Page 61 of The Chances We Take

We reached the end of the aisle and went our separate ways, but I still snuck quick glances over at Reid every so often throughout the run through of the ceremony. I wasn’t sure if I was hoping I’d catch him looking back at me or not.

Silverware clattered against plates and glasses clinked together at the rehearsal dinner that night as Colter’s nieces and nephew ran around playing.

Clay had two kids; one wasn’t much older than Caitlin’s daughter, but the other was at least five.

Laughter filled the air as anecdotes of Ellison and Colter’s childhoods were shared as well as individual stories.

“Colter was a wild child. He may not seem like it now, but he was a terror.” His mom reminisced, to Colter’s embarrassment.

“So was Ellison.” Hanna laughed. “She took after her dad, that’s for sure.”

“Mom!” Both Ellison and Colter protested.

“Oh, don’t worry, Ells. I won’t tell them about the time you ran out the front door of the house naked when you were three. Scared the living daylights out of some of the ranch hands.”

Ellison’s face turned beet red as she leaned forward, burying her head in her hands.

“I could tell them all of the stories of us in college,” I teased. Granted, most of our crazy stories were a result of me dragging Ellison out to a house party somewhere. And after thinking about it, most of those nights ended in us leaving early either because Ellison punched drunk boys who were getting a bit too handsy or she was about to and I had to intervene.

There was one night, though, that she got a little bittoo drunk and hit her head on a chandelier as she was climbing onto a table.

Yeah, now that I was thinking about it, it was probably not the best idea to tell stories about our college days. Hanna’s stories were a lot more wholesome.

Ellison shot me a glare, one she wouldn’t have given to her mom. “I think that’s enough stories for one night.” She coughed. “No need to air out my entire life history.”

“Isabelle, you’re from Texas, too, then?” Colter’s mom asked me, changing the subject.

“Yes, ma’am. Ellison and I met in college,” I replied. “I wouldn’t trade our friendship for the world. And I can say the same about everyone at this table.” I looked around at Erin, Sloane, Reid, and the rest of the wedding party.

They all smiled at me, but the look on Reid’s face looked like something deeper, bringing me back to the night in the trailer when he told me I wasn’tjust any friend. I’d assumed he meant it was because he thought of me as a best friend, not as potentially somethingmore.

“Well, it’s getting late and we all have a big day tomorrow.” Maggie sighed, scooting her chair out from under the table. “Why don’t you kids get settled in and we can take care of all this?”

Hanna nodded in agreement, giving us an encouraging wave, and all of us got up to leave.

We had the ceremony venue rented out for tonight, so we didn’t have to stay at the hotel where the reception would be then drive back in the morning. The venue had a few small guest cabins, as well as a larger bridal suite, which were perfect for our group.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep tonight.” Ellison let out a breathy laugh.

“I don’t think anyone is expecting us to go to sleepright now,” Sloane reassured her. “There are all those couches and chairs in the bridal suite we could hang out on. Maybe after a couple more hours you’ll be tired enough to get some rest.”

“Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I think I stashed some tequila and vodka in there too,” Erin added with a grin.

“You guys want to come too? There’s nothing you aren’t allowed to see,” I asked the guys, reassuring Colter that Ellison’s dress wasn’t out in plain sight.

“I don’t see why not. We don’t have anything better to do.” He looked to the other guys, who all nodded their approval.

Caitlin, Clay, and Cora had chosen to go back to the cabins their families had been assigned for the night, so it was just the single members of the wedding party in the group, plus Colter and Ellison.

“Lead the way.” Jake lifted his chin.

“Never have I ever…” Erin tapped her chin, trying to think of the things she hadn’t done. Somehow, she had convinced the group—all of us in our mid- to late-twenties—that Never Have I Ever wasn’t just for college kids and was more fun as an adult because you had wilder things to say. “Ooh! Never have I ever been engaged.”

“That’s so unfair.” Ellison rolled her eyes, and she and Colter took a shot.

“Never have I ever been to a strip club.” Ellison gave Mikey a pointed look as he shrugged and took his shot.

“Never have I…oh wait, I have done that. Never…nope. Done that too. Fuck, this game is hard,” Mikey complained. He was already drunk, having been the brunt of a lot of the statements including unironically being in handcuffs, fighting in public, and sleeping with multiple people in the same day. “Never have I ever had a kid. Ha! There you go!”

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