Chapter 17
Brodie
All the tiny lights we’d strung around the yard glowed from wires and trees.
The backyard looked like an amusement park all lit up.
All it needed was a roller coaster and a ferris wheel.
I glanced around, pleased with the way everything looked.
My eye caught sight of a girl sitting at a table, alone.
I wondered briefly who she’d come with, if anyone, but the thought quickly left my mind as Jackson came up behind me, patting me on the back and handing me a shot glass full of something. “Why didn’t you join in for the catch?”
I sniffed at the glass. “Another shot of J?ger? You’re going to be my downfall.”
“It’s my wedding. We need to celebrate.”
“Better be careful, too many of these and you’ll ruin your bride’s wedding night.”
“Nah. Don’t worry. I’m pacing myself. Gotta take time to celebrate. You could have caught the garter. What happened?”
“Not my thing.”
“What? Garters or marriage?”
My lip twitched into a half smile. “I like garters. I just don’t like what the ritual implies.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s right. Mister non-relationship. Maybe someday when you fall in love, you’ll understand.”
Grateful he hadn’t tagged again onto that sentence.
Though even without it, Beth’s face flashed before my eyes.
The memory of her and what she had done still stung.
Jackson clinked his glass against mine and we downed the dark brown liquid.
As I titled my head back, I caught sight of Gabrielle on the dance floor.
Damn. Who was she dancing with? They swayed with their bodies pressed so close it looked like they were molded together.
She tilted her head back and laughed at something the guy said.
“Who’s that?” I asked, nodding my head toward Gabrielle and the guy holding her too tightly against him.
Jackson followed my gaze to the dance floor. “Who’s who?”
“That guy dancing with Gabrielle.”
“Oh, that’s Jeff. He’s on the soccer team. I think his last name’s Adams, if I remember correctly. He’s one of the newer guys on the team. I don’t know him very well.”
“Then why’d you invite him?”
“He’s on the team. I invited everyone on the team. It just seemed wrong to only invite some and not all. You know how it is.”
“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes. Jackson had a heart big enough for the entire county, and didn’t want anyone to feel left out whether they were good friends or just acquaintances.
“He was in the bar a few weeks ago. He’s been coming in a lot lately. I’m surprised you haven’t seen him.”
“I’ve seen him. Just didn’t know who he was.”