Page 88 of False Start

Kyle nodded, his eyes sliding to Mary on a grin. “I don’t have anything to apologize to you for,” he said with a wink. “Still think your tattoos are sick. Still think you’re one nasty girl. And would still call you Daddy if I didn’t think Leo would break my jaw for it.”

The tension at the table shattered, everyone laughing as Mary side-stepped Leo and threw her arms around Kyle’s neck. She kissed his cheek, and one by one, I watched Kyle’s friends embrace him.

I felt like I was snooping on a private moment, and at the same time, like I had been a part of everything they’d just talked about.

Like I was already in the family, too.

“Alright,” Julep said with a clap of her hands. “Now that we’ve had our cry for the night, I think it’s time to dance.”

The rest of the wedding night was magical.

I audibly gasped when we walked into the reception area, seeing how beautifully everything was decorated. It was a large cabin-like venue with A-frame windows larger than anything I’d ever seen showing off the mountains in the distance. The sun had set, Edison lights hanging from one end of the room to the other, and every detail was elegant and refined.

My personal favorite was the book wall, where mine and Kyle’s names were written in gold script on the spine of a fake book. When we opened it, it had our table number in it.

Each table also had photos of Clay and Giana, as well as a chapter or two from Clay’s hideously written “book” about their love story. Apparently, it was part of what he called his “grand gesture” to get her back after he messed up, and each table told a little of the story — photos included.

We ate dinner with all the tension from cocktail hour completely gone, and then everyone was on the dance floor. Clay and Giana left only long enough to cut their cake and visit with the older guests of the wedding who were sitting along the perimeter of tables.

The bouquet toss happened about midway through the night, and though I pretended that Mary and Riley had to pull me out against my will, I didn’t miss the way Kyle covered his laugh with one hand as he watched me gain my stance and prepare for the throw.

That thing wasmine.

I hiked up my dress in both my hands, ready to dive like I did for the volleyball last night, if necessary. But I didn’t have to. Giana tossed the bouquet of flowers made from book pages up in a perfect arc —

For Riley.

Shit.

I thought about losing the bet with Kyle for a split second, but my pride won out, and I jumped in front of Riley — who was somehow even more petite than I was.

She blinked in surprise when I snatched the flowers, and then all the other girls cheered and surrounded me.

The guys joined us then, and Leo poked Mary’s side. “You didn’t even try!”

“When are we going to have time to get married?” she barked back at him. “I’m running the shop and you’re about to play your first season in the NFL.”

He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her close, his mouth against her ear. I don’t think he realized I could still hear him when he said, “Am I going to have to put a baby in you to tie you down the way Clay did with G?”

Mary flushed a deep red, and so did I, tearing my eyes away from them.

“Riley, you didn’t try too hard either,” Kyle assessed. “After all, I know how you fought for the ball when we played five hundred.”

Riley shrugged, looking over to Zeke. “Bouquet toss is for women who aren’t already married.”

There was a long pause.

And then a chorus of demands for her to explain.

She laughed, leaning into Zeke before holding up her left hand. “None of you idiots noticed the ring?”

Giana and Clay had run over at this point, and Giana gasped before clutching Riley’s wrist in her hands and studying the dainty yellow sapphire.

Immediately, she started sobbing.

“Oh, my God! I’ve been so focused on the wedding I didn’t see! I’m the worst friend ever!”

Clay consoled her with a chuckle as Riley leaned into Zeke again. He put his arm around her, and she looked up at him like he hung the moon. “We eloped.”