The ceremony itself was okay.
I couldn’t stop staring at Cruz, who completely ignored my existence.
I knew people were paying close attention to the two of us, considering how crazy the rumors had been, and I was also aware that it looked like he had dumped me and now I was pining for him for eternity.
And strangely…I didn’t care.
I had put so much emphasis on looking strong and unfazed throughout the years…and it got me absolutely nowhere. Now, I was hurting, and it was okay. I didn’t want to conceal it.
It was the truth.
Wyatt and Trinity exchanged vows. There were a lot of tears. Most of them were his. Man, did the man bawl his eyes out. I wasn’t sure if he was devastated to tie himself to another crazy woman, or suffered from some sort of a hormonal influx.
Cruz had to hand him a tissue midway through his oath.
Even Father O’Neill rushed through the if anyone can show just cause why this couple should not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace part, suspecting Wyatt himself was going to do just that, and we’d have a runaway groom on our hands (which reminded me—why were there no books and movies about runaway grooms? Surely, they existed, too?).
When Father O’Neill instructed Wyatt to kiss Trinity, it looked like they were trying to give each other mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Then Trinity burst out in tears after holding herself together for so long and whacked him with the bouquet, moaning, what the hell is wrong with you? followed closely by look what you made me do. I swore in a church, goddammit!
On the way to the reception, there was a human-train accident. One of Trinity’s childhood friends stepped over another woman’s dress, and they both toppled over an elderly couple.
Soon, there was a pile of people by the pews, trying to untangle themselves from one another. I was pretty sure Trinity was having a heart attack. She always liked everything to be perfect, especially when her new mother-in-law was in the vicinity.
But when I stole a glance at my sister, she looked a little amused and not at all tearful anymore at the sight of people trying to stumble out of church without slipping over one another.
Her eyes met mine unexpectedly.
“Bet you this is the only thing people are going to remember when they talk about my wedding years from now,” she said to me, her way of handing me an olive branch.
But I wasn’t quite so ready to let our feud go.
“I don’t know,” I said. “The groom cried like a little girl who watched Bambi for the first time. Don’t count on it.”
When we got to the venue on the outskirts of Fairhope, things began to look up. The weather was glorious—a little on the hot side, but still beautiful—and the flowers surrounding the open barn were in full bloom.
The tables and seats were rustic and elegant, freshly painted in white, swathed in romantic tablecloths, and a centerpiece flower arrangement on each of them, consisting of fresh daisies, lilies, and roses.
There were sparkling fountains, a floating gazebo, manicured lawns, and a family of swans shyly angling their faces to take in the guests in a nearby pond.
I also heard that the food was delicious, and that Wyatt and Trinity went for the most expensive culinary options, so I was hopeful the unlucky streak of the new Costello couple had come to an end, even if I still desired to beach-slap the bride.
The Turners and the Costellos (sounds like a seventies’ band full of people with big hair and bell bottom jeans) were seated at a long king’s table decorated with pink roses, antique candleholders, and lanterns.
No wonder Trinity blew most of her savings on this wedding. There was no way Dad could’ve paid for the napkin holders alone from his retired sheriff’s pension.
I was seated as far as possible from Cruz and didn’t think for one moment that it was by accident. Catherine Costello looked pleased to have me banished from her precious son’s sphere.
She even patted Cruz’s hand and said, extra loudly, “See the woman with the green turtleneck dress? The one next to Fiona Rouse? I want to make an introduction. She just started her residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.”
I continued pining for Cruz in dignified silence, occasionally answering my mother, sister, father, and Bear who tried to grab my attention and talk to me. The more I stared at him, the more I realized there was a real possibility I was going to beg him to have me back.
Publicly.
Very publicly.
Happily?
The only way to get him back was to show him he was more important to me than my stupid pride.
When the speeches came, I sat back and sipped some wine. I didn’t normally drink in front of my family—I was always so desperate not to embarrass them in any way—but today, something fundamental had changed in me.
I vowed to live my life for myself and my son, not for anyone else.
The speeches were carried by Cruz, who was Wyatt’s best man, and Gabriella, the maid of honor.
Cruz went first.
He delivered the perfect speech, starting with Wyatt’s description as a chubby, cherubic baby, his embarrassing, wannabe-Jon-Bon-Jovi adolescence years, and even glossed over that unfortunate marriage in a highly entertaining manner.
He had the guests in stitches, but also in tears, and served his captive audience with what must’ve been one of the best speeches to be carried at any wedding, at any time, in the history of the world.
Good luck to you, Gabriella.
When Cruz sat down, I saw Trinity and Gabriella exchanging hushed words. Gabriella smiled in embarrassment, nodded, and walked back over to her side of the table.
I arched an eyebrow.
She didn’t bail on that part, too, right?
Because everyone knew wedding speeches were like obituaries. Nobody wanted to do them, but someone had to.
“Nessy?” Trinity turned in my direction, all smiles.
Oh, no.
“Yes?” I replied with coldness that shocked even me.
“Would you care to make a speech for me?”
“I would not, actually. What happened?” I couldn’t help but bite back. “Gabriella got cold feet again?”
“Actually,” Trinity tried to muster another smile, but this one was a little wonky, a lot sad, “I told Gabriella I wished for my sister to carry the speech for me. I know it’s very last minute, but I figured…well, I’ve been really horrible to you, haven’t I? I made you feel like you were less-than, and on top of that, didn’t choose you to be the maid of honor, even though you certainly pulled your weight. So I thought…I mean, I was hoping…”
A rush of adrenaline ran through me.
This was her way of apologizing.
But it was too little, too late.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said tightly, sitting back in my seat. “I don’t have anything written, and I’m Messy Nessy, remember?”
“You’re my sister,” Trinity maintained. “I like your mess. Your mess is great. Perfect. And you know me better than anyone else.”
“I don’t want to embarrass you,” I shot back, a little anxious now.
Everybody was looking at us.
Everybody.
It was becoming clear she was asking me to do it, and that I didn’t want to. Funnily enough, I didn’t mind being the bad guy anymore.
“You’ll never embarrass me.” She handed me the microphone, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. “Please.”
I snatched the mic from her hand, standing up with a low growl. I was going to make her pay for it. A round of applause came from our audience as everyone took me in.
I put the microphone to my mouth, sighing. “Don’t be so happy, you still haven’t heard what I’m about to say.”
A roll of nervous laughter swept over the open-spaced room. People clapped again. I looked around the room, drawing a breath. I felt Bear’s fist curling around the hem of my dress, tugging.
I looked down.
He smiled and mouthed, “You’ve got this.”
I looked at the familiar faces, realizing that they all blurred together in my vision.
“First of all, I was tasked with giving this speech exactly two seconds ago, so my guess as to what’s about to leave my mouth is as good as yours, but knowing me, I suspect it will at the very least be entertaining.”
More laughter.
I stole an anxious look at Cruz. He sat back like he was made out of stone, taking a long sip from his beer, checking his phone.
The jackgass.
“Trinity and Wyatt. Wyatt and Trinity.”
I played with one of my earrings, buying time. Saying their names in different variations wasn’t going to do me much good. It wasn’t an essay I was trying to fill with words to hit a word count.
“Who would’ve thought, huh? Not me, that’s for sure. I always thought she had a huge crush on Justin Kent.” I winced. “Sorry, Justin, who is here. And his wife, who is also here…it worked out fine for everyone. Other than Wyatt, obviously.”
This really made people laugh.
Everyone, including Trinity herself and Wyatt, who leaned into her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. As far as I was aware, this was the first time he’d shown her any type of warmth in public since they’d started dating.
My chest swelled with pride.
I held onto the microphone a little tighter.
“I mean it, though. Trinity’s always been the golden one. The one with the straight A’s. She helped me so much when Bear was born. Even gave up all of her savings to help me pay for his ear surgery. She’s the best sister anyone could ask for.” I turned to look at her, my eyes crinkling. “Which is why she became a nurse. I don’t know any other woman in the world who could charm her way into a toddler’s good graces even though they know she’s about to stick a needle in them.”
More laughter.
I wasn’t doing badly at all.
“I think that’s the trouble with living in the shadow of a hero, though. You don’t know just how much you have until you drift apart. I almost lost…I mean, I did lose a hero like that, I guess.”
I snuck another look at Cruz.
His jaw was stiff, his eyes narrow and darkened, but at least he was no longer focused on his phone.
Now his entire attention was on me.
“I just…” I shook my head. “I’m glad my sister bagged the man she wants. The man of her dreams. Because it’s not to be taken for granted. Sometimes the good ones slip between the cracks, and you can’t reach and pull them back to you.”
By the way my mother placed a hand on the small of my back, I knew I was detouring, fast.
But it was too late.
I had a chance to be heard by Cruz, and I wasn’t going to mess it up this time. I didn’t even care that I was stealing Trinity’s thunder.
This was truly the only time I’d ever done that maliciously—deliberately—and she needed to deal with it.
For the first time in my life, I was selfish.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. A lot has changed since Trinity got engaged to Wyatt. For one thing, our families went on a cruise together. And that’s when I…”
Don’t say had wild sex with Dr. Cruz Costello. I repeat don’t say had wild sex with Dr. Cruz Costello.
“That’s when I fell in love with Dr. Cruz Costello,” I finished.
People gasped and choked on their drinks in the audience. I soldiered through, the hysteria bubbling in my throat reminding me that I’d just admitted to a room full of people who despised me, that I was in love with their idol.
“I fell in love with him, and I think maybe, for a moment in time, he fell in love with me, too.”
I turned to look at him fully now.
He stared at me with fascination. There was no tenderness or love there. Just the surprise and awe of someone who was witnessing the carnage of a train wreck happening in slow motion.
It was too late to back down from this, though, so I let it all out, even if Catherine Costello looked like she was about to stab me with her steak knife.
“I can’t live without you, Dr. Costello. I mean, I can, but I don’t want to. Not in the spoiled way people don’t want to do things, like laundry and the dishes. I know this is the wrong time and certainly the wrong place. But Cruz, I’m going to take my chance and tell you—the ultimatum you gave me the other day? I accept! I accept your offer!”
I thought it was a nice touch. To finally give him what he wanted, move in with him, after being all wishy-washy. I’d seen scenes like that in movies and TV shows all the time.
This was my grand gesture, and as such, he couldn’t deny me.
Cruz’s expression was unreadable, his mouth pressed into a hard line. Not exactly the way a Disney prince looked before whisking his favorite princess away on a magical carpet, but hey, I had to work with what I got.
“Sorry, sweetheart, that offer has expired.”
What.
There were more gasps.
People pulled out their phones and directed them at my face. Catherine clutched her heart, like she was about to have a breakdown. Her husband side-eyed her quietly, undoubtedly not buying into her theatrics.
Trinity surprised me by shooting Cruz a murderous stare and reaching across the table to give my hand a squeeze. I felt the air leave my lungs. The earth shaking under my feet.
He’d said no.
He didn’t want me anymore.
I closed my eyes, letting the humiliation sink in.
Then he continued.
“I’m not an interlude to your ordinary program, Tennessee Turner. Nor am I a life choice like veganism you can slip in and out of, depending on your family’s mood. I love our families, but not enough to let them tamper with the big love of my life. But you don’t seem to feel the same. I don’t want you to move in just so you can move out the first time I piss you off. When things go wrong. When your sister decides to have a fit. When my mother thinks you’re unsuitable for me and things get hard. In short—I don’t want to let you in, when it’s so perfectly obvious you are going to bail on me as soon as things get hard again.”
“I won’t,” I cried out. “I promise.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Then what do you suggest?” I blurted out, my infamous, never-yielding pride in tatters. People were gulping in every second of this. This was too good to be true. The town’s screw-up being rejected by the national darling. “I can’t just give you up. I love you.”
“I understand. The way I see it, there is only one solution.” He folded his arms over his chest.
“What is it? I’ll do anything.”
“Anything?”
“Okay, not a threesome. And no pee stuff in the bedroom.”
Snorts and laughter came from the audience, but not all of them were amused. Some covered for uncomfortable coughs.
My mother fainted.
Catherine looked like she was about to leave and was waiting for someone—anyone—to stop her.
No one did, and so she stayed anyway.
“That narrows ‘anything’ down pretty significantly,” Cruz pointed out.
“Oh, just tell me, Cruz.”
“Marry me.”
“What?”
“Make an honest man out of me, Tennessee Turner, and I’ll have you back. Any other solution just won’t work for me. I already told you it’s all or nothing. You said nothing doesn’t suit you—well, give me your all.”
All eyes clung to me, waiting for my answer.
Bear squeezed my hand under the table, whispering under his breath, “I want a game room, Mom.”
My mother murmured that she was going to disown me if I refused him. Apparently, she’d come to.
Dad grunted that he really couldn’t afford another wedding.
Trinity whimpered in Wyatt’s ear that her thunder had been stolen once again.
And Catherine Costello keeled over and emptied her stomach on a nearby patch of lawn.
“Yes,” I heard myself say, a smile spreading over my mouth. “Yes, I will be your wife, Dr. Cruz Costello.”
