Page 84 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
“Yeah.” Beau chuckles. “But you’ve met the Grahams. Are you reallythatsurprised?”
“You have a point.” My own laugh matches the clinking of the glass inside the boxes. “They do things their own way, that’s for sure.”
“We’ll still do a run-through to be sure everyone knows their positions. Where you’re supposed to walk and stand and stuff. We just decided to skip the songs and Big Mama’s poem and the vows.” Beau nestles the final box in the back row and shuts the door gently. It’s dusk, but the air is still warm and a little humid. I love this time of day.
“You know what I think?” I ask, and my brother turns to face me. “I think hearing everything tomorrow for the first time during the wedding will make everything more special.”
“Absolutely.” He leans against the back of the station wagon. “Very special.”
“Hold on.” I narrow my eyes. “You aren’t skipping that part of the rehearsal because you haven’t written your vows yet, are you?”
“Of course not.” He lifts his hands, palms up in a show of innocence.
“Okay.” I cast him a crooked grin. “Just checking on behalf of the bride.”
“I’m not offended.” He shrugs. “That’s basic maid of honor duty.” He glances up at the sky. The setting sun is partially blocked by clouds. “We’re making things quick because no one wants to keep Kasey’s grandmother outside for too long. She started complaining about her hip this morning, and asking a ninety-year-old to stand around on the beach for an hour unnecessarily didn’t seem like a good idea.”
“Oof.” I cringe. “I hope she’s all right.”
“Big Mama’s a pretty tough lady. I’m sure she’ll be just fine.”
He’s right, and the irony of her being called Big Mama isn’t lost on me. Kasey and Brady’s grandmother is basically the size of LuLu, except in human form.
“By tomorrow,” Beau adds, “all the folding chairs will be set out on the beach, and Big Mama can just sit until it’s time for her to read her poem.”
“Sounds like you’ve got everything under control.”
“I sure hope so.” He bobs his head. “I’m just really glad Kasey chose you to be her maid of honor.”
“Well.” I scrunch up my nose. “It’s not like she had much of a choice. They’ve got too many cousins on their side of the family. Kasey didn’t want to hurt their feelings by picking one of them. I was just the path of least resistance.”
“Not true.” Beau shakes his head. “Kasey could’ve picked Amber. Molly. Sloane.” He counts on his fingers, like he’s emphasizing how many options I beat out.
I frown. “Sloane couldn’t even come because of summer school.”
Beau guffaws. “Are you kidding? If Kasey had asked Sloane to be in the wedding party, that girl would’ve figured out some way to get here. As it is, she didn’t even make it as a guest.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Beau straightens, dropping his arms. “Sloane’s great and all, but believe me. You were definitely Kasey’s first choice. She loves you. So do I.” He arches a brow. “Roommates are temporary. Sisters are forever.” He punches my shoulder, probably to take the edge off all the sappiness.
“Then I’m happy Kasey chose me too.” My heart swells, and I meet my brother’s gaze, tossing him a smile. Before long, Beau and I will have more time for conversations like this. A part of me just wishes we didn’t have to go so far to become closer. Still, this is exactly why Brady and I made the right decision not to talk about us or job changes or any other subject that might complicate things until after the wedding.
“You know, I think it’s pretty sweet of you and Kasey to include Big Mama in the ceremony,” I say, nudging his elbow as we climb the porch. “She’s quite a wildcard to throw into the mix.”
“Are you kidding?” Beau puffs out a laugh. “I’m guessing her poem’s going to be the best part of the wedding.”
“Have you heard it yet?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “But I’m sure it’ll be… unique.”
We’re both laughing as we head inside and find our parents standing under the hole in the ceiling. Kissing.
Right on cue, Beau and I both groan, “Ewwwww!” It’s the same kind of exaggerated protest we’d throw out when we were kids and our mom would tell our dad he had a cute butt, or my dad would sweep my mom into a romantic dip. We always pretended to hate it, but we really loved that our mom and dad loved each other.
I still do.
A warm feeling crests in my heart, the certainty that I want nothing less than this for myself. And I think my best shot at this kind of future is with the best man who’s right here in this town. I want to tell him this too. Sometime before I leave. I need Brady Graham to know I might be moving, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting go.
