Page 119 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

They stayed there for a moment, then Alex stepped back and reached for the champagne in the ice bucket. “Can you give the guys a call and ask them to come up here? I need to tell them, but I just wanted to tell you, first.”

Five minutes later, Matt ambled into Alex’s room in a classic black suit. “Jesus. This is quite the room. How did you get this one?”

“I did pay for it all.”

“Fair,” Matt said, lying down on the bed, putting one arm over his eyes. “Shit, I’ve already had too much to drink.”

Jase entered with a beer bottle swinging from his fingertips, his suit a ruby red. “You two might want to know there’s some guy who plays one of those round trumpets hitting on your mum.”

“It’s a French horn, you donkey,” Alex said, popping the champagne and pouring the glasses.

“Yeah, well, that’s not the only kind of horn going on between the two of them, if you know what I mean.”

Ben stepped up to the window and looked around for his mum. “I see him. Most importantly, Mum’s smiling. He keeps making her do that and I’m happy.”

Alex slapped his hand on Ben’s back, then offered him a glass of champagne. “Looks harmless enough, but I’ll get the scoop from Zoe, later.”

“Why are we all up here?” Luke said, Zale on his hip. The kid was dressed in a little linen blazer that matched his dad’s. “And why did you get changed again? You’re not hosting the fucking Oscars.”

Ben took over handing out the glasses of champagne.

“No. But I am getting married,” Alex said.

“You proposed to Zoe?” Jase asked, suddenly animated.

“Of a fashion. But I meant, I’m getting married, now.”

“Now?” Luke said.

“Today?” Matt lifted up off the bed.

Alex nodded. “As in, I really need your help to get everything set up. The caterers are here, the seating is all around the rear wall of the castle.”

“Is it beneath all that temporary blue tent that says catering?” Jase asked.

“Exactly. I want you all to come down with me while I make the announcement to everyone, and then help me get it set up.”

Ben saw what was about to happen before it did. He grabbed Alex’s drink out of his hand, as Jase and Matt put theirs down on various surfaces and finally jumped on their cousin.

Luke raised Zale’s hands in the air.

“Fucking yes, mate,” Jase said.

“It’s going to blow Willow’s mind you can do a wedding this way,” Luke said. “Ours is still a year away because of reasons you honestly don’t want me to get into.”

“I’m going to use this as leverage to persuade Cerys to marry me before the end of the year,” Jase said. He grabbed Zale from Luke and blew a raspberry on the kid’s cheek, making them both giggle. “Sooner we’re married, sooner I can get me one of these.”

Alex grinned. “Yeah. Well. Zoe and I didn’t need to book the traditional shit. Church, cars etc. Plus, we didn’t need matching, well…” He looked around the room at their kaleidoscope of suit colours. “Anything.”

“So, what do you need from us?” Ben asked. “Be specific. Give us jobs.”

Ten minutes later, while Jase, Matt, and Luke hurried off to start preparations for the surprise wedding, Ben took Zale, and Alex, to the stage on the grounds.

Chaya saw them, first, and hurried over when she saw that he had Zale. “Aren’t you the handsomest boy?” she said as she took Zale from Ben’s arms.

“I thought I was your handsomest boy,” he said, fake pouting.

“You are my handsomest man.” She kissed Zale’s cheeks, then Ben’s lips. “There’s a difference.”

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