As I stare at the entrance, I’m nervous as hell.My mouth feels as dry as midday in the Atacama desert.Because Phoebe and her family should be entering the arena soon.
“You good, bro?”Declan sidles up to me and hands me a drink.Summer’s with him, per usual, and she’s tugging on her bridesmaid dress like it’s constructed of sandpaper and stink bugs.
“This shit is so uncomfortable,” she grumbles.“I don’t know how women do it.I mean, if I had to wear a dress to my job on a daily basis, I’d shove sticks in my eyeballs and throw myself off Prospector’s Escarpment.”
Declan rolls his eyes at me as if he’s saying, “Get a load of this girl.”Like this is anything out of the ordinary for her.And like Declan isn’t her No.1 fan.
These two are Yosemite Ranch’s version of the comedy team Key & Peele, if Key & Peele were secretly in love with one another and had spent a decade repressing their desires.Declan and Summer’s stubborn denial routine is getting less believable with each passing year.
I take a sip of my scotch.
“What’syourproblem?”Summer asks me.
“I don’t have a problem.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“Like what?”
“Likeyou’rethe one getting married.”
I glance over at Declan.“Get a load of this girl,” I say to him.
Summer stops her fidgeting, walks around Declan, and stands in front of me.She’s props her hands on her hips.“You know, most lawyers are really good liars.”
“Please find someone else to assault, Summer.”
“We all know about Phoebe, so chill the fuck out.We love her.She’s the best.You’ve always been cute together.I’m actually happy for you guys.I only hope she has the patience of an oyster.”
I look down at her, mystified.
“You know, enduring years of irritation in order to make a pearl.Ha!”She slaps her knee.Declan howls with laughter.
I take another sip of my scotch and ignore them.Summer has a point, though.I can be an irritating man.I, too, hope Phoebe is patient enough to deal with me in the long term.
“So?You getting married or what?”
I glare at her.“Summer, people like you are the reason elopements are popular.”
“You’re eloping?When?”
I close my eyes to center myself, then turn to Declan.“The wheelchair ramp is still in place, right?”
“It is.And the guys we hired to park cars and escort guests know all about what to do for Gil Travis.”
I pat Declan on the shoulder.“Thanks.”
I’ve worried about this.The temperatures have stayed below freezing and the logistics for snow removal have been a nightmare.
Finn and Emma originally wanted to have the same kind of event tent that Victoria and Cal used for their reception.Unfortunately, the winter wonderland Emma dreamed of has made that impossible.
I have to admit that Finn pivoted nicely, and the indoor arena looks like it was always intended as the venue.As a bonus, it’s climate-controlled.
I’ll never tell Finn this, but his glitter-covered twigs and silver balls look pretty nice.Dad chopped down one of our own spruce trees so that Finn could have his sparkling centerpiece.It looks good.If our Navy contracts ever dry up, Finn might have a shot at a career as a wedding planner.
I take a deep breath, knowing how fucking lucky I am.
If I hadn’t volunteered to retrieve Finn’s mythic evergreen tree, a very different reality would be unfolding right now.
