“Declan,” Penny starts. “There was a time before you, but my world has become so inexplicably intertwined with you thatI struggle to remember what my life was like without those dimples in it.”
Someone whoops, which makes the crowd laugh. Lemmy lets out a little sigh, chuckling under her breath. Hockey players.
“We may not have known where this was heading when we were younger, but there was never a day where I didn’t search for you in every room, where I didn’t yearn for one of our debates, and when I didn’t secretly wish for you to push my buttons for the fun of it.”
Wyatt shakes his head, rolling his eyes at years of memories.
“I was lost when I found you. When Ireallyfound you. You saw through the worst versions of me and somehow always knew who I was,lovedwho I was, until slowly, I started to love her, too.”
Her voice breaks, and she pauses, needing a second.
Declan reaches up as her lip shakes, that little piece of fabric in his hand. He dabs at her eyes—dabs!The man knows not to wipe and ruin her makeup. That bar is beingraised, ladies!
“You are the best dog dad in the world,” she continues with a trembling voice, and this time,everyonestarts cheering. She glances at the crowd. “You all know how important that is to me.”
My gaze slides to Boston, who watches with a happy indifference. Like he’s thrilled for them, but he’ll never understand the depth of that feeling they’re talking about. Strangely, I feel closer to him than I ever have in this moment.
“Your friends can attest to this, but you are the bestteammate there is,” she says, earning a loud, booming applause. Most of it comes from Reno and Oscar. “I think back on our long, complicated history, and I cannot believe how lucky we are. One day, you took my hand, and you never let it go.Thank youfor never letting go, even when I made it hard to hold on. I hope you know that you will always have a best friend in me, inyour corner, cheering you on—proud of the man, and now the husband, that you are.”
He nods, like he knows. Like he’s always known.
“I hope that I can make you as proud as you make me every day. You are my favourite person, my best friend.” As soon as those words leave her mouth, Declan leans around Penny’s body to shoot Avery a mocking look of triumph. The wedding party cracks up—including her. “I can’t wait to be your wife. It will be the honour of a lifetime. I love you more than coffees and cinnamon buns. I love you most of all.”
Dec grins, his thumb sliding over her knuckles. He says something softly, flicking his chin in her direction, but the microphone picks it up. “Prove it.”
She beams, handing the little book back to Seth.
“I’m about to,” she says quietly.
Declan reaches up again to brush the last of her tears away.
“Declan,” the officiant says at the end of the ceremony, and Declan and Penny smile like two little kids, excitement radiating through them. “You may now kiss your bride.”
He steps forward, cupping her face, an easy smile on his lips. She whispers that she loves him just as he presses his mouth to hers.
The crowd goes nuts, my brother probably the loudest of them all. Declan kisses her, and kisses her, and kisses her until his groomsmen start heckling him and Penny is laughing so hard that she can’t keep kissing him and giggling at the same time.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise!” the officiant orders, and we all do. “For the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lowes!”
We clap and cheer them on as they walk halfway down the aisle, before he takes her into his arms and dips her backward to kiss her again.
The wedding party follows. Carter glances into our row as they pass, reaching forward to flick Reno near his dick. Reno jumps ten feet into the air, crashing into me and my chair to avoid getting hurt.
Arden scolds my brother, glare full of fire.
Boston’s eyes slide over our row, too, his cold stare lingering on Reno, lacking any and all sort of humour. I slide my body behind both hockey players so that I don’t have to endure his wrath.
“Ouf,” Reno grumbles, nudging Oz. “What the fuck did I do?”
I smirk.
What the fuck, indeed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
boston
An Aerosmith songstarts playing through the speakers. Lowesy enters the dance floor from one side, and Penny from the other. She smiles shyly at him, her hands behind her back, and he runs his hand over his mouth, looking her up and down as they meet in the middle of the dancefloor.
