A Chip and a Chair (Seven of Spades, #5)(13)



They broke apart when the door opened, and the photographer poked her head into the room. “Carlos, we’re almost ready for the first look. Why don’t you go ahead to the spot you and Jasmine picked out?”

Carlos nodded, checked himself out one last time in the mirror, and left the room with Dominic by his side.

The golf resort was an oasis of lush, rolling lawns in the middle of the desert, glowing under the rays of the afternoon sun. In early May, the day was hot but not stifling, and a light breeze cooled things off further.

Dominic and Carlos greeted the various friends and family members they passed on the way, all of whom were dressed to the nines. Dominic waved to Levi, who was standing with Adriana and the Andersons’ two other current teenage foster kids, Josh and Rima.

The location for the first look was at the edge of the golf course’s lake, with a stunning view of the stark desert mountains in the background. After a few more words of encouragement, Dominic withdrew, leaving Carlos facing the lake and fidgeting like a kid on the first day of school.

Less than a minute later, Jasmine approached, accompanied by her parents, a couple of her bridesmaids, and the photographer.

Dominic sucked in a breath. Jasmine had always been one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, but today she was radiant. She was wearing a flowing, sleeveless white gown that showed off the elaborate tattoos on her arms and chest; her dozens of rainbow braids cascaded down her back, with only a few on each side pinned back to keep them out of her face. Instead of a traditional veil, a wreath of greenery crowned her head.

Like Dominic, Jasmine’s family and friends hung back a bit to give the couple some privacy. Carlos was standing stock-still now. Jasmine walked up to him from behind and tapped his shoulder.

When Carlos turned around, his jaw dropped. A brilliant smile crossed Jasmine’s face. They gazed at each other for a wordless moment before they pressed their foreheads together, then embraced and kissed while the photographer discreetly snapped pictures.

A lump lodged in Dominic’s throat as he watched them. Few things in life were better than seeing people you loved have their dreams come true.

As Dominic had anticipated, every ounce of tension drained from Carlos’s body. He and Jasmine were completely wrapped up in their love bubble, murmuring to each other, oblivious to everything and everyone around them.

Dominic glanced back toward Levi. Adriana was saying something that involved a lot of wild hand gestures, and Levi was listening to her with a half-smile on his usually solemn face, his posture open and relaxed as he gave her his full attention. He didn’t seem to notice Dominic watching him.

Would he and Dominic ever find themselves in this position, gathering their families for pictures in the hours before their own wedding?

Dominic froze at the unexpected thought, the first one of its kind he’d ever had. This was the only serious relationship he’d been in, and marriage had never so much as crossed his mind before.

He and Levi hadn’t even been together that long-their recent breakup had been nearly the length of the first phase of their relationship. Maybe he was just getting carried away by the romance of the wedding.

Or maybe not. His love for Levi was like nothing else he’d ever known. He imagined them spending the rest of their lives together, and instead of making him feel anxious or trapped, the thought filled him with a sense of excited wonder.

Levi finally caught on to Dominic’s regard and sent him a puzzled glance. Feeling mischievous, Dominic blew him a kiss. Levi rolled his eyes, blushing as he turned away, and Dominic’s heart seized with a swell of emotion.

No matter what their future held, he would love Levi Abrams until his last moment on Earth.



Levi didn’t like to dance, but he wasn’t surprised that Dominic did. After dinner during the reception, Levi was happy to stay behind at their table, chatting to a few of Carlos and Dominic’s friends from the club where they both bartended.

Every now and then, Levi looked over to where Dominic was cutting a rug on the dance floor, his exuberant energy drawing people to him like planets orbiting the sun. As always, Dominic was the life of the party. Even as Levi watched, Dominic twirled the laughing woman nearest him and spun her into a neat dip.

Levi’s attention was diverted by Carlos and Jasmine, who were making the rounds of the reception table by table. They hadn’t strayed more than two feet from each other since the ceremony; they both walked like they were floating, and the looks they kept sending each other redefined the word sappy. It was sweet.

“Mazel tov,” Levi said, standing to hug them. “That was the most beautiful ceremony I’ve ever seen.”

Her eyes sparkling, Jasmine said, “I’m surprised you even noticed, the way you and Dominic were staring at each other the whole time.”

Levi flushed. “I-that wasn’t-”

Dominic had been standing beside Carlos during the ceremony, of course, with Levi seated in the audience a few rows back. And all right, maybe their eye contact had gotten particularly intense at moments, but he hadn’t thought it had been so obvious.

She laughed, touching his arm. “It was cute. We’re really happy for you guys.”

“Yeah, man.” Carlos was glowing, utterly changed from the nervous wreck he’d been this morning. “We’re glad you’re here.”

They were drawn away by their other friends at the table just as the music changed, the high-energy dance track fading into the mellower strains of “Never Let Me Go” by Florence + The Machine. Dominic left the dance floor, breathing hard and glazed with a light sheen of sweat. He’d long ago shed his jacket and tie, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to the elbows.

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