Breathe

He also let it go because Liza could be pushy and nosy but she also loved her sister and Faye had an idea of exactly what she wanted. Which was exactly what she was going to get, Liza was making sure of that.

Therefore, at that moment, in his backyard there was a floating deck with an arch sitting on the spot where Faye had been buried and tomorrow they’d stand on it and get married.

Faye’s idea, her way of getting rid of that memory.

It was a good way.

Also tomorrow, tables, chairs, tents, a dance floor, another floating deck that would hold DJ equipment and a shit load of flowers and bunting would be delivered.

Luckily, Silas Goodknight was a smart man who loved his daughters deeply. Therefore, he’d been saving for a good long time to give them the weddings they wanted. Not to mention, Chace’s Mom had horned in and demanded to pay for the cake, catering and booze. After a word from Faye, Silas had given in. So the hit Chace’s trust fund took to take care of Miah and Becky didn’t mean his girl wouldn’t have exactly what she wanted on her day and they’d have to worry about their kids’ educations.

She would have what she wanted.

Exactly.

Everything she wanted.

And their kids were covered.

Now, she was at her parents’ house and he and Deck had come back from Bubba’s where they spent a number of hours with the boys having drinks. Not a bachelor party. That shit was shit and he’d made it clear to Deck he didn’t need any of it and furthermore did not intend to be hungover when he made Faye his legally, in the eyes of God, standing in front of a reverend, surrounded by friends, family and God’s country. So it was just that at Bubba’s. Drinks with the boys.

“You aren’t gettin’ any younger, man,” Chace pointed out, his meaning not veiled.

“Not a lotta girls like Faye,” Deck muttered and, surprised, Chace looked at him.

“You want a girl like Faye?”

“Nope,” Deck replied, took a drag off his beer bottle and kept his eyes on the plain. When he dropped his hand, he went on, “And yep. What she’s got inside, that sweet, that strong, can’t be beat.” Deck looked at him and Chace saw the white flash of his smile. “Though, bigger tits, shorter skirts, tighter tops and high heels on more than just special occasions wouldn’t go unappreciated. Just as long as all that comes with class.”

Chace got him but he couldn’t miss it. Deck made an art of playing the field and it wasn’t regular, it was frequent. But Chace didn’t miss the fact that the few who had even a modicum of staying power were high maintenance and beyond ballsy. Deck, like Chace, enjoyed the simple life. But Deck, like Boyd Newman, liked the challenge of a woman who brought high-class and not a small amount of drama into his life. Unfortunately, he had yet to find one who could do her own thing and find a compromise so they could fit together in their way like Liza and Boyd had.

Or he had. But then he lost her.

“Think your hunting ground should be Denver, bud,” Chace murmured his advice, his eyes moving back to the plain.

“Then it’s good I’ve taken a job there,” Deck murmured back.

“Gone long?” Chace asked.

“Leave tomorrow and gone as long as it takes,” Deck answered.

“Try not to get arrested,” Chace muttered and Deck chuckled.

“Like anyone could catch me,” Deck muttered back.

This, fortunately, was true. This also, unfortunately, gave indication of the kind of “job” Deck had taken.

Chace let that go as he always did and moved onto more important matters.

“You know, the head’s up you gave Faye about Ma set her up to deal with that. You at my side when that shit went down with Faye and what you did with Dad –”

“Brother, we don’t discuss that shit.”

“We don’t. Also don’t care. In those instances, you gotta know you got my gratitude.”

“I already know it, Chace.”

“Well, give me somethin’, man, and accept it anyway.”

“You’ve had my back a lot of times,” Deck reminded him.

“Not one where someone you loved was buried alive.”

“This is true,” Deck muttered.

“So just give me this and accept my gratitude.”

Deck was silent.

Then he whispered, “Do anything for you, man.”

“I know,” Chace whispered back.

“You know why.”

“I do.”

“Losin’ her was the worst thing to happen to me.”

Chace pulled in breath. Deck didn’t bring her up. Ever. She wasn’t a ghost. She wasn’t a memory. As far as Deck was concerned, she didn’t exist.

Then, still whispering, he said, “I know.”

“Your ending was a f**kuva lot better than mine.”

“I know, Deck.”

“You kept me from flyin’ apart.”

Chace didn’t reply.

“Do anything for you,” Deck whispered.

“Then give me this,” Chace pushed. “Move past her. She’s gone. Quit dickin’ around. Find what I got, Deck. You know how it feels. Find it again.”

Deck was silent.

Then he muttered, “We’ll see what Denver brings.”

Chace knew that was as good as it was going to get so he let it alone.

Chace took a drag from his beer and Deck did the same.

They stared at the plain in silence.

Deck broke it. “Happy for you, brother.”

“Not as happy as me.”

“No,” Deck agreed. “And that’s precisely why I’m happy.”

Chace grinned at his beer bottle before he took another drag.

Then he sat with his best friend in silence, contemplating what the next day would bring and beyond that, the island adventure that his soon-to-be wife didn’t know she was getting for her honeymoon.

Which meant he sat beside his best friend in silence and he did it still grinning.

* * * * *

Faye

The next afternoon, Chace and Faye’s wedding reception

It was a moment alone.

A moment after dinner, my first dance with Chace, dancing to (of course) Ella Mae singing “Holding out for a Hero”. A moment after my dance with my Dad and Chace’s with Valerie. A moment after we cut the enormous, ornate but awesome cake, that moment not being one where we shoved it in each other’s faces but we did lick the frosting off each other’s fingers to hoots and catcalls we barely heard. After that moment Chace kissed me and he’d done it deeply. And after that moment he’d whispered, “Cake. Better than bubblemint.” Which made me all melty as well as slightly turned on.