AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He released my hands, gesturing for me to sit, and moved on to greet other guests as I turned his words over in my head. I’d always thought he was the reason Sly was so singularly focused on hockey. That it was the thing his dad cared about most—sports. Did we both have it wrong?
I sat, focusing on the little program in my hands, and looking up now and then to smile at those joining me in the pews surrounding where I sat.
After a bit, the music stopped and shifted, and I looked up toward the altar.
Sly stood there, his dark gaze trained on me, and a full-body shiver passed through me.
He looked so handsome. And, I realized as my gaze met his, he looked determined.
CHAPTER24
SLY
BEAR WRESTLING AND WEDDINGS: THE PERFECT COMBO
She came.
Thanks to Zara and Beck, and my mom, she came. I knew Clara didn’t decide to attend my brother’s wedding to see me. In fact, Zara had reported back that seeing me was the number one reason why she probably wouldn’t attend.
But she came.
And seeing her there, the light from the stained glass reflecting down on her pale hair and glowing skin, made my heart stop a couple times as I stood at the front of the little chapel.
I’d wanted to call her. Of course I had.
I’d picked up the phone to text a thousand times. But how do you explain how wrong you were about everything on the phone? How do you apologize if you can’t see her eyes, if you can’t be sure that she really understands?
I could have gone to her, of course. But with hockey, and the efforts it took to get my MBA program back on track, I needed the time. I wanted everything to be set up before I made promises I couldn’t keep.
It had to wait. But now, she was here, and as far as I knew, everything was ready.
The string quartet was playing, but they’d shifted from classical to classical-sounding covers of popular songs. Zara’s parents walked down the aisle, their smiles wide and relaxed, as the strings played—of all things—Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us.”
Zara and Beck had decided exactly how things would go on their big day, and aside from the non-traditional music, they’d also planned the whole aisle-walking thing to be a bit different. Beck insisted that he wanted to walk down the aisle, saying it was silly that it was only women who usually got the experience. I pointed out that groomsmen usually did too, and I guess somehow that earned me a stationary spot up front with the other guys.
Whatever. Beck and Zara could do their wedding just the way they wanted. Mine would be my way. Or actually, I didn’t care at all. As long as the woman walking down the aisle to me was a certain blue-eyed blonde who’d I’d loved since I was seventeen years old.
The bridesmaids were next, Zara’s sorority and work friends, I assumed. I hadn’t met most of them, since my brother and his fiancée hadn’t felt a rehearsal was required, and I’d been mostly absent these last few weeks while I got my shit straightened out.
The music shifted, switching to what I was pretty sure was “Earned It” by the Wknd, and there was Katie. I could feel my face stretch into a huge smile upon seeing her there, her hair curled and pulled partly up around her face, wearing a sparkly green dress, and holding a basket of flower petals. She flung them to each side as she walked, taking a moment to turn and make sure she was scattering some down the path behind her. She was focused and meticulous, taking her job so seriously—until she spotted me.
And then my heart nearly fell out of my chest when she made a funny little shriek, dumped out the rest of the petals, and practically sprinted to where I stood, flinging herself into my body so hard I had no choice but to catch her.
“Sylvesterrrrrrrr,” she wailed against my neck as I hugged her. Good thing my brother and Zara didn’t worry about everything being just right because I was pretty sure this part wasn’t scripted.
“Hey Katie,” I whispered to her. Her little arms were locked around my neck and she was squeezing so tightly I was a little worried she might successfully cut off my air flow.
“You left,” she said, in a voice so sad and dejected that any part of me that had been certain I’d done the right thing bowed his head and left.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.”
The quartet seemed to be waiting for this little interlude to end so that Zara could make her way down the aisle.
“Hey,” I said softly. “If I put you down so Zara can go ahead and finish up her wedding, I promise we’ll hang out later at the party, okay?”
