Page 27 of Love Among Vines

Camila nodded. “I sent Nate in after her. They’re outside now.”

Good. Assholes deserved to marry each other. Jade seemed to feel the same way, because she rose to her feet, adjusted her straps, and took her clutch back.

Her eyes blazed when she turned to him. “I’ll see you out there.”

The sun beat down overhead,and Rett shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The air was choked with the scent of the floral arrangements that covered nearly every surface. He was already on his third check-in with Elaine, whose responses were getting shorter and snippier. Everything was fine, or so she said. It was just as well, since he couldn’t leave Jade when she was in such a vulnerable state.

A string quartet off to one side of the ceremony site began an instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” It had been one of Alexa’s favorite songs. And here it was again, back to haunt him.

He narrowed his eyes. The groomsmen came down the aisle and lined up at the altar. They all looked a little hungover. Or maybe high? The best man was particularly sweaty and a little pale. Nate looked smug, like he had gotten away with something. If anyone deserved to be punched off the side of this hill and into the brush, it was that douche.

Based on the overly showy dress that was just a shade darker than white, the mother of the groom had just walked by. And from the smell of things, the flower girl had just shat her pants. The bridal party was falling apart at the seams. Good.

Everyone turned as the bridesmaids began to filter in.

Kenya led the charge, smiling coyly as she strutted down the aisle. Her dress was irrevocably wrinkled and soiled, but it almost looked like she was just making a fashion statement. She had taken her hair down, allowing her natural curls to shift in the wind. A couple attendees cocked their heads and whispered among themselves.

There was the rude one, a pinched expression on her face. And then there was Jade.

Her eyes moved over the rows as she walked, brows contorted. Even with the wrinkly dress and disheveled hair, she was breathtaking. She caught his eye, and he smiled.

“You’ve got this,” he mouthed at her.

She smiled and passed by him, taking her place by the altar.

The music stopped, and the doors at the end of the aisle swung shut. The song changed to the bridal march, and everyone stood.

There went the bride, buried in yards of fluffy fabric. There must have been thirty thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry on her person if those diamonds were real. She looked happy in spite of everything that had transpired. Apparently her confession had granted her some unearned peace.

Snap.The sound drew Rett’s attention back to the altar, where the head of Jade’s bouquet looked to have fallen off.

He made eye contact with her and mimed taking a deep breath. She hid the stems behind her back.

“Dearly beloved,” the officiant began.

Twenty minutes passed as he expounded on the importance of marriage, love, and kindness. It was sweltering outside. All the attendees looked miserable. Rett checked his phone and email while the man droned on. His mind turned to the party. There was still so much to do—decorations to select, catering to confirm, and time was running out to name the wine. While he enjoyed hosting parties, he didn’t have a knack for décor. Hopefully Jade would make good on her promise to help.

He glanced again at the financial projection he had run. His stomach twisted. Would the party and the new wine be enough? Or would he destroy his grandmother’s last dream and completely embarrass his family? He had to pull the winery out of its nosedive. Whatever it took.

His gaze shifted back to Jade. Maybe she would be willing to do some kind of promotion for the winery. Or better yet, a paint and sip night? He had hosted one once before, and it had gone reasonably well. But Jade was a respected artist—or at least she had been. Such an event might be beneath her.

This ceremony had lasted a decade at least. He didn’t even have the benefit of extra time with Jade during it since she was currently sweating to death while watching her ex marry her best friend. For all the drama of the morning, it was a boring ceremony. They had moved on to some kind of unity ceremony with two glasses of wine.

“As these wines came from two different regions, so did Ashley and Nate,” the officiant said. “These grapes were nourished by the minerals in the soil and the warmth of thesun, just as you were nurtured by your families and your unique environments. But now, your paths become one. Your?—”

The officiant was interrupted by the best man, who apparently lost consciousness. He fell into the back of Nate, who lurched forward and dropped his glass.

Red wine hovered in midair for an instant before splattering down the ivory fabric of the wedding dress. It dripped onto the ground, sending streaks down the fabric. Ashley looked like she had just stumbled off the set of a horror movie.

She stared open-mouthed at her dress. Gasps escaped the crowd.

A woman from the audience jumped to her feet and appeared to be checking for a pulse in the unconscious groomsman. The woman in the showy dress joined her.

“You idiot!” she screeched at the groomsman, who was starting to come around. “You’ve ruined everything.”

“Mom,” Nate said with a warning in his voice.

“We’re going to take a five-minute recess,” the officiant announced.

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