Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

ARTHUR

Somehow, I managed to pry myself away from Sophie. She was a combination of nervous and excited, and for a few minutes I worried she might not be comfortable walking down the aisle. But then they introduced her to Maya's brother, an affable young man who was saddled with the job of ring bearer even though he was at least college aged. He worked with it by pretending to be Sophie's security, dark glasses on his face as he stuck close to her. Sophie thought it was hilarious and would purposely run off to see if he'd keep up with her. After a quick kiss, I snuck off to find my seat near the back so I could get as many pictures as possible without being in the photographer's way.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Maya and Isla chose a gorgeous location, the sun filtering through the trees at just the right angle. I took a few pictures, planning on sending them to the couple after the wedding was over. I wouldn't consider myself a professional, but I watched a few videos online before Sophie was born and took pictures of every stage of her life. By this point, I knew how to get good angles and lighting, and I enjoyed my little hobby, even if Val said it was a waste of time.

I took a few pictures of Hendrix, too. He crooned an acoustic love song as the brides walked down the aisle, the alluring lilt of his voice making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. If he wasn't a demon, he'd be a siren with how beautiful his voice is. And selfishly, I wanted some pictures of him without making myself look creepy.

After the ceremony, Sophie followed the brides back down the aisle, beaming and waving at me as she headed inside. I got up to follow her, stopping to listen as Maya's mother showered her with praise.

"You did such a wonderful job! I'm so glad you came to the rescue! The wedding wouldn't have been the same without you!"

Sophie beamed and twirled, loving the attention. When she noticed me, she raced over and threw herself into my arms. She was getting a little too big for me to carry her around, but until she asked me to stop, I'd keep doing it. If I'd had a say, I would've wanted at least one more baby. Children are a joy and I'd love for my daughter to have a playmate. Val wasn't interested in more, though. She put all her focus on Sophie and making sure she did well in life.

"Daddy! Can I see the pictures you took?"

"Sure, sweet pea. How about we go find a table and I'll let you look through my phone."

She nodded, opening and closing her hands in a gimme motion. I twisted my mouth to hide my smile, handing my phone over to her. Glancing at Maya's mother, I nodded politely.

"Thank you for letting her take part. You're really great with kids."

She smiled brightly at me. "I've been a teacher for over twenty years. Kids, I can handle. Grown women who are still defiant in their adulthood are harder to deal with." She rolled her eyes at her daughter, who was peeling off the gloves and tiara her mother no doubt insisted on. "Keep your little one close. They grow up so fast."

The last murmur was wistful, and I could see the conflicted emotions in her eyes. I was in no way ready for Sophie to get married, but I got the feeling I'd feel just as conflicted when it was her day. I'd want her to be happy with her partner, but I doubted there would ever be a day where I'd be willing to let her go.

Waving away the emotions, Maya's mother smiled. "Well, now I get to look forward to grandkids. You two go enjoy the ceremony. I told Sophie she could keep the tiara. It's a gift for helping make the wedding perfect."

"I appreciate it. Thanks again."

Carrying Sophie out of the bed-and-breakfast, I rested my forehead against hers as she browsed through the pictures I took. "No weddings. Not until you're my age."

She snickered, not even bothering to look up at me. "You're too old. I'll get married after college, like you and Mommy did."

I didn't appreciate the old comment, but I moved past it. If I drew more attention to it, she'd only latch on and tease me. "I can agree to that. But only after you find a good job. Something you love and makes you happy."

Sophie was going to get enough pressure from Val about her career. I wasn't going to push any harder. And I definitely wasn't going to demand she do something boring just because it made good money. My job took care of my family, and I did like math, but even I could admit it was boring. If I'd had a choice, it wouldn't have been the career I settled with.

The tables weren't assigned, so we picked our seats closer to the band. They were mostly just riffing while waiting for the wedding party to come back, and Hendrix took advantage, sneaking off stage to come talk to me.

"Hey, I know you don't know many people here, so I asked some friends of mine to sit with you. Don't let Felix sucker you into helping him prank his mate. You'll be sucked into their war and you'll never get a break. See the short blonde over there?" He pointed to a young man with curly blonde hair by the bar. I nodded. "That's Zach. He's the most extroverted person on the planet. If he finds out you're shy, he's going to adopt you. You've been warned."

He winked at me, ducking away with a laugh when Maya's mom came out and glared at him.

Sophie looked up at me with a frown. "What's an extrovert?"

"Someone really outgoing who likes to talk to people."

She tapped her chin with her pointer finger. "Can you really adopt adults?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No, baby. It's a figure of speech. How did I do with the pictures?"

We were going through her favorites when Hendrix's friends joined us. Zach sat beside me, radiating happiness and goodwill as he introduced me around the table. The prankster Hendrix warned me about was sitting next to Sophie, and he leaned over her seat to look at the pictures without a hint of shame.

"Hey, those are really good. Are you a professional?"

"No. It's just a hobby."

Not really looking to be adopted by an extrovert, I made sure to speak clearly. I wasn't actually a shy person. The only person I was shy around was Hendrix, and it was only because of the stupid crush that was raging out of control, watching him pluck at the strings of his guitar, his tie already loosened and a relaxed grin on his face.

"Oh, pretty!" Zach exclaimed. He'd popped out of his seat when I wasn't paying attention and now stood behind Sophie, peering at the pictures I took. He beamed at me. "You're really talented."

My first instinct was to disagree, Val absolutely hated the pictures I took, but Sophie replied before I could.

"Daddy has always been good at pictures. He took pictures of me as a baby. See?" She swiped to a different folder, pulling up the newborn pictures I took. Val had professional ones taken, but I took some just for me that felt less staged. I felt my cheeks heat as Sophie passed around my phone, shooting me a mischievous grin. Maybe I had been adopted by an extrovert nine years ago when she was born. She always did stuff like this.

Luckily, the attention turned away from me as the brides came back out and the first dance began. I was a little more embarrassed taking pictures, but Sophie started asking me for specific pictures, and I followed her lead. I liked candid shots, so I took a few of the band and of Hendrix's friends as they ate dinner. A lot of Sophie. She danced with the brides, with the mothers-in-law, even with Hendrix when he took a break. He invited her on the stage afterwards, letting her sing along with him to a popular song on the radio. I was a little worried she was stealing the show, but the brides didn't look upset about it. I approached them on the dance floor, lifting my phone with a shrug.

"Mind if I take a few? Sophie says you look like princesses and she requested some of just you two."

Maya smiled brightly. "Absolutely. You've got the greatest kid on the planet."

Pride swelled in my chest, and I beamed at her. "I like to think so. She got the best of me and her mother."

As painful as our relationship was to think about, I didn't think badly of Val. She gave me Sophie and I couldn't be upset about that. I just wished she would meet me halfway on co-parenting. I sent her a picture of Sophie in her wedding attire as a sign of goodwill after snapping a few pictures of the brides dancing together. She didn't reply, but I wasn't really expecting her to. I went to the stage instead, getting a front row performance with Sophie center stage, tapping a tambourine with a huge smile on her face.

The band finished up, and they switched over to a music playlist for the rest of the night, allowing Hendrix and the rest of the band to finally relax. Isla and Maya set aside meals for them, so Hendrix dragged me with him into the kitchen when they were through. He plucked Sophie off her feet, setting her on the counter, and raised a bottle of water.

"To our new rising star!"

I knew I'd face arguments from Val when we got back. Especially when Sophie's grades didn't instantly improve the following week. But it was so worth it to bring her here today. I couldn't remember the last time she smiled so brightly. And it was all thanks to Hendrix.