Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
I let out a low whistle. “That’s some deep thinking, and it deserves a good seat.” I walk her all the way up to the front and put her in the last spot we’ve reserved for close family. “Enjoy the show.”
“Oh, I will.” She gives me a wink as she seats herself. “No ring on you, yet?”
“Nope. But you never know.”
“I’ll light a candle for you.”
I’m still smiling when I return to the back of the chapel, even though there’s no sign of Darcy yet. There’s only Tessa, who scowls at me before striding off, her high heels clicking importantly on the wood floor, her clipboard clutched to her chest.
Ever since her snit on the beach, she’s been giving both me and Darcy the silent treatment. We’re taking it as a win. All the family drama has exhausted us. Last night Darcy and I snuck out of the rehearsal dinner early, just like she’d suggested. We put on our bathing suits and relaxed in the hot tub together, unpacking the day.
It made us drowsy, though, so we went upstairs and fell into bed together. I woke up spooned around her, which gave me big ideas, which I promptly shared with her in the suite’s luxurious shower. Then we ordered room service and didn’t leave our hotel floor until I came downstairs in my tux to escort wedding guests to their seats.
It’s hard to believe we have to check out of that room and drive back to New York tomorrow. I’m not ready.
I’m gazing out the window, thinking about this, when my father pokes me in the arm. “That Tessa person says we’re about to start. You should take a seat.”
“Right. Okay.” A glance at my watch tells me the wedding is supposed to start in one minute. I step past my dad and look out the front doors just in time to see Darcy finally step inside the vestibule.
Tessa reaches her first. “Way to be late!”
“Sorry,” she says, sounding breathless. Then she turns to catch my gaze and smiles.
That smile stops me in my tracks. Not to mention her dress. It’s green—the same color as my favorite bikini—and it hugs her curves in all the right places. The neckline shows just enough skin to make my mouth go dry, and her hair is swept up so I can see the freckles on her shoulders that I’ve been mapping with my tongue.
“Wow,” I breathe. “You look…” I trail off, because there aren’t adequate words. Elegant? Perfect? Way out of my league? I gather myself and take her arm. “Looks like we’re sitting in the back. All the good seats are taken.”
“Anywhere,” she whispers. “Just as long as I get to sit next to you.”
We end up in a crowded row near the back, pressed side by side. This is it. The grand finale of the Wedding Experience.
I take Darcy’s hand in mine and stroke a thumb across her palm. There has to be some way I can see more of her after this weekend, right? I’m heading out west for some preseason training soon. But then I’ll be back. We only live a few blocks from each other.
We can make this work.
Chapter 34
Like Oliver Twist
Darcy
A hush falls over the chapel as Theo and the officiant wait before an altar adorned in cheerful hydrangea bouquets. We all turn to watch the door, and the wedding party begins a processional down the aisle.
Weddings are so orderly. Everyone walking two by two in time with the music. Like Noah’s Ark, but in better fabrics. Each man in a gray tux, and each woman in a shade of hydrangea blue. Isn’t all this perfect synchronization a lie, though? Am I the only one in this room who knows how fucking messy life really is after the “I dos”?
As the wedding party lines up on each side of the altar, I take a long look at Theo—this near stranger in a pristine tux, with a blue boutonniere and a perfectly shaved face. I never really wanted to come to this wedding, but I feel weirdly protective toward my brother today. His expression is so hopeful. Somehow, he’s managed to completely overlook the tragedy of our parents and believe that marriage is still a good idea. I can see it in his eyes, which, now that I think about it, are disturbingly like my own.
Oh, buddy. What were you thinking?
The music changes again to the wedding march, and we all rise for the grand entrance of the bride.
The chapel doors open again, and there she is.
Maribel appears on Mr. Tremaine’s arm, her dress a simple design in ivory silk that moves like water. She’s carrying a gorgeous bouquet of white roses and lavender.
But it’s not the dress or the flowers that make my throat tighten. It’s the way she locks gazes with Theo. Her whole face transforms, like someone just handed her the best surprise of her life. And Theo—my stoic brother—presses a hand to his chest, like he’s trying to keep his heart from bursting right out of his body.