Page 109 of Love and Other Trials
Of course they were. Marshall had just found a way to stop the wedding.
“No wedding dress,” Ariel said dryly. “No wedding. How many times did they hear Tiffany say that? But I never would have believed them to be this bad.”
“Ariel, honey, those boys have been lost causes since they were toddlers, which is why everyone leaves them alone to their own devices. Also, Captain Hotpants, you should definitely lock your car after this.”
Dax rubbed his swollen jaw, considering. “So those little bastards set me up. Smart though. Rob is going to have to really step up if Marshall is going to keep out of reformatory school.”
Ariel blew the curls on her forehead up with a giant exhale. “Yeah. Crap. I was hoping it was a ghost.”
The guy at the desk cleared his voice. “If you don’t mind, I have another part of our security feed to show you. I tracked the boys all the way back to where they picked up the wedding dress.”
He took command of the computer again and pulled up another video, turning it toward them and hitting play.
They watched the boys leave their cottage with the dress and run off toward the parking lot.
“There’s a good bit of time between them taking the dress from the bridal cottage and then putting it in your car, sir,” the man informed him, earning himself a big tip to Dax’s mind.
“They were around when Rob accused me of stealing the dress.” Dax swore softly after it hit him. “God, they’re even more devious than I thought.”
“They had the perfect fall guy.” Jeffrey clapped him on the back.
Dax touched the part of his face that was achy and winced. “Like I said, smart. Rob’s not going to have an easy time with him.”
Ariel sighed heavily. “No, he’s not. But we have to show Rob and Tiffany what happened. And my other sisters. And my mother even. I want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dax wasn’t responsible for this.”
He could get behind that.
“Maybe after the honeymoon?” She threaded her hand through his arm. “I know you’d rather not delay it. What do you think?”
“I can live with that.”
“Deverell blood in boys is fairly terrifying.” Jeffrey grimaced. “They did the crime, they pay the fine, and let’s hope it sticks. Tiffany is going to lose her mind. So will the other Tornadoes. Maybe they’ll punish those little shits for once so they learn their lesson.”
Dax tapped the top of the welcome desk. “I’ll talk to Rob when they get back. Marshall is going to need a strong male figure. Because you don’t just hide your mom’s wedding dress and blame it on an adult. That’s a gateway to bigger problems, if you ask me. Rob was from that kind of family. It’s why he went into the Navy.”
“Does anyone feel even more depressed?” Ariel asked, putting her elbow on the desk and looking at him and Jeffrey.
“What we need to do is dance like there’s no tomorrow.” Jeffrey took his sister’s hands and led her into a turn, humming a Britney Spears tune Dax recognized. “And we need a drink.”
Ariel pulled her flask from her garter, giving Dax a welcome view of her gorgeous legs. She passed the flask around and then pocketed it. “Good, we’re fortified. We need to get back. Dax and I have to give our speeches at some point. Let’s hope the rest of the night goes well and the food isn’t as spoiled as the caterer fears.”
In the end, everything came off pretty well, all things considered. Dax got through his speech without too many glares from the bride. Apparently, she didn’t completely believe he’d been the culprit behind the dress theft. Ariel delivered her humorous speech with a sweet smile, making Tiffany cry again.
A few people commented on the lone fish in the nearly empty koi pond, which made Dax shudder. Jeffrey was a good sport, telling everyone it was a new concept. The water symbolized the purity of the bride and groom’s love for each other while the single fish showed how they were now one in mind and body. One woman pressed her hand to her chest and got tears in her eyes, saying, “Isn’t that the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Dax wanted to gag.
Although honestly, he felt really bad for the koi, losing all his buddies like that.
Dinner came and went. He barely tasted the food but was assured it wasn’t half-bad. When the dancing started—after Tiffany and Rob’s first dance as a couple—Jeffrey pulled him and Ariel onto the dance floor. He watched brother and sister let loose, imitating John Travolta inSaturday Night Feverbefore strutting like two chickens in a farmyard. He was laughing so hard he was wiping tears before joining in.
Carson, Perry, Gunner, and Frank finally took to the floor with them, saying it was time to show this crowd some real moves. The DJ was good, but the guests were stuffy, mostly sitting and watching with drinks in their hands. Clearly, some didn’t approve of their antics. At one point, Dax was sure Stormy would have turned them into a pillar of salt if they’d looked at her.
The cake cutting went off without incident, but the same couldn’t be said for the sparklers display. Lighting hundreds of the darn things with a blowtorch couldn’t have been considered safe, and Carson yelped when one of the special sparklers flashed extra high and his dress whites almost caught fire. Perry was laughing, as he lit up the Just Married display. The Go Navy display had them spontaneously singing “Anchors Aweigh,” with Rob coming over to join in.
People clapped. They handed out the sparklers to the wedding guests, posh watering cans at the ready. No one got burned in the guest sparkler portion of the evening, thank God. Ariel’s distant cousin even commented on how charming the cute watering pots were, making Dax want to roll his eyes.
When the time came for Tiffany and Rob to leave, the guests came out to bid them a raucous farewell. Dax had his arm around Ariel as she watched Tiffany hug Tricia and Terry, all three women crying. When they finished, Tiffany turned and found Ariel at the front of the crowd and opened her arms.
