Once the ceremony is over, we’re left to our own devices at dinner. Long mismatched wooden tables are sprawled across the grass, decked out like an enchanted forest fucked a conferencetable. No seating chart, justvibes. Across from me, Thor sits, downing a glass of wine as if it might teleport him to anywhere but here. He showed up solo. Beside me, my date quietly eats like she’s hoping nobody notices her at all—unfortunately for Anna, I do. With curiosity and a chub.
Then come the toasts.
First up is Clyde Everhart, the bride’s father, which would be normal if Clyde weren’t fucking dead. But he left a bunch of letters for Kelly to read at various milestones in her life, including her wedding day.
Logan stands and gathers everyone’s attention—I grin ear-to-ear just thinking about how much he loathes being in the limelight.
“Before Clyde Everhart passed, he left me a box of letters addressed to his daughter for important days in her life. This is the first time either of us is reading this letter”—Bullshit. I am deeply suspicious he’s read and memorized every letter in that whole damn box—“so, maybe cover small ears because all the eloquence Clyde possessed went into his art, not his words.”
Small laugh. Classic.
“Hey kid . . . Well damn. You’re really doing it. Wish I could be there to walk you down the aisle. This part hit harder than I expected. I had grand plans to look you in the eye and tell you that I love you, and look him in the eye and remind him that I’ll bury him if he ever hurts you. But instead I’m writing you this letter because that’s all the time I’ve got.
“You’re a blaze, my girl, just like your mom. You’ve always been the best part of both of us. I’m sure you look beautiful today in your dress just like she did. I know you. You don’t do anything halfway. Not ink, nor art. You go all in every time. And if you’re with who I hope you are, your fire is an equal match for his deep water. Still, I hope you let him burn every once in a while. People think love just happens, like you couldtrip and fall into it—but the real kind, the kind that lasts, is raw and deliberate. I know you know how to love because I’ve seen it. Love him the way you deserve to be loved—loud, fierce, and unapologetic.
“You were always my best work, so I hope the one you chose knows what a damn honor it is to be your husband. And if he ever forgets, take after your mom and remind him.
“So now, I’m talking to your groom.
“Logan, take care of her. Not in the white-picket-fence kind of way. I don’t care if you forget to open doors or say the right thing. But when she breaks, pick up the pieces and hold her. See her, the hard edges and the soft spots, and love them both, never ask her to sacrifice one for the other.
“I lived with her as a teenager; you can’t tame her so don’t even try. She’s fierce. So if you’re not ready to burn for her, you better step aside. If you’re lucky enough to have her for a wife, then you need to be worthy of her as a husband—every damn day.
“Remember my promise if you ever hurt her. I meant it.
“I love you both. Make a beautiful life together. Love hard, choose each other, and raise some hell.
“Love, the father of the bride (Dad).”
It’s silent when Logan finishes the note. Someone sniffles nearby. Goddamn it, I’m even getting choked up. I knew Clyde well; I had a short apprenticeship with him after moving over from a different shop. Hearing that letter is like hearing his voice again. The man was mostly quiet like Logan, but when he spoke, he never minced words.
Afterward, the Tellers give their toasts, poor bastards; I’d hate to follow Clyde Everhart. The Tellers’ speeches are as neat and polished as the rest of the family is—sans Logan.
Then it’s my turn, because I like talking and I’m an attention whore.
“All right, I’m up. I’m Casper. Friend of the bride. Friend of the groom. Award-winning tattoo artist. And tonight’s designated liability.
“I’ve known Kelly well enough to know that she may seem precious
and cuddly on the outside, but deep down she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s got that cheerful, bubbly personality that makes everyone melt—and makes the rest of us turn into guard dogs in case anyone looks at her wrong. We’ll sew your mouth shut just for interrupting her, which honestly, is the mostusmove ever.”
She rolls her eyes at me, and I glance at the groom.
“And I’ve known Logan long enough to know he has feelings under that resting bitch face. Watching him fall in love was like watching a building collapse in slow motion. Impossible to stop, but something you wanted to watch with a bucket of popcorn. That man waited for her so long it was honestly uncomfortable to be around. But now? Look at you! Since getting together, you burn brighter and hotter together than you ever did on your own.” I swallow to make sure my voice doesn’t crack, then nod toward the tree behind them. “You’ve been through hell and back and have that charred cottonwood back there to prove it.”
I clear my throat and raise my glass. “To Logan and Kelly. May your love stay wild and fucked up forever. And may the rest of us be lucky enough to find something half as real. Love you both.”
It’s the truth. I know there’s a part of me that yearns for what they have. If I ever settle down, I want it to be a love as raw as theirs. I want romance with a dark side, in a window-watcher kind of way. Deranged, butsexyderanged.
I down my champagne and nod at Thor across from me. “Thor, you’re up.”
He flips me the bird while I drop into my seat next to Anna.
“I gave my toast at the first wedding,” he grumbles. “Pass.”
Okay, calm down, buddy.
“I totally killed it,” I whisper in her ear.
