“Come on, babe. Stop being so hard on yourself. We’re getting married. I know you’re emotional with everything going on today but focus on the positives. You’re going to be my wife.” I lower my voice, desperate to make her laugh. “And I can’t wait to violate my wife tonight.”
She laughs softly, and I smile, relief flooding me. I can’t stand the thought of Marina upset. But I also can’t wait for this wedding to be over. So we can focus on living our lives.
Together.
Matt
I KNOCK ON the door and enter as I hear Gage say come in. He finishes up a phone call and slips his cell into his front pocket, smiling at me. But the smile looks forced. Not the sort of thing a man should be doing on his wedding day. “What’s up?” I ask. “Everything okay?”
“Naw, it’s cool. I’m thankful you let me get ready here, man. A lot simpler than being at the hotel with my future wife worried that I might see her some way, some how. She’d freak out. Bad luck and all, the groom seeing the bride before the wedding,” Gage says, waving a hand.
Marina had been on a tear the last few weeks. Wedding stress was spilling over like a pot of water on full boil and making the bride turn a bit . . . angry.
I’m trying to be kind here. Gage is my best friend. And I like Marina. Bryn’s grown incredibly close to her. Planning a big wedding is stressful. I know this. I also know my woman wouldn’t act like this when planning our wedding.
Because that’s going to happen. I’m determined to make that woman mine in the most official way. Soon.
“It’s almost over, man.” I clap Gage on the shoulder, letting him know he has my sympathy. He’s been good, never really complaining about Marina, but both Archer and I know Gage is ready for the wedding to be over so his almost-wife will return to her normal self.
“Yeah.” Gage rubs a hand across his jaw, then drops his head, staring straight at me. “So get this. Archer called me. Ivy’s gone into labor.”
“No shit?” I grin. Finally, that baby is going to be here. I have a bet going with a few others over what they’re going to have, a boy or a girl.
My bet is a boy. And I hope like hell I’m right since five hundred dollars is riding on this.
Yes, I’ve turned into a cheapskate, considering the million dollar bet I made with Archer and Gage. A bet that still doesn’t have a true winner.
But we all know it’s me. After all, I was the last bachelor standing. Those two fell for their respective women like a house of cards. I just lucked out that their relationships happened before mine.
“No shit. This throws off the wedding though. Marina almost lost it when I told her.” Gage is still watching me closely, and I almost want to squirm. I feel like I’ve done something wrong.
“Yeah, I bet.” I wouldn’t want to be in this guy’s shoes right now. Despite how ready I am to make the permanent move with Bryn, I know that for us, we don’t want a big elaborate wedding like Gage and Marina are having. Her giant Italian family, which must make up half of the Napa Valley, is part of the problem. I don’t have a big family and neither does Bryn. We could run away to Vegas and get married without offending a soul.
Well, maybe her grandma would get mad. She might sick her mean rooster on me. She’s a woman I don’t necessarily want to mess with. But I’m willing to take the chance.
“Want to step in and be my best man?” Gage asks suddenly.
I glance up and see that my friend is dead serious. “Of course,” I say automatically. I was never offended that Gage chose Archer over me. They’ve known each other longer so it made sense. “I’d be honored, man.” And I meant it.
“Great. Okay.” Gage nodded, smoothing a hand along his jaw, a contemplative look on his face. “You paid attention at the rehearsal last night? I don’t need to tell you what to do as best man, do I?”
“I think I can handle it,” I drawl, laying the sarcasm on thick. “What do I need to do? Hand over the ring? That’s about it.”
“You’re going to need to give a speech at the reception,” Gage points out.
Ah, shit. I’m not big on giving speeches, but I hold my own when I have to. “No problem.”
“Marina’s going to ask Bryn to be her maid of honor.”
“So we’ll be a matched set.”
“Yep.” Gage nods. “You cool with this, bro? We’re having to change it all up at the last minute, and it’s not like you two are second choice but . . .”
“We’re second choice,” I finish for him. “And I’m not offended. I’m sure Bryn won’t be either.”
My cell dings at that very moment punctuating my sentence, and I pull it out to see it’s a text from Bryn.
Maid of honor now. Are you the best man?
Smiling, I type her a response.
You know it.
Nervous?
Not with you by my side, I answer.
And that’s the truth.
Chapter Two
* * *
Bryn
I’VE SEEN MATT in jeans and a T-shirt, a suit, shirtless in a pair of sweats, and I’ve seen him naked. A lot.
But I have never seen him in a tux before, and oh my God, he’s gorgeous. He only wore a suit to Ivy and Archer’s wedding, so I didn’t get to see him in his full tux glory. And he is just flat out glorious.
My heart is tripping over itself as I make my way toward him. I struggle to keep the giddy smile off my face, but it’s no use. I’m full-on grinning by the time we reach each other.
“You’re beautiful,” he says before I can even get a word out. His eyes practically smolder as he drinks me in.
My cheeks heat up. It’s so ridiculous, but I’m still not used to Matt’s praise; that a man like him would be interested in a woman like me. Silly but true.
“You look amazing.” I barely get the words out before Matt’s dipping his head, his mouth brushing against mine. We’re in a small building on the property that Matt’s assigned as wedding headquarters for the day. This is the first wedding we’ve held at the winery, and I told Matt if it’s a huge success, we should consider putting together some advertising and marketing plans so we can rent the winery out to the public for events. Aside from this wedding and happenings for the winery, so far, we’ve only put together small parties for people we know.
He said he wasn’t sure he’s ready to go big, but I’m excited at the thought. I could become a wedding planner. I love putting together events, and I’m always doing that sort of thing for the Matt’s winery business anyway, trying to draw attention to the DeLuca Vineyard.