Homerun (Pro-U Book 4) (15 page)
Read Homerun (Pro-U Book 4) Online
Authors: Ali Parker
Jayce
The night before had been more fun than I'd expected. We had Lucas so drunk at one point that his big dumb ass was dancing on a table. The whole club was chanting his name, and I didn't even have the heart to tell him that I'd seen a few YouTube videos pop up on my feed of the event the next morning. He'd hear shit from the Capitals over it, no doubt.
"You look good." My father stopped in front of me as I stood in a small Sunday school room in the church. We'd spent the day making sure everything looked good and now it was time. With only an hour to the wedding, everyone was settled and in place.
"Thanks, Dad." I reached up to fix his tie. "You do too. Aubrey doing okay?"
"Yeah. She had a panic attack about twenty minutes ago, but Layla stepped in and calmed her down. It's a lot, you know. The idea of leaving school, moving away from family and getting married?" My father shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's weird to see you kids all grown up. Next thing we know, you'll be getting married."
"That's the plan." I smiled. "I'm gonna ask her at the end of the semester. I'm thinking maybe we'll go on a graduation trip with all of our friends and I can ask her there."
"I think that sounds great." My dad brushed down the front of my tux. "How has your anxiety been? Any better after you quit hockey?"
"It's getting better thanks to Layla. She's pretty good at bringing me back from the craziness of it." I took a step back and turned to look in the mirror. A man looked back at me, though I felt like a boy most days of the week. "I got a ninety-six on my last Chemistry test thanks to her."
"She's the right woman for you." He moved up behind me. "How is her father doing? I spoke with one of my old students who's teaching out at the high school. He said that Paul wasn't counseling this semester. I saw him and Layla's mom come in a few minutes ago. She looks exhausted. Everything okay?"
"It will be. They’re just going through a rough time right now. You know how that goes." I turned to face him. "All right. You ready for this?"
"Yeah. I'm going to go down and talk with your sister. I think you guys are supposed to line up at the front of the church."
"Where's Jacob and Lucas? Did you see them walking around?"
"Yeah. Jacob was greeting everyone and Lucas was talking to a couple that might be his grandparents." My dad walked to the door and smiled. "I love you. I'm proud of all you've done and all you will do. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, Dad. Thanks. I love you too." I waited until the door closed to let out a long breath. I needed to see Aubrey to make sure she was okay. She'd been beside me through every major moment in my life and now she was locked up in the 'girl's room' and I wasn't allowed in. I pulled out my phone and texted her to meet me in the nursery at the back of the church.
We only had ten minutes until the wedding started, but I needed to see her.
She texted back with a wide-eyed emoji, and I knew I had her.
I walked out into the hall and made a sharp left turn, plucking a white rose from one of the arrangements and jogging back to the nursery. The place was empty when I walked in, but seconds later, she opened the door behind me.
"We only have eight minutes. What's the matter? What's wrong?" She stopped talking when I turned and handed her the rose.
"I just wanted to see you." I smiled and moved to pull her into my arms. "You're my best friend. You know that, right?"
"I know." She sniffled and pressed her cheek to my shoulder. "Thank you for being my rock all these years."
"Now it's Lucas’s turn. I didn't want you dating a hockey player, but I guess he turned out all right." I moved back and wiped the tear off her cheek that started to fall. "Dad said you had a panic attack a few minutes ago."
"Yeah. It's just a lot to handle." She glanced down, causing her long brown hair to cascade over her shoulder.
"Well, just remember that you're not ever going to handle it alone. No matter what, you got me." I pressed softly under her chin and smiled. "I love you. Get out there and show us how it's done, okay?"
"Okay." She leaned forward and kissed my cheek before turning to walk toward the door. She paused and glanced back. "Jayce..."
"Yeah?"
"What were you guys laughing so much about last night up at the front of the church?"
"Oh, nothing really." I lifted my hands in surrender.
She put her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. "I'll tell Layla that you used to watch her sleep when we were kids."
"The wedding planner looked like the kind of woman that ate balls for breakfast. We just had a little bit of fun with it."
"All right. Good." She walked toward the door and pushed it open. The giggle I heard from her caused my lips to lift in a big smile. "Ball. Eater."
Figured. She already knew.
*
"God, I'm nervous. I've played in front of a hundred thousand people and been put to the test a million times on the ice, and I feel like I'm going to throw up right now." Lucas glanced down at me as we stood at the front of the church.
The place was packed, and all eyes were on us. Even cocky-ass Jacob Wright looked ill.
"It's all good, man. Today is just about you and Aubrey, nothing else." I wrapped my arm around his shoulders as the music started to play.
"I just want to be enough for her, you know." He took a shaky breath and stiffened as Emily turned the corner and walked down the aisle toward us.
"You just need to be the man she fell in love with, Lucas. Nobody but yourself, all right?"
He nodded, but didn't seem to relax at all. He'd be fine once my sister turned the corner in her big white dress. We all would.
"I'm so fucking lucky right now," Jacob whispered softly before stepping down to meet Emily. She looked incredible, like an angel in a dark blue dress. The smile that spread across her face as Jacob walked toward her was pure and authentic. She loved him like Layla loved me, like Aubrey loved Lucas. We were all stupid sorts of lucky.
They walked to the front of the church and Jacob leaned down and kissed the tip of Emily's nose, causing her to beam.
"Jackass," I whispered softly as he took his place beside me.
"Early bird gets the worm," he whispered back and wagged his eyebrows at me.
There was no way I was following him by kissing Layla on the nose. It would look like a silly copycat move. I let my thoughts go as I glanced up to see her walking slowly down the center aisle. A million thoughts raced through my mind as she kept her eyes locked on me.
A million thoughts, and yet I always returned to the same two images.
Her walking down the aisle in a white wedding gown with tears in her big blue eyes. I'd be waiting up front for her next to Lucas and Jacob, just like I was today.
The other was her laid up in a hospital bed, looking exhausted, her hair sweaty and disheveled. The little pink bundle she held in her arms was my baby girl, and she looked just like her mother.
Lucas touched my back, bringing me from my daydream. "Go, dude."
I nodded and walked down the aisle toward her as my heart hammered in my chest.
"Hi beautiful," I whispered softly as I reached her.
"Hi baby." She slipped her arm into mine and turned as we walked back down the aisle.
We paused at the front and I leaned over, kissing her lips softly before releasing her. I walked up to take my spot next to Jacob and realized my legs were shaking.
"Show off," Jacob whispered softly and smiled over at me.
The music changed and everyone stood up as my sister moved into place at the back of the church. Lucas took a sharp inhale and shook his head. "I don't deserve her, man."
"No, you don't, but we don't deserve our women either. Just be grateful." I patted his back softly as my sister walked down the aisle with my father.
She looked incredible in her dress with her hair done and makeup fixed up by some expensive chick Mom hired, but the best part... the way she watched Lucas. I had no doubt that they would love each other for the rest of their lives. They'd give me nieces and nephews, which would suffice just fine until Layla and I had our kids.
Lucas moved toward my sister as her and my father reached the front, accepting his place beside her and turning to face us. We shifted to face the preacher and I glanced over at my girl and smiled.
She'd always been my girl and we both knew it.
'Mine,' I mouthed at her.
'Forever,' she mouthed back.
This will be Claire and Dillon’s book!!
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Lizzy and Hunter have grown up together, but the decision to share an apartment their freshman year of college unlocks feelings they’ve always had, but never explored. Come enjoy this ‘coming of age’ novella. You don’t wanna miss out.
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Ali Parker is a full-time contemporary romance writer who is looking to flood the market this year with lots of great, quick reads. She loves coffee, watching a great movie and hanging out with her hubs. By hanging out, she means making out. Hanging out is for those little creepy elves at Christmas. No tight green stockings for her.
