. “You good, man?”
He grunts out a response again, locked down and tight, typical Adam when cornered about his relationship.
“Maybe Bills right, let’s all head to bed. The girls will kill us if we look like shit tomorrow.”
Tom and Bobby stand then and head inside as I grab the rake and smooth out the remaining coals that are still burning low in the pit.
“Leave it, I’ll watch it a bit longer.”
“You want me to stay with you?”
He shakes his head. “I’m good. Just need a minute. Go on in, I’ll catch you in the morning.” He looks up. “Brother-in-law.” He smirks as he stands and comes closer. Reaching out to take the rake from my hand, I grab his arm pulling him in, giving him a half hug, half back pat.
“I always knew it’d be you.”
He barks a laugh and pushes me off him. “Get to bed, asshole.”
“Love you too, brother.”
twenty-four
JACKSON
Wedding Day
As tradition states, we slept apart last night, but not a minute went by that I wasn’t thinking about her, dreaming she was next to me. And when I finally did crash and grab about three hours sleep, I woke to a text message from her.
Chessy: I’m sure you’re still sleeping but I wanted to be the first to say I love you on our wedding day
Shaking my head and smirking, she thinks she’s so cute. She thinks she won.
But I always win, she should know that by now.
Me: Today you’ll be the first … on your knees
Yes, we stayed in separate homes last night but being that we all live on the same block, we couldn’t get away from each other for long. There has been a steady flow of people in and out of mine and Chess’ house this morning. Hair, makeup, photographer, it’s been never ending.
I had breakfast delivered from Farrah’s bakery, for the girls and for me and my boys. There are two photographers, one at our house and one with the girls.They’ve been snapping candid’s all morning. I’m sure the girls are much more entertaining than us. We’re all just kind of lounging around, drinking coffee and hanging out in shorts and tees before we begin getting dressed.
It’s so simple for a guy.
But each person that enters Adam’s house has a quip to deliver about what the girls are doing and even a couple of messages to deliver to us.
‘That wild sister of yours is already a few shots in.’Not surprised.
‘Francesca wants you to know she’ll be the one in white today.’I smile at her corny line.
And the best? Bobby’s Aunt Shannon delivered our boutonnieres and tried to convince us that Chess is wearing my NFL jersey as her wedding dress.‘Oh yea, tailor made! Short and fitted, edged with white lace, just how you like it.’When I bit back a slight curse, Adam choked on his coffee. We all got a good laugh at his expense. Aunt Shannon just patted him on the back and said she’d see us at the field.
A short while later we start the process of bringing it all together. The guys are in dark navy-blue suits, white button downs and brown dress shoes. Each has a blush pink handkerchief, as per Francesca, tucked into their left breast pockets.
I step out from my room, dressed in my black tuxedo and get whistles from the guys. I swing my tie over my head and dance around as if I’m Magic Mike on stage, which turns the whistles into groans.
“Ok, ok, I get it. Stick to coaching, scrap the stripper dream.” Adam comes up beside me, taking the tie from my hands and begins to tie it around my neck.
“Good plan,” he says.
