Page 86 of Their Greatest Strength

Everyone’s clapping, but it’s quiet where I’ve gotten lost in my mind. My dad’s advice is right there, repeating lowly. And . . . and I think I could be content with following every piece of it with Blakely.

26

BLAKELY

Jamie keepsan arm anchored around me as we follow his parents to the exit of the church. A group of men in black suits and earpieces have formed a circle around all of us. It seems like a bit much, honestly.

Being with Jamie hasn’t been nearly as media frenzied as I expected. It’s not like there haven’t been headlines and the odd reporter stopping us for a quick few questions here and there, but it hasn’t been scary.

My feet are already aching in my heels so badly that I lean against my new husband to try and alleviate some of the pressure on them. He hitches me up against him, muscle bulging.

“Five minutes, Bandit,” he swears.

“I’ll be fine. Is all this necessary?”

“All of what?”

“The bodyguards. Do people really care this much about our wedding?” It sounds more naïve out loud.

Avery leans forward from her place behind me. “I heard that they had to block off the entrance to the parking lot.”

I blink, glancing up at Jamie. He shootsme a wink.

“Graham?” I whisper.

“Yes. Just stay close to me, and don’t fight the guards when they try to help. It should be well managed.”

It makes sense now. The more people that are here to take pictures, the more publicity we get.

I swallow. “Okay.”

Tyler tucks his wife beneath his arm and turns to lay a warning glare on the guard at Gracie’s other side, a dare to let anything happen to her. I don’t have to look behind me to know that Oliver’s doing the same thing.

Instead of threatening the guard moving stiffly at my side, Jamie simply shifts me directly in front of him and drapes both of his arms from my shoulders down my front. With Nate hovering on my left, I try and relax.

The church doors open, and I jump at the volume of the voices outside. My heart lodges itself in my throat as I flinch, and Jamie tightens his hold.

“When will the photos of the ceremony be available?”

“Where is the rest of the Pythons team?”

“Will this marriage distract you for the rest of the season?”

“Are you with Jamie for the money?”

I narrow my eyes at that question. It’s impossible to pick the speaker out of the crowd.

Three SUVs are waiting up ahead, and like a well-oiled machine, the security team splits into three. Oliver, Avery, and Nova are ushered into the last car while Tyler and Gracie take the middle one.

I hold my breath when Gracie’s guard shifts to open her door and a reporter slips through an opening. The words said are swallowed by the rest of the ones around us, but from Tyler’s snarling lip and the way he shoves the reporter a foot back, it’s clear they weren’t the nicest.

He helps Gracie into the SUV, and I blow out a breath before allowing Jamie to do the same to me. I know his father was an NHL defenseman for almost two decades, which must make ithard to deal with the media. The fact they’re still concerned with him goes to show how successful he was.

“Go first, Jamie,” Nate pushes.

I stare at the open door from my seat. Jamie’s trying to shove my brother in first, but Nate shakes his head, trying to back up but hitting the bodyguard instead.

“No. I’m the last one inside always. Never you,” Jamie scolds softly.

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