There are more people here by a long shot compared to his brother’s wedding, a lot of unfamiliar faces that we’ve never seen before, probably here for Quinn.
There are lawyers galore, the dark clothes and suits being a dead giveaway, even Jim, her ex and the father of their daughter Alex, was wearing a deep black suit, making him look like a high-priced lawyer.
I’ve often been curious about how Graham deals with having to co-parent with the guy, but once I met him and saw how insanely nice he was—and how supportive he was of Quinn and Graham’s relationship—I understood how it worked.
I look to my buddy now, who’s standing at the front of the altar, with us groomsmen standing off to the side slightly after escorting the women up. He’s watching intently as his two kids walk down the aisle: Alex as the flower girl and JC as the ring bearer, though little JC, only walking for a few months now, was more intrigued to pick up all the petals Alex is throwing, tossing down the ring pillow in favor of the flowers.
The crowd chuckles at the sight, and Alex calmly grabs the rings, letting her baby brother toss the flowers wherever he wants. Graham smiles proudly at them both.
I admit, the tears start to gather in my eyes at the sight of it all, the envy of my buddy getting everything he deserves, his dream similar to the one I have for myself. I just haven’t found the woman I could do it all with.
As Quinn comes down the aisle, smiling broadly at the man beside me, I catch a glimpse of a little head in the crowd. A little girl is standing on a chair, peeking over the tops of everyone in front of her and smiling at the bride and groom.
I grin at her, she’s freaking adorable.
Then I look to her side, and there’s a woman sitting beside her, the same shade of hair, and her eyes trained on the front. I feel something in my chest tighten at the sight of her, and my eyes scan the seats next to her, my curious mind wondering who she’s here with and if she’s attached.
But my eyes snap back over to hers with curiosity, and I can’t tear my eyes from her.
While she’s watching someone else get their happily ever after, I’m watching her, memorizing what I can from this far away.
Because fuck, if she’s not the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen.
Chapter Two
“Nothing prepared me for seeing that man in a dress. Nothing.” - Graham
ELIZABETH
Taking a four-year-old to a wedding in a city and place we’ve never been to before was probably not my brightest idea.
However, when my good friend from college personally called me and asked me to come, there was no way I would have been able to say no.
“Please sit on your butt, Rora,” I whisper to my child, who can’t help but stand on her chair, craning for a look at the bride and groom. I admit, Quinn looks absolutely stunning in her dress, the glow of her skin giving it even more shine. Every smile from her shows just how truly happy she is in this moment, and I’m so happy for her.
We’d gone to college together, and I remember being so nervous, so terrified of what college was going to be likewhen I arrived. Then, I’d met her, my new roommate and soon-to-be greatest friend.
She turned out to be a constant in my life, though there were months that we’d go without talking, and when we did talk again, it was as if no time had passed. I feel bad that this was the first time I’d visited her new town, but the last few years of my life had been a whirlwind for me, trying to figure out how it was supposed to look after becoming a mother.
But I never would have made it through college without her, and when she called to invite me to her wedding, I knew I couldn’t say no. I’d thought about leaving Aurora with my parents, since she was young and has never been to a wedding before. But escaping reality with my little girl for a couple nights in a lodge in the mountains sounded too good to pass up.
“I wanna see!”
The couple behind us laugh, and I shoot them an apologetic look.
They give me smiles back, and I look back to watch the ceremony. Quinn certainly has quite a few bridesmaids, I was sure I’d heard of their names in passing, but I have no idea who each one was.
When Quinn called, she had asked me to be a bridesmaid, and I wanted to, but with everything I’ve had going on, Ididn’t think it would be wise to make such a commitment. I had been sad to turn her down, but Quinn being Quinn, gracefully accepted my response and was kind enough about it to make me tear up.
I shake my head. I have got to get it together.
The wedding ceremony ends swiftly, and Quinn is officially a married woman. I stand and clap with the rest of the crowd before everyone is released from their seats and ushered to an area with tables and chairs. A dance floor was smack dab in the middle of what looked to be the lawn of the grand house behind us.
This place is something else.
I know it belongs to Quinn’s in-laws, that they run some sort of cattle ranch up here, and by the looks of things, they are doing well for themselves. How they put up with the odor of cows and horses I will never know, but it’s a great place anyway.
I much preferred the city living, not necessarily in the bustle of it, but more of the suburbs part of life. Where everyone knows everyone on their street and could count on each other.
