Page 73 of Nothing to the Wedding

“And the rest,” Ballard replied.“All this pomp and money spent?You gonna walk out on it.”

They couldn’t exactly say a person only had one wedding when this was her and Zairn’s second.

“Suppose he’s right… I can’t leave until someone comments on my shoes.”

Ballard’s scowl was reassuring.“What’s wrong with your shoes, Little Rox?”

“Jane has diamonds on her dress,” Roxie said, gathering up her skirt just enough to poke her foot out the bottom.“She’s not the only one with bling.”

Zairn laughed.

Ballard shook his head.“Are those…”

“Ruby slippers, just like the Wicked Witch.”She rolled her ankle left and right, round and round.“Good for the brand, Casanova?”

“You’re a good girl.”

“Enough to earn another kiss?”

Dipping down, coming closer, the twist of the smile on her beautiful man’s face promised way more than a fleeting kiss.For now, for forever, for—

“Rox!”Jane called, still beaming.Ah, Ballard saved by the bride.One of them.“You have to come over here.”She gestured.“Come over here.”

Tightening her hold on Zairn’s hand, she forced him to follow her over to the paperwork.“Duty calls.”

“You have to witness this,” Jane said.“You and Zairn.We’ll do yours.”

“Symmetry,” Roxie said, refastening her guy’s buttons.Putting him back together without taking advantage was a real downer on the day.“Classy.”

This wouldn’t be the moment she revealed to Jane that her and Zairn’s certificate was a fake.Actually, this was the moment that guaranteed she’d never reveal to anyone that her and Zairn’s certificate was a fake.

She signed, he signed, everyone signed.

“Can you believe this?”Jane said when the four guys gathered for another back-smacking laugh session.“We’re married!It’s here, it’s—” Her inhale was a pant of disbelief.“Thank you.Thank you!I can’t—this is incredible, amazing, we’re… I can’t believe we’re married!I’m a wife!We’re wives!”

“Yes,” she said, doing her best to get close enough for the semblance of a hug.

Wasn’t so easy with Jane’s incredible skirt.She had layers, but Jane’s dress was something else.More like art than attire.

The noise rose with every second.No matter the size of the space, thirteen hundred people made themselves known.In there, much like at the club of an evening, a whisper didn’t exist.

“We’ll do the walk back down the aisle and the drinks reception will start while we’re getting pictures,” Jane said.“You’re getting pictures.Oh, uh, I don’t know if the photographers—”

“Bought and paid for, honey.You think we’d forget to guarantee your memories?What will you show your grandchildren if you don’t have pictures?Knox will be senile and useless by then, it will be all on you to animate the dream.”

Jane sort of quivered as her color rose.“Grandchildren?”

“Sure!You’re one step closer,” Roxie said.“You’ve got the guy.You live together.We’ve taken care of marriage…” She leaned in to whisper, “Next is babies.”

“Babies.”

Her friend’s conflict was clear.Jane would want to squee over the possibility but had only that morning thought her guy wanted to break up.Sure, he’d proved that wasn’t true… Would he be ready for the offspring conversation?One step at a time.

“Aisle walk, cheering, pictures, we can do this.Let’s get our guys.”

Jane caught her hand before she took a step.“Rox, after the pictures, we have to do a thing.”

“A thing?”Not one to hesitate, she’d be up for whatever.Her threshold for the shocking was way higher than Jane’s.“Okay.With the guys?”