Page 60 of Second Chance Husband

Just the two of them against the world.

As if they hadn’t torn through their family countless times in order to make it so.

August was not like his parents in any way. I knew that, and I hoped he did too.

But I saw the worry on his face. Even as I wanted to trust.

Maybe I was seeing too much.

Or maybe, that mistake I told myself not to see in the mirror cried out an agony.

Either way, I held onto his hand and watched this farce of a wedding, and told myself that this was not the path, nor the history I was doomed to repeat.

Chapter Fifteen

August

“So when does the drinking start?” Luca asked, and I stared over at the bar, willing it to open.

“Who knows? I thought we were having cocktail hour before the wedding, just so I could get through the ceremony, and yet here we are, dry as a bone.”

“Did I tell you she asked me to provide the alcohol for the event because I own a bar?’ Heath asked, and both Luca and I gave him a look.

“Are you serious?”

“Yep. It doesn’t matter that it’s a small wedding or not. They wanted free booze, and food for that matter. I told them that we didn’t cater that way and didn’t have the ability. And once again I’m the asshole. I’m shocked. Aren’t you? With me, the asshole of the family.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the asshole. Didn’t we already agree to this?” I asked, feeling as if this had all been another fucking mistake.

“Did you hear those vows?” Luca whispered, as other people milled about.

It surprised me that our folks had even wanted to get married in Colorado, since they didn’t even live here. But their kids did, so we were just going with what they wanted. Nothing my parents did ever made sense and hadn’t since I could remember.

I hated the fact that we were here at all, but we were giving them one last chance, because we were family, and they had been trying. They had been better for the past year.

They had been caring with the kids, and while yes, they had been selfish in some ways, they hadn’t outright hurt us. And what a low fucking bar that was.

“If anyone’s the asshole, we know it’s not one of us,” Luca said softly.

“I hope you’re talking about Mom and Dad, and not our lovely dear sister,” I said as I lifted my chin toward Greer. She was in the middle of an urgent discussion with her husbands, and I had a feeling they would be leaving soon. Our parents still couldn’t quite get over the fact that their baby girl was in a poly relationship. Sometimes they were perfectly okay with it, and at other times they acted as if it was the oddest thing in the world. And somehow my parents had made friends in this state and there were over one hundred people at this wedding. Some of them were great and treated my family with respect. Others? Not so much.

I had already had to stare down a woman with arched eyebrows as she glared at my sister. Nobody was going to hurt my baby sister’s feelings.

Thankfully I knew that she wasn’t going to be staying long. There was no reason for her to.

But I didn’t know why I was still there. I just wanted to go.

I wasn’t sure why I had invited Paisley. A weak moment? Maybe the fact I had just wanted her. We’d stayed at the event hotel the night before because my parents had wanted us to have dinner there and the timing just worked out. It had been nice, waking up again with Paisley in my arms. I had had to deal with a few school board things over email that morning, and Paisley had dealt with a thousand things at once being the multi-business owner that she was, making millions while sometimes never sleeping.

She was brilliant, hardworking, and I knew still getting over her divorce.

But I had wanted her by my side so I wouldn’t have to deal with this alone.

I was so selfish.

“So, you and Paisley seem to be doing well.” I looked over at Heath, and wondered if that twin magic thing had happened again and he could read my mind.

He just gave me a curious look, as Luca stared at me as well, and I shrugged.

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