Page 24 of The Loophole

“You’re right. Let’s see if they’re ready.” He sent a text and got a quick reply. “Two minutes. Everyone’s getting in place, so let’s circle around to the side gate.”

I started to follow him around the edge of the front yard, which was landscaped with cacti and other native plants. Then, out of the blue, I was hit by what exactly was about to happen.

I was getting married.

Married!

I bent over with my hands on my knees and took a deep breath.

No, it wasn’t a real marriage, but try to tell my anxiety that.

Hal sounded concerned as he asked, “You okay there, Bryson?”

“I don’t know.”

“Talk to me. What’s going on?”

A lot of things. I picked one of them. “It just… it seems disrespectful, doesn’t it? I’m about to stand up in front of a wedding officiant and take a vow to love, honor, and cherish Embry ‘til death do us part.”

“Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, and they take the same vow,” he reminded me.

“I know.”

“What about this? When the officiant says that bit, silently make your own vow to Embry. Vow to take good care of him this next year. Or vow to get him the money you promised him, because that’s going to change his life. Vow to be his friend, even after this ends. There are so many pure, honest things you can pledge to him in that moment.”

I straightened up and adjusted my glasses as I murmured, “I like that idea.”

My heart was still pounding, but I continued around the side of the house and paused with Hal outside the gate. After a moment, a chorus started to sing an acapella version of “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing.”

I raised a brow. “Aerosmith?”

“The rugby team thought of it.” He smiled at me and said, “You’ve got this, Bryson.” Then he opened the gate for me, and I stepped through it.

The first thing I saw, directly in front of me, was a large swimming pool. To my left, over a dozen rugby players in cowboy hats, bright blue shorts, and matching jerseys were lined up. They were doing a choreographed routine of sorts—step to the left, back to the center, step to the right—while singing more or less on key.

Past them was a white gazebo, where a middle-aged woman with long, red hair was waiting with a smile. The gazebo was backed by a decorative wrought iron fence. Beyond it, the land dipped down into a valley, with the Las Vegas skyline off in the distance.

But where was Embry? I looked around as I made my way to the gazebo. Then Vee stepped out of a pool house across the yard and held the door open, and Embry appeared.

He looked beautiful. There was no other word for it. He’d straightened his pale blond hair and swept it to one side, and it framed his face in a flattering way. He was dressed all in white,from his pants and sneakers to his dress shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled back. As a finishing touch, his open collar revealed several strands of pearls.

It took Embry a moment to spot me, and when he did, his face lit up. We both hurried to each other, and I grabbed him in a hug and whispered, “You look gorgeous.” He was trembling a little, which told me he was nervous, too.

“Thank you. So do you.” He reached up and gently brushed my hair off my forehead. Then he smiled at me and asked, “Are you ready to marry me?”

“Absolutely.”

We climbed three steps and walked into the gazebo hand-in-hand. Hal and Vee joined us, and the rugby team finished their song and gathered around. The red-haired woman opened a book and began, “Dear friends, we’re gathered here today to witness the union of Embry Jayne and Bryson Baudelaire.”

The ceremony was short and straightforward. I repeated the standard vows when it was my turn, while silently promising to take care of Embry, and to always treat him with kindness, patience, and respect. Hal handed us the rings when the officiant called for them, and we placed them on each other’s fingers. Before I knew it, I heard, “It is my honor to pronounce you married. You may now kiss your husband.”

Oh.

Right.

I’d forgotten about that part.

I took a breath and cupped Embry’s cheek. Why was I so nervous? When he looked up at me, there was a sparkle in his eyes. It seemed playful, and a bit like a dare.

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