“I’ll keep an eye on her.” I’d already decided to stop drinking because Kaitlyn won’t be able to drive. At the rate she’s downing the chardonnay, she won’t make it to the cake cutting.
“Great, thanks.” He lifts his glass of wine before walking off.
I snag a few boiled shrimp to calm my angry stomach, but they don’t do much. I need real food.
“Hey, how’s my honorary son doin’ tonight?” Kiera grins, and when I meet her kind eyes, I notice how much Kaitlyn favors her.
“I’m doing great, Mrs. Bishop. You look lovely. The weddin’ has been perfect.”
Her smile widens. “It sure was. Now, it’s time to eat because I’m starvin’.”
I chuckle. “Me too.”
“Dinner is startin’ in about ten minutes. Gonna make my way to the table.”
“Good thinkin’,” I tell her, and we head that way. I sit in the first open chair since there isn’t assigned seating.
“This seat taken?” a sweet familiar voice asks.
I look up at Kaitlyn. “Nope, all yours.”
She plops down and nearly misses her chair, but I catch her before she falls on her ass.
“Jesus Christ, Kate. How much have you had to drink?”
“Three glasses of wine? Four? Wait. Five? I’ve lost count. A lot.” She stumbles over her words.
“You’re slurring. You have to give a speech after dinner,” I remind her. She was super nervous about it a few days ago, but as long as she’s not three sheets to the wind, she’ll do great.
With a laugh and a wave of her hand, she confidently says, “I’ve got this. It’s fine.”
When a huge plate of chicken Alfredo pasta and garlic bread is served in front of me, I dive in. Kaitlyn drinks water as she eats, and I hope the carbs are enough to sober her up before she has to speak into that microphone. Otherwise, her parents will chew her up and spit her out, and considering she works with them, there’ll be no avoiding them.
Once we’re finished, the servers pick up our empty plates, and Kaitlyn seems to have snapped back to reality. The speeches begin with Jackson and Kiera, then Knox and his wife Hadleigh speak. I give Kaitlyn a quick nod before she makes her way up front. Before grabbing the mic, she helps herself to a fresh glass of wine.
Fuck.
She glances around the room with a shit-eating smirk. “Saving the best for last, I see.”
I can’t help but notice how her silk dress hugs her in all the right places, showing off her curves and the perfect amount of cleavage.
“Did y’all know Kane was always my favorite brother?” She glances at Knox, who’s a good sport and laughs. She gives him the most shit out of the two of them. “Caring, compassionate, and not a complete and total…well, you can fill in the blank. Any word would fit. But seriously, Kane, this isn’t a roast for your evil twin brother.”
“It should be!” Diesel shouts, and the room roars with laughter.
“This is a celebration of love and commitment. Ivy, you’re beautiful, and my brother is so lucky to be able to spend the rest of his life with you.”
Kane meets Ivy’s eyes before placing a kiss on her cheek.
“See, he knows,” Kaitlyn sing-songs. “With that being said, I’d like to make a toast to my brother and his better half. Two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know found love in Eldorado. A miracle, trust me.” She holds up her left hand. “No ring on this finger.”
There isn’t a straight face in the room. If horse training doesn’t work out for her, she should consider standup comedy, even if it’s at her own expense.
I’m proud of how great of a job she’s doing with so much wine in her system. “Now, as Grandma always says, go make some babies. And yes, I’m available to watch your kids whenever you need me. Love y’all. Wishing you all the happiness, love, and laughter in the world. Congrats.”
The applause is almost deafening. She returns to the table and finishes her glass, wearing her perfect white smile.
As the wedding planner makes the announcement for cutting the cake, the crowd moves to the other side of the room to watch.