Page 96 of The Gingerbread Bakery
Logan took Jeanie’s face in his hands and kissed his wife.
The whole town cheered.
* * *
Annie stood from her seat at the table and waited for the room to quiet. When it finally did, she raised her glass of champagne.
‘When you know someone for your entire life,’ she started, ‘you can get protective of them, sometimes overly so.’ She gave Jeanie a knowing look, remembering the day she and Hazel had warned her to be careful with Logan’s heart. Jeanie smiled back.
‘As Pete said, you want what’s best for them, especially when you know that they are one of the best people in the world.’
She looked to where Logan sat with Jeanie at their sweetheart table in the center of the room. He looked absurdly handsome in his dark-gray suit and maroon tie. Handsome and happy. But for a moment she saw him as he was all those years ago. A sad, quiet little boy who she had immediately decided she needed to cheer up. And now Jeanie sat beside him, looking stunning in her wedding dress with her dark hair swept up off her neck. She sparkled in the muted lighting of the barn and Annie knew her relationship with Logan would be different now.
‘Logan has been my best friend since we were five when I forced him to be.’
The room laughed at that.
‘But now Logan has a new best friend,’ she said, and saw the emotion flicker across his face. ‘And he couldn't have found a better one. I will always be here for both of you but I’m so happy you have each other.’
She barely got the words out before the tears started, so she raised her glass and everyone followed suit.
‘Cheers to the happy couple!’
She sat back down, using her napkin to dab at her eyes, hoping she hadn’t destroyed her makeup again. That ceremony had already done a number on it.
Luckily it was Noah's turn next.
‘Hey, everyone, I’m Noah. IthoughtI was the groom’s best friend but I’m just now finding out I’m actually third in line.’
‘Fourth,’ Hazel said from her seat beside him, and everyone laughed, including Noah who shook his head.
‘Fourth, I guess. But I’ll take it, because for the first two years I knew him I was pretty sure the man hated me. As you all know, that's just part of Logan’s charm.’
More laughs, even from Logan.
‘Jeanie, on the other hand,’ Noah went on, ‘I liked right from the start, and I was pretty confident she liked me, too.’ He winked and Jeanie shook her head, laughing.
‘I couldn’t think of a better couple,’ Noah said. ‘I mean except for maybe me and Hazel.’ The crowd groaned and Hazel swatted him on the arm.
‘What about us?’ Kira shouted from her place beside Bennett.
Noah chuckled. ‘We can all have different opinions about that, but since today istheirday, let's raise our glasses to Jeanie and Logan.’
Again, the guests drank in the bride and groom’s honor.
Noah sat back down, and Hazel leaned into his side. Her curls were tucked away from her face with a pretty silver comb and, while her dress matched Annie’s in color, a gorgeous dark red, the cut was different. She’d chosen a lower neckline with spaghetti straps and Kira had gone with an off-the-shoulder choice. Annie’s was modest in the front but dipped dangerously low in the back. She loved it and especially loved that Jeanie had let them choose what suited them best.
It was one more thing that made the wedding feel extra special.
Several rounds of champagne later and the speech portion of the evening had gotten completely out of control, which Annie probably should have seen coming. Somehow the microphone had started being passed around and everyone in town seemed to have something they wanted to say to the happy couple.
Annie thought maybe as co-maid of honor she should put a stop to it, but the bride and groom seemed to be enjoying themselves. So, she sat back, kicked off her shoes, and was enjoying the show.
‘That don’t-go-to-bed-angry advice is all wrong,’ Isabel was saying, glass of champagne in hand. ‘Sometimes you need to just sleep it off and wake up fresh.’
‘Or even better go to bed and don’t sleep!’ Marissa suggested, eliciting hoots and hollers from her table of rowdy ladies.
Isabel raised her glass. ‘Great. Even better, go to bed and don’t sleep,’ she said with a laugh. ‘Cheers to the couple!’
