Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I smiled. “Good.”
“You’ll come to my room again tonight, right?”
“Maybe,” I teased.
Just then, Devlin approached and clapped a hand on Dash’s shoulder. “Ready, brother?”
“Ready.” He gave my hand a squeeze before letting it go and following Devlin to the front of the room, while I went to find Mabel and ask her where I should sit.
She leaned over to me now and whispered in my ear. “Apparently that’s the Elvis impersonator who married them last fall in Vegas.”
The guy took his place at the foot of the aisle, sporting the iconic white jumpsuit and some serious sideburns. Mabel and I were in the front row, with a seat open on her right for her dad. To my left was Xander, Kelly, and Julia; in the row behind us was Austin’s family.
It was an intimate wedding—less than thirty people, mostly family—but you could feel the love in the room. And as the string quartet played “It’s Now or Never,” which Lexi had mentioned was their Vegas wedding song, you could see the love in Devlin’s eyes as he faced the staircase and watched his wife descend.
I turned to watch as well, immediately choking up. Since Lexi’s parents had died when she was young, George Buckley was giving the bride away, and he looked just as proud to do the honor as if Lexi had been his own daughter.
Next to me, Mabel sniffed and took my hand. I squeezed it as my throat constricted even more, glad I’d remembered to put tissues in my purse. They passed us by, and I admired Lexi’s beautiful satin dress, the veil that had been her grandmother’s, and the gorgeous bouquet of white roses she carried. But it was her inner radiance that stole my breath and made my heart ache, the kind of light that only came from true happiness. I wasn’t a jealous person, but I found myself envying what Lexi and Devlin had found together. I wondered if I’d ever be so lucky.
When they reached Elvis, George kissed Lexi’s cheek, gave Devlin a hug, and took his place next to Mabel. She sniffed again. “I’m already a mess,” she whispered. “Who knew watching one of my brothers get married would be so hard?”
Leaning over, I plucked the package of tissues from my purse, handing it to her. “Here. But save me one.”
“Welcome,” said Elvis. “We are gathered here today to join two hearts in everlasting love—again.”
Everyone in the room laughed.
“I’ll marry this woman as many times as she’ll let me,” said Devlin.
Mabel grabbed my hand and squeezed it again. Dash caught my eye and smiled.
I smiled too, but the room was blurry.
“If I could have everyone’s attention for a moment, I’d like to say a few words.” Dashiel stood at his brother’s side, his drink in one hand, the other on Devlin’s shoulder.
The dining room at Skadi, the restaurant at Snowberry Lodge that had been closed to the public for the occasion, grew silent.
“This is a pretty small group, but for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Devlin’s brother Dashiel, and I have the honor of toasting the happy couple tonight.” He paused before going on. “I think I speak for everyone in the Buckley family when I say what a shock it was to hear the news that Devlin had gotten married,” he began, and many in the room laughed. “Of the five Buckley siblings, Devlin was the least likely to get hitched first. He’d never once expressed any interest in tying the knot, and while he was serious about many things growing up—his stellar grades, his insanely fast one-mile run time, his Verlander rookie card that I definitely did not take to school to impress friends without his knowledge—dating wasn’t one of them.”
“Good,” said Lexi with a satisfied smile as everyone around the table chuckled.
Dash waited for the laughter to fade, then went on. “A couple weeks ago, when I got into town, I even said to our brother Austin, ‘I can’t believe he got married so fast.’ And Austin said something like, ‘When you meet Lexi, you’ll get it.’” He looked down at his sister-in-law. “And he was right. I do.”
Lexi touched her heart and smiled up at him.
“Sometimes one moment changes everything,” he said, sending a little shiver up my spine. “You place the right bet. Take the right chance. Meet someone who makes you a better version of yourself. And if you’re smart, you realize that no matter what path you’re on or goals you’ve set or dreams you’re chasing, none of it matters as much as being with that person.” He looked at Devlin. “And my brother has always been the smartest guy I know. There’s no doubt in my mind their dreams are better together.”
Devlin tapped Dash’s hand on his shoulder.
“The Buckleys have always been close. We’ve been there for each other through good times and bad”—his voice caught slightly, and I sucked in my breath—“and we were raised to believe there is nothing more important than family. So now, please raise a glass and help me welcome Lexi to the bunch, even though the girls did not need another player on their Pictionary team.” He lifted his drink. “To Devlin and Lexi, the not-quite-newlyweds, may you enjoy a lifetime of health, happiness, and family game nights. Cheers!”