“I’m gonna take a shower,” Brantley toldReese.
Up to this point, it had been the best wedding day in the history of weddings. They’d slept in later than usual, then took Tesha for her morning run. It was cooler than it had been, as though Mother Nature knew they would be standing outside with all their guests in a few short hours, and she wanted to make it perfect. Of course, it helped that the ceremony was in the evening.
After their run, they’d come back, relaxed, had coffee and breakfast, then chilled some more.
Brantley would admit it was weird not to have anything to do. He was used to heading up to his office to check email or deal with cases. Not today. Today, they were putting all that aside to focus on what was important.
“I’m gonna give Tesha a quick bath,” Reese said, peering up at him where his head rested on Brantley’s knee.
Brantley glanced at his watch. It was already two, meaning they had to shower, get dressed, and then get to the lake. The ceremony started at 5:30 p.m., but with their newly added cocktail hour, that would likely be pushed back by an hour. According to JJ’s text message this morning, it worked perfectly because she loved the idea of the photographer getting photos at sunset. Still, Brantley did not want to be late.
He brushed his hand over Reese’s hair, smiling down at him. “You know we can’t be late, right? JJ really will kick our asses.”
Reese chuckled. “Don’t I know it. Z already texted to let me know she’s in drill sergeant mode. Throwin’ cocktail hour at her on the day before the weddin’ might’ve sent her into a panic.”
“She didn’t act like she was concerned yesterday,” he noted.
“Nope. Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
Brantley doubted one small change could send her into a tailspin. JJ was nothing if not flexible and efficient. Of course, she preferred to keep people on their toes, so there was a good chance she was barking orders, but he would bet money her blood pressure was just fine.
Reese sat up, and Brantley immediately missed him. If it weren’t for the fact he was going to make this man his husband today, he would’ve suggested they stay right there for the rest of the afternoon.
“You wanna get a bath?” Reese asked Tesha.
She was instantly on her feet, her tail wagging, her eyes darting between them. Yeah, she knew what a bath was, and she loved them. Hell, she even loved the hair dryer.
Or maybe she simply loved spending quality time with Reese.
Reese stopped walking and turned back, clearing his throat. “Did you write your vows?”
Brantley grinned. “I did, yes.”
Based on Reese’s wide eyes and parted lips, he hadn’t been expecting that answer.
“What?” Brantley got to his feet. “I told you I would know exactly what I’m gonna say. And I do.”
“Did you write them down?”
“Of course.” That was mostly true. He’d jotted a few things in his notes app on his phone, but no, he hadn’t outlined it verbatim. He didn’t want his vows scripted like that, but he did know what he would say. It was along the lines of exactly how he felt whenever he looked at this man.
Two hours later, Brantley was pulling into the lot where all the guests would be parking for the ceremony. In all the years he’d lived in Coyote Ridge, he wasn’t sure he’d ever been to this section. Most of his youth was spent off-roading like all the other kids in town. They tended to congregate in areas less traveled by visitors, meaning they had to make their own paths down to the water.
“Are you nervous?” Reese asked, staring out the window.
“No. You?”
Reese glanced over at him and held up his hands. They were trembling.
Brantley reached for his hands and squeezed them. “I’ve got you.”
Reese laughed, the sound bubbling up from his chest with a hint of anxiety in it. “I hope so.”
He met Reese’s gaze. “Always, Reese.”
Reese took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
Before they were even out of the truck, Baz was heading over. Brantley gauged his tension level by the lines around his eyes. He was glad to see the man was smiling, and since his shoulders weren’t up around his ears, he took that to mean everything was going well.
