Blind Kiss(60)

“Because I was lazy, and I told you, I let my mom do everything.” She shivered. “Ahh, he’s rolling.” She put my hand on her belly.

“What’s this?” I said, feeling a hard spot.

“It’s a foot or something.” I felt a forceful movement in her belly. It was freaky but magical.

Why can’t this be our baby?

“So it’s a boy?” I asked.

“Yes. We’re naming him Milo Liam Stone. What do you think?”

Sadness overwhelmed me but I wouldn’t let myself cry in front of her. “It’s a great name.” I held her swollen feet in my hands and massaged them.

She let her head fall back, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

When the girls came back, no one batted an eye at me on the couch, rubbing Penny’s feet, except for Isabelle, who raised an eyebrow.

Penny’s mom spoke up first. “Isabelle, have you met Gavin?”

“No.” She looked right at me. She was cute-ish.

I stood up and shook her hand. “I’m Gavin. I’m—”

“—a family friend,” Anne interjected.

“Right,” Isabelle said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Eat fast, Penny, it’s almost time,” Ling said, passing a pint of ice cream to her before turning to me and hugging me. “Hey kid,” she said. “Aren’t you supposed to be with the groomsmen?”

“Do I have to?”

“I think you do in this case. Your dad’s already over there.”

I left the girls and walked through the ceremony space where most of the guests were already seated. An event coordinator directed me to the room where Lance, his groomsmen, my dad, and his dad were waiting. I walked directly up to him and smiled. “Congratulations, Lance.” We shook hands.

“Thanks, man. How’s she doing?”

It was strange how he knew that I went to see her first. “The girls just brought her some ice cream so she seems happy. Not nervous. Stunning. You’re a lucky man.”

“I am.”

My dad patted me on the back as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

“Hey, Gavin, I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but Penny hoped you’d give a little speech since you’re close to her family. You know, in lieu of her dad,” Lance said.

A wave of nausea hit me. Why hadn’t she asked me something so important herself?

“You can do it,” my dad said behind me.

“Okay,” I said, though my mind was racing. What was I supposed to say, Congratulations, you got the girl, dick?

When the event coordinator came to get us, we filed out of the room and took our places in the processional line next to the bridesmaids. Isabelle flirted with me the entire time as we waited our turn.

We walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D emanating from a speaker overhead—definitely Anne’s choice. I wondered why Penny hadn’t asked me to play something for the ceremony. I had my guitar in my trunk and I’d planned a song for her, but I was hoping to play it only for her.

Once we reached the altar, I went to the right to stand with the groomsmen and Isabelle went to the left to stand with the bridesmaids. We waited a beat before Penny emerged at the end of the aisle and wobbled toward us on the arm of my very own dad. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

My father kissed her on the cheek and handed her off to a smiling Lance. Penny looked yellow. She was beautiful but not the radiant, blushing bride I imagined if she and I were getting married that day. A judge officiated the ceremony, and when it was over, Penny and Lance gave each other an awkward kiss before turning toward the crowd and bowing. I thought that was weird, but maybe it was in Penny’s nature as a dancer.

Afterward, everyone scattered from the ceremony area to the reception space for the cocktail hour. My father and Anne chatted each other up easily. I knew there was no attraction there, but they were friendly. After Liam’s death, our families had become intertwined—and would remain that way for the rest of my dad’s life.

Isabelle clung to me near the bar while I did shot after shot. If I could have put the whiskey in an IV right then and there, I would have. I needed liquid courage for the speech.

Lance’s best man, Roger, gave some stupid speech he had copied off the internet, and implied that Lance had been some kind of player before he met Penny and settled down. I laughed at the absurdity of it.

Lance got on the microphone next and said, “That’ll be a tough act to follow. Thanks so much, Roger. We also have a family friend of Penny’s here to say a few words on behalf of Penny’s family and her recently deceased father, Liam, who we all wish were here right now. But before that, let’s have a moment of silence to say a little prayer for Liam.” God, he lays it on thick. Fucking Eddie Haskell.

I put my head down and looked up a moment later to see Lance gesturing for me to come up. There’s nothing more sobering than giving a speech, especially at a wedding for the girl of your dreams.

“Good luck,” I heard Isabelle say behind me.

Penny was smiling at me as I took the microphone. “Hi, I’m Gavin, Penny’s friend from college. On behalf of the Pipers, thank you all for coming. Though I haven’t known Penny for long, her family has welcomed me with open arms, and I know they’ll do the same for Lance.” I heard Kiki snort behind me. “Penny and her dad were very close, and I know that if he were here, he’d tell Lance how lucky he is, and he’d probably say something like, ‘Take care of my Sweet Pea.’ Liam loved to watch Penny dance, and he was her biggest fan. We all wish he were here.”