Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
And because it felt right.
Before I did it, though, I called and talked to Lenny about it, primarily how fast this was going.
And she said, “One thing I know, Viv, you are no dummy. You’re also not a sucker. And last, that man wouldn’t move this fast if he wasn’t right there with you. He has to have trust issues a million miles wide with all the gold diggers who want to dig into him. And he’s all in with you. Not sure why you’d fight it or question it. It’s not like he’s chained you in his dungeons. If shit goes south, you can leave. But since it isn’t, why not do what you always do? Roll with it and make it work, if you want it to work. Or cut your losses if you don’t.”
My sister was wise.
Therefore, me and the cats were in with Battle and his babies.
And everything was good.
Watching Battle pose for pictures with the other groomsmen was totally not boring.
Why I thought it would be meant someone should evaluate me.
Eventually, after coming to me to kiss my nose, he went with the others to hang with Rally pre-big-moment, and I went to the patio where pre-big-moment champagne was being served to arriving guests.
I joined Prue, Tempie, Hamish and yes, Chassie had squeezed Christian in at the last minute as her plus one.
“Ah, there she is,” Tempie said loudly as I got close. “Our budding duchess.”
Prue giggled.
Christian sent me a bewildered smile.
Chassie hid hers behind her hand.
Hamish hid his looking at his shoes.
And yeah.
Chelsea was in earshot.
And from the sour look on her face, Tempie’s shot landed in her ears.
“Be good,” I snipped at her quietly when I got to them.
“For heaven’s sake, why?” she asked, sounding genuinely perplexed as to why I’d snip that warning at her.
She also didn’t wait for an answer.
She turned to Hamish and requested, “Will you fetch Vivi some champagne, darling?”
He angled in to kiss her jaw then took off to find a roaming server.
“Battle’s on edge,” I said. “He’s pissed at the potshot Chelsea took at Prue and Chassie—”
“Wait up, what did she say to you?” Christian interrupted me to ask Chassie tetchily.
Oh yeah.
I liked him.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” she replied.
He looked right at Tempie (the boy was a fast learner). “Was it a big deal?”
She took a sip from her champagne flute, swung her hand out to the side, and drawled, “What can I say? The woman is a cunt.”
Christian was going to say something, but thought better of it and muttered to Chassie, “We’ll talk about it later.”
Chassie shot Prue big eyes from over the rim of her own champagne flute.
“As I was saying,” I started up again, “he’s on edge and we, none of us, should do anything to push him over the edge.”
“You know I’ll be good,” Prue said.
“Of course, I wouldn’t do anything,” Chassie said.
Hamish returned with my champagne, I thanked him, then aimed a hard stare at Tempie.
She put her hand to her throat, “Are you asking me not to be me?”
“Just…tone it down so Battle doesn’t make another speech ripping her to shreds in front of Rally and Courtney’s four hundred guests,” I suggested.
“I’ll do my best,” Tempie replied.
I didn’t believe her.
“Love,” Hamish warned in his scrummy burr.
She gazed up at him. “I said I’d do my best.”
“Do that and do better,” he replied.
She turned her head and did such a brilliant rolled side-eye, I wished I had video of it.
Since I missed my chance, I sipped champagne instead.
“I’m so glad they have a beautiful day,” Chassie enthused.
With that, we settled into chitchat, and I was looking forward to when we got to sit down. My heels were already killing me.
When the music changed, and the staff started to guide people to the seating area, Prue and I looped arms together, and I did my best to avoid her fascinator/hat, which was wire covered in gray material wound around and around in a spiral that had a cluster of forget-me-nots in the middle.
“Is that hat François?” I asked.
She beamed up at me and cried, “He made it especially for me! Can you believe?”
I’d been to his shop.
I’d seen how he’d fawned all over her.
I totally believed.
“You rock it, sister.”
“It’s not too much?”
It was big, but people could see through the spirals, and she was short.
“It’s perfect,” I decreed as we got to our row and slid in.
We sat.
We waited.
Other people sat.
The parents were escorted in.
The groomsmen came out.
Once Battle got to where he’d be standing (he wasn’t the best man, he was one over), he looked for me.
When he caught my eyes, I threw him a kiss.
He smiled his sexy smile.
The bridesmaids came down the aisle.
The flower girl strewed her petals.
The music changed.
We stood.
Courtney walked down the aisle with her dad.
She looked stunning.