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I clapped a hand across my mouth. It was just a slip of the tongue. I’d gotten used to him being my confidante. I’d totally forgotten that Reece wanted this secret kept from him too.
“Shhhh. Hush,” I waved my hands frantically at him, glancing again over at Mike, who had looked our way and then quickly back down at his screen.
I stepped in close to Jeremiah and whispered. “Shh, don’t say anything. I forgot. They wanted to keep it a secret from everyone till after the wedding.”
But Jeremiah was looking anything but calm. He grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me several feet away from Mike. “Are you seriously telling me that my little brother knocked Charlotte up? This is a fucking shotgun wedding?” He shook his head and swore. “I shoulda known this was too good to be true. Reece didn’t change at all. He’s still just an irresponsible little—”
“Uh, excuse me?” I made a disbelieving noise. “Your brother is not irresponsible. He’s great.”
Jeremiah looked at me like I was a naïve idiot. “Oh, come on. You think this means true love?” He scoffed. “We all thought it was weird, them getting married so fast. It’s the oldest story in the book. Our dad married our mom for the same reason. And he was gone three months after we were born, so don’t tell me about how great my brother is. He’s just repeating history.”
I took a step back from him.
Mainly so I wouldn’t slap him.
“How can you say that? You know him better than anyone.”
He looked at me and his eyes were hard. “Exactly.”
I just shook my head, my heart hurting for Reece. To have grown up with someone so judgmental at your side, always expecting you to fuck up and then saying I told you so every time you made a mistake…
And this was the man I was planning to make a life with?
The internal question hit me like a kick in the guts. It was like everything was crashing down in waves. I tried to push away the thought but Jeremiah stood there in front of me looking so angry, stubborn, and intractable.
Then, behind us, Olivia opened the door. “Oh good, everyone’s here,” she said, her face bright. “It’s time, isn’t it, Ruth? Charlie’s getting antsy in here.”
Oh God. Charlie. It was Charlie’s day. Charlie and Reece. They were getting married, come hell or high water.
Or a stubborn, annoying twin brother who would not, I repeat not, interfere with this wedding going forward.
I forced a smile for Olivia. “Just give us one more minute.”
Thankfully, Jeremiah stayed quiet until the door shut again. Then I grabbed his lapels and jerked him close and spoke about two inches away from his face to make sure he got the message.
“Listen here. You are not going to fuck up this day for your brother. I don’t care what you think about it. Reece loves Charlotte and she loves him back. They are going to have a perfect wedding day and you aren’t going to say one goddamned word about this. Do you get me?”
He stared at me stone-faced and I jerked his lapels again. “Nod if you get me.”
He shrugged me off but nodded, standing stiffly upright like a rod had been shoved up his ass.
I let go of him and let out a long rush of breath. “Fine. Let’s get through this.”
All of the day’s joy turned to dread as I opened the door to retrieve Olivia, Charlie, and her parents.
“It’s time!” I said as brightly as I could. Charlie frowned at me, always too perceptive for her own good. But thankfully, she was distracted by hearing the wedding music change. We’d carefully picked out the music, and she knew it was the song before the wedding march began.
I tried to enjoy her eyes lighting up, but my stomach was still sour with Jeremiah’s accusations. Reece wasn’t like their father. He would never leave this beautiful woman or their child in the dust. He had grown up, and if his own brother couldn’t see that, all the more tragedy when everyone else could.
“Daddy?” Charlotte looked toward her father, who must have joined her while I was outside. He looked tall and refined in a tux as he stood to take her arm. Her mother wasn’t anywhere to be seen and I assumed she’d gone to take her seat in the front row.
The vulnerability in Charlie’s eyes as she looked toward her dad made me forget Jeremiah and everything else.
This was her day, and in spite of her terrible mother I was still so glad we could give her this. I was happy her parents were here for this and that they were finally supporting her. God knew we couldn’t choose our family. Sometimes showing up was enough.
When I next smiled at Charlie, it was genuine. “Come on,” I motioned toward them. “It’s time.”
