Page 91 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
“So.” Beau splays his hands. “Should we all head over to The Merry Cow?”
“FINALLY!” Daisy whoops. She skips a full circle around Brooke and Big Mama. “Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!”
While the rest of the wedding party collects their things and heads out to the parking lot, Brady and I lag behind under the gazebo. He comes in close to me, standing over my body like a big, protective shadow. He smells like pine and cotton and… home. This whole place smells like home.
Still, I can’t forget I have a new job waiting for me on the other side of the country. And a new apartment. A new roommate. I’ll only be an airplane ride away from all this, which isn’t too bad if you don’t mind flying. And if you don’t mind being separated from the one person you want to be with all the time. But if you do…
My stomach swoops.
“So that didn’t go quite the way we expected,” Brady says. By now, everyone else is out of earshot.
“Not exactly.” I cast a glance at our loved ones chattering and laughing as they climb into their cars. “Then again, doesanythinggo exactly as planned around here?”
“Good point.” A dimple presses into his cheek. “But some things turned out better than I hoped tonight.”
“Me too.” I can’t help smiling. “Our families even seemed to like the idea. The idea of us, I mean.”
“We should’ve known they would.” Brady tips his chin. “If there are people out there in the world who wouldn’t think twice about one brother and sister marrying the other brother and sister, it would be the Grahams and the Slaters.”
A small laugh puffs out of me. Yes, family approval is one major obstacle we’ve overcome. But that doesn’t change the distance we’re about to face, or the fact that Brady’s unhappy with his current career track. Still, he hasn’t said anything about being willing to make a change on either of these fronts. And Mac seems committed to his offer of paying for Brady’s vet school. How could Brady even consider turning him down? He wouldn’t. He can’t.
I swallow. “I think we should wait and talk more about this after the wedding.”
Brady’s eyes shutter into a half squint. “If that’s what you want.”
“I’m just a little afraid there won’t be any easy answers for us.”
“They won’t get any easier in forty-eight hours,” he says.
“True, but I don’t want to be anything but happy for my brother and Kasey right now. Does that make sense?”
He reaches out and brushes a hand along my cheek, the tips of his fingers grazing my jawline. Then he bends down and places the softest kiss of my life on my lips. Heat flares through me, warming my insides. The air around us vibrates with possibility. “Of course that makes sense. And I’d expect nothing less.”
“Nothing less than what?”
“You. Putting others first.” His eyes lock with mine. “I can always count on you for that.”
“No.” I shake my head, my throat flushing. “You’re the reliable one. You’re so stable and secure.” I draw in a breath, exhale. “You’re like… a lighthouse.”
He tilts his head. “Uh… what?”
I plant both hands on his chest, the muscles taut beneath my palms. He’s so big and tall and steady. Unmovable. Safe. “Because I can totally picture you standing out on the shore. Like guiding the boats. Keeping them off the rocks. You know. Saving the day.” I press my hands a little harder against him. “You may not see it in yourself, but I think you’ve got real hero potential.”
“Huh.” His mouth slips sideways. “Listen to you, busting out metaphors.”
“Hey.” I drop my arms and shrug. “I’m just trying to keep up with the writer in our midst. You’re the writer.” I grin. “I’m the midst.”
“Like a lighthouse,huh?” He rubs at his chin. “I’m pretty sure that’s actually a simile. Either way, stop showing off, Slater.” His eyes sparkle down at me.
“I’m not showing off, Graham.”
“Maybe not, but you’ve got a point. About the lighthouse thing.” He smirks. “I’m just stuck on the shore. Predictable and boring.”
My lips form anOof protest. “I didn’t say that!”
“No, I said it. Because the truth is, Ihavebeen stuck. That’s why I stayed at the clinic all these years, even after I knew I wanted to do something else. Then you come along—all hopeful and sunny—and you show me I might be able to do something else with my life. I feel like I can do anything when I’m around you. That’s kind of magical, Nat.”
“Soyou’rethe house, andI’mthe light?”
