Page 54 of Well Played

“We’ll figure this out,” Cian said, clapping my shoulder with one hand while the other continued to scroll.

“I don’t know if anywhere would have a space at this late notice, but what about somewhere outside? There’s a beach down the road that looks really nice.”

“What about seagulls?” Even the thought of being that close to the ocean made phantom gull-shrieks whisper in the back of my mind.

“I dunno, man. It looks pretty sheltered. You might be safe. Besides, do you really want to call Mia and tell her the wedding isn’t happening?”

The answer to that washell no. Knowing my practical soon-to-be-wife, she’d likely turn around and insist we go to the courthouse. She deserved better than that.

“Let’s go check out the beach as soon as Cam is back.”

A few minutes later, we were on the road having shared our plan and tasked Allie with sourcing chairs. Cam had worked his magic and confirmed the reception space for an entire hour earlier.

“If the ceremony is at three and runs for an hour, that gives us a two hour window until we can get into the space.”

“Add half an hour for set up. Cam interrupted my mental math.

“Fine. Two and a half hours until we can be in the space. We can encourage the guests to head up to the public bar area while they wait and if the club has anything to say about it, they can bite me. They put us in this mess.”

I gripped the steering wheel tight, catching Cian’s stare out of the corner of my eye.

“What?”

“Nothing, man. I just didn’t know you could get this level of stressed off the ice.”

This was highly unusual for me, but today was important.

In the back seat, Cam snorted.

“We’re talking about something to do with Mia.”

Cian, asshole that he was, snapped his fingers and pointed a finger as my childhood best friend.

“Touche.”

“I hate you both,” I muttered, turning onto a dirt road and stopping short at the sight of a heavy chain in the way.

“I got it,” Cian announced. He jumped out of the car and cleared the way, dropping the chain off to the side where it wouldn’t get in anyone else’s way.

“It’s kinda dangerous to have it swinging there like that, isn’t it? Like, what if we didn’t see it and wrecked the car?” he said, sliding back into the front passenger seat.

It was a good point, so I made sure to go slow, steering down the long road to a sheltered cove that would make a perfect spot for Mia and I to say our vows.

Golden sand, littered with chunks of driftwood, stretched down to blue green waves that washed gently along the shore. The breeze was fresh with just a little salty bite to it, and I breathed deeply as I imagined the space with rows of seating holding our nearest and dearest while Mia and I pledged our lives to each other. In just hours, that vision would be reality, and I couldn’t wait.

Best of all, the sand was perfectly smooth. No hint of a seagull’s footprint marred the surface, and there was no sound beyond the soft hiss of the waves.

“How soon can we get set up?”

I turned to Cian, my grin dropping away at the sight of two uniformed men stomping over the sand.

“Hands where we can see them!”

All three of us reached for the sky like we were in a black and white western movie.

“Is there a problem here, Officers?” Cian asked, frowning at the service issued sidearms that were pointed directly at us.

“Are you giving me attitude, kid?”

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