Page 27 of Forever After All

Linc turned just in time to see Abby, little and cute, dressed in what looked like a tutu, running wild down the aisle in front of the newlyweds.

Cheyenne laughed, and the crowd gave a collective laugh once they knew the bride wasn’t upset about the excited outburst of a four-year-old at her wedding.

“You think she’s celebrating her freedom?” Linc asked.

“Definitely. I wonder how long she’s been standing still for photos. Everly said the wedding party had to be here early this morning.”

“For a wedding at six in the afternoon?”

Jess nodded. “Sounds crazy to me too. It might just be me, but so many wedding traditions seem ridiculous. I mean, I get that the couple wants photos on their wedding day, but help me understand throwing the garter or not seeing each other the day of the wedding?”

“I’m no help at all because I feel the same way,” Linc said.

“Don’t get me started on toasts. It’s almost a guarantee that one of the bride’s parents is going to make an inappropriate joke.”

“Eh, probably not Ridge and Cheyenne’s families.” Ridge had awesome parents. Cheyenne’s mom still suffered from symptoms of a stroke she had years ago, and her dad had only found out recently that he even had a daughter.

Jess brushed her hands down the front of her dress as they waited for everyone to file out of the rows. “I guess it’s a good thing to have parents who are alive and actually support your happiness. A few jokes aren’t so bad.”

Linc froze. Jess never talked about her parents, but Linc knew enough to know why. Her mom was a psycho, and her dad was murdered.

Enough said. No wonder she didn’t give them two seconds of her thoughts.

Jess looked up at him with her brows drawn together. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then closed it.

He had a brief history of Jess’s family, but she knew nothing about his.

For a reason.

No one wanted to hear about the abused kid who found his way into foster care before he was a year old. No one worried about why he lived his life like parents weren’t a real thing.

Because for Linc, all those things were a nightmare, and he woke up a long time ago.

He could let it be his excuse. He could milk it for all it was worth.

Or he could turn the tables. He’d chosen to do just that.

Well, Mr. Chambers hadn’t given him much of a choice, but Linc had accepted his new path. He was on the straight and narrow now.

They followed everyone inside the event hall where tables were covered with white tablecloths, twinkle lights hung from the rafters, flowers grew out of nowhere, a waterfall cascaded in one corner, a five-foot-tall ice sculpture dominated the other side of the building, and a massive cake stood front and center against the far wall.

“Wow,” Jess whispered beside him. “This is fancy.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Linc whispered back.

“Where is your seat?” she asked. “You know they gave us assigned seats, right?”

Linc pinched the bridge of his nose. “I forgot about that. Um, I think my invitation said table five.”

Jess looked around the room and pointed to one to their left. “That’s my table too.”

Interesting. They hadn’t told anyone they were coming to the wedding together until this week, but the seating arrangements had been made for months. Whoever decided on seats must have known to put the two of them together.

“You’re beside me,” Jess said. “That’s a good thing because I would have tracked someone down to swap so I could be beside you.”

Linc crossed his arms over his chest. “Really?”

Jess shrugged. “Of course. I’m not sitting by a stranger all night. And why would I sit with anyone but you?”

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