by Lacey Silks
Goosebumps swept over my body as I took in the ceremony. While our parents spoke their vows, I kept my gaze connected with Nick’s and twisted my own engagement ring, wondering how long it would be before it was the two of us pledging our love to each other in front of family and friends. At one point he winked at me, and I felt my heart palpitate. I blew a cool breath up to my face just as the priest pronounced our parents married and they kissed.
The church roared in applause and there were a few whistles from the firefighters. My heart was beating faster and faster, my breaths became shallow with excitement, and the noises around me grew more distant as my vision blurred. The next thing I knew, I was staring up into Nick’s eyes, watching his mouth move in slow motion. The world slowly faded back into focus, and a hum of whispers buzzed in my ears: Is she okay? What happened? Get her some water.
“We lost you there for a moment, Jo.” He let out a breath of relief.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Marge brushed my hair out of my eyes.
“What happened?” I looked around, but all I could see were feet. Lots of feet. Loud whispers echoed through the room as I realized that we were in church.
“Oh, my God! I ruined your wedding.”
“You didn’t ruin anything. We’re married, and that’s what counts.” My father passed me a bottle of water and I took a sip, slowly feeling it swoosh through my veins.
“You fainted, honey.” Marge was crouching beside me.
“Carter broke your fall. You’re lucky he was sitting on this side of the aisle.” Nick was looking above my head. I felt something soft move underneath me. As I shifted, so did the cushioned backing, and then something poked into my ass. I turned around to see Carter’s face. I was lying on top of him.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” I asked.
“You, hurt me?” He chuckled. “Good one, cupcake.”
“Thank you.” I rolled off him. Carter hurried to stand up and got out of the way.
“Doctor Burke is coming to look at you.” Nick helped me sit up.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t want to stop the celebration.”
“We’ll still party, but we want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I think I just got overwhelmed. And the heat, too. It’s pretty humid out today.”
“Have you eaten anything, Jo?”
Eaten? I remembered rushing this morning. I’d finished the last batch of cupcakes, added fresh pansies to the wedding cake, and then showered and did my hair. By the time I put on my dress, we were leaving.
“I think I skipped breakfast.”
Nick reached inside his pocket and pulled out a granola bar, tore the paper, and passed it to me. “Next time, I’m checking if you ate,” he warned.
“Yes, sir.” I winked and took a bite of the bar. It was one of the most delicious things I had ever tasted. “Dad, Marge, I’m so sorry.”
My father helped me to a chair. Nick wouldn’t leave my side. He never let go of my other arm and made sure I finished the granola bar to the last crumb.
“Nothing to be sorry about. It wouldn’t be a wedding without a little bit of mischief. How are you feeling?” my father asked.
“Better. I think we can get this party started.”
“Good, because I’m starving.” I saw Carter pat his stomach. If he was trying to cover up that he was worried, it wasn’t working. I had seen him peeking from behind Nick when I was still down on the floor.
Doctor Burke pushed through the crowd. He’d gone to his car to grab his black doctor bag, and now he set it down beside me. He wrapped the Velcro band around my arm to take my blood pressure and grabbed my wrist to take my pulse, took my temperature, and asked me whether anything was hurting from the fall.
“No, I’m pretty sure Carter cushioned me,” I said.
“Well, your pulse is still a little low.” He passed me a box of orange juice. “Drink this before you do anything else and check back with me at my office next week.”
“Yes, of course.”
Once I got cleared to enjoy the wedding, Nick secured me under the arm to his side, never letting go, and we made our way to where the festivities were being held by the lake.
There was no pageant of cars honking because like everything else in this town, the lake was a stone’s throw from the church. Despite the heat, everyone walked to celebrate the new union.
Tents had been set up over tables laden with home-cooked food the families had prepared. It was a full-out potluck galore, barbecue style, because who didn’t like hot dogs and burgers? Carter proudly stood by the grill, flipping the meats, calling out to kids to get their hot dogs.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Nick asked. “You still look a little pale.”
“Yes, I’m much better now. I think it was the stress of the day, and not having breakfast.”
“Do you want anything else to eat?”
“What I really want is for you to stop worrying so much.”
“That will never happen. Fruits. You didn’t eat any fruit today.”
“Nick, really. I’m okay.”
“You say that now and then you’ll faint later.” He looked up to see my father waving at him. “Looks like I gotta help move a table. I’ll grab you some water on the way back.”
He kissed me and hurried over to my father. I watched him jog. It looked almost like slow motion and was so sexy that I felt my breasts swell and nipples ache at the sight. I adjusted the top of my dress, wondering whether the fit on the girls was a bit too tight, when I heard a voice from behind me.
“Making sure your cupcakes don’t spill?” Carter asked.
I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment. “Just the man I was looking for. I’m sorry about what happened at the church.”
“You fell, and I caught you.”
“No, I mean, when I was on top of you and made you… uncomfortable.”
“Oh, that.”
Was Carter actually blushing? Well, that was a first. “I’m sorry, Carter.”
“I know you didn’t mean it. And I didn’t mean to get hard, either. It would have happened with any girl.”
“Well, that makes me feel special.” I let out an over-dramatic sigh.
“Would you rather I only got hard for you?” he asked.
“Eww, don’t even say that.”
“You asked for it.”
“Well, I’m sorry I asked. But seriously, thank you, Carter. You’re always there when I need you.”
“Don’t tell Nick or he’ll cuff me.”
“I have a feeling that would be an easy punishment, coming from Nick.”
“Yeah, you’re right. He’d make me dig my own grave.”
“Don’t say that. You guys are best friends — almost like brothers.”
“Yeah, we are.” His mouth curved in that sexy way to one side. I was pretty sure that I’d gotten used to it over the years, but it didn’t stop the sensation of dancing endorphins in my stomach. Hey, I was human, and not blind to the attraction that was Carter Clark.
Carter took a seat beside me and watched Nick set another table up. Or maybe it was just me watching? I was pretty sure that Carter was just staring out into the distance.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked.
“You’d be bankrupt,” he laughed. Carter wasn’t usually someone who overthought life. He mostly acted on instinct, like Nick did; but today, something about him was different. “Next thing you know, it will be the two of you walking down that aisle.” He gently nudged me in my side.
“Oh, I’m sure it will be some time before that happens.”
“If I were Nick, I’d knock you up before someone else stole you.”
“Like who?” I laughed.
“I don’t know. Me?”
“Carter, you’re like a brother to me.”
“Ouch.” He motioned with his fist into his heart.
“And I know you’d never do that to your best friend. Besides, what wo
uld Molly do? She’s had a crush on you ever since I can remember.”
He shook his head as if I’d just spoken the impossible. “Nah-ah. Molly is absolutely unattainable.”
“What are you talking about? Why?”
“You’re gonna think that I’m a jerk, but she deserves better than me. Because you know, she’s… pure.”
Pure?
“Don’t you think she’d be better off with someone like you who respects her, rather than a guy who just wants to pop her cherry?” I asked.
“I haven’t thought of it that way.”
“Well, you should.”
“She has school to finish. But fuck yeah, she’s gorgeous.”
“And I bet you one hundred bucks that she’ll come back home in three years, still untouched. You know, this shouldn’t be a tough sell.”
He laughed, then looked Molly’s way. “It’s not a tough sell, Jo.”
I leaned in closer to him and looked around, making sure that no one else could hear me. “You’re a pussy.”
His mouth opened wide. “Joelle Kagen, just when I thought there was nothing you could say that would shock me...”
“Please. I think you’re just afraid of rejection. I think you like her so much that you’re afraid you’ll blow it if you approach her with your usual manly flirting.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch and learn, Jo.”
He raised his chin higher and walked to where Molly was standing by the drink station, pouring punch into plastic cups for the kids. I watched them eagerly, wishing I could hear what they were saying. By now, Nick came back and sat on by side.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“Carter’s making a move on Molly.”
“Well, isn’t that interesting?”
“Why?”
“Because Carter sucks at making moves. His mouth gets away from him and he says the most inappropriate things.”
“Oh, come on. Have some faith.”
“Look, he’s about to strike out.” He pointed.
The frown on Molly’s face wasn’t easing. Whatever Carter had said to her must have been bad.
“Oh, no. I think you’re right.” I covered my mouth.
Molly took the pitcher of water she was holding in her hand and poured it right over Carter’s head. My heart broke for him. He was trying so hard and was a very nice guy. I wondered what he’d said to Molly to get her that upset.
“I feel bad for him.”
“Carter knows how to get back up on his feet. Don’t worry. He’ll get it right one day.”
“Yeah, but that was just sad.” I lowered my voice as he approached us at the table. His shirt was soaking, and so were his pants. He reached for the hem and pulled his shirt over his head, slapping the wet fabric on the table and sitting across from us. Carter was officially shirtless at my parent’s wedding.
“Well, that went just as I planned,” he mumbled.
“Only you could fuck up a good thing, brother.”
“Easy for you to say. You guys always knew you were meant to be, and didn’t even have to try.”
“Ha!” Nick laughed. “We didn’t always know, but we were friends first. Friends who cared about each other.”
“I do care about Molly.” He turned around to have another look at where Molly was filling up the cups. “I care about her long legs, that low-cut dress, and the pretty pink underwear she’s wearing.”
“Now how do you know they’re pink?” I asked.
“Guys are meant to know this stuff. It’s intuition.”
“So what’s going to happen now? What did you say to her to make her that angry?”
“I might have mentioned something about someone waiting to be deflowered by the right guy.”
“Oh, Carter!” I lowered my head to the table.
“I thought it was bad after it slipped out, but I got nervous, okay? I just can’t find a way to talk to her without screwing it up.”
“I think you’re just trying too hard. If there’s anything I know, it’s that Molly likes you. You’ll get it one day, and when she realizes that you’re the only one for her, she’ll make you as happy as Jo makes me.” Nick leaned in and kissed me on my shoulder.
“You know, I’m really going to miss you when you’re gone. I could use you as my wingman.”
“Hey, I could be your wingwoman,” I said.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? She’s going back to school in a month.”
“Which will give you some time to work on those gentleman skills. You can practice on me. Right, Nick?”
Nick paused for a moment before he connected his gaze with Carter’s. “Yeah, he can practice, as long as he doesn’t touch you.”
“Of course not. Carter’s a friend.”
“I was your friend once.”
I was flattered that Nick was so possessive and jealous, but he had no reason to be.
“Okay, given that I’m leaving soon, I think I owe you. Watch and learn.” Nick stood up and walked toward the table where Molly was standing.
“Looks like I’m not going to be the only one without a shirt soon,” Carter gloated, and moved around the table to sit beside me for a better view.
“Nick’s a gentleman. I’m sure he can handle himself,” I said with pride.
The two of them were having a conversation now. Molly was smiling and even laughing a little, and then she blushed before peeking our way; at Carter, more specifically. She curled a lock of hair around her finger and bit her lip, nodding, before the two of them came our way.
“No way,” Carter whispered.
“Told you,” I gloated.
“I’m sorry about the water. If you’d like, I have an extra shirt in my car.”
I nudged Carter with my elbow because he was sitting awestruck, with his mouth open.
“Uh, yeah, thanks. I’d like that.”
He got up and followed Molly to the parking area. I was almost as awestruck as Carter.
“What did you say to her?”
“I told her the truth. That he liked her, got nervous around her, and ended up saying the wrong things.”
“And that worked?”
“I took a chance. She could have said that it was too bad, but I think she likes him as well.”
“That’s good.” I got up from behind the table. Feeling a little lightheaded, I hugged Nick, using his body as support. I didn’t want him worried that I wasn’t eating enough. “You make me so proud.”
“Thanks, Jo. You make me proud as well. I’m glad Carter will have you when I’m gone. Someone needs to keep him in line, so he doesn’t get into trouble when Molly’s away at school.”
“I’ll try to put in a good word for him as well. She’d keep him in line.”
“All the single ladies, please come forward. It’s time to catch the bouquet!” Mrs. Gladstone yelled at the top of her lungs. She was used to calling out to her cows, and I chuckled when she used the same tone of voice when she called out “all the single ladies,” like they were her cows.
“Are you going?”
“I guess since we’re technically not married, I’m still single.” I kissed him on the cheek and hurried toward the group of girls.
Marge winked at me before turning around. The moment she did, I felt like a swarm of bees was buzzing around me, squeezing me into the center. Except they were girls, all single girls. From the corner of my eye I saw Molly standing at the side. I waved to her to come over, but she shook her head.
It was all over before I got a chance to lift my hands in the air. The bouquet was coming straight for me. I felt a push on my right, then on my left, also from the back, and as I concentrated so I wouldn’t fall or get stepped on, the flowers hit my head and were snatched by Katie, a girl from our school, one year younger than me.
Marge mouthed, “I’m sorry” toward me and blew me a kiss. I went back to Nick, pouting. I never realized just how much I’d wanted to catch those flowers.
“What’
s the matter?” Nick took me into his arms.
“I didn’t catch the bouquet.”
“You don’t believe in the superstition, do you? We make our own destiny, Jo. You and I, well, there’s no doubt in my mind that one day this will be us.” He pointed to our parents.
“I love you, Nicholas.”
“I love you too, Joelle.”
That last week Nick was home, my mood shifted from bad to worse. I stopped jogging, stayed in bed longer than usual, and dreaded the final goodbye. As much as I wanted our time together to last longer, it only seemed to speed up, and then Nick was gone.
Chapter 21
“Jo!” I heard Carter call me from outside, and I opened my eyes.
“Yo, Jo!” he called out again, in a loud whisper.
What in the world is he doing?
I put on a pair of sweats and a shirt and went out to meet him. My father and Marge were already at the bakery, and given that I’d been feeling under the weather, I had stayed in bed longer than usual. Still, this was way too early for Carter to be calling me outside my window.
I opened the front door and met him on the front porch. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Seven?”
“Quarter to.”
“I thought you bakers wake up early.”
“And I thought you were studying for the firehouse.”
“I’m off today, and I’m knee-deep in trouble.”
“What happened?”
He pointed to his left, where a familiar cow was standing by the roadside, chewing on the chrysanthemums I had planted by the driveway. It had been two weeks since Nick left, and I couldn’t get myself to smile, no matter how much my parents, Carter, and Molly tried, but something told me that today would be the day I broke through.
“Betsy escaped. She came to my house this morning, and now she won’t stop following me.”
“Carter, what does this have to do with me? Couldn’t you have brought her back to Mrs. Gladstone’s and tied her up, instead of walking her here?”