She felt Eric smile against her lips, and he drew back to gaze down into her eyes.
“Best advice I’ve gotten all day,” he said.
She had to agree.
Her dad cleared his throat and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “This day Rebekah and Eric entered as two and now leave as one soul united,” he said. “May I present Mr. and Mrs. Eric Sticks. May their love shine more brightly with each passing moment.”
She beamed at her daddy, who was blinking far more than necessary. Her mother squeezed her arm, and Rebekah turned to find her smiling through her tears. Eric shook her dad’s hand and then helped her down from the single step at the front of the church so they could exit.
They didn’t get far.
Chapter Seven
Eric jerked unexpectedly as he was hugged vigorously from behind. He turned his head to find Jace—all denim and leather and tough guy and maybe a few tears—with his face buried in Eric’s back. Eric grinned and patted the pair of hands clasped tightly together at his waist.
“Now, Tripod,” Eric said, “you had your chance with me and settled for Aggie.”
He caught the stunned look on Rebekah’s face and offered her a wink. The tension immediately drained from her body and she smiled, cocking her head to peek at the man behind him.
“Fuck you,” Jace said, his words muffled by Eric’s back. He attempted some strange variation of the Heimlich maneuver. “Just… Fuck you.”
After a moment, Jace took a deep breath, drew away, and settled for pounding on Eric’s back with enough force to fracture bones.
“Yes, you like me,” Eric said, chuckling. “I get it. Stop trying to break me. Aggie, control your sub.”
“You’re such an ass,” Jace said.
Well, what did Jace expect? If he didn’t turn Jace’s uncharacteristic emotional display into a joke, he’d have to put on an uncharacteristic emotional display of his own.
Jace circled Eric’s neck with both hands and pretended to choke him. Not one to be left out of a gag, Eric let his head loll loosely and stuck his tongue out as if he were in true distress.
Rebekah’s mother tried to step in—presumably to save his life—but Rebekah caught her arm and shook her head. That slight motion made Eric love her all the more. The woman understood him in a way that completely baffled him. He figured most women would be pissed to have her first moment as a newlywed standing beside her husband interrupted by a bunch of immature male-bonding bullshit, but not his Rebekah.
Since it didn’t seem like they would ever make it back down the aisle, the spectators rose from the pews to offer their hugs and congratulations.
Eric kept one eye on his bride, who kissed his hand and then released it so she could hug her family—now his family too, he thought with a smile. Aggie stepped up to help Jace get his out-of-control emotions back under his command. She pinched his ass, and he immediately dropped his hands from Eric’s throat. Eric grinned to himself. Nope, he obviously wasn’t her sub at all.
Sed took the opening to give Eric a customary slap on the back of the head before capturing his arms in a full-nelson so Trey could bless Eric’s nose with his sticky cherry sucker.
“Hold still,” Trey said, tracking Eric’s jerky head motions with his lollipop.
Brian emerged from the choir loft, where he’d been playing his guitar, and wrapped a protective arm around his pregnant wife’s shoulders before approaching Eric.
“Words of wisdom from one married man to another,” Brian said, turning his head side to side as he tried to track Eric’s gaze. After an exasperating moment, he released his wife and hugged Trey from behind, pinning his arms and his sucker to his sides. Trey immediately went still.
“Guys, really?” Brian said. “The man just got married. Show him some respect.”
“Yeah,” Eric said. “What he said.”
Sed released Eric’s aching arms.
“You can harass him after I’m through with him,” Brian added.
“And I thought you were on my side.”
“I am. I’m going to help you out here. So listen carefully.”
Eric nodded, having rarely dealt with any of his band members speaking to him with such earnestness.
“You only need to remember three words to keep your wife happy,” Brian said, releasing Trey so he could draw Myrna against his side.
“I love you?” Eric said.
“No. Any idiot can try that route. The three words are: she’s always right. If you remember that, your life will run smoothly.”
“But what if she’s wrong?”
Brian stuck a finger in Eric’s face. “No, dude. Listen to me and remember. She’s always right.”
“She’s always right,” Eric repeated obediently.
Myrna laughed. “But if you need to spice things up a little, falsely accuse her of being wrong.”
Brian patted Eric’s chest with the flat of his hand. “Just make sure you admit she’s always right after the hot, angry make-up sex.”
“Got it,” Eric said.
“Brian?” Jessica said, laying a hand on Brian’s arm.
Brian turned his head to look at her. “Yeah?”
“Will you please have this little talk with Sed?” she asked.
“Sure. When’s your wedding again?”
“Don’t wait until we’re married. He needs to learn this now!”
Everyone laughed, even the Blakes, who were huddled in a perma-hug around Dave and his wheelchair. Eric noticed the only one still sitting in the pews was Rebekah’s friend Isaac. It was probably hard for him to see Rebekah marry someone besides himself and even harder to be completely ignored by Trey, who he was obviously still mooning over. Poor guy. Eric separated from his group of admirers and joined Isaac on the gleaming wood bench. Isaac glanced up, his hazel eyes wide with surprise.
“Why are you sitting over here by yourself?” Eric asked.
“I just wanted to be here for Rebekah. I don’t want to intrude on her happiness.”
“She’d probably like that though,” Eric said. “Personally, I don’t know why she likes you so much. You’re sort of a douche.”
Isaac blinked at him in shock.
Eric grinned. “I’m joking,” he said. “I do that sometimes.” And sometimes he hid behind jokes so he could speak his mind freely, but Isaac didn’t need to know that.
“Oh.”
“But even though you’re a douche and really hurt her feelings, she’s forgiven you. I don’t get it. I’d have cut you from my life and buried you in the backyard.”
He did sort of get it, actually. He had a friend who had hurt him repeatedly and still he couldn’t remove that man from his life. But unlike Isaac, Jon hadn’t had the decency to show up for the wedding. At least Isaac cared enough about Rebekah to show the fuck up. Jon didn’t even have that going for him.
“Her forgiveness is far better than I deserve,” Isaac said.
“So don’t you think you should go tell her that you’re happy for her, even if it’s a lie? I know she’d like to hear that from you.”
Eric glanced over at Rebekah and caught her watching them. He smiled at her and her answering smile was a bit hesitant. She probably thought he was being mean to Isaac. And yep, that had been his first instinct. The man had ripped Rebekah’s heart out, and Eric didn’t take kindly to anyone who hurt her. He also didn’t appreciate Isaac’s attempts to drive him and Rebekah apart. But in the end, Eric had won the girl and Isaac had lost her. Eric figured that was punishment enough for the pretty guy. He did seem to have a good heart under all his confusion.
“I don’t know what to say to her,” Isaac said. “This past week has been hell for me.”
“You can start by not focusing on yourself,” Eric said and rose to his feet. “Maybe ask her how her cancer screening went this morning.”
“That was today?” All the blood drained out of Isaac’s face. “Is she okay?”
“Does she look okay?” Eric asked.
/> They both stared at the woman in question, who was showing off her enormous, expensive engagement ring and her cheap, meaningful wedding ring to the ladies surrounding her.
“She looks radiant,” Isaac said. “She never looked like that when she was with me.”
As if she could feel Eric’s gaze on her, Rebekah lifted her head and met his eyes over the small crowd of admirers. She smiled brightly, and Eric’s chest swelled with a strong sense of pride. No one made her as happy as he did. Not even Dr. Perfect. Now that was something to crow about. Before he could swoop down on her and carry her out of the church to celebrate, Isaac strode purposefully to her side, took her hand, and pulled her behind the pulpit for a more private word. Eric hardly struggled with his spike of jealousy at all. He trusted Rebekah. It was the impossibly-good-looking physician that he didn’t quite trust.
Chapter Eight
Rebekah stared at the man who’d been her best friend since childhood and decided she didn’t really know him anymore. Or maybe she’d never known him. She’d always thought of him as perfect in every way. Everyone around him had placed him on a pedestal and held him there his entire gifted life. Now that he’d taken a few hits to his ego like everyone else in the world, she decided that she didn’t think less of him. No, now that she could see him as imperfect, she liked him even more.
Isaac took both of her hands in his and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Your husband said I shouldn’t talk about myself today. He said I should focus on you. So here goes.” He took a deep breath. “I’m happy for you, Rebekah. I think you’ve found your match.”
“I don’t mind if you talk about yourself. I know you’re having a rough time. Have you talked to your father since the party?”
He shook his head.
“He’ll come around,” she said. “I’m sure you’re not the first gay man in history to come out to his father and hundreds of onlookers at his surprise fake engagement bash.”
Isaac chuckled, the sound warm and full of heart. “I’d like to meet others who’ve lived through this. Maybe they could tell me what to do with the rest of my life. My plans to take over his practice when he retires have completely fallen through.”
“Well, I can tell you exactly what you should do. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and find a new dream,” she said. “Do you know how many times my own plans have fallen through? How many times I’ve had to admit defeat? How many times I had to reinvent myself?”
Ever a man of logic, Isaac shifted his gaze to her forehead as he did his mental calculations.
“Uh, six?”
She chuckled. “Something like that. I’ve lost track.”
“How do you do it, Rebekah? I know there had to be times when you just wanted to give up and go into hiding.”
She lifted her eyebrows at him. “Do you really think so?”
He gnawed on his perfect lower lip with his perfect white teeth. “I should have known you’ve never felt that way.”
“I feel that way all the time. I really felt that way this morning,” she said.
“At your screening?”
She nodded, and her eyes filled with tears as a sudden rush of emotion caught her by surprise.
His face went slack. “They found something, didn’t they?” He grabbed her by both shoulders and gave her a shake. “That’s why you got married so quickly. Why you invited me. How bad is it?”
“First, I didn’t invite you, Eric did.” She peeked over Isaac’s shoulder and found Eric smiling and laughing with his friends while he kept half his attention trained on her. “This morning they thought they’d found a spot of cancer growing in my pelvis.”
“Oh God, Reb, why didn’t you call me?”
“Because it was a false alarm. Do you see what you’re doing here?”
He shook his head.
“You’re really good at scraping other people up off the floor when they’re down. But when it’s you who’s taken a hit, you can’t find your bootstraps to pull yourself up. Why is that?”
He shook his head slightly, sending his soft brown curls dancing about his head.
“I don’t know. Maybe because it’s easier to analyze a situation when you’re on the outside looking in.”
“So remove yourself from your situation. Stand outside yourself and look in. What do you want?”
“Trey,” he said without hesitation.
“And if I told you that he’ll never love you?”
Isaac lowered his eyes. “I already know that.”
“So what else do you want?”
“I thought I wanted what my father has: a successful practice, load of cash, a big house with lots of colleagues who pretend they’re my friends. A wife and kids. A killer golf swing. But…”
She squeezed his hands encouragingly, because she already knew Isaac wasn’t much like his father. Never had been, never would be. And he’d never find happiness as long as he chased his father’s dream. He glanced up and met her eyes.
“But?” she prompted.
“When I was in Africa, I felt I was really making a difference. I woke up every morning with purpose and connection. I don’t know. It just felt… right. Like it was what I was supposed to do. My calling. Does that make sense?”
She nodded eagerly. “I feel that way when I mix Sinners’ music. I’ve never felt that way before about anything. That’s why I kept failing at everything I tried before. I hadn’t found my thing. You need to find your thing, Isaac. If it’s in Africa treating patients who can’t afford to pay you in anything but gratitude, then go back. There’s nothing holding you here.”
He glanced at Trey, who was laughing at Jace as he tried to remove the sucker adhered to his jacket between his shoulder blades. Playing his part, Jace spun in one direction and then the other, slapping his back and shoulders as the stick remained just out of reach. But Isaac wasn’t even looking at Jace. He had eyes only for Trey. Trey didn’t seem to know Isaac existed.
Isaac sighed and lowered his gaze to the carpet. “I wish you were wrong about that,” he said, “but you’re not. Trey doesn’t have to get over me. He was never into me at all. He just wanted sex and I gave it to him all too willingly.”
“I know what that’s like,” Rebekah said with a laugh.
Isaac’s head jerked up. “You had sex with him too?”
“Eh, almost,” Rebekah said. “So what are you going to do, Isaac? Do you need a kick in the ass?” She kicked up the hem of her wedding dress. “I’ll do it!”
Isaac stared into nothingness for a moment and then smiled slightly. Nodded slightly. Shook his head. Blew out a breath.
“Isaac!” Rebekah shouted and gave him a shake.
“What?”
His eyes met hers, and she could still see the uncertainty there.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll think about going back to my patients. They do need me far more than anyone here does.”
She wrapped him in her arms and gave him a friendly squeeze. “Don’t think, Isaac. Do.”
“But maybe my father—”
“Stop worrying about what your father thinks of you,” she said. “God knows my mother hates everything about my life, but I have to live the life that makes me happy, not one that satisfies her. You…” She patted his chest. “…need to live the life that makes you happy. Fuck him, Isaac. Fuck him.”
Isaac chuckled, his cheeks slightly flushed. “You’re right. Fuck him. Fuck you, Dad. If you don’t love me for who I am, then I don’t need your approval.”
“That’s right. Feel better?”
He smiled his perfect smile and ran a perfectly manicured hand through a perfectly tamed set of light brown curls. “Yeah, actually. I do.”
“Good, because I really need to be with my husband right now. I hope you understand.”
“I’ve taken too much of your time already.”
“You’re still my bestie, Isaac. Nothing will change that. If