Holding Strong
Page 146
“I’m ready.” She wiped her eyes on his shoulder, peeked up at Armie and his father, then nestled in tight again. “We should wait to get married until after Cannon and Yvette.”
That made him pause. “Why?”
“We don’t want to steal their thunder, and now that I have you, I don’t mind waiting just a little bit. Maybe after your fight?”
Hell, he’d forgotten he had a fight right after Cannon’s wedding. “Yeah, not a bad plan.”
She hugged him again. “If you don’t mind, I prefer a much smaller wedding.”
“As long as your idea of small includes the guys.”
“Of course it does.” Tentatively, she asked, “And your father and Pamela. Is that okay?”
He was slowly coming to terms with it, but he said only, “Whatever you want.”
“Oh, now a girl could do all kinds of things with a promise like that.”
Denver grinned with her. “It’s all good, as long as you know you’re mine.”
“I always have been.” With her nose red, her eyes glassy, she kissed him. “And I always will be.”
* * *
CANNON AND YVETTE’S wedding was a massive success, even though the best man had a very colorful black eye, and the maid of honor couldn’t stop smiling.
Denver stood at the cash bar with Stack and Armie, watching the ladies dance. They’d shed their shoes and their fancy hairdos were starting to droop.
Armie, looking very slick in his tux despite his badly bruised face, had already danced with nearly every woman there. Now that he had a fight date set with the SBC, he was even more popular—and was working harder than ever.
When the music stopped, Denver cocked a brow.
Armie nudged Stack. “Yvette is going to throw the bouquet, and hate to break it to you, but Vanity looks determined to catch it.”
Stack didn’t take his gaze off Vanity. He stared at her with such heated intensity that Denver had a hard time not laughing.
“Dude,” Armie said. “She’s going to go up in flames if you don’t cool it.”
“I’m in a good mood, Armie, and nothing you say is going to change that.”
Denver knew it was because today was the day he and Vanity had agreed to sleep together. He said nothing, of course, but few would miss the sparks between them.
Yvette, looking incredibly beautiful in her gown, sent the bouquet sailing—straight toward Vanity. At the last second, Vanity sidestepped, and it almost hit Cherry in the face.
Surprised, she managed to juggle it until it was secure in her arms. Denver grinned as she blew her blond curls out of her face.
Vanity peeked toward Stack, crooked her finger, and smiled.
“Later.” Stack took off so fast he almost tripped up an older couple.
“He’s got it bad,” Armie noted, “and I don’t think he realizes it.”
“He thinks it’s just sex.” Denver shrugged. “And who knows. Maybe it is.”
“Speaking of sexy women—”
“We weren’t.”
“Cherry is looking mighty happy.”
“Shut up,” Denver told him. ’Course, that didn’t stop Armie.
“When are you two tying the knot?”
Denver smiled. “Not sure yet.”
That got Armie’s attention. “But it’s on the table?”
Before he could answer, Cannon lifted Yvette up in his arms, turning a circle with her while everyone whistled and cheered and a few of the guys made bawdy comments.
Yvette waved, and together—as they were meant to be—they left the room. They could have taken a honeymoon, but neither of them were anxious to travel, so instead they’d just head home and begin their lives as a married couple.
Given Cannon’s popularity in the sport, there’d be plenty of opportunity to travel.
Now that they were gone, Denver decided he could share. He turned to see Armie sipping yet another drink. “We’re unofficially engaged.”
Choking and coughing, Armie set his drink aside. “You sly dog!” He held out his fist and Denver bumped it.
“So what about you?”
Armie stared across the room. “Got my sights set on that lush brunette over there.”
Not taking the bait, Denver shook his head. “You give yourself away by avoiding her. You know that, right?”
Rather than ask who he meant, Armie said, “No, I don’t.”
“Bullshit. You hit on every woman in sight, but refuse to even look at Merissa unless you think no one else is watching.”
That made him pause. “Why?”
“We don’t want to steal their thunder, and now that I have you, I don’t mind waiting just a little bit. Maybe after your fight?”
Hell, he’d forgotten he had a fight right after Cannon’s wedding. “Yeah, not a bad plan.”
She hugged him again. “If you don’t mind, I prefer a much smaller wedding.”
“As long as your idea of small includes the guys.”
“Of course it does.” Tentatively, she asked, “And your father and Pamela. Is that okay?”
He was slowly coming to terms with it, but he said only, “Whatever you want.”
“Oh, now a girl could do all kinds of things with a promise like that.”
Denver grinned with her. “It’s all good, as long as you know you’re mine.”
“I always have been.” With her nose red, her eyes glassy, she kissed him. “And I always will be.”
* * *
CANNON AND YVETTE’S wedding was a massive success, even though the best man had a very colorful black eye, and the maid of honor couldn’t stop smiling.
Denver stood at the cash bar with Stack and Armie, watching the ladies dance. They’d shed their shoes and their fancy hairdos were starting to droop.
Armie, looking very slick in his tux despite his badly bruised face, had already danced with nearly every woman there. Now that he had a fight date set with the SBC, he was even more popular—and was working harder than ever.
When the music stopped, Denver cocked a brow.
Armie nudged Stack. “Yvette is going to throw the bouquet, and hate to break it to you, but Vanity looks determined to catch it.”
Stack didn’t take his gaze off Vanity. He stared at her with such heated intensity that Denver had a hard time not laughing.
“Dude,” Armie said. “She’s going to go up in flames if you don’t cool it.”
“I’m in a good mood, Armie, and nothing you say is going to change that.”
Denver knew it was because today was the day he and Vanity had agreed to sleep together. He said nothing, of course, but few would miss the sparks between them.
Yvette, looking incredibly beautiful in her gown, sent the bouquet sailing—straight toward Vanity. At the last second, Vanity sidestepped, and it almost hit Cherry in the face.
Surprised, she managed to juggle it until it was secure in her arms. Denver grinned as she blew her blond curls out of her face.
Vanity peeked toward Stack, crooked her finger, and smiled.
“Later.” Stack took off so fast he almost tripped up an older couple.
“He’s got it bad,” Armie noted, “and I don’t think he realizes it.”
“He thinks it’s just sex.” Denver shrugged. “And who knows. Maybe it is.”
“Speaking of sexy women—”
“We weren’t.”
“Cherry is looking mighty happy.”
“Shut up,” Denver told him. ’Course, that didn’t stop Armie.
“When are you two tying the knot?”
Denver smiled. “Not sure yet.”
That got Armie’s attention. “But it’s on the table?”
Before he could answer, Cannon lifted Yvette up in his arms, turning a circle with her while everyone whistled and cheered and a few of the guys made bawdy comments.
Yvette waved, and together—as they were meant to be—they left the room. They could have taken a honeymoon, but neither of them were anxious to travel, so instead they’d just head home and begin their lives as a married couple.
Given Cannon’s popularity in the sport, there’d be plenty of opportunity to travel.
Now that they were gone, Denver decided he could share. He turned to see Armie sipping yet another drink. “We’re unofficially engaged.”
Choking and coughing, Armie set his drink aside. “You sly dog!” He held out his fist and Denver bumped it.
“So what about you?”
Armie stared across the room. “Got my sights set on that lush brunette over there.”
Not taking the bait, Denver shook his head. “You give yourself away by avoiding her. You know that, right?”
Rather than ask who he meant, Armie said, “No, I don’t.”
“Bullshit. You hit on every woman in sight, but refuse to even look at Merissa unless you think no one else is watching.”
