“Hey, asshole.” Mason was rocked, or maybe it was the room that was rocking?
“Consider this your fucking wakeup call.” Preston laughed.
Mason groaned, turning on his stomach and pushing his face into the cool pillow. There had to be time for a few more hours of sleep. The groom had it good—just shower, shave, and show up, right?
“Just give me an hour or two,” Mason mumbled from the pillow.
“Nice of you to show up.” Mason heard Bo say as a heavy door closed behind him, echoing loudly in his head.
A hangover on his wedding day was so cliché. Bachelor parties should never be the night before, he thought. If it ever came his turn to throw one, he’d make damn sure it went down differently. The night wasn’t a bust. It was a lot of fun, but it would have been much better if he could sleep the day away. He faintly remembered Jocelyn telling him to get some beauty sleep.
“I’m here, aren’t I? I’m ready to do this. I’m not even late,” Preston bragged.
“Stop talking. Be a pal, let me sleep another hour then come wake me.”
“You want an hour?” Derrick asked with a sarcastic sympathetic tone that was alarming.
“What time is it?” Mason asked, turning over to check the beside clock. “Fuck!” he swore, sitting straight up. His head spun, and he laid back down.
They needed to be at the chapel in an hour for pictures, with the ceremony starting shortly after. It was Jocelyn’s idea for the groomsmen and family to have their pictures taken before the wedding with the rest of the photos being taking during and afterward.
“I already gave you an hour. Sorry, buddy.” Preston laughed. “I’m the best man, so I came prepared—ibuprofen, coffee, Gatorade, and some booze if you need a little hair of the dog. Or liquid courage if you’re getting cold feet?”
“I’m not getting cold feet. Just give me a second to get up.” Mason sat up again, rubbing his hands over his face.
“Oh, he for sure doesn’t have cold feet.” Bo laughed. “He’s going to marry the fuck out of Jocelyn.”
The guys had a round of laughs, but Mason was trying to place the words. He hadn’t blacked out, but the night was a little fuzzy.
“Did I see Jocelyn last night?”
“You sure as hell tried. I thought someone was going to call security,” Bo said. “I had to call Derrick for backup. It was a riot.”
“Last night as a free man and all you wanted to do was see that chick.” Derrick shrugged. “Doesn’t sound like cold feet. But I can tell you one thing…”
“Yeah,” Mason said, swinging his feet over the side of the bed, preparing himself mentally to stand.
“I don’t care how cool of a chick she is, if you’re late to your own wedding, she’s going to have more than your balls.”
A sizzle of adrenaline hit him at the thought of the wedding today. His head might feel like shit, but he was ready, he was excited, and he was not going to be late. He remembered now how badly he wanted to see Jocelyn last night, and how stupid he sounded, but it was all true. He was crazy about that woman. Now all he had to do was hope to hell that a hot shower and the hangover kit Preston brought worked.
* * * *
Taylin straightened Jocelyn as they stood in the waiting area as she prepared to walk down the aisle. The morning had gone off without a hitch, and the days of her worrying over every little thing were in the past. It’d been an exhausting existence. Not that she didn’t have times of panic or uncertainty, but this was not one of those times. She’d never felt more at peace with a decision. And the declarations from her inebriated fiancé last night had warmed her heart, he was just as desperate for her as she was for him. Equal. Jocelyn let out a warm sigh.
Thinking about last night, she hadn’t bothered to question Taylin about her night. She hadn’t even heard her come in, but when she woke up Taylin was in her bed.
“How’d your night go? Did you have fun with Janet?”
“Yeah, we had fun. She went back to her room maybe an hour later. But I like her a lot.” Taylin smiled before picking up the bouquet of flowers, handing Jocelyn hers.
“Is that when you came back to our room?”
“Uh. No,” Taylin answered hesitantly.
“Hey, Jocelyn,” a masculine voice called behind her.
Turning, she saw the best man walking their way. “Preston, you look so handsome.”
“Don’t I know it. You don’t look so bad yourself.” he countered.
“Classy,” Taylin said flatly, arms crossed over her chest.
“So,” Preston ignored the woman, “I was told I need to be back here? I thought I just had to stand up there with Mase and make sure he doesn’t run off.”
“Funny.” Taylin gave him a striking glare.
Yes, everything was going too good and here comes the bad. She wasn’t about to let Taylin and Preston get into, not now.
“Preston, give us a minute.” Jocelyn smiled. “Wait just here.” She pointed a couple of steps ahead of her by the double doors that opened to the chapel aisle.
“You didn’t finish telling me about your night,” Jocelyn said, trying to lighten the mood.
“It was pretty uneventful. I sat in the lounge hitting on bartenders, hoping to find my Mason,” she teased, bumping her hip against Jocelyn.
“You’re not even divorced.”
“Don’t mom me.” Taylin rolled her eyes. “I’m hungover and trying not to throw up. Forty is certainly not the new twenty.”
“Oh no. Is hips and lips not feeling well?” Preston feigned concern.
“Preston. Play nice,” Jocelyn scolded. “You two are walking down together here in just a minute. You go before me, and you would know this if you showed up for the rehearsal.”
Jocelyn rolled her eyes at Preston who shrugged off the comment. That was the extent of their relationship: Friendly enough for Mason’s sake.
“Just a little lipstick and you’re all set,” Taylin said, handing her the tube of makeup.
“Well?”
“What?” Taylin asked, slipping the lipstick in her clutch.
“Did you find him?”
“Not. Even. Close,” Taylin said flatly. “But that’s enough about me. Let’s get you married off. You keep Mason waiting much longer and he’s gonna come back here and drag you out caveman style.”
The girls laughed together, and Jocelyn knew Taylin was right. There was no more waiting. The light music started signaling for the procession to begin. This was it. Her mouth went dry, and her heart thundered in her chest, making her feel weak in the knees. Mason had promised to give her the world, and she was ready to give Mason the only thing she had to give: herself.
* * * *
Mason’s heart thumped in his chest, as he tried to control the nervous bounce in his stance as he watched the angel walk down the aisle toward him; standing tall and strong, giving herself to him completely. He cleared the emotion from his throat as a burning started in the back of his eyes. How he ever thought he could just be friends with this woman was beyond comprehension now. Everything they’d gone through to get to this moment had been worth it; and they weren’t naïve to the fact that it wasn’t always going to be a walk in the park. But easy was overrated, and he’d fight the world for her, he’d damn near fought his best friend.
His mind went blank at the first step of his bride coming down the aisle. The soft, cream-colored gown was long, a small flare at the hips, and a satin sheen. It hung off her shoulders, showing the fair, smooth skin, and wrapped around her breasts with a classy accentuation. The dress embodied everything that she was, classic, elegant, reserved, but the blue shoes that peeked out as she walked gave the touch of adventure.
The few minutes it took for her to walk down the short aisle was torture, He wanted to run down and gather his bride in his arms, but when she finally met him her hand grazed against his cheek soothing his burning intensity. Tucking a fallen curl behind her ear, he studied the glow on her face.
“Thank you for choosing me,” Mason said earnestly, his heart sinking to his stomach and his mouth dry.
“Mason.” Tears streamed down her delicate face.
“Baby.” He soothed his hands down her back, and he met her mouth as she pushed up on her toes.
He wanted to take in every taste of her puffy lips, their tongues tangled in passion, but at sound of the cough from his best man, he remembered where they were.
Pulling back, Mason placed a chaste kiss to her lips. “Do you think we should get married now?”
He felt Jocelyn’s body tense, before she pulled back, smiling up at him bashfully with heat in her cheeks. Quickly wiping the tears from her face, she looked out to the small gathering of friends and family. “Sorry. I got caught up in the moment.” She giggled, and the crowd shared an appreciative laugh.
“Yes.”
“Good, because I was never going to take no for an answer.”