Page 111 of The Wild Card
A throat clears, and we all look to see Winnie standing in the doorway. “How do I look?”
Her wedding dress is simple but gorgeous, a tea-length cream satin with tulle under the skirt, giving it some body and accentuating Winnie’s waist. The neckline is low but tasteful, and her arms are bare, showing off absolutely gorgeous tattoos I’ve only seen hints of before now. Her blond hair is softly curled, resting on her shoulders, and she’s traded out her black-framed glasses for a pair that’s the same soft pink as the rose behind her ear.
“You look beautiful,” Lindy whispers, almost reverently.
Val sniffles, wiping her cheeks. “You are nothing short of stunning, Win.”
“You think James will like it?” Winnie asks, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
“My brother is going to have a coronary.” Harper appears behind Winnie and gives her a one-armed hug, clearly being careful of the dress. “You look perfect, Winnie. Happy wedding day! Chase and I just got here. He’s headed over to help James with set-up. I thought Pat and Collin would already be here by now with the way he was driving.”
“Collin got pulled over,” Lindy says, standing and stretching before walking over to brush back a strand of Winnie’s hair.
“I can’t imaginewhyhe was in such a hurry to get back.” Smiling, Harper crosses the room to sit next to me on the bed. “You doing okay, Mol?”
I watch as Lindy and Val flutter around Winnie, admiring her dress and smoothing away imaginary wrinkles. Jo walks in, a cheese stick hanging out of her mouth like a cigar. Without saying a word, she hands another one to Lindy, who immediately bites it in half, like she was starving.
It’s a tiny gesture for Jo to know Lindy would be hungry and bring her food without asking, but somehow, it feels huge. Like the littlest, most normal symbol of how this big, loud family cares for each other.
And now for me.
I think of Collin, getting a speeding ticket because he was in such a hurry to get to me.
I think of the dress I’m wearing, which Tank had the idea for and Winnie picked out just for me.
I think of everyone already knowing our big fake dating secret.
Of the wedding I’m about to attend. Of the friendships and the family I’ve been not just invited but welcomed into.
“Yeah,” I tell Harper. “I’m doing great.”
I’m not sure I’d say the same thing an hour later. Because it is absolute torture being around Collin, watching him from a distance, feeling the intensity of his gaze without being able to talk. The minute we locked eyes from across the room when I walked in with the ladies, though, relief coursed through me.
His blue eyes flared, and he immediately and unapologetically stepped away from whatever conversation he was having with Tank. The way Collin strode purposefully across the room then grabbed and held me in a tight hug was an unspoken promise. Though I absolutely want all his words too. We have a lot to discuss.Later.
Thankfully, the ceremony makes for a great distraction.
The big, main room in Dark Horse has been cleared, tables pushed aside. Only a few chairs in a semi-circle near an exposed brick wall where the wedding party stands. Lights are strung from the ceiling along with some simple flower garlands and battery-powered tea lights on the tables. The bar holds an array of foods, including a simple two-tier cake.
There are more people in the wedding party than there are guests. I sit between Kyoko and Big Mo. The only other people seated with us are Thayden and his wife, Delilah. My eyes bounce between the bride and groom and Collin, who looks downright delicious in a fitted navy suit. Behind the bar, a one-eyed cat wearing a bow tie watches the proceedings.
“That’s OC,” Kyoko whispers. “Their cat.”
James and Winnie have a cat?“Who dresses him up?”
Kyoko smirks. “You’d think Winnie. But it’s James.”
The ceremony is short and simple with the traditional wedding liturgy and simple vows Winnie and James wrote for each other. Winnie recites hers with a huge smile and eyes bright with unshed tears, while James reads his from a well-worn notecard he pulls from his charcoal suit jacket. His voice is soft, but he speaks the words with a conviction that makes my throat feel tight.
I’ve only met Kyoko a few times in passing, but we clasp each other’s hands throughout the whole thing like it’s a life-or-death matter. And when the officiant pronounces them man and wife and they kiss, our small group stands and applauds wildly. The Graham brothers, Tank, Chevy, and my brother hoot and holler like the home team just scored the winning point in overtime.
Someone—Lindy, maybe?—hands the women confetti cannons, so tiny sparkles flutter down around James and Winnie as they kiss … and kiss some more.
“All right, son,” Tank finally says in a booming voice. “Let’s remember there are children present.”
They finally pull apart, grinning at each other, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. James sweeps Winnie up in his arms, careful of her dress, and then kisses her again. When I glance over at Collin, he’s staring intently at me like he’s thinking about doing the same—though maybe picking me up and running off with me by the look in his eyes.
There aren’t many people in the room, but everyone is rowdy with celebration. Winnie cups her hands around her mouth and says, “Let the reception part of the wedding begin! We’ve got food from Big Mo, Kyoko will be serving drinks, and Pat’s got the music.”
