I missed burying my head in his neck and inhaling his fragrance.
I was going to miss him, so much.
As hard as this was, I had to focus. This was Jess’s big day.
‘I’m good,’ Ben said. ‘But thanks for asking.’
‘Course.’ I nodded. Even though Ben was leaving, I still cared about him. I knew that today would be difficult, so it was important to check how he was doing.
I turned my attention to Edwin as he started the ceremony.
Thankfully, we’d hired a photographer to take pictures so that we could all enjoy the moment, rather than being distractedby our phones. Jess and Theo also said I’d be able to use some photos to share on socials because they knew how invested our followers were in their love story.
As Jess and Theo exchanged the vows they’d written, I teared up. They were so beautiful.
My favourite part was when Theo promised to support Jess’s romance book addiction for eternity and to make all of her favourite fictional fantasies a reality. He really was perfect for her. I couldn’t have wished for a better husband for my bestie.
When Edwin declared that they were now free to kiss, those two didn’t hold back. There was no quick pecking. They devoured each other. So much so that at one point, poor Mrs Gray, another one of Sunshine Bay’s elderly residents, covered her eyes. But the rest of the town were all for it.
‘Get in!’ was the seal of approval that came from one of Theo’s friends.
‘Yes, girl!’ Celeste called out whilst the rest of the guests whooped and cheered.
Jake started singing one of his hit singles. And when Jess and Theo finally pulled themselves apart, they danced their way back up the aisle beaming as they waved and hugged their friends along the way.
‘Reception starts on the beach in one hour!’ Ben announced.
‘Drinks on the house at the pub until then!’ Babs added and a fresh round of cheers came from the happy guests.
An hour of drinking without food was dangerous. Here’s hoping they didn’t turn up shit faced at the reception.
There wasn’t time to worry about that now, though. We had to bring out the wedding favours and make sure everything else was good to go.
Once I’d checked that all was well with Jess, Theo and the photographer, who was using this interval to take snaps of thehappy couple, Jane and I took the trolley we’d loaded up with the gifts to the beach.
Normally at weddings, people gave out favours like sugared almonds, chocolates or candles. But this was abookishwedding, so of course there was only one appropriate choice: books.
The entire library team had picked out personalised romance books for every guest. It’d taken a while, because we had to make sure that we didn’t give residents like Mrs Gray a heart attack by gifting her a spicy book (then again, she might like it), but it’d been really fun.
Seeing the diverse collection of books we’d ordered made me so happy. The romance genre really did have something for everyone. Whether the residents were interested in sport, cowboys, aliens, monsters, historical or contemporary stories, romance ticked all the boxes. I’d never been prouder to be a part of this amazing bookish community.
Just like the library hall, the beach set-up was stunning.
Circular tables dressed in book-themed tablecloths (of course) had been placed on the sand.
There were flowers draped over the back of the chairs and some other small floral displays dotted around the area.
But it was the sea views that made it extra special. We’d been blessed with sunshine, so the beach setting was perfection.
‘Want some help?’ I looked up and saw D.D. Desire.
‘I… er… I…’ I opened my mouth and then closed it so many times anyone would think I was impersonating a goldfish. ‘Sorry! I’m just… you’re like my favourite author of all time! I loveOffice Delight. I’ve read it about a hundred times andIllicit Delightis just, chef’s kiss. You’re amazing!’
Yep. Like I’d predicted, zero cool.
‘Thank you, Sarah,’ D.D. said.
Wait. Did she just say my name? No way!
