Page 112 of Maximum
CHAPTER 27
The Last Chapter
Maximum
On our big day, it was hard to recognize the farm with the way it was transformed into a wedding venue. The courtyard between the four buildings was covered with tarp and strings of lights hung above the tables, making it look incredibly romantic.
Fleur and I had done the paperwork at the Limerick city hall and chosen to exchange our vows in a sweet ceremony that involved all our guests standing in a half circle around us while we promised each other a lifetime of love.
After that the party had started with food, drinks, and fun toasts from family and friends.
Now, close to midnight, the DJ was making sure people were dancing and wherever I looked, I saw only happy faces.
“May I cut in?” I asked Charles, who was dancing with my wife.
He smiled and patted my back before leaving Fleur to me. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I know.” I squeezed his elbow before pulling Fleur into a slow dance.
“Have I told you that you look like a dream tonight?”
She smiled up at me with her curly hair arranged with flowers. “Many times.”
“The first time I met you, I remember thinking that you were like Mother Earth personified.”
That amused her and as if we were in a bubble with only Fleur and I, we laughed together like two children sharing a secret.
As the laughter subsided and turned into smiles between us, we kept swaying from side to side with her head on my shoulder.
“Look at Nathan,” Fleur said with a nod in my brother’s direction. “I see a true bromance unfolding. He’s been talking to Gabriel for hours.”
Cia, the artist we’d met at River’s gallery, had come with her husband Gabriel, who turned out to be outgoing and pleasant.
“That’s great.” I smiled.
“The two of them clicked from the get-go. I heard them exchanging stories from their deployments in war zones. They have a lot in common.”
“What about Cia? She doesn’t know anyone here and if her husband is busy with Nathan then…”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence before Fleur said, “Don’t worry. Saffron showed her all the animals earlier and she’s been talking to Jolene, Liv, and Serena a lot. I guess Americans like to stick together.”
We kept swaying but when the song changed to something upbeat, Fleur tugged my hand. “Come, I want to check up on my parents.”
Tom and Justine were at a table with Damian and Lumi and it was clear from their shared laughter that they were having a good time.
“Oh, hey, you two love birds. Mom and I were just saying how magical this party is. Your farm is like something out of a fairytale. Everyone is so nice and the setting is spectacular.”
“Aye, we agree.” Damian grinned. “Lumi and I are sort of experts on the matter since this is the ninth wedding that we’ve attended within the last three years, our own included.”
“Every wedding was special,” Lumi added and twirled a strand of her long, black hair around her finger.
“But different.” Damian spread his arms out. “I love how romantic and yet relaxed this setting is. No stiff attire or formal toasts. We’re havin’ a bit o’craic and if anyone loses their shite ye even have emotional support dogs walking around.”
Fleur laughed. “It’s actually been good practice for the dogs to be exposed to a larger group of people and cope with all the noise.”
“Oh, they’re coping just fine.” Lifting the edges of the blue tablecloth, Tom showed that two of the six dogs were sleeping under their table.
“If I were ye, I’d count my puppies tomorrow because we all want to smuggle one or two back home with us,” Damian joked.
