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“We can make an exception,” said Sam, all smiles.
With that, we were off. Truth be told, I didn’t know how all of this was going to shake down, only that James was toast.
Before too long we arrived at the garden, the eyes of nearly everyone there on the eightsome storming through the well-manicured greens. We went around one of the giant hedges and sure enough, there was the man we were looking for, Noah waiting with him and breaking out into a big grin as we arrived.
“Damn, babe,” said Noah to Pepper. “I know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the big moment, but you look good as hell.”
“Thanks, babe,” she replied with a smile.
Sam cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” said Will, his hand shielding his eyes so that he couldn’t see Sam. “Call me a traditionalist.”
We turned our collective attention to James.
“What the hell is going on here?” he asked, a look of total shock on his face.
“You know what this is about, asshole,” I said.
He stiffened up, apparently finally getting it. A smug smile formed on his lips.
“We all know exactly what you pulled,” I said. “What you tried to force Shania into is more than enough justification for knocking the shit out of you right where you’re standing.”
He scoffed. “It was a good offer,” he said. “And she turned it down. Every decision has consequences.”
I stepped closer to him, and each one I took seemed to shake a little more confidence out of his stupid ass.
Finally, I was near enough that if I wanted to knock his ass to the ground, I could’ve. And I really wanted to.
“One chance to apologize,” I said.
“Or else what?” He was still trying to keep his cool.
I said nothing, making it clear the only words I wanted out of his mouth next were “I’m very, very sorry.”
He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. “F-fuck off,” he said weakly.
I laughed—couldn’t help it. The guy was a joke.
I made a quick step toward him, giving him a fake-out. And it was one that he took very, very seriously. His eyes went wide, and he pivoted away from the punch that didn’t come, but which he really deserved. Once he was clear, he started into a run and kept going, disappearing around the tall hedge separating us from the rest of the garden, and then he was gone.
“Can’t wait until the press gets some pictures of him hauling ass out of here,” said Shania with a smile. “Ought to make good conversation for the next board meeting.”
I looked over at the group, all my friends there having my back—literally.
“Thanks, guys,” I said. “Thanks for being there for me.” I put my hand on Shania’s shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. “For being there for us.”
“No sweat,” said Sam with a smile.
“Now,” said Will, clasping his hands together. “What do you say we get out there and get married?”
He pulled Sam close, and Will did the same with Pepper.
And I couldn’t help but lean in and give Shania a soft kiss, one that she was eager to receive.
Time to get this show on the road.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
SHANIA
OK, so I’d been totally ready to cry my eyes out at the wedding. That was one of the maid of honor’s main duties, right? To bawl like a baby when the couple, er, couples say “I do?” Well, my mental preparations for the big moment hadn’t been nearly enough. Seeing two of my best friends tie the knot with two amazing men…it was like damn.
So I cried big, goopy not-cute tears. But lucky for me, the gorgeous man there with me was more than willing to let me use the shoulder of his extremely dapper-looking tuxedo as my own personal tissue.
And as happy I was for my friends, I was equally as thrilled that things were looking…pretty darn good between Sean and me. James’s bullshit had been cleared up, we’d finally had the conversation we should’ve a long time ago, and we were both ready and eager to officially make this thing between us, well, a thing.
So when the Lover Boys finished playing a few songs, and after Sean finished some insanely killer spinning that we all danced like crazy people to, I was more than ready to get onto the dance floor with him and hold his ass good and close.
Sean and I danced slowly, my head on his shoulder as the jazz band played some old standard. God, he felt good. The way he looked, the way he held me in his arms, the way he smelled—it was heaven.
I looked up at him as we danced, noticing a small smile playing on his face. “What’s up?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just thinking about this moment, right here…how many years in the making it’s been.”
I loved it.
