Page 103 of Hard to Get

“Mom, she’s part of the family now.”

“I don’t have to be in pictures with her.”

“But Harrison and Meredith want pictures of everyone. Do it for them.”

“Then I want Jason to be in the pictures, too.”

“Mom, we barely know him.” I glance over at Harrison, who’s watching us. “Hang on.”

I pick up the skirt of my dress and hike over to my brother. “Can we include Jason in some of the pictures?”

He rolls his eyes. “Sure. We’ll probably never see the guy again, but whatever.”

I hasten back to tell Mom that’s okay. Jason isn’t so pleased. He’s well aware he’s not family and doesn’t even want to be in the photos, but Mom grabs his arm and hangs on it, imploring him to join everyone. So he does.

I can see Wendy is pissed. I don’t blame her.

When we’re done with the photos, I hunt down Jayden and find him at the bar with a crowd of people around him. I have to smile at my worry about leaving him on his own not knowing anyone. He’s found all Harrison’s hockey buddies and they have a lot to talk about.

Dinner is in the ballroom which is elegant and sophisticated with a tall ceiling, fluted columns, and glittering chandeliers. Candles and deep-red roses mixed with eucalyptus boughs adorn every table. When we check the table assignments, I see that Jayden and I are at the same table as my parents. Both my parents.

“What were they thinking?” I mutter to Jayden. “They can’t sit at the same table!”

I make sure Mom and Dad and their respective partners are on opposite sides of the table with Jayden and me between them. We’re also with my Aunt Tammy, Uncle Steve, and my cousin Karlie and her husband Leo. I introduce everyone to Jayden, who shakes hands with confident friendliness. As we take our seats for dinner, he’s the center of attention. Again. Dad is especially taken, asking him questions about the team and their season and what happened in the last game when a Dallas player hit Cam when he was in a vulnerable position near the boards.

“He hit him on the numbers,” Dad says irately. “That should have been more than two minutes.”

“He’s getting a call from the department of player safety,” Jayden says.

“Well, good. He should be suspended. Your coach was sure fired up.”

“Oh yeah, he was.”

Duper was behind the bench yelling at the other team and the refs. I kind of enjoyed it.

As we eat our way through several delicious courses, I’m surprised that Mom and Dad are behaving. Which means they’re ignoring each other. I’ll take it.

“I think it’s because you’re here,” I whisper to Jayden. “They’re trying to impress you.”

“Happy to help.” He smirks at me, eyes dipping briefly to my chest.

I give him a warning look and his grin stretches wider.

We make it through dinner and speeches without incident and by the time the dancing is about to start, I’m feeling like we just might make it. But then I hear Wendy say to Dad, not quietly, “You didn’t give them any money for the wedding?”

Dad’s eyes shift around. “Shh,” he says.

Yikes.

“Don’t shush me!” Wendy cries. “I can’t believe you didn’t help pay for this.”

Dad’s expression suggests she’s telling everyone about his prostate exam. “Not here,” he says tightly.

I already knew from Harrison that Dad hadn’t offered to contribute financially to the wedding. Harrison and Meredith could probably pay for the whole thing themselves, but Meredith’s parents gave them money to help out, and Mom paid for the flowers.

I see we’ve caught Harrison’s eye from the head table.

I lean around Jayden to whisper to Wendy and Dad, “Do you want to go discuss this out in the lobby?”