Page 99 of Offside Angel

“Mira and I aren’t doing a honeymoon. Not right now.”

It was an easy decision to make. Neither of us wanted to leave town without Aiden, not while Dante is still lurking in the shadows. And there are just too many unknowns with traveling. I promised her we’d postpone and I’ll take her on the best first anniversary trip anyone has ever had.

“No honeymoon?” Daniel exhales. “What’s the point of getting married if you don’t get to lounge on a tropical beach somewhere afterwards?”

“I guess I’ll just have to settle for a lifetime of happiness with the woman I love,” I drawl.

Davis gives that idea two thumbs down, and I’m beginning to severely question why he’s in my wedding party.

“Don’t worry,” Jace assures me. “Rachelle and I would love to have Aiden over for a few days after the wedding while you and Mira test out your new relationship.”

“Yeah, test it out in every room of my old house.” Davis holds out his fist for a bump that I do not reciprocate. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I’m paying you over market value, so you’re welcome,” I fire back.

The tailor finishes with Davis and moves on to Daniel. Every one of us has a tux for all of the media and events that come along with the team, but I really am trying to do this right. The bridesmaids are going to be in matching dresses. The groomsmen are going to wear matching suits. It’s going to be as legit as a backyard wedding can be.

About the time the tailor is finishing with the groomsmen, Evan pops his head through the front door.

“Are you ready for him?” Evan asks. “We explored every inch of the toy store down the block, but we can find something else to do if we need to.”

“We’re ready for him,” I say. Aiden squeezes around Evan’s leg and sprints towards me. I kneel down, catching and swinging him into my arms. “Did you have fun?”

“There’s a ‘mote-control dinosaur that has a swinging tail,” he announces. “It was green and Evan said it costed one dollar.”

Evan shakes his head. “One hundred dollars.”

Aiden ignores him, grabbing onto the collar of my shirt. “Can I have it? Please?”

I screw up my face, thinking it over. “Hmmm… How about if you hold still while you get measured for your tux, then we’ll go back and buy it when we’re done?”

One hundred bucks is steep for a bribe, but I’m trying to make this move as smooth as possible for Mira. Keeping Aiden happy is part of that.

“Yes!” he shrieks, squirming out of my arms to run towards the tailor and then standing straight and still as a statue on the dais. The faster he gets measured, the faster he gets his dinosaur.

Smart kid.

His resolve doesn’t last long. Fifteen minutes into the process of trying on suits, I’m glad I have some collateral.

“This shirt is itchy,” Aiden moans, squishing up his neck.

The tailor pulls a paper tag out of the collar. “It’s just the tag, buddy.”

Aiden shakes his head. “It’s itchy everywhere. My tummy. And my elbows. Even my butt.”

“The shirt isn’t touching your butt, bud.”

He looks at me like I can’t possibly know anything about the pain he’s going through. “I don’t want to wear this.”

“You’re saying what we’re all thinking, little man.” Davis raises a fist in solidarity from where he and the rest of my groomsmen are loafing on the couch. If Mira could see them, lounging and not doing anything remotely productive, she’d kick all of their asses straight out the door.

I put myself between Aiden and the bad influence of my teammates. “We’ll be done soon and we can go get your toy dinosaur.”

“Then I never have to wear it again?” he asks hopefully.

“Well, you have to wear it at the wedding. But only for a couple hours. Just until the wedding is over.”

“But you and Mira are already married,” he pouts.

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