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A girl in jeans and a singlet was waiting to meet them.
“Hey,” she said, holding two sets of keys out for Tristan, who was in the front passenger seat. “You guys are in the last two cabins. Turn right and follow the road. You can’t miss them. This whole thing starts in…” She squinted at her watch. “Two hours, but Mum says you have to be at the chapel half an hour beforehand if you’re in the wedding party.”
Tristan vaguely remembered meeting her at least once before. Liam’s younger sister, Riley. She had red hair and a cheeky grin. He took the keys. “You guys have a chapel now?”
Riley shrugged. “Well, it’s an old packing shed, but the tourists go apeshit for it.” She smacked the top of the car. “See you there.”
They bumped down the gravel road that led through the trees, past a pond filled with ducks, to a series of cute little cabins set out like a tiny bushland village.
“Oh, wow,” Harry said, leaning forward between the front seats. “This is amazing!”
They piled out of the car, and Tristan took the opportunity to stretch while Jack and Leo began to unload their suitcases and suit bags from the boot. He drew in a deep lungful of fresh air and luxuriated for a moment in the sensation of sunlight on his face. He loved his surgical rotation at the hospital, and he was learning so much, but sometimes it felt like the whole world tasted like cold air and antiseptic. It was good to get away from it for the weekend. And a cute cottage thrown in as well? As soon as this whole ceremony thing was done, he was going to spend the rest of the weekend repaying Leo for last night’s blow job.
The old Tristan wouldn’t recognise the new one. Early mornings, long hours and too exhausted to go more than one round with a hot guy? Impossible! But the new Tristan loved his life, even the parts where he was dog tired, because he was sharing it with Leo. He didn’t miss clubbing, staying up until dawn or finding some new hot guy every time he wanted to get laid. Because he had Leo, and Leo was everything he wanted. He was everything he needed.
Life was better than good. Life was fucking perfect.
A little under two hours later, the four of them made their way to the chapel. Harry and Tristan wore matching suits. Tristan had side-eyed the pale green ties and waistcoats, thinking the colour looked strange and washed out, but, when Mrs. Connelly met them at the door with their wattle and eucalyptus boutonnieres, he got it. They matched perfectly.
“See you after,” Leo said, and kissed him on the cheek. Then he and Jack went to find their seats.
The chapel, like Riley had said, was an old packing shed. The beams were rough and weather-worn, and one wall had been removed and replaced with glass picture windows that looked out over the trees and, in the middle distance, the rolling vineyards. It was beautiful.
Ambrose was pacing in a side room when Harry and Tristan found him. Harry immediately hugged him and took forever to let him go. They both looked suspiciously wet-eyed when Harry finally stepped back.
Tristan’s hug was briefer, but no less sincere. He patted Ambrose on the back before releasing him. “How are you doing? Nervous?”
“Shitting myself,” Ambrose said, and blew out a shaky breath. “But also, wow, how lucky am I?”
“How’s your mum?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, she’s good,” Ambrose said. “She’s sitting with Liam’s grandad. He’s a fan, so, you know. That keeps her good, talking about the old days and stuff.”
Tristan leaned out the door to check on things. The rest of the guests were arriving, and the chapel was filling up fast.
Riley ducked between two groups of people, her pale green dress hiked up to show off a pair of cherry red Doc Martens. “Hey. Liam’s ready. Dad says the music’s going to start soon, so, you know, get your arses out here.” She grinned at Ambrose. “Nervous much? The last time you looked this pale, you and Grandad had been on the port again.”
“I’m going to drink him under the table one day,” Ambrose said.
Riley shrugged. “Better men than you have tried and failed.”
She darted away again.
“It’s free port,” Ambrose said, shaking his head. “Why the hell would I try and beat him for real?”
“And this is why you started Bad Boyfriend,” Harry said. “Because, at heart, you’re a con man.”
“Probably,” Ambrose said. “Liam says it’s because I’m an actor.”
Harry flushed. “Jack said it’s because I like helping people.”
They turned to look at Tristan.
“Oh,” he said. “I was bored, and it seemed like it’d be a cheap laugh. Now, are we gonna go out there and get Ambrose married or what?”
Outside, the music started.
“Yeah,” Ambrose said, showing them a wobbly smile. “Let’s go and get me married.”
