Page 58 of Playing for Keeps

“I’m thinking Old MacDonald may be a better nickname for him than The Ice King. And then we could have a theme song to go with it.”

Luke grinned. “I like the idea of giving everyone in the team a theme song.”

“Oh, definitely! Alfie can have ‘You’re So Vain’,” I suggested.

We wandered toward the marquee, brainstorming theme songs for our teammates. Why did the sound of Luke laughing always make me feel like this? Fill me up with so much lightness, like I could float in the clouds. I’d felt like this since I was a kid, so I’d never thought to question it. But it appeared questioning was my mode today.

The wedding was due to start, so Luke and I sat down next to each other on the white plastic chairs inside the marquee.

Aiden and Tyler came out and took their places at the altar. They were both dressed in suits, Tyler tugging at his necktie.

I hardly knew Bannings, but I’d played with Aiden Jones for the six seasons. And while he’d lightened up over the past couple of seasons, he was still a serious guy who didn’t show much emotion.

So watching him say his vows now, his gaze never flickering from Tyler’s face, caused a whole lot of feelings to well up inside me. Because you could tell Aiden Jones meant every word as he pledged his life to Tyler.

And the smile on his face after they’d been pronounced husband and husband? Yeah, I’d never seen Jonesy smile like that, it was one for the record books. And you gotta admire a guy who grabs his new husband and kisses him thoroughly in front of an audience of catcalling rugby players.

We stood up as Aiden and Tyler walked back down the aisle. In the shuffling, Luke’s hand grazed against mine. My hand tingled. It was as if all the nerves in my body were concentrated in that one patch of skin.

My thoughts took a lurch into horrible territory.

Would Luke marry Jonathan one day?

Shit. I’d never been a jealous person. But it seemed I was making up for it right now, with a lifetime’s worth of jealousy welling up inside me, turning me greener than a seasick Kermit the Frog. I had to close my eyes and battle the queasiness that overtook me at the idea of Luke standing at the altar declaring his love to someone else.

Luke nudged me, which meant my shoulder tingled now too. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just overdosing on happiness and love. It’s making me feel sick.” I tried to joke, but Luke’s mouth didn’t tilt up like normal. Instead his brow furrowed and he stared at me as if he was trying to figure me out.

His look of concentration caused my dream to slide back into my mind.

What did it mean that I remembered every encounter we’d had, could replay every expression on Luke’s face, every single touch and hitched breath? Memories of the people I’d been with since blurred together, a mess of faces and body parts. Fuck, the night I’d slept with Char I’d been drunk so I’d only ever remembered small flashes of what had happened.

But with Luke I remembered Every. Single. Detail.

Right now, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

We followed the crowd down the aisle and out of the marquee. Outside, Aiden and Tyler stood under the brooding sky chatting to guests.

“Congrats, bro.” I gave Aiden a hug, slapping him on the back.

“Thanks.” It appeared Aiden wasn’t going to lose that smile anytime soon.

Luke and I congratulated Tyler too, then headed over to where the bulk of other rugby players were standing.

I’m not sure that when Aiden and Tyler scheduled their wedding for a bye weekend during the season, they could have predicted both their teams would be battling it out for top of the table. It gave the post-wedding conversations slightly more tension than usual.

Luke and I stood at the edge of the huddle of Marauders players, and I watched some kids having a great time splashing in their gumboots in the mud puddles.

Luke followed my gaze. “You should have brought Theo.”

“His friend’s birthday party is today. But I’m taking him to Orana Park tomorrow.”

“God, I loved Orana Park when I was a kid,” Luke said.

“You should come,” I said recklessly.

Luke hesitated for a second. “Yeah, okay, that sounds like a fun uncle duty.”