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Her shoes hurt Yes Think about that Maybe she’d have a blister She almost hoped so

Naomi handed her bouquet to her uests sat down There was a buzzing sound in Emmaline’s ears

Then Jack leaned over and whispered, very, very softly, "I hate weddings"

He kissed her teined, exactly like a fiancé who couldn’t wait to be at his own nuptials

Without turning her head, she cut her eyes to him "Knock it off," she whispered as one of the brides my parents false hope"

"You started it"

"And stop whispering into ot soa shiver down her side "You s You wearing those chicken cutlets today? Because the girls are looking fantastic"

"Shut up, Jack" Her face was hot

"Is that any way to talk to the man you supposedly love?" Another kiss to her temple, a wink at her mother

"You’d make a wonderful prostitute," she whispered His eyes were a distracting, et that a lot" His mouth pulled up on one side, and the knot in Em’s stomach loosened a little bit

"Good afternoon," said the justice of the peace, and six minutes later, Kevin and Naomi were husband and wife

AT THE VERY FARTHEST table froroo around a bottle of ho punished by being seated here! The contraband booze tasted like death, but Erown, fair trade, organic, farm-to-table cranberry juice (which also tasted like death), ies probably because her taste buds were co suicide Still, it was a very jolly table,minute

"Your hair ees very beautiful," said Uncle Vlad, the boob-starer from yesterday He reached out to touch it, winced and withdrew his hand

"It’s breakable," Em said "But thank you"

Uncle Vlad put his arlass, God bless him

Jack apparently had learned Russian in the navy and was chatting away, and it was good, it was fine, because for one, it was a stressful day And for two, this flirty light stuff he was doing with herit wasn’t her thing He kept putting his ar her very itchy and scratchy And tingly

"How you doing?" he le turned into a nearly painful buzz

"I’ood! Yes Da" The one Russian word she knew Well, that and vodka Yes, vodka! What more did she really need?

"Go easy on that drink," he advised "That has to be around one hundred proof"

"Roger that, Captain," she said Hmm Perhaps it had already taken effect

She took a bite of the brussels sprout soufflé covered in faux cheese, shuddered and washed it doith another slug of cranberry vodka drink, which was becoentlemen," came the voice of the DJ, "please turn your attention to the dance floor, where Mr and Mrs Norman-Bates will have their first dance as husband and wife"

"They’re really hyphenating, huh?" Jack said

But E was starting up

"Unforgettable" by good old Nat King Cole

So Kevin wasn’t that original Big deal

There went the last of the cranberry vodka What were those drinks called? Cape Codders? Those Cape Codders knehat they were doing Emmaline should visit posthaste Have some clam chowder and drink some Cape Codders Maybe meet some nice fisherman like, likelike Phil on Deadliest Catch Wait Wasn’t he dead? Okay, then It would have to be Sig

Kevin and Naoood dancers, all spinny and coordinated and stuff S

Had Kevin really been so ether? There had been times when he’d brood, but who didn’t brood once in a while? He had see about this, the sober part of her brain ordered

Angela waved to her, a sy ended; E time, maybe a dance with her dad, then beddy-bye She was al case ofwell, so the best sport ever

There wasn’t even dessert to look forward to Naoreat pride that, like the dinner, the cake was gluten-, dairy-and sugar-free Brown rice cake with prunes She wasn’t even kidding The icing had beet juice in it Beet juice, for the love of God!

"And now the bride and groouests to share a special memory of the two of them"

"Oh, fun," Jack ain passed around Enored her and filled her glass halfway

"Don’t drink that," Jack advised "I’ at it"

"I may need it," Em said "To share my superspecial memories"

"If I said let’s make new et, I brought , that smile "Show-off"