Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“I have a plan and in that binder is the plan,” I kept on. “It’s intricate and I need to follow it so I can keep everyone busy with other stuff and Alex can enjoy her day and walk away from it with nothing but good memories, time with her man and time with the people who matter the most to her.”
“Gage’ll find that binder.”
“Okay, good,” I muttered, testing the pulling away thing again.
It didn’t work.
“And I’ll help ye keep it all sorted,” he went on.
My gaze flew to him, and instead of panicking about the idea his “help” might be anything but (the man didn’t even know that the end of the ceremony wasn’t the end of the wedding!), I assured, “I’ve got it. Just enjoy yourself.”
“I have noticed that about Alex, so I’m in to help ye make your sister’s special day as special as it can be.”
“Really, I’m good.”
He pulled me closer so our bodies were practically flush.
Something else was flushed.
My face.
Okay…
What was going on?
And now he was educating me. “Someone offers to help, ye accept.”
“You didn’t even know the ceremony wasn’t the end of the festivities,” I pointed out.
“Been to weddings before, lass. That isn’t lost on me. But I dinnae ken what more ye could do now. The food is cooked. The cake is on show. The DJ is set up and soon to be spinning. I didnae know ye had that plan for Alex, and now I’m in to make certain she’s covered.”
I didn’t have time to argue this, so I snapped, “Okay, fine.”
His lips curved. “Sweet as ever, I see,” he teased.
“I didn’t ask for your help,” I reminded him.
“Well, ye got it regardless,” he returned.
I was so done with this conversation.
“Can you let me go now?” I requested.
He turned his head and jerked up his chin, so I turned mine too and saw Gage heading our way with my binder.
Thank you, God.
“Aye, I can let you go,” Dair said, and did just that.
I began to hustle toward Gage.
But as I did, I heard him finish, “For now.”
Chapter 3
Just Dance
Blake
* * *
I was tipsy.
And it was Dair’s fault.
How?
Every time I turned around (not really, but mostly), he was shoving a full glass of champagne in my hand.
Of course, I didn’t have to drink them, but Dair had also been true to his word about helping me keep everything good for my sister.
Surprise of the century: it was safe to say he’d grown more dedicated to the binder than me.
But I hadn’t taken into account Alex’s wedding would obviously be filled with a ton of people who knew and loved Alex, all of whom would look after her.
Most importantly, Rix.
I didn’t need to keep things going at a certain clip, rescuing Alex from floods of Mum’s guests who were nice, sure, but they’d overwhelm my sister.
Rix constantly kept his eye on her, going to fetch her when she got besieged, sticking by her side and guiding her away when chats went on too long.
And most importantly, when all eyes were on them, he protected her.
I will never in my life forget how he angled it so, after they’d cut the cake, you could only see a bit of Alex as Rix held her in one arm and they gently fed the cake to each other. And when he hugged her afterward, he slid his cheek down hers and buried his face in her neck so all you could see of my sister was her arms around her new husband and the crown of her head.
It was incredibly sweet.
The same with the couple’s dance.
Rix picked the song, and in doing so, he kept surprising me.
He picked “Storybook Love,” the theme from Princess Bride.
But it wasn’t lost on me that the song was very slow, very simple, very pretty and there didn’t need to be any fancy dance moves. Just two people in love swaying together in each other’s arms while words of love washed over them.
Rix made that dance so it wasn’t like they were being watched by two hundred people, but instead, dancing in their living room.
Alex’s face had been filled with smiles, her eyes saturated with adoration, and I could tell she was all in that moment with Rix.
In fact, it was so quiet, peaceful and perfect, after it was over, it took a long time for people to clap and cheer. We were all in the moment with them.
Rix gave his wife that.
Rix gave the love of his life that.
Rix gave my sister that.
And I loved him for it.
Now, the photos, the cocktails, the toasts, the buffet, the cake cutting were all done, the dancing was in full swing, and all that was left was having fun, the bouquet toss (the only bouquet that would be actual flowers, and Alex wanted to do it right before she and Rix got in the car and drove away), which was scheduled for just under an hour from now.