Down and Dirty (Hot Jocks #5)(45)
Grant’s mouth presses into a line as though he’s considering the weight of my words. “Okay. That’s what I thought. I’ve only known you a short time, but I’ve never seen you blow off your commitments or not give something your best. Everything you do, you give it your all, and I respect that.”
I nod, struck silent by the things he’s noticed about me. “What’s your take on all this?” I really don’t want to hear him caution me away from Aubree, or tell me I’m being foolish or to be careful. But he’s my captain and he’s pulled me aside, so it seems only right to get his take on things.
Grant’s expression is stern as he meets my eyes. “It’s possible there could be blow-back on the team. Aubree’s role—the organization she works for is affiliated with the team, and our rookie has just gotten hitched . . .” He pauses, taking a breath. “But I don’t think that’ll happen. And if it was going to get out, it would have by now.”
I feel pretty foolish that it never occurred to me. “Right,” I say with a nod.
“But as your captain and teammate, you’ve got my support.” He nods once. “There’s one other thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t let the guys give you a hard time. Trust yourself and follow your gut. It’ll serve you well. You got me, rookie?”
An easy smile overtakes my face. “Yes, sir.”
The rest of the evening passes without much excitement. There’s food and cake, and some speeches by Owen’s older male relatives.
I end up spending more time with them than I’d planned, and by the time I make it back to the villa, Aubree is asleep, curled on her side, facing away from me. I hoped for some alone time with her tonight. And before your mind jumps into the gutter—no, I don’t mean like that (although I wouldn’t have minded, for the record.) It’s just that I barely saw her today, outside of our couple of hours by the pool.
Disappointed, I change out of my suit and slip into bed beside her, careful not to wake her.
There’s always tomorrow, I guess.
? ? ?
I spend the next afternoon running a few more last-minute errands for the bridal party. This time, my talents have been loaned out to Becca’s mom—those talents being that I have a car and know how to use my GPS. Apparently, the florist forgot to include a corsage for Becca’s grandmother, so I went to pick up the hastily made replacement, and a few more stops besides.
I make it back just in time for the wedding ceremony to begin.
The guests are all seated under a huge white tent in rows of little gold-adorned chairs, and a harpist strums a soft melody that makes the whole thing feel enchanted. From the sidelines, the wedding coordinator gets us lined up in the correct order, and then I’m taking Aubree’s hand to escort her down the aisle. When I left this morning, she was still dressed in the hotel robe with her hair wet from the shower. Now she’s . . . breathtaking.
Her pale pink dress brushes the ground and hugs her body in all the right places. I have to curl my hands into fists just to keep them to myself. I want to run my fingertips along her spine, feel the warmth of her skin, and know if she’ll shiver under my touch.
“Made it back just in time,” she whispers as we make our way down the aisle to the front of the gathering.
“You look incredible,” I whisper back.
Aubree’s lips twitch, but she keeps her eyes straight ahead.
Once the wedding party is all in place, the music changes to something more classic. Becca, in a formfitting white lace gown, begins making her way down the aisle toward where Owen is standing stock-still, gazing at her with an awe-filled expression.
When she reaches her destination, they share a smile and a couple of hushed whispers before Becca straightens his bow tie with a smirk.
The officiant smiles warmly at the crowd. “Friends and family of Owen Parrish and Becca Phillips, you have all been invited here today to witness and celebrate the deep, uniting love these two share.”
One of Becca’s friends from college reads a poem I’m not familiar with. Something about finding the strength to let yourself be vulnerable. It’s not very wedding themed, but it fits somehow with Owen and Becca. For as long as I’ve known them, which admittedly isn’t all that long, I’ve seen how fiercely they love each other. And to do that, I guess you have to be vulnerable.
The officiant recites a scripture next about a woman leaving her family to join with a man, and then the rings are brought up by Owen’s dad.
When it’s Owen’s turn to read his vows, a huge lopsided grin overtakes his face. He launches in with barely a breath, like he’s been waiting to say these words to her forever.
“Your strength is humbling. Your confidence is addicting. And your beauty inside and out is beyond anything I could have hoped for, or deserved in a partner.” He clears his throat. “I promise to be yours, faithfully, until my final breath. I love you now and forever, Becca.”
When it’s Becca’s turn, she has to take a moment to compose herself and wipe her eyes, because Owen’s heartfelt words have made her cry. I look around and see there’s hardly a dry eye in the entire place.
Then she takes a shaky breath and lifts her chin. And when she meets Owen’s eyes, something inside me twists. She’s gazing at him with so much emotion in her eyes, I feel a little breathless.