Hot Finish (Fast Track #3)(59)
Author: Erin McCarthy

“Your foot. You’re tapping it. It’s distracting as hell.”

Ryder looked down at his feet. The right one was jiggling up and down. “Sorry.” He forced himself to stop.

Jonas said to his right, “Everything is changing, but nothing will be different.”

“What?” Ryder looked at him. Jonas looked nervous, his arms continually moving like his jacket was too tight, a sheen of sweat on his upper lip. The normal, black tux had been the right move. Jonas almost looked dapper, aside from the flapping arms and darting eyes.

“My vows. I’m practicing them. Everything is changing, but nothing will be different. I will love you today and tomorrow and always, no matter what obstacles come our way or what happens in our lives. Our life. Today starts our future, where two become one.”

Wow. Ryder was stunned, and hell, a little touched. He should have said that to Suzanne. He should have done that. Pledged his love, promised his steadfastness, and guaranteed that no matter what, he would be there for her. When things got tough, he should have forced her to open up to him and he should have tried to change, be a better husband. At the end of the day, it was love that mattered.

Just love.

“Does that sound stupid?” Jonas asked him. “I feel stupid. I look stupid. I sound stupid. God, why is she even marrying me?”

“No, man, it’s not stupid at all. It sounds great. And she’s marrying you because she loves you.” He clapped Jonas on the back. “Congratulations, by the way. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Jonas gave one final tug on his tie. “Oh, shit, it’s starting.”

Ryder turned and watched the parade of seven hundred bridesmaids coming down the aisle one after the other like Barbie clones in ice-blue bandages. Glancing down the very long row of groomsmen lined up to his left, he thought the guys all looked like uncomfortable penguins waiting to take a dive. Suzanne had disappeared, which left him nothing to look at, so Ryder concentrated on just standing still and not thumping his foot until this was all over.

About an hour later, all the women were finally down the aisle and had been escorted to their seats by the groomsmen. Ryder could never figure out why every wedding seemed to do this process a little differently, he just knew he wasn’t digging that he had to stay standing the whole time per Suzanne’s instructions. The maid of honor had taken up position across from him, and the minister, or whoever he was, was standing serenely with his book in his hand, looking like he might drop off into a nap at any given second. His eyes drifted open and closed and he rocked a little on his feet.

Then Jonas made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and Ryder glanced over at him. The big guy had tears in his eyes and Ryder felt touched and awkward at the same time. No man wanted to see his buddy crying, even if it was at his own wedding. Nikki had appeared, and started to move down the aisle, a thin, beautiful girl, noodle arms and upper chest tanned to perfection in her strapless gown, the waist ballooning into the biggest skirt thing Ryder had ever seen in his life. Children could be living under that dress and no one would know.

“She’s so f**king beautiful,” Jonas choked out, wiping his tears and trying to pretend like he wasn’t.

“You’re a lucky man,” Ryder said, because he didn’t know what else to say. The only woman he thought was f**king beautiful was Suzanne, and this was all hitting a little too close to home. He was thinking about the night they’d met, about the instant chemistry they had shared. About the night she’d told him she was pregnant, and the night he’d suggested they run off and get married. But mostly he was thinking about all the ways he could have done better by her.

Then and now.

He should have called her again. He had texted her an apology for calling so late the night of the bachelor party and she’d just replied it was fine. He’d been too much of a wimp to call her again, and he was kicking himself. Jonas was right. When you loved someone, you loved them forever, no matter what, and he was going to do whatever he had to in the hope of convincing Suzanne they belonged together.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ASKING Suzanne to dance to “Big Butts” at the reception was clearly not the best strategy to meet that goal, but Ryder was running out of options. Suzanne had been dodging him for hours. She’d ducked out of reach every time he’d approached her and had actually shoved a cracker in his mouth at one point when he’d tried to talk to her.

He was getting desperate.

So when Nikki, who had clearly been hitting the skinny bitches, grabbed the mic from the DJ and said everyone in the wedding party had to dance to her favorite party song, including the wedding planner, he had seized the moment.

“Suzanne, you heard what Nikki said.” Ryder caught her arm as Suzanne tried to slink off behind the chocolate fountain. “Everyone out there.”

“Come on, girls! Show off your booties!” Nikki turned around and shook her nonexistent ass while a cheer went up from the crowd.

“Do you think I should cut her off?” Suzanne asked, shooting a worried glance at her bridal charge.

“Are you kidding? Nikki’s been smiling all day long. She’s clearly enjoying herself. Which is what you should be doing, too.” Ryder tugged her hand again. “Come on, dance with me.”

“You’re a nutjob,” she said, but she let him drag her onto the dance floor.

To his total amazement, after a few seconds, she relaxed and started to break it down.

“Hot mama, look at you, girl,” he told her, enjoying seeing her loosening it.

That earned him a smack on the arm. “At least I can dance. You look like a chicken running from the ax.”

“Watch out, or I’ll do you like Jonas is doing Nikki.” Ryder tipped his head in the bride and groom’s direction, where Jonas was pretending to spank Nikki’s butt.

Suzanne let out a crack of laughter. “Lordy be. Now that’s funny. Let’s hope that makes it on the video.”

“Better than the hokey pokey, that’s for damn sure.” It was also a good sign that Suzanne was bantering with him. After she’d kicked him out of her house, he wasn’t sure they’d be on speaking terms for weeks. Months. Years.

Which would make it a little difficult to raise a child together.

“Oh, my God, I need to go stop her,” Suzanne said, panic mingling with amusement in her voice.

“Why?” Ryder turned to look at the bride. “Holy . . .”