Chapter Ten
Jasper
The applause washed over the clearing, then people rose from their seats and the hum of conversation started up again.
Kara and Grant were still at the front, hands clasped, smiling as if they were the only two people left in the world.
I clapped with everyone else.
It wasn’t like I’d never been to a wedding before, but this was hitting harder than it should have.
She was my cousin, so of course I was happy for her, but this felt like more. Maybe it was because this was the first time I’d seen Grant smile and he hadn’t stopped since he laid eyes on Kara in her white dress.
Maybe it was the single tear that slid down her cheek during the vows.
Or maybe it was the realization that some people—people I knew and cared about—didn’t treat relationships like a risk that wasn’t worth taking.
I needed a beer.
My eyes drifted back to Wren. Not that they had left her much during the ceremony. She looked stunning all dressed up. The dark green dress made her blonde hair seem brighter, strands falling loose around her face. Even a professional stylist couldn’t quite tame the firefighter out of her.
A few people brushed past me, congratulating the couple, patting shoulders, drifting toward the tables set up near the cabin.
Instead of moving along with the crowd, I stayed where I was for a beat longer.
Wren looked up and caught me staring. Not for the first time.
The corner of her mouth twitched, almost a smile, before she and the rest of the bridal party were hustled away by the photographer.
I finally made my way toward the reception area.
Long tables had been set up under string lights already glowing despite the afternoon sun. The music shifted from soft instrumental to something more upbeat.
Grabbing a beer from the cooler, I cracked it open. There was no way to dress up for a wedding and not end up sweating, but I needed a drink for more reasons than just the heat.
Rolling up my sleeves only did so much, so I took a long pull from my drink.
I scanned the space and realized I was looking for her again.
This was an annoying new habit.
“Hey.”
The sound of her voice drew me and I turned towards it.
Wren stood a few feet away, hands loosely clasped in front of her.
“Hey… drink?”
She nodded. “Hot as hell out here.”
I held up the options—beer in one hand, water in the other—and she grabbed the beer and popped the top.
She took a drink, the long line of her throat working as she swallowed.
“Rough ceremony?” I teased, nodding toward the bottle.
“Something like that. I feel like a kid playing dress-up.” She adjusted the skirt of her dress.
“Well, you make it look good.”
Her eyes met mine. “Thanks. You could almost pass for civilized yourself.”
I snorted. “Almost.”
“I won’t tell anyone.” She mimed zipping her lips and we both took another drink.
Why did the conversation feel strained when it hadn’t before?
“Looking forward to the reception?” I asked, mostly to fill the silence.
“Hoping to fill up on cake, then head to bed.”
I huffed a laugh. “Bold strategy. I like it.”
“I like to live dangerously,” she deadpanned, then sighed. “Guess I should go be social.”
I nodded. “Me too. I haven’t even said hello to half the people I know here.”
She nodded and started to turn away.
“Hey, Wren?”
She turned back, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes.
“If you’re still up for it after cake… save a dance for me.”
A smile crept across her face. She nodded once, then turned and walked away.
I watched her go longer than necessary.
I did what I was supposed to do after that, caught up with family and friends, answered the ‘when are you getting married?’ question more times than I cared to admit.
I was having a good time.
Dinner was great and seeing Kara this happy made the whole trip worthwhile.
But even as I laughed and talked, part of my attention stayed somewhere else.
Every time the crowd shifted, every time someone moved out of my line of sight, I found myself scanning for her again.
Someone clinked their glass with a fork and Kara and Grant stood and kissed for the crowd. We all hooted as the kiss went on and when they finally pulled away, Kara fanned her face.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment. He raised his eyebrow and she nodded.
What did they have up their sleeve?
Kara grabbed a microphone from the DJ table and everyone quieted again.
“We weren’t going to do speeches tonight, but we have some exciting news we wanted to share.” Grant left the table and went back inside the cabin. I exchanged looks with the other people at the table.
Was he hiding from having to make a speech?
“Grant and I are very excited to announce that we are expanding our family.”
People started to cheer and I forced myself to join them, despite being confused.
Kara had never wanted kids.
She could change her mind, of course, but I hoped she wasn’t just doing it for Grant’s sake.
The decision was too important to be made by just one person in a relationship.
Just as I was contemplating this, Grant reappeared at the door with a puppy in his arms. Tuck was beside him, determinedly sniffing at the puppy’s foot.
“Everyone, meet Peanut.”
The pup cuddled further into Grant’s chest and stared out at the group. Kara moved over and patted his head and the pup started chewing on her fingers.
I laughed and clapped with everyone else.
Expanding their family for these two meant another dog.
Just one more way this wedding had me reeling. Life didn’t have to be two kids and a white picket fence. Grant and Kara proved that.
Outside my usual routine, outside my usual surroundings, I was seeing things in a different way and it was throwing me for a loop.
Hard.
The sun had dipped lower and the music was turned up. The energy shifted again and people drifted toward the makeshift dance floor.
I excused myself from a table full of my aunts and stepped away.
Instead of heading inside, I walked toward the treeline for a breath of air.
There was a creek nearby, water moving slowly over rocks, and I followed the sound. The noise of conversation and music faded behind me with every step.
Taking another deep breath, I hoped the cooler air and smell of the forest would calm me.
Normally it would have.
But tonight, it wasn’t enough.
As I reached the creek bank, I slowed.
There was the shape of a figure standing and looking at the water.
I wasn’t alone.