Page 94 of Big Daddy Christmas
Fucking hell. Beckett Stone was getting married.
Cordelia ducked out of the room again to head back to the other suite and fetch Lottie as soon as she was done with her makeup. While they waited, Beckett dropped down onto the couch beside Ice and let out a breath that seemed to come from his very soul.
“You doing okay?”
“Yeah.” Another breath, this one a bit more shaky. “Nervous as fuck. Which is stupid, because she’s already seen the ring and she told me herself she’d say yes whenever I asked her. But fuck me, I feel like I’m going to puke.”
“Of course you do.” At Beckett’s surprised look, Ice just rolled his eyes. “You’re not nervous that she’s going to turn you down in front of a room full of our closest friends. You’re nervous she’s going to say yes.”
“Why the hell would I be nervous about the woman I love agreeing to marry me?”
Ice cocked an eyebrow. “Do I really need to break that down for you?”
The corners of Beckett’s mouth dipped down. “You think I’m nervous because of Grace.”
“I think you’re nervous because you still carry a lot of guilt about something that wasn’t your fault and deep down you’re terrified you’re going to fuck it up somehow. You’re wrong, of course, but I get why you’d be feeling that way.”
“Maybe you’re right. I thought I’d worked all that out in therapy but… this feels so much bigger, you know?”
“I get it. But even without the ring, without the vows, without the paperwork, Ruby would still be it for you. You’d spend the rest of your life loving her and protecting her. You’re just… making it a little more official, is all.”
“Right.” Beckett blew out another of those deep breaths. “Right. I love her, and she loves me, and even though she’s a huge fucking brat who makes me want to tear my hair out at times, I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“You want to spend the rest of your life with her because she’s a huge fucking brat who makes you want to tear your hair out.”
A grin stretched across Beckett’s face. “You’re not wrong.”
“Am I ever?”
“Arrogant jackass.” Beckett glanced over, his expression sobering a bit. “You’re gonna be my best man, right?”
“I better be.”
Lottie burst through the door, her eyes wild with excitement. “Where’s the ring? I wanna see the ring!”
“I swear I’m going to spend the rest of my life spanking some manners into you,” Braden said with a chuckle and a shake of his head for his exuberant bride.
“Duh. I assumed that was half the reason you wanted to marry me,” Lottie shot back with a cheeky grin before turning back to Beckett and jabbing a finger in his direction. “Now, show me that damn ring.”
She jumped and yelped as Braden landed a hard swat to her ass. “Charlotte.”
Her responding sigh was dramatic enough to have Ice coughing to cover up a laugh. “May I please see the ring you bought for my friend, Master Beckett?”
Cheeky brat.
Obligingly, Beckett rose from the couch and pulled the box from his pocket to show her. And it amused Ice to no end that Lottie’s reaction was identical to Cordelia’s right down to the squeals and sighs and teary-eyed exclamations over how perfect it was.
“Okay, so, here’s what I’m thinking.” Bouncing on her toes, Lottie clapped her hands together. “When the ceremony is done, and we’re ready to walk back up the aisle, I’ll stop and give Ruby my bouquet. That gives Beckett time to get down on one knee and do his thing.”
“What about the reception?” Braden asked. “During the bouquet toss. I’ve seen a bunch of videos of brides just passing off the bouquet for a proposal.”
“Exactly. You’ve seen a ton of videos because everyone’s doing it. We’re not going to do that because people expect it. Nobody is going to expect this.”
It was a fair enough point, and one that was so incredibly Lottie, Ice couldn’t help but grin.
There was some more heated discussion over timing and where everyone would be standing. But then Lottie was hugging Beckett’s neck and telling him he better be nice to her friend or he’d have her to answer to, and then she was gone, leaving Beckett looking a bit shell-shocked once again.
Emotion lodged in Ice’s throat. One of his closest friends was getting married in just a few short hours, and his best friend was about to propose to the woman he loved.
