Page 76 of Father of the Bride

Chapter 25

Therehearsaldinnergotunderway at the historic Oceanside Inn, its wraparound porch draped in white fairy lights. Soft jazz curled through the air.

The guests were lively, smiling between sips of wine, silverware clinking against china as they dined on soul food. A slideshow of childhood photos of Brooklyn and Davion played on loop behind the head table, cycling through toothless grins, birthday hats, and awkward stages while the bride and groom enjoyed the festivities.

Or tried to, anyway.

Mark only had eyes for Sunny. Clad in a lime green halter dress, she sparkled. Shined. And Luke sat next to her, his arm thrown casually yet possessively over the back of her chair. The same chair he’d pulled out for her when they first sat down.

It wasn’t real, but Mark’s jealousy sure was.

His jaw tightened every time that boy touched her.

Orion wasn’t much better, watching from the other side of the table, seething as his eyes tracked her every move. His parents managed to distract him occasionally, but it wasn’t enough.

“Daddy!”

Mark tore his eyes away from Sunny. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Brooklyn said. “Let’s go ahead and do the toasts.”

Mark nodded, wondering why the sound of Brooklyn calling him triggered him so much. The pressure, maybe. Knowing that it was a call-to-action. He’d always been her fixer, a role he relished. But that would be Davion’s place soon enough.

“Toasting is Orion’s department,” Mark said. “He’s the host. He should kick that off.”

Davion didn’t look happy about that, but he did what needed to be done.

A few moments later, Orion was standing, his drink in hand, a smug smile on his face.

“Yeah, I wanna welcome everybody to the rehearsal dinner.I’m the host,” he emphasized, “so I suppose it’s my duty to give the first toast. On behalf of myself and my wife—“

“Ex!” Sunny whisper shouted.

“My bad. Ex-wife. Sorry, baby. I forget sometimes.”

Sunny rolled her eyes as quiet laughter sounded around the dining room.

“Anyway, I want everybody to raise their glasses to the happy couple. My son, Davion, and his lovely bride, Brooklyn. May your union be blessed, highly favored, and last forever.”

“Cheers!”

Sunny was impressed. Orion had managed to not embarrass his son or himself.

“He doesn’t seem so bad,” Luke whispered.

“Right now. Wait til he has a few drinks in him.”

Luke chuckled. “You want me to turn it up a little, or is this good?”

Sunny’s eyes met Mark’s. “No, we’re good for now.”

A few seats down, Tigra and Vince were talking. As far as Sunny knew, that boy was no more than 24 years old, if that. And across from them, her son Amari was flirting with Carmen.

Better her than Jules, she thought.

“I’m gonna run to the ladies room,” she said. “Be right back.”

She wasn’t in there thirty seconds when the door swung open behind her.

---