Page 130 of Love By The Falls

I slide on my heels and smooth down my snug red satin dress, before walking down the steps, slowing down my breaths and resetting my head space. I’m the maid of honor. It’s my job to greet the guests and make sure the wedding goes smoothly.

Many of the guests are now seated in the backyard on the white chairs placed in rows. The minister is outside, too, standing beneath the flower arch.

I find Caleb near the kitchen. He’s talking to a man just as tall as he is, but his complexion is darker and his hair is curlier up top. His side profile is striking, with a chiseled jaw and a diamond stud in his ear.

Well, hello there.

I saunter up to them, ensuring my heels click against the white porcelain tiles. As expected, they both turn in my direction. The stranger smiles, his grin widening slowly as I smile back at him.

“How’s Charlotte?” asks Caleb.

“Don’t worry, she’s not getting cold feet,” I say.

He exhales, like he has anything to worry about. Charlotte is just as much in love with him as he is with her. I tilt my head in his friend’s direction and raise my eyebrows.

“Oh, uh, Sage, this is Teoscar Guerrero. Teoscar, this is Charlotte’s good friend, and Maid of Honor, Sage Summers.”

I blink, completely stunned that I hadn’t recognized him.TheTeoscar Guerrero. Wow. “Hi,” I say, completely star-struck now. He looks so different without his baseball cap and sunglasses, but I should have recognized those butt cheeks.

My gaze travels down, but I quickly shoot it back up to his eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he smiles, and his white teeth are straight and perfect.

“I didn’t know Teoscar is your friend or I would have hounded you sooner,” I say to Caleb without taking my eyes off of the baseball star.

“He didn’t know I was coming. It’s a surprise.”

“Oh, really?”

Caleb’s eyes light up and he shakes his head. “I thought I blew it when I turned your agent down to meet at my office.”

“I heard Charlotte was rushed to the hospital. I would have not respected you if you met me instead of running to her side.”

“Well, I appreciate that. And I can’t tell you how excited I am that you’ll be joining the Lions next season. I can feel it. This will be our year. I’m on a roll already.”

“Yes, you’ve been lucky enough to get the girl and the player. It was quite the coincidence we were both at the resort at the same time.”

“I’ve got to be honest, Teo. It wasn’t a coincidence that I was in St. Kitts. I came for you.”

He winks at Caleb and smacks his arm. “I know. You may have come for me, but you stayed for her, and that says a lot about you and the type of man you are.”

“So, you’re a romantic?” I ask him, smirking at his smiling face.

He waggles his eyebrows. “Definitely.” His eyes roam from my gaze down to the top of my cleavage. I should be offended, but I’m not. I did the same to him earlier.

Jane comes down the stairs and ruins any other opportunity to continue flirting. “The bride is ready,” she says. “Everyone to their places.”

Teoscar extends his elbow toward me. “Can I walk you to your seat?”

“I’m walking down the aisle, but I can take you to your seat.”

I hold my bouquet with my left hand and wrap my right one around his biceps as we walk through the patio doors leading outside.

The sun peeks from behind the clouds and shines on the white carpet in the middle. Teoscar takes my hand and kisses the back of it before finding a chair near the back.

When everyone is seated and Caleb is standing at the altar, I turn around and give Jane the thumbs up. Whenshe nods back, I signal to the violinists to begin the wedding march.

I wait for the first chord, and then walk slowly down the white carpeted aisle, bouquet in hand.

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