Page 34 of Now or Never

“And why are you all covered in mud?”

“Truck tires,” Chelsea said, looking down at her mud-caked shoes and not owning up to her end of the eye-fucking. Best to pretend it never happened.

Ethan cleared his throat. “We have good news.”

Adam zeroed in on Ethan. “Wha—”

His voice was drowned out by Chelsea’s squeal.

“Oh my God,” she yelled, jumping up and down a little. “Is that an engagement ring?”

“Yes, it is,” Natalie said, dropping her scowl and replacing it with a beaming smile.

Finally, Adam’s brain was getting some blood again. “Wow, you convinced her!” he said, pulling Ethan into a hug. “Congratulations.”

Ethan laughed. “Thanks. We wanted to tell you both first. It’s lucky you were both here . . . together.”

Ethan slid him a look that Adam read immediately, but he answered with a shake of his head.

“Yes,” Natalie said, giving him a distrusting look. “We wanted to tell you both because we’ve decided to elope, and we want you both to be our witnesses.”

Adam’s eyes bulged from his skull. “Elope?”

Natalie nodded. “Yeah, in a couple of weeks. When I get back from tour.” She glanced over at Ethan with love in her eyes. “We’re going to go to Niagara Falls.”

Adam took a step back. Then another. They couldn’telope. He knew it was asshole-ish to tell someone what to do on their wedding day, but eloping was going too far. Connor had already eloped, telling no one, and that was bad enough. He wouldn’t stand for another friend getting married without a proper celebration.

Especially not his best friend.

“You can’t do this,” he said, unable to stop himself. “You can’t elope.”

“Told you he’d take the news badly,” Ethan said under his breath.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Chelsea asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

He ignored her scrutiny. “They can’t elope. I’m supposed to be best man.”

“You are best man. I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re asking of you,” Chelsea said with an eyebrow up, as if she was looking at the most ridiculous person alive.

Ethan and Natalie nodded.

“But I wrote a speech to say at his wedding when I was thirteen.”

“Oh God,” Ethan said with a wince.

“And Niagara Falls? No.” His head was now shaking back and forth involuntarily.

Natalie tapped her foot impatiently. “I don’t care about flowers and cake and all that shit. And I don’t really have anyone to invite, anyway. I just want to be married to Ethan.”

Chelsea turned to her, tilted her head to the side, and brought her hand to her heart.

He rolled his eyes.

“I’d be honoured to be your witness,” she said.

“Thank you, Chelsea,” Ethan said, then turned to Adam. “And you?”

He was about to scream when a brilliant thought popped into his head. “Give me a month, and I’ll plan a wedding for you.”

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