"I'm going to assume that doesn't include breaking the gazebo in the first place," Tiffany said. "But you're welcome. Thankyoufor inviting us all to your wedding. That was really sweet of you."
"It was my pleasure. I mean, I would have invitedyou,at least, anyway, once Steve told me that you were, you know.Together. Although if you'd told me before I met Steve that getting together with somebody you'd met ten minutes earlier was a good idea, I never would have believed it."
"You have no idea," Tiffany said, amused. "He actually proposed the other day."
Charlee's eyes widened. "How many minutes after you met was that?"
"Oh,hours," Tiffany said. "On our second date. At dinner on Thursday night. I'd said it wasn't very efficient of all these cousins to not get married at the same time so they could all go to each other's weddings, and he said I was right, would I like to get married?"
"Let me guess." Now Charlee's eyes were sparkling. "You almost said yes, even though it seemed crazy."
"It's true," Tiffany admitted.
Ollie coughed on the trifle he was eating. "Really? Why didn't you say so?"
"Because I'd only met you eight hours earlier!"
"Oh. Well, okay."
"I think you should do it," Charlee said impishly.
"Getmarried?" Tiffany and Ollie spoke at the same time, but Ollie's heart leaped at the idea. It was completely impractical. It might not even be legal, since he was Australian. But it seemed like a dream was being dangled right out of his reach, and it might kill him to let it go.
"Sure." Charlee was glowing with happiness anyway, but now she seemed to nearly float with laughter. "You caught the bouquet, right? And," her voice dropped dramatically, "you're fated mates, so youknowit's going to work out. And," she said in a more normal tone, "everybodyishere. Why not just go for it?"
"Well, for one thing, I've already disrupted your wedding considerably," Tiffany said faintly. "I'm pretty sure it's really bad manners to get married at somebody else's wedding! Or even engaged!"
"Not if the somebody else is backing you! Steve! Steve, c'mere, Ollie and Tiffany are going to get married, okay?" Charlee bustled away for a moment, leaving Ollie to look down at Tiffany in a mix of hope and disbelief.
She had a similar expression on her face. "Are we going to do this?"
"I don't know," he said desperately. "You didn't say yes!"
"Oh my God. Of course I didn't say yes. I'd only known you for eight hours!"
"Well, now you've known me for forty-eight hours!" Ollie dropped to one knee, his heart feeling like it would beat right out of his chest. Agaspwent up around the reception and the space around them cleared out. Ollie had the distinct impression it was to give Steve room to kill him for doing this at his wedding reception. Fortunately, Charlee pulled Steve right to the edge of the circle that had opened up and bounced gleefully, clutchingSteve's arm and whispering, "See, I told you, I told them to and they are!"
A confused but relieved laugh rippled quietly around the reception as Ollie, gazing up into Tiffany's laughing eyes, said, "Tiffany Wright, I don't have a ring, a marriage license, or a celebrant handy, but will you marry me? Right now?"
"Um. I don't need a ring and I think we can do the paperwork later, but, what's a celebrant? You mean a minister? Somebody who can marry us? Yeah, that might be a problem. Otherwise yes?"
An amused woman's voice came out of the crowd, asking, "Would a judge do?"
Charlee gave a delighted shriek and clapped her hands. "Judge Owens! Yes! Thank you! Can they get married without the paperwork?"
A sturdy grey-hairedwoman with a kind, round face emerged from the crowd, smiling. "Small town. I think we can backdate the paperwork without anybody caring too much."
"Amazing! Then Ollie, Tiffany, this is Judge Owens, she'll marry you!"
Judge Owens grinned. "I'll perform the ceremony, anyway. I think my husband would object if I married you."
Another laugh, this time one of greater excitement, ran around the room, and Tiffany turned a smile full of foolish delight on Ollie. "In that case, yes. I'll marry you right now, Oliver Campbell."
This time an incredulous cheer rose, and the next thing Ollie knew, his cousins had lined up to one side of him as groomsmen. There was quite a discussion among Tiffany's construction crew, partly questioning whether she'd lost her mind while Olliemurmured, "Are you sure this is all right? Do you have any family you'd want at your wedding?"
Tiffany beamed toward the crew, who among themselves had decided all eleven of them would stand as bridal attendants, because none of them was willingnotbe part of it. Ollie was pretty sure this was a none-too-subtle indication that if he broke her heart, there would be at least twelve people ready to break him. "They're my family," she said happily. "They're who I want to have here."
"If you're happy with that, then it's all I need," Ollie agreed.
