Prologue
“I, KELLYMarie Ng, take you, Caley….”
Nate Overton had been to plenty of weddings in his time. He’d even stood up in a lot of them—playing professional hockey led to the kind of intense friendship that lent itself to groomsman duties.
But this was the first time he’d held a bouquet as he stood up for a bride.
Just a few feet away, Kelly slid the ring onto Caley’s finger and wiped away a tear, her smile so bright it almost hurt to look at.
The two of them were embracing even before the officiant finished pronouncing, “You may kiss your bride.
“Please rise for the newlyweds!”
Nate let out a quiet breath that he hoped went unnoticed, and applauded with everyone else when Caley retrieved her bouquet. Then it was just the private witnessing of the certificate to get through and he could have a drink and relax.
Kelly insisted she talked enough at work, so there weren’t any speeches. Nate couldn’t say he minded, since he was in the same boat. Besides, it was nice to enjoy the meal without an hour of other people failing to prove they could’ve had a career in stand-up.
Instead, he got to ride herd on his co-bridesman, who was currently peeking up at him from under the tablecloth.
Nate bent down to speak to him in a stage whisper. “You know, there’s no green beans under the table. But there isn’t any cake either.”
Carter Ng stared back at him thoughtfully. At three and a half, he was painfully shy and just getting to that age where vegetables were the enemy.
Nate had been the favored team babysitter for the thirteen years he’d played in the NHL, and he wasn’t above bribery to keep the kid on the correct side of the table, at least until the photographers had pictures of him dancing with his mom and stepmom. Then he could get as dusty as he liked. “If you come up here and eat two more bites of vegetables, I’ll eat the rest and tell your mom you did. And then you can have cake.”
Carter considered this wordlessly for a moment before climbing back into the chair between Nate and Kelly, who threw him an amused but grateful look and then returned her attention to Caley’s great-aunt something-or-other, whose pontificating Nate had tuned out.
“So much for no speeches,” he said sotto voce to Kelly when the woman finally—blessedly—left.
On Kelly’s other side, Caley smothered a snort in her hand. He was pretty sure Kelly would’ve smacked him good-naturedly, but Carter was in the way.
“At least we’re the only ones who had to hear it,” she said, and then the emcee was calling them up for their first dance as a couple.
Nate surprised himself by making it through all of the ceremony, dinner, and the official dances—including a very short one where he swayed around the floor with a toddler giggling in his arms—without a single traumatic flashback or bittersweet memory. But when he put Carter back down, it was like he’d set down his shield against reality. He looked around quickly to ensure no one would miss him and then let himself outside for some fresh air.
Immediately he found it easier to breathe, which was stupid. He didn’t have anxiety or asthma. He didn’t have a reason to struggle with witnessing the beautiful wedding of two of his very dear friends.
Unless you counted what he had to do tomorrow.
The door behind him squeaked open, and he sighed. Caught.
“Hey,” Caley said, coming to sit next to him on the bench outside the door, heedless of her pretty white dress. “I thought I might find you here. It’s all too much, isn’t it?”
Nate tried to frown at her. “You’re missing your party. You should be celebrating.”
“I will.” She nudged closer until their shoulders bumped. “When I’m done checking on you.”
There was nothing for it; she hadn’t been the captain of multiple gold-medal-winning Olympic women’s hockey teams for nothing. He sighed. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“Forgive me if I’m concerned about the well-being of my friend, who’s putting on a very good front of being happy for me despite the fact that he’s about to fly to Texas tomorrow to sign divorce papers.” She leaned her head against his. “The timing sucks, I know.”
“We’ve been separated almost three years,” Nate said. Part of him thought repeating that should make it suck less, but no dice. “It’s past time. Not your fault there’s a scheduling conflict. I could’ve asked to push it back.”
“You should’ve,” Caley said darkly. “Just been conveniently busy until the delay would’ve ruinedhiswedding plans. I’m just saying.”
Nate smiled, tilting his head back. “I’m not going to say I didn’t think about it.”
“Pretty presumptuous planning a wedding before you’ve even got the ink dry on your divorce, if you ask me.”
