Grand Slam (The Boys of Summer 3)

“Travis wanted Ethan to stand up for him today, and when he asked me about your friends, I told him that most of your college friends are living out of state, so he improvised.”

“We hope you don’t mind,” Ainsley says with a smile.

“Shaun is going to walk me down the aisle,” Lucy says as if it’s a bigger deal than the fact that her mother is getting married.

“Right, well, let’s do this,” I say, threading my arm through my mother’s. “Who is my maid of honor?”

“That’ll be me, since Ethan is the best man,” Daisy says as she comes forward to straighten my dress. “Travis is a lucky man.”

“What if I’m the lucky one?”

Daisy shakes her head. “I’ve known him for a while now, but something changed in him. Now I know what it is. You’re good for him, Saylor, and he needs you.”

He needs me. This whole time I’ve been looking at this marriage from the angle of my needing him. That he’s saving me from my impending doom.

“He needs me.” I mutter the words that Daisy has spoken, and by the time I’m done, my smile is so big my cheeks hurt. I nod, letting the door attendant know that I’m ready. Once the doors swing open, music starts. I don’t know what to expect when I turn the corner and see Travis standing there, waiting for me, but whatever it’s going to be will be worth it, because as soon as I take a step toward him, I can’t continue to second-guess myself and this marriage. It is what it is, and Travis and I will have to work to make it the best thing for both of us.

Ainsley heads down the aisle, followed by Daisy. Lucy and Shaun go next, and instead of waiting for the music to change, I turn the corner with my mom at my side and watch my daughter throw rose petals onto the aisle.

It takes me a minute or two to meet Travis’s gaze, and once I do, a rush of heat washes over me. As the wedding march begins to play, I step forward, trying to look everywhere but at him for fear that my steps will falter. I smile at the guests who are here—some I know and others I can only assume are his family. His parents are easy to spot in the front row, and I mouth a thank-you to his mother as I pass by.

The church goes quiet as my mom and I come to the altar. Travis keeps his eyes on me, causing me to blush, and each time I look at him, the heat within intensifies. Seeing him in a tuxedo is doing things to me.

“Welcome,” the minister says as he steps forward. “Today, on the eve of our new year, we are here to celebrate the marriage between Saylor and Travis. I have known Travis since he arrived in Boston and am looking forward to getting to know Saylor and Lucy.” I look at Travis questioningly. He smiles and shrugs, keeping his face as calm as possible.

“Love is the most unconventional feeling we’ll ever experience. It warms you, it guides you, and it can also cause you immense heartache, but it will always be there to heal. Love brings people together; it blends families and makes us stronger. Love unites us as one.

“And that is why we’re here today, to share in the union between our friends, Saylor and Travis, and help them start their path as a blended family with all the love we can give them. Who gives this woman to this man?”

“I do,” my mom says. She cups my face with tears in her eyes and smiles. “I love you, Saylor.”

“Love you, too.”

I take a deep breath and step forward, matching the way Travis is standing. Behind me, Daisy fluffs my dress, and somewhere I can hear the shutter of a camera snapping pictures.

“Travis and Saylor, please join hands,” the minister says. I turn and hand my bouquet to Daisy.

“Travis, do you take Saylor to be your wife?”

“I do,” he says.

“Saylor, do you take Travis to be your husband?”

I nod and say, “I do.”

“Do you promise to choose each other every day?” he

asks.

“We do,” we both say at the same time.

“Do you promise to treat each other as equals and support each other’s goals?”

“We do.”

“Do you promise that no matter what you both may face, whether it be a crazy ex, a tabloid scandal, or a trade to the worst baseball team in the league, you’re in this together?”

“We do.” Only, this time I hesitate briefly, causing Travis and the guys to laugh. I look over his shoulder at Ethan and Cooper, and both refuse to look at me. I’m starting to question who wrote these vows. I suggested we stick to traditional vows because of our situation, but these sound more like Travis has had some input.