Page 42 of Cookout Carnage
“You are. Ok. Bye. Stay away from me. Or we can tell Kenny about the drugging thing.”
She pops some finger guns at me, and I’m not sure if it’s a threat or a friendly goodbye.
I look to Jonathan, and my heart, stomach, and world flip. I run to him, and he catches me, throws me over his shoulder, and carries me out. I yell as we enter the lobby, “And if any of all y’all are hungry, CK’s is open, and the waffles are hot. Tell my sister it’s on me.”
Jonathan puts me down and places me in front of his friend, who’s at the front doors probably looking for his exit.
He says, “Well, that was utter fucking chaos. I mean, like shit storm crazy. The kind of crazy you hear about but never think will come knocking.”
I slap Tristan’s arm a little harder than I wanted to. “You are a slightly awkward thing, aren’t you?”
I smile at this man who has Jonathan’s back. “Thank you so much for being here.” I grin and try to hug him.
“No, my dear. You’re quite the mess. I promise to hug you later. But for now, let’s keep you over there.”
“Deal. Later?” I ask Tristan, but Jonathan responds.
He nods. “Tell you when we’re out of here.”
“Jon, I love you. I love you with all the starlight there will ever be. And if you leave me unexpectedly, I’ll still love you and the farm and the pig, and the pig’s girlfriend, who I won’t try to eat, and all of it. Let’s make a life of it. Let’s make a go of it? I’m game. What do you say? Do you want to do this?”
He leans down and gets a whisper from my lips, “I do.”
19
JONATHAN
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my parents high-fiving. I grin at them, grab her hand, and throw open the church doors. Just as we exit, there’s a massive explosion. My military training kicks in, and I throw Juliet down and cover her with my body. I assess the situation, and all I see are smoke, faded colors in the sky, and Tanya’s cousin, Jimmy Jazz, holding a detonator.
He pushes it again, and two rows of Roman candles shoot sparks on either side of us, lighting everything up. I pull Jules to standing, and we both stare at the walkway, shrouded in sparks. They’re lighting the tips of the trees on fire, and the burning leaves are falling around us. Father Gabe runs out, quickly stomping out the lit leaves. My parents, Tristan, and other “Groom-side” guests quickly fan out to put out the multiple mini fires sparking up around the church grounds on the dry lawn.
Jimmy Jazz lifts his detonator and grins. I tackle him before he can do it again. “Fucking idiot. You can’t set off fireworks near trees.”
“When Tanya says you do it, you do it. She got my dick in a sling after catching me doing some shit I shouldna. She set her mind to having fireworks, and the people said no, but I figured out how to get ’er done. I’m that kinda can-do man. She said the moment them church door fly open, light that shit up.”
I quickly look at the backwind, and there are probably two hundred fireworks set to go off. I quickly disengage some of the wires. I reach for the detonator and disengage it, then turn to the crowd and bellow, “Call Earl and get the fire truck over here.” I walk over towards Juliet, but I hear snickering. I turn around and put up my hands.
I yell, “NO.”
Jimmy Jazz gives me a semi-toothless grin. “I always do what Tanya says.” And another round of barely visible colors explodes into a cluster of pine trees.
There are screams and shrieks and the smell of burnt hair all around, but her eyes and our forever are all I can focus on. I put my finger up to Jules and run into church. Tanya is standing right there.
“Get Jimmy Jazz to stop this.”
Amid explosions, hisses, and pops, she runs to the door and yells, “COOL IT, ASSHOLE.” I stand behind her and see Jimmy Jazz put down his detonator and then he bows. Jimmy Jazz loves to bow.
Jules is in the middle of the brick pathway surrounded by white, sizzling, massive sparklers, bent over laughing. The smile on her face takes everyone’s breath away, or it could be the massive fire potential. But among the carnage that is my non-wedding is the woman I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with.
Hell, other than the last eight years, she’s the woman I’ve already spent my whole life with. I walk over and pull her to me tightly.
I lean down, and her face angles up to mine. The sun and sparklers illuminate her eyes. They dance with an energy that’s been missing in my life for way too long. I sweep my thumb over her lip, and she closes her eyes, then licks where I touch. I lean into her.
“Jules…”
She goes up to my ear so I can hear her. “Let me stop you right there. I love you, and I intend to tell you as often as possible. But if you kiss me right here, I won’t be able to stop myself from ripping into you. I need every part of you. I need you inside me, again. I think it’s all the adrenaline from today.” I lift her and spin her around. The sparklers just dying down. I see my mom taking our picture. I’m sure she’ll call it the wedding album. I put Jules down, and she pulls me and runs towards the tractor.
I see Tristan drawing on a sign and attaching it to the tractor, much like someone would put a “Just Married” sign on the back of a car. Ours says, “About To DO It.” He snaps a picture, and I know exactly where he’s sending it.
