Watching my friends, I’m considering giving up on my rotation of greetings and well wishes and instead spending the rest of the night with my preferred crowd. But not until I can locate Jessa and steal her away from chatty uncles and awkward colleagues.
Just then, a hand snakes around my waist. Speak of the angel herself.
“Hey, mister, got a minute?”
I grin, lacing fingers with my wife’s. My wife.
“I think we’ve determined that you can have all my minutes from here on out.”
“Hmm.” She hums contentedly, leaning her head against my bicep. “Will you come with me to spend a little time with your daughter? She’s getting grumpy, and I think Beth is going to take her home before it gets to be too late.”
“Fair enough.”
Marley’s biological mom, Beth, and Jessa have become close since she moved in with me. There’s some sort of understanding between them that goes beyond the fun they have teasing me for my little fatherhood blunders. It’s the connection between two compassionate humans who see a lot of themselves in each other.
“Da-da,” Marley cries, squirming in Beth’s arms when she catches sight of me.
Beth rolls her eyes with a smirk, passing our daughter off to me. “She’s downright sick of me now, I’ll tell you that much.”
While Jessa laughingly consoles Beth, I spin my baby girl around, earning about a million giggles. Her curly hair is pulled into two tiny pigtails, and while she’s still not great at walking, she’s already such a strong and healthy child. It’s uncommon to have one’s child present on your wedding day, so I don’t take the privilege lightly. I nuzzle my nose into her cheek, eliciting another bout of shrieking laughter.
“I love you so much, Marley girl,” I whisper against her soft hair. “More than you’ll ever know.”
About ten minutes later, Beth leaves with Marley, and before long, the lights dim and the dancing begins.
Jessa dances with her stepdad, who keeps her laughing from pretty much the first step until the last. I dance with my mother, who spends the brief five minutes worrying about when Penelope will get married to that nice, stoic man she’s been carting around to family gatherings lately.
Our own slow dance goes off without a hitch, despite my stumbling feet betraying me at the rehearsal. I’m pretty damn sure the only reason I don’t make a complete ass of myself is just because I’m so distracted by the exquisite woman in my arms, who whispers the steps to me between reassuring kisses.
It wasn’t rehearsed, but Jessa doesn’t mind one bit when I dip her at the end of the song, pressing a less than family-friendly kiss to her neck in front of God and all our guests. The guys are a few drinks in by this time, their hooting and hollering inspiring a loud reaction from the crowd.
Finally, it’s time for the bouquet toss.
Jessa pretends to line up her shot before spinning around and tossing the flowers wildly over her head. Much to my shock, it’s Scarlett who catches the damn thing, staring at it like she’s caught a live grenade. Maren and Penelope cheer, wrapping their arms around the reluctant winner and squeezing her tight.
Meanwhile, my focus is on Hayes, Wolfie, and Caleb from their seats at a nearby table. Maybe it’s the lighting playing tricks on me, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Caleb so pale in his life.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Jessa says, running full tilt into my arms.
I hug her tight, lifting her slightly so her feet dangle in the air for a second.
She groans happily. “Oh, that’s nice. These shoes are trying to kill me.”
“How about I give you a nice, long foot rub in the tub when we finally make it home tonight?” I murmur into her ear, letting my lips tickle her skin. “I’ll snag some of that leftover cake, and we can finally drink that bubbly we’ve been saving in the fridge.”
Jessa pulls back, just far enough to kiss me hard on the lips. “Marry me.”
“Done.”
“I love you.” Her grin is as infectious as it is lovable.
And I’m as lucky as I am smitten. “I love you too.”
Later, after many dances, well wishes from relatives, and even more stolen kisses with my new bride, guests slowly trickle out of the exits toward their cars and Ubers. The staff makes quick work of the mess. The lights, the decorations, even the tiny little placards for name inserts all get packed away into boxes for another night, another wedding. Jessa hugs Penelope, Maren, and Scarlett good night while I shake the hands of my business partners and friends.
Something still seems off about Caleb, so I clasp his hand and pull him in for a bro hug.
“Do you have a sec?” he asks when I pull back to clap him on the shoulder. “To talk.”
I glance at Jessa, who catches my eye and reads my mind instantly. She shoots me a wink as if to say good luck before turning back to her friends.
“Yeah, man, what’s up?”
“I don’t even know where to start. It’s about Scarlett.”
Okay. Unexpected plot twist, but I roll with it, giving him a nod. “Of course.”
He gestures me over to a terrace that’s semi-private, and we step out onto it.
“So, what’s going on?” I meet his eyes, trying to rack my brain and think if I’ve seen anything unusual going on between them. I haven’t. Though I guess I’ve been pretty wrapped up in my own stuff lately, so I really haven’t been paying attention.
With a deep sigh, he runs one hand through his rumpled hair. Then he begins.
I listen as Caleb fills me in on his sudden and growing feelings for his friend Scarlett. Honestly, it’s all so unexpected, for a moment I’m speechless.
“Say something, dude,” he grumbles, clearly annoyed with me.
“Sorry.” I raise one hand. “I’m just processing.”
Jessa chooses that moment to appear beside us and grins when she sees me. “There you are.”
I lean over to give her cheek a kiss. “Sorry I disappeared. We’re just talking for a second.”
She looks between Caleb and me, her brow crinkling. “Everything okay?”
I nod. “Just some guy talk.”
Caleb clears his throat. “You might as well tell her. I’m sure you will anyway.”
I chuckle. “You sure?”
He shrugs. “You’re married now. I basically think of you guys as one person anyway.”
This pulls an uneasy laugh out of Jessa. “Okay, now you’re worrying me. Is something wrong?”
Caleb shakes his head. “No, nothing’s wrong.”
I take her hand, smoothing my thumb over her knuckles. “Caleb was just confiding in me about his feelings . . . for someone.”
“Scarlett,” Jessa says with a smile.
“How did you know?” Caleb asks, his voice slightly strained. “Was I that obvious?”
“No,” I say at the same time that Jessa answers, “Yes.”
We all chuckle, and Caleb shakes his head.
“I noticed you being a little extra . . . attentive toward her. That’s all,” Jessa says with a wave.
“And do you think Scar would . . .” Caleb runs one hand over the back of his neck.
“Be down with that scenario?” Jessa asks. “Heck yes, I do. I think she feels all kinds of things for you too that blur the friend zone.”