Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
After a group vote about what to wear, we all ended up changing into our rugby uniforms—the nice, clean ones we’d saved in case we made it to the championship match. They consisted of turquoise blue jerseys and matching shorts, and we added our cowboy hats, because we loved any excuse to show off our Texas pride.
We also decided that all of us would sing as the grooms entered, and we practiced some very basic choreography—step to the left, back to the center, step to the right. We weren’t the most graceful guys on the planet, so getting us moving in unison took some effort.
Vee checked in with us at one point and recruited a few of his new friends to take pictures and film a video during the ceremony. It obviously made sense to document it, so the grooms could show Bryson’s family later.
I didn’t see Hal as we gathered in the backyard. Maybe he was in the pool house, where Embry had gone to make his entrance. I lined up with the team beside the gazebo, where the wedding officiant was waiting. She was around fifty, with auburn hair and a friendly smile, and she greeted me warmly when I said, “Howdy, ma’am.”
Then, as the sun started to set, Tank got a text from Vee and told us, “It’s time, boys. Don’t fuck this up.”
We started singing the only song all of us knew the words to, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. It had somehow become our karaoke go-to over the last couple of years, but no one remembered why we’d latched onto it in the first place.
A few seconds into the song, the side gate opened and Bryson appeared. He looked nervous as he paused to take in what was happening. Then he started to walk toward the gazebo. As soon as Embry stepped out of the pool house, Bryson’s face lit up in a smile, and the two men hurried toward each other.
Hal slipped through the gate a moment later. Once again, he was dressed head to toe in black. Apparently that was a thing with him. He wore long pants that rode a little low on his hips, and a halter top that left his arms, back, and shoulders totally exposed. I muttered, “Damn,” under my breath.
He was so sexy that I instantly forgot the lyrics to the song I was supposed to be singing. When he spotted me, he grinned and gave me a little wave, and then he and Vee joined the grooms.
The ceremony was short and sweet. We gathered around while the two men exchanged vows, and a few of my friends snapped into action as photographers and videographers.
It was a good thing I hadn’t been called on to take pictures. They all would have been of Hal and not the grooms, because I couldn’t tear my attention away from him. He stood by with a serious expression and produced the rings when they were called for. After that, he seemed to relax a bit.
Soon after, the officiant announced that Embry and Bryson were married and instructed them to kiss their husband. That was kind of funny. If I had to guess, I’d say they’d never actually kissed before. There was definitely a moment of slight panic and hesitation, but then they went for it, and the kiss ended up seeming pretty darn real.
Afterwards, Hal and Vee went to take care of the paperwork with the officiant and the newlyweds. Meanwhile, a few of my teammates went to the outdoor bar and started making cocktails, and someone turned on what we’d taken to calling party mode. Dance music started to play in surround sound, and the pool and backyard came to life with vivid colored lights. There was even a disco ball, which began spinning and tossing its reflection across the patio. It was a lot, but the team seemed to enjoy it.
Once our guests returned, the grooms cut the cake, and then Hal took over, cutting slices and passing them around. This was followed by a champagne toast. All of us raised a glass and drank to the couple.
Apparently that concluded the wedding portion of the evening. The newlyweds seemed relieved. They went back inside, and Vee started dancing with three of my teammates.
Hal cut a few more pieces of cake, neatly lining up the plates on the patio table. When he finished, he looked around and smiled when he spotted me. I was standing a few feet away, and he circled me like a jungle cat. I grinned and asked him, “What are you doing?”
“Admiring you from every angle in those form-fitting shorts.” He came to a stop right in front of me and traced the word on my chest. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as an otter. How’d you come up with that name?”