“Five minutes,” Jinx says through it.
Jinx has been running point on the wedding for three weeks. He pulled a parking plan together because Flint askednicely. He’s had prospects at our house since six this morning. They’ve checked every guest off a list Jinx created himself.
He opens the door an inch.
“Miss Jules.”
“Yes.”
“Your brother is on the back porch to walk you down the aisle.”
“Tell him I’m on my way.”
“You got it.”
He closes the door.
I get up and get myself moving in the right direction. Lauren and Tessa follow me. Lauren is my maid of honor, and Tessa is my one and only bridesmaid. We decided to keep it simple.
Tommy is on the back porch wearing a black suit with his Vultures cut on top. He’s freshly shaved, and his hair is neatly combed back.
“Jules, you look amazing.”
“I don’t feel like I do.”
“You’re beautiful,” he insists.
“Thanks for saying that, bro.”
He crosses the porch in three steps and stops in front of me. He looks at me.
He puts his hand on my belly. “Hi, baby girl.”
“You don’t know it’s a girl. We decided not to be told. That’s why there was no gender reveal.”
“I know. Brothers always know.”
I just laugh because I have always loved and looked up to Tommy. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling you Deuce.”
He tucks my hand into the crook of his arm. “Then don’t. You’re my sister. You can use my real name if you like.”
I can’t even remember how many acres Flint’s house is set on but lots of it is nice and flat. It makes a good venue for a small wedding. We rented a hundred chairs, a canopy, and banquet tables. There are mason jars with candles hanging from the trees.
Lauren, who’s my maid of honor, is first down the aisle. Then we follow, with Tessa managing my train, which is mostly just the tulle she draped around my dress. Everyone is making little sounds of approval, so I take that to mean it looks all right.
The baby kicks hard under my dress.
Jasper officiates because he has a certificate from the state to conduct weddings. He reads from notes on a folded paper, just the way we planned it, nice and simple.
“Do you, Flint, take this woman—”
“I do.”
“Do you, Jules, take this man—”
“I do.”
Jasper sighs because we weren’t supposed to cut him off like that but did anyway to move the whole wedding along. Flint and I don’t take ourselves too seriously. Married is married, and it’s more important that everyone just have a good time.
