Page 69 of Margo and the Faux Good Luck Beau
“Are we ready?” I ask.
“We’re ready.”
I really like the notion ofwe. I’m in his corner and he’s in mine.
Everyone takes their places, with Micah, Hayden, Redd, Ted, and Pierre as groomsmen. Juniper smiles like she’s in hockey heaven—not because she’s surrounded by a bunch of attractive men, but because she’s probing them about the upcoming game. Perhaps she’s now on Team Knights.
My dad took the day off from playing golf and we link arms at the end of the aisle. The music starts and my thoughts settle. Gratitude for all my so-called failures fills me because had they not happened, I wouldn’t be here, walking toward my future.
Just like I saw when Beau showed me how beautiful I am in the mirror, all I see in his eyes is love along with appreciation and a flickery little flame of longing.
If he’s watching and I know he is, he’ll see the same in mine.
Our commitment to each other started before this moment, but as the ceremony begins, we’re solidifying it.
The officiant gets to the part where he says, “Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
My heart races.
It’s like the room holds its breath.
Hands clasped, Beau’s gaze beams with confidence.
But then I hear the shift of fabric, the creak of a wooden bench. Someone clears their throat and I know who it is before she speaks.
Like a woman from the Regency era, Celeste shouts a dramatic “I doth protest.”
Everyone gasps.
My chest craters.
Beau’s grip on my hands tightens.
My sister continues, “I speak now.”
The officiant stutters, apparently never having anyone actually object.
Shoving past the people seated next to her, Celeste steps into the aisle. “I’m not going to hold my peace because this wedding is a fraud. A total sham. There’s no way Beau is motivated to marry Margo for any reason other than he needs his green card.”
He blinks a few times.
“He’s here legally on a work visa,” Coach Badaszek hollers.
Celeste says, “Then you’re paying him off.”
My dad winces. “Actually, we just got a notice for Margo from a debt collector. I don’t think she has the funds to pay anyone off.”
“Okay, then how about this?” Celeste lifts her phone and the tinny sound of a crowd cheering comes weakly through the speaker.
Beau braces himself as if he knows what’s coming.
Celeste glares at him. “You shouldn’t have shaved. That gave it away.”
I turn to him. “I’m quite pleased at this fresh look.”
His lips twist as he tries to resist a smile.
A tune I recently learned by heart comes through the phone.
