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“Do you deserve a kiss?” I tease.

“If I waited until I deserved one, I wouldn’t get enough,” he says with a wink.

I smile, and then kiss him. “I love you.”

“Good. Let’s go into a bedroom and you can prove it.”

Chapter 19

Trick

‘Vil vetoes the idea of a double wedding, but says they’ll have a chapel ceremony on their one-year anniversary. That definitely seems more ‘Vil and Rachel’s speed, since our wedding’s already off the hook with something like five hundred guests. He says Zoe and I should help Rachel find the perfect place, which makes me roll my eyes.

“I should find the venue? I already offered to share St. Mary’s with you.”

“Thought you wanted to be a part-time wedding planner since you’ve gotta okay every fucking thing your bride picks out.”

“If I don’t die young, I’ll be looking at these pictures for the next seventy-five years. They’re gonna look good. Only two weeks to plan. Laurelyn wasn’t up to putting this thing together alone.”

“Who would be? Two photographers? And some celebrity stylist team from California who’s charging what? Ten grand for the day? This thing is a circus even by Trick standards.”

“It’s fine. Gotta put on a good show. Relatives coming from Ireland for this. I want them to have stories about the filthy rich American wedding they went to.”

Anvil sinks the eight ball, and I toss a hundred-dollar bill on the table.

“And I’m not having two photographers all day. Kleinman’s a famous portrait photographer from New York, and she’s only shooting ten people. Be glad you made the cut. She can give you some tips on how to look decent for the chapel pictures when you remarry Rachel. All your pictures from the last time look like mugshots.”

Anvil’s gaze cuts to me.

“I was at your house. Have you asked yourself why Rachel didn’t hang up your wedding picture?”

Anvil flips me off, but I can see the gears grinding in his head.

C comes into the game room. “Why is Zoe sending me text messages with an updated timeline where we’re already late?”

There wasn’t room for the stylist’s team at Laurel’s parents’ house, so the stylists are at Anvil’s with the female part of the bridal party. I put Zoe in charge there.

“Show me,” I say, walking over to look at C’s phone.

He holds it up, and I shake my head at the adjusted itinerary. “Nah. I’ll text in a minute. Let’s play one more, ‘Vil. Double or nothing.”

Anvil racks the balls.

C’s narrowed eyes take in the room and come to rest on me. I’ve been out for a run and showered, but since then I’ve been playing pool.

I’m keyed up and trying not to show it. Been waking with nightmares on the run-up to today. It started the first night she wasn’t in my bed anymore. Together but not together… that’s a recurring theme with us and the source of my mind’s unrest. I keep dreaming something goes wrong and she walks away again before we get married.

I’ve been running every day and running wild every night to keep my mind occupied, trying to convince it that the wedding’s going to come off without a hitch and then I’ll finally have what I want. Right now though, I can’t imagine getting to the church early enough to have to talk to people with my game face on. If I weren’t playing pool, I’d be pacing and watching the seconds tick by.

“Gonna be a long day. Let’s have one drink. Take the edge off,” C says. He knows me and sees what no one else would. Except maybe her.

‘Vil glances at C and then takes a step back from the table and sets his cue stick against the wall.

C mixes, making mine a double. “Here’s to your marrying the best-looking card shark on the planet.Slainte.”

We clink glasses, and I smile and then toss the drink back. Afterward, I eye the bottle of Jack, knowing I could use another double to drown out the noise in my head, but I turn my back on it.

“Show me the schedule,” Anvil says.