Page 118 of Everything After
“Always a pleasure, Mrs. Black,” he said playfully. “And I can’t wait to strip that dress off you later and find out exactly what’s underneath.”
An instrumental of “Love of a Lifetime” by Ryann Darling began to play as the doors to the ceremony room opened and we bridesmaids filed down the aisle. We congregated on the left,facing away from the alter. My eyes caught Alfie’s gaze while he sat in the second row in front of me, and he gave me a wink. His flirty gesture made my heart flutter even after all the years we’d been together. I smiled in return as the song faded out, then we all waited in silence for Holly to appear.
I glanced over to Brett, who looked serious in his black morning wear and golden tie, which matched with the gold on our dresses. His oldest brother, Mathew, leaned in and spoke in his ear. Brett’s mouth twitched and a slow smile curved his lips, but when the wedding officiant stood up his face became stoic again.
The officiant called out, “Would you please stand for the bride.” Holly and Brett’s friends and relatives stood as the doors to the room opened again, and “Love of a Lifetime” played once again, this time with the artist singing the lyrics of the song.
Brett stood facing the alter for the first line of the song, the muscle in his jaw twitching. It was his only sign of anxiety, until he turned around to see his bride and he instantly choked up. Holly beamed as she focused solely on him, and a wave of emotion caught me in my throat because I’d never seen her look happier.
At five-foot-ten, Holly’s height was diminished by her six-foot-six, blond-haired dad. He was a mountain of a man with broad shoulders and brooding looks. I guessed his presence unnerved many, even Brett, and that was testament to how intimidating her dad looked.
Holly arrived beside her groom. Brett smiled and took her hand when her father offered it. Then her dad leaned in and muttered something to Brett, wiping the smile clean off his face.
Once her father stepped back, Brett looked tense. When Holly leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, Brett beamed, and I guessed in that moment nothing mattered anymore.
As an oil baron, Hank Myers was a force to be reckoned with. Then again, it was much easier to wage power with a couple of centuries of generational wealth behind you, unlike Brett, who was a self-made man from managing oil fields and investing his money wisely. Even when Holly had first met him, Brett had already had the financial wherewithal to take care of his wife in the life she was accustomed to.
The ceremony itself was beautiful with both Holly and Brett sharing their own unique vows. When Brett had exchanged his, it had reminded me of the time when Alfie had written his. My own vows were on the fly since I’d had no idea that I was getting married, until I was given my dress as I prepared to be Elle’s Maid of Honor.
Elle had tricked me into picking out and trying on a wedding dress for fun, as a likely candidate for my potential wedding day when we’d been shopping forherbig day.
It wasn’t until we were making our way back out of the ceremony room that my eyes connected with Max. My heart lurched in my chest, mostly with irritation that I had to breathe the same air as the guy after how he’d played me while he had a girl at home.
I was glad that Will had overheard a phone conversation where Max had been talking to another girl. Next to him was a girl, not too dissimilar looking to me, with a little girl about five-years-old, sitting on her knee. Despite what I told myself, I still wondered if she was the same girl.
My eyes sought out Alfie, who gave me one of his heart-stopping smiles. I felt the impact of that smile in every cell of my body. Plus, the way my heart clenched when I looked at my husband reminded me, without a doubt, that Alfie was the love of my life, and anything I might have had briefly with Max was completely forgotten.
CHAPTER 63
ALFIE
I chuckled when Brett’s eyes met mine while he led Holly back down the aisle, because he looked more relieved to have survived Hank’s handover of his wife than elated about his new bride.
We hung around in the foyer while the photographer did her thing, and once the group photographs were done, the guys in my band, those in XrAid and Cobham Street—who were all present—headed into the bar.
It was almost another hour before we were directed to the sit-down dinner, and by then every man who’d been at that bar was half-drunk or almost there.
As there were so many bridesmaids and groomsmen, the top table was full. I had been seated beside Jack, Mya, Lennie, Rick and Coral, and my old auntie, Connie. Lily gave me a knowing smirk when my auntie first sat down, and I figured Holly had sat Connie at our table to keep Rick in check.
However, the moment Rick turned and slid an arm across the back of her chair, I guessed the bride’s calculating move wouldn’t work.
“Hello, gorgeous,” Rick said to my aunt. “I remember you from Alfie and Lily’s wedding, mainly due to that awesome purple rinse your hairstylist puts in your hair.”
“Rick,” I warned while I discreetly shook my head.
Rick chuckled, picked up my auntie’s hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Aunt Connie, isn’t it?” he asked but didn’t wait for her to reply. “Any auntie of Alfie’s is an auntie of mine… isn’t that right, Alfie?”
I glanced across at the next table where Drew and Elle sat with Des, Andy and their plus ones, my sister Layla and her husband James.
My heart jolted when two tables down I saw Cody and Sienna, Digs and Shawn and their plus ones. Sitting with them was Kara and Neil, who Holly had extended a last-minute invite to.
At first, I didn’t know how I felt about Cody seeing Sienna, then I remembered that it was me who wanted her to move on with her life. Cody wasn’t an ideal choice to do that with, but if Sienna and Cody were hooked up together, it meant that Cody’s focus was somewhere else other than on my wife.
A clink of a knife on glass drew the attention of the room. “Would everyone present please stand and raise your glass in a toast.” There was a short kerfuffle until everyone rose to their feet before the room fell silent. “Ladies, Gentlemen and anyone else, I give you the bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Londsdale.”
A round of applause filled the stately room to the rafters as Holly and Brett made their entrance. Someone stepped forward and took Holly’s bouquet, then Brett guided her into her seat at the center of the head table.
Once we’d eaten there were several after dinner speeches, the first of which was given by Brett’s oldest brother, and best man, and was followed by two more brothers. Then, finally it was Holly’s father’s turn.
