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Jameson only reminds me of my parents, who named me after a bottle of Irish whiskey, and when it comes to them, I’d rather leave the past where it belongs.
“So, I don’t have to do any girly shit?” I’m still confused and need more clarification. I can just surf the Internet when I get home. Not like I would have said no to Charlie. She’s the only family I have left. The only family I ever really had.
“Well, I can’t promise nothing girly, but it’s me we’re talking about.” Charlie is far from a girly girl. That’s one of the things I have always loved about h
er. No matter what, she stays true to herself and never pretends to be something she’s not.
“You might change your mind,” I joke.
“You know I hate that shit.” Charlotte rolls her eyes. “And I know this isn’t going to be easy on you because no man wants to go dress shopping and pick out cakes. Alex won’t be around as much as I would like with his hockey schedule. Plus, you’re my best friend, and I need you. ”
Those are the only words I need to hear, the only words that matter, and they bring a smile to my lips.
“I will expect you to help me pick out my dress and do things like that with me,” she continues, her expression mirroring mine. “Those are maid-of-honor type duties, which makes them your man-of-honor duties. If you don’t like the title, we can always call you something else. Don’t listen to Alex or his friends. They’re idiots.”
I nod in agreement, and she continues.
“I thought we could start at this boutique Sydney found in the city that sells dresses she swears will look amazing on me.”
I try to stop myself from frowning and fail miserably. “Dress shopping with Sydney.”
Alex slaps his palm down hard on my back and chuckles. “Good luck with that, man. Charlotte is going to dump all the crap she doesn’t want to do on you.”
Charlie elbows Alex in the arm. “Hey, that’s not true.”
“You know it is,” I deadpan. “I’m sure you’d rather gouge your eyes out than shop for a wedding gown.”
She shrugs and leans into Alex. He pulls her into his arms and kisses her forehead. “For this one,” she says, jabbing Alex in the chest with her finger, “I will make an exception. Alex wants the big wedding and everything, which is why we need a bridal party. And, unfortunately for you, that means helping me out with the girls and whatever things you do when you get married.”
I laugh because I love that Charlie is just as clueless as I am when it comes to weddings. We’d attended several of them together over the years for players Charlie represented, but all of this is new to us.
“I guess we have a lot to learn then. Did you pick a date yet?”
Biting down on her bottom lip, Charlie looks at Alex. “Do you still want to go with your dad’s birthday?”
Alex buries his face in her hair and nods, holding her there for a few seconds. After his father’s death a few years ago, Charlie had become the life coach Alex was missing. She filled the void that his father had left behind. I know he’s hurting on the inside, just as Charlie is upset that her father isn’t here to walk her down the aisle.
Neither of them has any family to invite, apart from Mickey Donaghue, Alex’s godfather and Charlie’s boss at DMG. At this point, Mickey is family to all of us. Of course, they also have me. I still have no idea which of us she will ask to escort her down the aisle. While I hope it’s me, because I would be honored to do this for her, I know she might choose Mickey over me.
Charlie flashes a wide grin in my direction. “It looks like we’re getting married on July fifteenth. Mark your calendar, man-of-honor. We have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it.”
“Do you really think you can plan a huge wedding in only a few months and with Alex on the road with the team. And what if they make the playoffs?”
“We’re making the playoffs.” Alex’s tone is confident, as always. “There’s no question about it. Sydney and Kennedy will be able to help no problem. Sydney lives for this type of shit, and she’ll talk Kennedy into following her lead.”
Dealing with Carter Donovan and Tyler Kane is one thing, but adding their girlfriends to the equation is another. Just like Alex, his teammates give me a hard time, as if having a female friend is such a weird thing. They make jokes about me being one of the girls and stupid shit that I ignore for Charlie’s sake. Now, I will be like one of the girls in this wedding. I will never hear the end of it.
“So, Sydney and Kennedy are going to be bridesmaids?” In some ways, I feel somewhat relieved because that means I won’t have to do all the feminine crap with Charlie. While I want to be supportive, I don’t know a damn thing about dresses or planning parties. I don’t want to make a mistake that ruins her big day.
Kennedy and Sydney are nice, easy to get along with, but it’s going to be hard enough getting Charlie to commit to something without them around. When Sydney is in a room, she controls everything in it—including the people. I can already see her talking Charlie into doing things she would never do just for her own enjoyment. It’s probably best I am there to steer her away from any of Sydney’s outlandish ideas.
“Yes, I asked Kennedy and Sydney to be my bridesmaids. I’m sure they will do most of the things you have no desire to do, but I would like you there for moral support if that makes sense.” Charlie steps away from Alex with her hands shoved into her jean pockets. “We’re a team, remember? So, I need my wingman to do this stuff with me.”
“Hey,” Alex interjects, pretending to be annoyed. “I thought I was your wingman.”
“You are.” She smirks at him. “But Jamie was the Goose to my Maverick long before I ever met you.”
“Why do you always have to be Maverick?” I ask, throwing my hands onto my hips in mock irritation. We’ve had this discussion at least a hundred times since we’ve known each other, all with the same result.
