Chapter 8 Delaney #2
“Who else is in this book club?” I pull my feet up beneath myself and study his expression. He’s completely serious. And there goes that beautiful smile again. “Wait, let me guess. Ashton and Dillan and Lexie and Kaleigh.”
“Yeah. And the guys too. They conned us into it last year, and it kinda stuck. Hendrix even got suckered into it, and he’s barely been back in town a week.
” He tosses a piece of popcorn into the air and catches it with his mouth.
“Do you have an iPad or a Kindle? Jamie likes to read them in paperback. Dillan always gets them for us if we want.”
“I have a Kindle.” I don’t tell him it’s ancient. It doesn’t matter. It still works just fine.
“Then welcome to book club.”
Why do I feel like I don’t know what I’m getting into?
My phone vibrates on the coffee table as Ryker pulls his from his pocket.
Lenny
I hope you don’t mind I’m texting you both this information.
**Group name has been updated to WEDDING OF THE YEAR**
Oh, sweet baby Jesus.
“Is she serious?” I ask and sign and maybe smile. I think I got that right.
Ryker closes his eyes and shakes his head for a hot second. “She’s serious. Mom’s a little . . . extra.”
Lenny
I spoke with Aunt Jules, and she put me in touch with one of the Chase daughters over at Cherry Creek Vineyards.
They had a cancellation at the end of the month, and you, my darling son and future daughter-in-law, have a Monday night game that weekend.
Which works perfectly for a candlelit Friday night wedding at the vineyard.
He lifts his eyes to mine. “Want to get married at the vineyard?”
“I guess so.” In all fairness, I never thought about getting married, so it doesn’t really matter to me where we do it. Just that we do it, and Ryker’s protected.
Ryker
Okay. Did you book it?
Lenny
No. I wanted you and Delaney to see it first. Are you free this week?
I nibble my lip and decide to bite the bullet.
Delaney
I’m done with work at five each night.
Ryker
Any time after six should work for me.
Lenny
Perfect. Hold please . . .
“Umm . . . When she says wedding of the year, seriously, how big is she thinking?” Please let it be small.
“My family’s pretty big, remember?” He grins, but it doesn’t do anything to soften that blow. “Plus Liv said it had to be big, and we have a ton of friends.”
“Uh-uh,” I shake my head. “You have a ton of friends. I have Ashton and I guess Kaleigh, Dillan, and Lexie.”
“I have the team too. So realistically, at least two hundred people.”
I bang my head against the couch.
“Delaney . . . are you having second thoughts?”
Turning to face him, I force my eyes back open. “No. I just want to get the wedding part over with. I don’t like to be the center of attention.”
He offers me the bowl of popcorn like maybe it’ll help drown my sorrows. “Do you even have social media?”
I shake my head and take a handful. “Why would I? I’ve never wanted people to know where I was or who I was with. I don’t really get the whole draw of spilling every detail about your life, but I know I’m not the norm. I guess I kind of ignored what Liv said about posting everything on socials.”
“Maybe just start with Instagram,” he offers, then puts his hand out. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?” I ask but hand it to him anyway. “What are you doing?”
“Creating you an Instagram profile.”
His fingers fly over my phone for a few minutes. “Smile.”
“What?”
Ryker presses his lips to my temple, and I suck in a breath.
“Here. Is this good?”
When had I closed my eyes, and why do I have to open them to see whatever he’s showing me?
Oh . . . Well, that’s a good reason.
I’m looking at a selfie of us on my phone. And we look . . . content. Almost happy. Definitely more relaxed than I feel.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “It’s good.”
With a smile on his face, his fingers make another pass and then he hands me the phone. “Here you go. Your profile is set. Now all you have to do is make your first post.”
I look at the page staring back at me.
And there it is. The picture. Next to it reads, Delaney Rousseau and under that, Future Mrs. Beneventi with a red heart. Potbellied-pig momma is beneath that with a pink pig emoji, and if it’s possible, my heart smiles.
Well, okay then. I guess we’re social-media official.
Lenny
Okay. We’re booked for a tour at six-thirty on Thursday night.
Delaney, would you like me to make a dress appointment for you? The owner of Everly Wilder Designs is a good friend of the family.
Delaney
I was just going to go to the mall.
Lenny
Nonsense. Everly would love to make a gown for you. It’s all taken care of. Her parents are our best friends. They’re basically family.
“Ryker.” I swallow down the dread clawing at me. “I can’t afford a custom wedding gown.”
“Don’t worry about it, Lane. Everly will get a ton of press from our wedding. She wouldn’t let you pay if you tried.” Nothing about those words sit right with me. In my world, you don’t get anything for nothing.
“I don’t know—”
“It has to be believable, right?” Forget smiles.
My heart sinks. I guess it wouldn’t be believable for me to walk down the aisle to a Beneventi in an off-the-rack, white slip dress.
I’m pretty sure a Beneventi married a freaking princess a few years ago.
Shit. I really don’t want to think about that.
“Trust me when I say this isn’t a big deal.
Everly is Hendrix’s big sister, and their dad is my coach. They really are like family.”
Trust him.
That’s a big ask for someone who never trusted anyone before this summer.
I guess it’s worth a try.
Delaney
That would be great. Thank you.
Lenny
Does lunch tomorrow work for you? We want to give her as much time as possible. You could ask Ashton to come with us.
My stomach knots.
Guess I’m going right from the fire to the flames.
Delaney
That’s a great idea. Thank you.
Lenny
Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Delaney
See you tomorrow.
Shoving my phone away, I stare at my future husband.
“Exactly how many groomsmen do you have?”
“I hadn’t thought about it. I guess I should ask Maverick, Jamie, Finn, Hendrix, and my cousins,” he answers with a smirk on his face.
“How many cousins?” I squeak so loudly, Tori pops her head up from where she’s been snoring in the corner of the room.
“Three.” He has the decency to at least look like he realizes that’s a ton of groomsmen. “How many bridesmaids did you have in mind?”
“Ashton.” I scrunch my face. “I guess I could ask Dillan, Lexie, and Kaleigh too.”
He rests his arm along the back of the couch and gently tugs on my hair. “Okay. I’ll only ask four, but if I get shit from the others, I’m sending them your way. Deal?”
I rest my head on his arm and turn my face to his. “Deal.”