Maddy
“CHAMPAGNE!” Max shouted, slicing off the top of the bottle, his one and only party trick, and shooting it around the yard like it was New Year’s instead of our wedding day.
Mine and Jason’s. I still couldn’t believe it was real. Surrounded by family and friends, I inhaled deeply as my sister winked at me across the pool while she helped Annabelle dangle her feet in.
Sara still struggled. Who wouldn’t? But things were slowly getting better, especially after she had gotten a job at one of the local coffee shops. She had more of a purpose and had gained some weight back. More importantly, she had Annabelle.
“You all right?” Jason wrapped his arms around me from behind.
I grabbed his biceps and sighed. “Yeah.”
“Party like it’s 1999!” Max shouted again, amidst Frank Sinatra music.
“I drugged his coffee,” Jason whispered in my ear, causing goose bumps. “He should tucker out in the next hour.”
I scoffed, “Wow, Mr. Police Officer, breaking laws left and right?”
“Please, I hire out my crimes.” He nodded to Reid who gave him a salute and clinked his bottle with Colt’s.
I laughed. “Ah, so they go to jail, and you stay clean. Smart.”
“I thought so.”
I pulled his arms away and turned so we were chest to chest. “Thank you.”
“For?” His eyes narrowed, his smile staying.
I loved his smile so much. I never wanted to be the cause for it to go away — never again. Rationally, I knew we’d have fights; I knew we’d have things to overcome. I just loved the way it made me feel when he smiled, and especially when that smile was because of us.
“For being you,” I teased, just as Max walked over.
Reid, Colt, and the wives followed, a look of trepidation on their faces as if Max was about to face-plant on the knife he was swinging with his hand.
“Jason…” Max held out the knife and a new bottle of champagne, “…will you do the honors?”
Reid paled.
Colt and Milo took a step back as Jason took the knife.
“Should he have sharp objects?” Reid asked, voice weak.
“Do it now,” Max encouraged. “Do. It.”
Jason rolled his eyes and sliced down the bottle. The top popped off and went flying through the air right into a kid’s cheek, literally, right before he was about to kiss some girl behind the tree.
“My face! My face!” he yelled, holding a hand to his cheek.
“I knew it,” Max whispered then slapped Jason on the back. “The universe approves of this union, and you’re no longer cursed.” He wiped a fake tear. “My work here is done.” He pounded his chest as he got choked up. “It’s done.” He lifted his arms and did a slow circle.
The wind picked up.
Jason pulled me closer.
And then Becca was tugging Max by the ear and into her arms.
I didn’t ask why she had a goat on a leash, or why a gecko seemed to be riding it.
I’d learned not to ask questions where Max was concerned.
Because for some reason, the guy just existed in a perpetual state of chaos that oddly made sense and, scarily enough, influenced way too many people, if his book sales were to be put into the equation.
“It was nice of you to pick him as your best man.” I wrapped an arm around Jason.
“I know.” Jason shrugged. “I actually already chose Colt. Then Max threatened to poison him, so Colt stepped down. I don’t even want to know where the bachelor party will be.”
We’d wanted to get married so fast, he hadn’t had time to plan one, so he was going after our honeymoon. The girls and I had every intention of crashing it.
Max disappeared for a few minutes.
And all was forgotten as Jason and I talked to guests.
It was starting to get dark when a giant cake was wheeled out.
Candles were lit and then snuffed out when the top came off the cake, revealing Max, flashing plane tickets around and yelling, “VEGAS!”
“Oh hell,” Jason swore. “Max and Vegas… I said never again.”
“NEVER, ever,” Reid stomped over to us, “Again. He knows what happened last time!”
Colt just shook his head. “Guys, don’t worry. I have a plan. We still have all that Xanax…”
I listened in horror as they graphically came up with a plan that basically involved Max being drugged and lost. Maybe it was because I was in a good mood, or maybe it was because I felt bad for the guy, but I piped up and said, “The girls will go, too. I’ll babysit Max.”
“If you survive it,” Reid said soberly.
“Rest in peace,” Colt crossed himself.
Jason pleaded, “Give us a chance, Maddy! Don’t throw your life away!”
“I heard you, all of you! You’re dead to me.” Max’s eyes landed on Maddy. “I think I just found my new best friend.”
“And just like that, it looks like Colt’s back in the game,” Jason laughed.
“TRICKERY!” Max roared and then bowed. “Thy name is Jason. You have my respect — but you’re still going to Vegas.”
“Thought so,” Jason grumbled, just as Milo reached her hand into the cake, grabbed a piece, then called his name and threw.
What followed was absolute chaos where Max convinced everyone he was suffocating from chocolate inhalation, and something about Reid having a reaction to Gummy Bears, which earned Max more cake down the throat and up the nose.
While Jason and I sipped champagne under the tree — the one that held our tree house — and watched. Me in my white dress. Him in his tux. And a light summer breeze kissing our skin, swirling around us, like a blessing.