Page 22 of Mic Drop (Passionate Beats #3)

The next hour flies by. Luke and I stand next to the judge.

Our guests fill up the chairs. Courtney helps Faith into her seat of honor in the first row.

The white rose for my dad is on a chair next to hers.

Kara flip-flops down the aisle, beaming at me.

Then Tris stands at the end of the aisle, my gorgeous bride in white on his arm.

My heart skips a beat. Maybe two.

The Light Rail plays the wedding march as the pair make their way to me. I didn’t realize Jenna asked the new keyboardist to do the honors, but it makes sense. Everything about today does.

We recite our vows—ones we wrote in secret—to each other.

Exchange rings. Kiss as the judge pronounces us husband and wife.

Maybe our kiss goes on a little too long, as the guests start to snicker and clap and roar.

Only when Jenna giggles into my mouth do I release her lips, whispering, “I love you forever.”

“And a day. ”

We turn and face our friends and family, and TLR strikes up their hit, “Let Me Give You A Sweet,” as we sashay down the aisle to Faith. I kiss her cheek and accept her hug as she says, “I’m so happy to call you ‘son.’”

I may or may not have had to use one of Jenna’s tissues.

The caterer serves appetizers, which we devour as if we hadn’t eaten in ages. We laugh with our friends. I enjoy dancing with my new sister and her kids. Even enjoy chatting with my new brother, the cosmetic surgeon.

Luke pulls me away from them. “Hey, B, it’s time.”

With an apologetic glance to my new family—family!

—I follow our manager to the stage, mentally reviewing our new song.

The one I took the lead in writing, although the rest of the band added their own touches.

Jenna’s comment about how we, as a band, create our music together rings true.

Today it was my idea, but tomorrow Coop or Río or Tris or 007 could take the lead.

The fact we’ve never followed the traditional path in creating songs never hit so hard as it does now.

Perhaps we are much more of a unique group than I ever realized? Filled with friends.

Shaking my head to get into the zone, I climb the stairs to the stage. Trent Washington-Hunte hands me the microphone. “Thanks so much for doing this for us,” I whisper into his ear.

“Happy to help you out. Besides, my wife Cordelia always roots for true love. She would’ve handed me my balls if we didn’t do this for you.” He blows a kiss toward his wife, who’s sitting by Court, my wife’s—WIFE’s—bff. They look thick as thieves.

“You better watch out for those two.”

“Don’t I know it. We’ll be back to take over after you’re done. Hit it, man.” Trent leaves the stage and I check in with my bandmates, who each give me a thumbs up as they get situated behind The Light Rail’s instruments.

I face the audience. No, not audience. Family and.

..friends? Close acquaintances? My eyes close, and as I reopen them.

I raise my newly ringed left hand. “My wife and I want to thank you for dropping whatever you were doing to come all the way out here to celebrate our wedding with us. It means more than you can imagine that you’re here supporting our new life together. ”

Everyone claps. Nese even whistles.

“Untamed Coaster wanted to sing this song for you. It’s new, so go easy on us. It’s called, ‘Take The Chance.’”

Río bangs his drumsticks together three times and the guys play the intro. I scan the crowd until my gaze rests on Jenna, who’s sitting next to Faith. Both of them beam at me. I blow my wife a kiss, then focus on the lyrics. I sing heartfelt sentiments.

Telling her how she changed my life.

Telling her I’m so lucky she agreed to be my wife.

Telling her I’m ready to take the chance. With her. Only her.

The bridge plays, then I repeat the chorus.

Sweetheart, I’m ready to take the chance

Believe me when I say you make my heart sing

‘Cause there’s no music when you’re not around

I can do anything with you at my side

Let’s go and let our love fly high

As we take the chance. Forever.

I speak the last three words. “I love you.”

When the last note reverbs from Coop’s guitar, our guests jump to their feet, clapping. I don’t care about anyone else, my sole focus is on my wife. The beautiful Jenna Hardy. The woman who owns my body and soul, who breathed it back to life. If there ever was any life before her.

Jenna kisses her mother, then races to the stage where I pull her up next to me. With happy tears streaming down her face, she embraces me. “That was beautiful. I’m so blessed because you took the chance on me.”

I kiss her, much to the encouragement of our guests. “I got the better end of this deal.”

All of my bandmates huddle around us. We don’t say anything, simply hold on to each other. I’ve never felt so much unity, happiness, kinship from my band. Ever.

I’m brought out of my head when Trent steals the mic I forgot I was holding from my fingers. He addresses our guests. “Great new chart-topping song, guys. Let’s give it up for Untamed Coaster!” Everyone roars, and we turn the stage back to TLR.

We dance and eat and talk with everyone throughout the early evening. When I take to the dance floor with my new mother-in-law to Cole Manchester’s hit, she kisses my cheek and says this is the happiest day she can remember in a long, long time.

There’s nothing more that I could’ve asked for from our wedding.

Jenna and I deliberately planned the day to end around eight because UC has to leave for our next gig in the morning and I wanted to be sure I’d have at least a little bit of alone time with my new wife before that happens.

I survey the backyard and find Faith sitting and chatting with a man I don’t recognize.

She appears animated, but I can discern the strain the day’s taken on her.

I dance with my wife. “Think it’s time we cut the cake and bow out?”

Jenna’s fingers play with the back of my neck. “What do you have in mind? It’s still light out.”

My grin turns wolfish. “Keeping my wife up and screaming until the sun comes up.”

“I like your plan. Your wife’s a lucky girl.”

I pick her up and slowly drag her body down mine. Into her ear, I agree, “She sure is.”

When the song ends, we make our way to the double-tiered cake. The Light Rail strikes up “Speak Softly Love,” the theme from The Godfather , which makes Jenna giggle. I could live on this sound for the rest of my life.

After we—politely—feed each other, a delicious concoction of vanilla cake with cannoli icing, we say our goodbyes to everyone. She lingers with Court and Kara plus her niece and nephew. I take my time with Luke, who agrees to make sure Faith is brought home soon.

Then the rest of the band rushes over to give me their last bits of advice. “Make sure she comes first,” Río offers.

“And often,” Coop clarifies.

Not to be outdone, 007 says, “Shower off the cooties and wash in all the crevices. Then use soap.”

Tris grabs my shoulder. “Don’t go to sleep until you’re back on the plane with us.”

This feels like more to me. Much more than we’ve ever shared. Perhaps it’s the setting in my new home, or the fact I’m now a husband, but the way these men have rallied around me mean the world to me. “You guys...” I can’t get out any more than that, but they seem to understand.

Río pronounces, “Group hug!” The six of us smother each other.

Coop’s the first to break the group. “You’ve got all of our advice. Now go consummate this marriage. We’re gonna stay and trash your new house.”

With these parting words, I join my wife and kiss her hand. Which is cold. I tilt my head. “Ready?”

Jenna’s face is frozen as her eyes fix on a man sitting at the back of the gathered crowd. She whispers, “My father is here.”