“Make sure she gets a picture of us, okay?” Josh said. “Just us.”
“On the porch would be nice,” Liz added quietly. “Like the picture Mom took.”
Ryan knew even Josh, who was only five when their mom died, remembered that day. Their mother had dressed them all up and, even with the promise of going into town for ice cream and threats from Rosie, it had taken forever to get all of them smiling at the same time.
“I’ll make sure it happens,” Mitch said. “Let’s go before we run out of tissues.”
Ryan led the way to the great room, where they were having the ceremony before moving outside for the reception. And, because he was in front, when he caught sight of Lauren and stopped dead in his tracks, the groom plowed into his back.
She looked incredible. Her hair was soft and loose around her face, and she had on a dress that was a silvery pale blue and had a soft, draped look while still clinging to her curves. She looked damn good in her everyday clothes, but in that dress...holy shit.
“Why’d you stop?” Mitch asked. “You can’t have cold feet. It’s my wedding.”
Ryan started walking again and all heads turned toward them. Including Lauren’s. Through the corner of his eye, he saw her walk to her seat, with Hailey Genest beside her.
Then Mitch elbowed him and he had to pay attention. Once the groom was deposited in front of the fireplace, Ryan and Sean went back to the staircase for Aunt Mary and Rose, whom they escorted to the row of seats in the front. Once that was done, he took his own seat between Uncle Leo—who, being a smart man, had a whole package of tissues at the ready—and Sean.
Everybody hushed when Steph’s iPod began playing the wedding march and Paige appeared.
Her dress was simple and elegant. It was white satin, with a square neckline and a slightly flared skirt that ended about mid-shin. Her hair was up and she was wearing his mother’s pearl earrings. She looked beautiful.
Mitch and Paige had chosen not to have attendants and instead stood, just the two of them, in front of the notary who was officiating. Ryan could hardly hear their vows over the sniffling around him, but he could see the love and joy on their faces and he found himself hoping that someday a woman would look at him that way.
Cindy, his ex-wife, hadn’t. At the time they’d both thought they felt the real thing, but it had only taken them a few years to amicably and mutually come to the realization it wasn’t. Now though, looking at the real thing, he could see the difference.
They all erupted in cheers when Mitch kissed his bride, and they rose to their feet when the newlyweds walked back down the makeshift aisle and turned toward the kitchen. They were followed by the notary and by Rose and Aunt Mary, who’d be signing the paperwork as their two witnesses.
“Everybody head outside,” his cousin Terry yelled over the noise.
Ryan was only too happy to oblige. It was a beautiful day and, though the guest list was small, it had gotten hot inside very quickly.
Most of the guests were ignoring the monster canopy they’d put up, choosing instead to enjoy the autumn sun. There was food under the tent, though. Tables and tables of food, thanks to the women of Whitford. They loved a potluck dinner and had been more than willing to save Mitch and Paige the cost of a caterer.
Fran and Katie were pouring champagne into the glasses lined up on the table, but Ryan made a beeline for the cooler tucked under the end and grabbed a beer. He was only having one, since he’d volunteered to drive anybody home later who’d had too much to drink. Whitford didn’t have a taxi service, so that meant he’d probably also spend a good part of tomorrow reuniting those people with their vehicles.
But watching Mitch dance with his wife in the yard they’d played in as kids, and surrounded by pretty much everybody they cared about it, it was worth it. He’d worry about shuttling guests and cars later. For now, he had a wedding to enjoy.
*
Lauren was having the time of her life. Some of it was probably the seemingly bottomless glass of champagne in her hand, but mostly it was being free of responsibility, being surrounded by friends, and the fact that every time she looked at Ryan Kowalski, he was looking at her.
And, again thanks to the champagne, she was looking at him more than she usually did. She couldn’t help herself. There were a lot of good-looking guys in the yard. God knew the Kowalski men had been blessed in that department. Drew Miller was no slouch, either, and there were some others who’d probably pass for hot with less competition. But it was Ryan her gaze kept landing on.
“Ask him to dance and be done with it.”
Lauren elbowed Hailey, who almost dropped her bowl of pasta salad. “Shut up.”
“So what if somebody hears me? Anybody who’s looked at you more than three times has seen you watching him.”
“I’m not asking him to dance. I don’t dance.”