His moment had come. He wiped his mouth, pushed back his chair, and rose to his feet.
Silence fell over the group. Almost everyone present knew about his former relationship with the bride. They were probably worried about what he might say.
He spotted Amanda’s parents and sisters but didn’t let his gaze linger—he was nervous enough. Instead he located Sadie at the nearest guest table and found strength in her encouraging smile.
Gathering his notes he drew a breath and addressed the crowd. “Hi, everyone.” He also gave a small wave and mentally rolled his eyes. Sadie must be rubbing off on him. “Obviously I’ve known Tag all my life, so rest assured I have enough humiliating material to entertain you all night.”
The crowd released a nervous chuckle.
“Trust me, you wouldn’t be bored. But for the sake of brevity I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of my favorites—mine, not necessarily Tag’s. Sorry, Cuz.”
Tag covered his face to the delight of the group.
“You might not know this, but Tag has the sense of direction of a blind bat. When we were eighteen we decided to take a spring break trip to Wilmington, North Carolina—I know, Party Town, USA, right? Unfortunately, I let Tag drive. He set the GPS and I promptly took a nap—and woke up in... Tennessee. Because yes, folks, there’s a Wilmington, Indiana, and we were already halfway there.”
The crowd chuckled.
Sam glanced at his cousin. “Seriously, Tag, we’re glad you made it to the island in time for your wedding.”
Tag shook his head.
“Another thing Tag is not known for—his culinary skills.”
His cousin groaned.
“Yeah, that’s the sound Amanda makes when you offer to cook.”
Laughter swelled as Amanda gave an emphatic nod.
“Tag and I took a cooking class together in high school, and he talked me into being his partner for Italian Day. It was more of a bribe, really, as no one else wanted to partner with him. When we were shopping for the spaghetti dinner, I sent him off for ground beef. I knew I was in trouble when he returned empty-handed and asked me where to find the beef that’s ‘crumbled.’”
He paused as the crowd chuckled. “He made a chocolate pudding cake for my twenty-first birthday, and to this day it makes me sick—literally—to even talk about it. He once managed to ruinJell-O. Who does that?” Sam gave Amanda a wry grin. “In short, I highly recommend you keep him out of the kitchen, Amanda.”
Laughter floated across the yard. Someone whooped. Another hooted.
“Speaking of Amanda... Isn’t she a beautiful bride?”
The crowd applauded enthusiastically.
“Yeah, sorry, Cuz, you’re totally outclassed.”
Tag nodded sheepishly, threw his hands up in surrender.
“Seriously...” He paused as the crowd grew hushed for the solemn part of the toast. “Amanda and Tag are a couple who were clearly meant to be.” Sam drew a breath as he gazed at the pair.“I’ve always thought your partner should make you the best version of yourself. And since Amanda and Tag have been together, I’ve seen my cousin grow in ways that defy time and expectation. That’s because of you, Amanda.
“And who can miss the radiance on your face today? You’ve always been a smart, strong woman, the kind of person who can achieve anything—maybe even teach him how to cook... Okay, probably not. But there’s something softer and calmer about you since he came into your life. Something good. You make each other happy. You make each other better. Just the way it should be.
“So let’s raise our glasses to the newlyweds...” Sam lifted his goblet and gazed down at the happy couple. “To Tag and Amanda... and a lifetime of love and joy. May you always champion the best in each other. Cheers.”
“Hear, hear!” The crowd saluted the couple and sipped their drinks.
Tag’s eyes filled with tears as he stood and embraced Sam. “Thank you. I love you, buddy.”
Sam pounded his back, swallowing against the lump in his throat. “Love you too, Cuz.”
Sam approached Sadie’s table and caught her just as she put the last bite of cake in her mouth. “Wanna dance?”
She covered her mouth as she chewed. “Um, sure.”
