Chapter 56
56
NICKY
“H ey Layla. Do you, uh, wanna dance?”
The conversation and laughter halt as all eyes at the table lift toward Archer
He’s expectantly hovering above us. His focus is pinned on his neighbor and he looks about as confident as a high school junior attending his very first winter formal.
Layla’s eyelashes flutter and she clears her throat, setting down her fork. “Yes, uh, sure.”
Daphne swoops in immediately, stealing Baby Sky out of his mother’s lap so she can go dance with the sexy lumberjack.
With shaky hands, Layla blots at her lips for pastry crumbs. Then she tries to deposit her napkin on the table but she misses by a mile, dropping it right to the floor.
Archer lunges for the napkin at the same time that Layla does, too. And their foreheads collide with a painful thud.
“Oh!”
“Ow!”
“Sorry!”
“Are you okay?”
“Maybe we should get you some ice.”
“Sounds like a good idea.”
Archer helps Layla out of her chair and instead of hitting the dance floor, they clumsily make their way over to the bar in search of ice.
Emma’s already got her notebook out. A little grin dances on her face as she’s busy scribbling down the scene for future use.
“Archer and Layla are hopeless,” Karli says with a shake of her head, and Mason just chuckles along.
The happy couple just tied the knot this afternoon in a small ceremony at a tiny church in Starlight Falls. Now, the combined Westbrook and Brighton families are at a cozy reception hall to celebrate the newlyweds. To celebrate family. To celebrate love.
As my eyes move around the room, I realize that we all have so much to be grateful for. Just being here all together is such a blessing in and of itself.
“That grandpa really has the gyrating move down, doesn’t he?” Daphne points in the direction of Grammy and Sherwin who have been on the dance floor the whole time, boogying to Elvis’ greatest hits.
“I know,” Ronan’s mom says, a concerned look on her face. “Is it safe for eighty-year-olds to twerk like that?”
“It’s okay,” I pat her hand. “Apparently, Sherwin is really into yoga. It keeps him flexible.”
“Mmm. Lucky Grammy,” Ronan mutters suggestively. He waggles his brows.
I nearly barf in my own mouth and die.
This is Grammy’s first outing since her eye surgery. The operation was a complete success. Although her vision may never be twenty-twenty, it truly has improved so much. The doctors are very pleased with her recovery and gave her the okay to be here this evening.
My grandmother is definitely making the most of her newly improved eye health. Since we got here, she’s been too busy dancing to pay the rest of us any mind.
Harry pushes a chair to the center of the room.
“Time for the garter toss!” he announces to all the wedding guests.
Mason leaps up eagerly like he’s been waiting for this moment all night. My cousin is wearing the biggest smile ever as he leads his wife to the middle of the dance floor and dramatically seats her in the chair. Karli wiggles around on the seat with a semi-nervous smile on her face, trying to get comfortable in her pouffy wedding dress.
The DJ starts playing Pony by Ginuwine and Mason’s grin goes even wider.
Let’s just say Karli’s brothers don’t seem to share the enthusiasm.
Ronan makes a grunting sound in my ear.
Darius looks like he’s about to pop a neck vein.
Felix is growing redder by the minute underneath the reception hall lights. Daphne soothingly strokes his chest while fighting back her own giggles.
“Oh boy…” I whisper, champagne glass in hand, ready to be entertained.
The beat of the music starts to build and the groom stands before his blushing bride, rubbing his hands together. Cash and Davis flank our cousin on either side and when Mason sticks his arms out by his sides, my idiot brothers step in, dramatically helping the groom remove his tuxedo jacket and rolling his shirt sleeves up to his elbows.
“Oh my god. They practiced choreography.” Meghan laughs into her palms.
Mason continues his show, gyrating his hips, painfully off-beat. It’s awful. Like watching a train wreck up close and in person. Karli is a blushing bride for sure, but for all the wrong reasons.
“Good thing he has a day job as a doctor,” I laugh into Ronan’s ear. “The stripper thing wouldn’t work out too great for him.”
“Good thing he has a day job as a doctor,” Ronan echoes. “Humpty Dumpty might be able to put himself back together after we tear him apart, limb for limb.”
Mason is blissfully oblivious to his brother-in-law’s plot against his life.
He drops to all fours and Karli squeaks. Poor girl .
Things go downhill for the bride from there when the groom starts crawling across the dance floor. Then he does some kind of Magic Mike, slithering-on-the-ground move. And his head disappears beneath the hem of his wife’s dress.
I think it’s supposed to be a seductive move but it’s mostly just highly traumatic for all involved.
Mason’s father drops his head into his hands and sighs. “Where did I go wrong with that boy?”
It’s utter chaos in the reception hall and the rest of us are going wild, cheering the newlyweds on. In the middle of the madness, I look around the room at all these people I love. And I just feel lucky.
This is what I wanted. More moments like this. Surrounded by family and smiles and love. This is why I left Chicago. And now, I’ve gotten even more happiness than I bargained for.
In the middle of all the upheaval over the past few months, I found my soulmate.
Ronan is everything I always secretly wanted in a man but was too afraid to wish for, too afraid to ask for. I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that a man like him could even exist. Now here he is, in my life, by my side, every single day. He is the most attentive, most supportive, most caring man I have ever met.
He was with me every step of the way as I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, working with my realtor to close on my dream house in Honey Hill. Ronan was so incredibly patient throughout the whole process, making it known again and again that although he would rather have me move in at his house with him, he was completely supportive of my homeownership goals.
Well, I finally closed on the house last week and became the owner. Then I promptly found an amazing tenant and moved my butt in with Ronan in Starlight Falls. Now, I understand what it means to have my cake and eat it, too.
Loving Ronan Brighton is the best of both worlds. The best of all worlds.
We watch as Mason’s head finally pops out from beneath the hem of Karli’s wedding dress, her lacy white garter clenched in his teeth.
Ronan brings his lips to my ear. “I’m traumatized,” he whispers.
I laugh. “Me, too.”
Then it’s time for all the bachelors to circle around for the traditional garter toss. Mason is in position at the front of the room, ready to throw the little scrap of lace into the crowd.
“This is my time to shine,” Ronan says with a grin as he rises from his seat, smoothing down the front of his suit.
“Bring home the goods, baby,” I cheer him on as he goes to join the few unmarried men now forming a semi-circle on the edge of the dance floor.
“Remember,” the DJ drawls into the mic, “tradition says that whoever catches the bride’s garter will be the next man to get married.”
Ronan sends me a confident wink as he gets into position. Can’t wait to marry you , he mouths to me.
I clutch my hands over my chest, swooning. I so believe in him. He’s tall, he’s strong, he’s an athlete. He’s got this.
I quickly size up his competition. Darius stands on the fringes of the semi-circle scowling and scrolling through his phone. The only reason he’s even up there is because his mother physically pushed him into the mix.
Archer throws a quick glance at Layla and then he steps stealthily into the group of bachelors as well. He’s big and lumberjack-y but that growing knot on his forehead seems to be putting him at a disadvantage. He looks a little unsteady on his feet.
It’s looking good for Ronan. It really is.
But at the last second, Grammy’s boyfriend shows up in the thick of the crowd. He confidently elbows the other competitors out of the way.
“Damn, he’s a savage little thing,” Nadia remarks.
I shrug. “Have you seen Grammy’s butt? No surprise he wants to lock that down.”
“Touché.” Meghan nods along.
Mason crouches down, bending at the knees. Then he flings Karli’s garter over his shoulder.
Out of nowhere, Stella goes racing across the dance floor. “Daddy, I’m bored. Can we have cake now?” the little girl asks.
Eyes bulging out of his head, Nolan takes off, trying to grab his daughter out of the way.
We all watch in slow motion as the garter soars through the air…and it lands on Nolan’s head.
The single dad falls to his knees, shouting in horror, face lifted to the ceiling.
“Goddammit!” he sobs in pain. “Why’d it have to be me? Why me?!”
A moment later, Ronan plods back to the table, clearly disappointed. “Damn. I was really hoping I’d catch the garter.”
“Oh, baby, it’s okay. It’s all superstition anyway,” I say to him, trying to cheer him up.
“Of course it’s real,” Ronan insists. “And the worst part is, Nolan doesn’t even want to get married. It’s Inez or nobody for that guy.”
I waggle my brows at him. “Bet you five dollars Nolan’s perfect woman comes out of nowhere and saunters into his life. Sooner than later.”
“Fine. I’ll take that bet.” Ronan locks his pinkie finger around mine.
I drape my arms around my pouty man. “Come dance with me.”
“My fucking pleasure, gorgeous.” He takes my hand.
We head to the dance floor, twirling around to some slow song I’ve heard a few times on the radio. Ronan runs his hands up and down my curves, whispering to me that I’m beautiful. I definitely feel beautiful in the sexy wine-colored lace dress he bought me a few months back. I saved it for a special occasion just like this. I’m so glad I get to wear it for my man tonight.
“You really did want to catch that garter, huh?” I ask Ronan who still seems to be in a pouty mood.
“Of course I did,” he says, smiling kindly at me and cupping my face. “Do you know how much I love you. I’ll marry you in a heartbeat, the minute you’ll let me, Nicky Westbrook. I can’t wait to make you mine.”
I press my mouth to his. “I love you, baby. And here’s a secret.” I lower my voice. “I’m already yours. I’m your Peach.”
He rubs the tip of his nose against the tip of mine, whispering right back. “You’re more than my Peach. You’re my best friend, you’re my only lover, and soon, you’ll be my wife.”