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The cedar logs were layered with flameless candles and mason jars full of blooms. It made a wide u-shape that looked just as lovely in the sunshine as it would in the nighttime.
We had a photographer who would be roaming around through the party to catch candids and a few formal photos. Since things had been so busy with their new baby, the happy couple hadn’t had the chance to get formal engagement photos done.
Instead, they’d opted for family photos, but I knew they’d want some that celebrated Gina and Jared as a couple, not just as parents. I knew full well how important the baby was once he or she entered our lives, but someone had to remember the bride.
And that would be me.
Jared came up beside me as Gina spoke to the photographer. She was wearing a simple sheath dress in peach and her dark fall of hair curled around her neck and down her back.
“She’s beautiful,” I said quietly.
“She is.” His face was creased with a happy smile at how the photographer fussed after her. He turned his attention to me. “Thank you for doing this.” He looked over my shoulder at Mason as he approached. “Thank you both. It’s far beyond what we were expecting.”
I could feel him standing directly behind me. My skin prickled at the memory of him holding me. And wowsah, that man could kiss.
“We wanted to make it special.” Mason’s voice rumbled from behind me.
Do not shudder.
Do not.
“You succeeded.” Jared passed me to engulf Mason in a hug. “I can’t thank you enough. We thought it would just be a fun summertime thing.” He squeezed Mason’s upper arms. “This is beyond.”
Jared turned toward me. “And I know you had a lot to do with it.”
“Oof.”I laughed as he pulled me into a hug. My goodness, the Brooks men were built with wide chests and shoulders. “Wait ’til you see inside the boat.”
He let me go. “That look on her face says everything.” Jared grinned at us then went to meet Gina in front of the oak.
“Guess we done good.” I resisted the urge to lean into Mason. Instead, we stood side by side and basked in the happiness of his brother and future sister-in-law.
Well, we got to bask for about five minutes. Then the rest of the Ramos clan arrived, and things got very intense very fast.
Bonnie Ramos, the matriarch, was dressed in a floral explosion of color. She ran to us with all the insane energy she seemed to have in an endless supply. “Oh, Mason. You took care of my girl. I won’t forget it.”
Mason seemed uncomfortable at the effusive hugs that came his way. Gina’s sisters were right behind their mother. The chic Frankie who lived in Brooklyn wearing a dress that I was certain had not come off a rack. The baby pink color made her olive skin glow, as did the gold at her neck, wrists, fingers, and ankle. She even had gold-wrapped heels on. Erica was in head-to-toe black, showing off her abundance of curves and cloud of black curls. Gabby brought up the rear in poppy red with her pin-straight hair cut in a blunt short cut that skimmed her shoulders.
All of them stunning and just as loud as their mother.
At least in this instance, they were happily chattering about the boat, the Boozie Bus, and the photo ops.
Mason seemed shell-shocked when they all surrounded him. His brother was marrying into quite a family.
For a moment, I wondered how he’d handle the Hausers. If he thought the Ramos clan was overwhelming, he’d be in even more trouble with my huge family. Especially since on top of the general chaos that came with them, our parents were always concerned about the optics of literally everything.
Not that I should be thinking about any of that in relation to Mason. It was one kiss.
Okay, a few kisses, but nothing more than that. Just fizzy lust, I was pretty sure.
Quickly, I sidestepped the overwhelmed and manhandled Mason. He shot me a panicked look as I left him and made a quick stop at the Boozie Bus.
“Hi. Could I have a pitcher of…” I skimmed the menu and grinned at the names and descriptions of the summer drinks. “Watermelon Sugar?”
“Coming up,” the perky dark-haired woman replied. She had bangs and blue eyes the size of saucers. “Our pitcher serves four to six.”
“Maybe I should get two. The Ramos clan is sounding pretty hyper already.”
She laughed and put two scoopfuls of ice into hefty pitchers. “On it.”
