Chapter 68

The reception was in full swing. Laughter and music filled the air with an infectious energy. I had been to my fair share of weddings but always found them to be an absolute chore. This one was different. I was actually enjoying myself.

Maybe it was because I got to look at Mary Ellen in a sexy dress all night. Look at her in the dress and think about getting her out of the dress.

The last week had been a dream.

I looked at Jenny and Ward and how happy they were and imagined myself feeling that same joy with Mary Ellen one day. The happy couple twirled across the dance floor, lost in their own world. They only had eyes for each other. Speeches had been delivered, toasts had been made, and now the festivities had taken on a life of their own.

Alcohol flowed freely at the bar and a steady stream of guests lined up to take advantage of it.

"Want a drink?" I asked Mary Ellen.

"I need one." She laughed. "This day has been an emotional roller coaster."

We joined Jameson and Lauren at the bar, each of us getting drinks and moving away to make room for the other. "To Jenny and Ward," Jameson said. We all raised our glasses in a toast to the newlyweds.

"That was a beautiful wedding," Lauren said.

"It was." I nodded.

"And their vows?" Mary Ellen sighed. "I thought Rylee was going to melt into a puddle."

"Hey, I heard that," Rylee said with Karen beside her.

"I see you fixed your makeup," Mary Ellen teased.

"Ha. Ha. Rylee has a heart. Who would have thunk?"

"I think she needs a drink," Karen said. "People have seen her soft underbelly and she's feeling a little grumpy."

"We're doing shots," Rylee declared.

The bartender worked double time to keep up with the demand of the crowd, mixing drinks with practiced ease. Rylee walked around the bar to grab a bottle of tequila. The bartender argued with her about licenses and whatnot but she shut him down.

She poured us all shots.

"Alright, ready?" Rylee asked as she handed each of us one. "To the bride and groom."

We all echoed her sentiment, raised our glasses, and knocked back our shots. A collective shudder ran through us at the tequila burn.

As the night wore on, the dance floor became more crowded. There were a few awkward dancers among us but no one seemed to care. Everyone was too wrapped up in their own joy, their own celebration of love.

I watched Mary Ellen as she danced with Jameson, both of them laughing as they tried to perform a complicated swing move and failing spectacularly. I loved that her friends welcomed me with open arms. There was no judgment. They acted like I had been a part of their tight-knit group for years instead of weeks. This was what happiness looked like, I realized. Not in grand gestures or extravagant displays, but in friendship. Friends celebrating their friends' joy.

After taking a break for another shot, it was my turn to dance with my woman. I took Mary Ellen's hand in mine and led her out onto the dance floor. Together, we moved in sync, our bodies swaying to the rhythm of the music, our steps guided by the memory of the dance class I had taken her to.

"We're pretty good at this." She laughed. "Even if we're a little tipsy."

"Should we ask them to form a circle and show off our dance moves?"

She giggled. "Definitely not. I'm not that confident."

"You look beautiful," I said. "I can't believe you're with me. I can't believe I'm actually enjoying a wedding. I normally hate weddings."

"This is a party," she said, smiling. "A celebration with some vows thrown in and a lifelong commitment."

"I'm glad I got to be a part of it," I told her.

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with love. In that moment, I felt as though I were living in a dream, a surreal fantasy where the impossible had become reality. How could a woman like Mary Ellen look at me with such adoration?

If someone had told me just a few years ago, when I got out of prison, that I would find myself here, dancing with her in the glow of happiness, I would have dismissed it as nothing more than wishful thinking.

But here we were, lost in each other, and I couldn't help but feel as though I had been given a second chance at happiness. She deserved nothing but the best, and I was determined to spend the rest of my days making sure she received it.

Leaning down, I whispered in her ear. "Perhaps the next wedding will be ours."

Her cheeks flushed with color, a playful blush that only served to enhance her beauty. "Don't say things you don't mean, Gene Archer," she teased.

The use of my almost-full name caught me off guard. "You know, there's one other thing I haven't told you," I confessed, drawing her closer as we continued to dance.

"Another secret?" she gasped. "I thought we weren't doing secrets anymore."

"I like to keep it interesting," I replied, a smile playing on my lips. "I don't want to show all my cards right up front."

"Tell me," she urged.

"I told you my real name is Eugene, but I didn't tell you how I managed to get saddled with such an old man name," I said.

"Your grandfather?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "My mother named me after the playwright Eugene O'Neill."

"Really?"

"Yep." I nodded. "She loved his plays."

"Now I understand why you have such a love of books," she said. "At first, I thought it was just your dad, but now I see it was your mother, too."

"I guess." I shrugged.

"Eugene," she said, testing the name on her lips.

"I have always felt somewhat disconnected from my own name," I told her. "But when you say it, like you're savoring every syllable, it sounds a lot better."

"Eugene," she said again in a sultry voice.

"Stop. That's dangerous. We're in the middle of a big crowd. I think they'll be upset when I hike up that dress and take you right here on the dance floor."

"Yes, sex is generally frowned upon during wedding receptions." She giggled and rubbed her body against mine in an obvious tease.

"Don't test me, woman," I warned her, a playful growl vibrating in my throat.

She only laughed harder. "Nothing would amuse me more than you squirming in discomfort."

An adoring smile spread on my face, even though my cock was howling with disappointment. Flushed and sweaty after that dance, we went for another drink, then found a table and sat down to cool off.

We watched the kids running around, clothes loose and wild now. The sight of them made me smile.

"And what's that look for?" Mary Ellen asked, following my gaze.

I turned to her, a soft smile on my lips. "Just thinking about our future."

She raised an eyebrow inquiringly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, is that so? And what do you see?"

"Hmm." I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Let's see. I picture a big house, rose bushes, and vegetable gardens. I see dogs running around our backyard and our kids playing with them."

She laughed. "Kids? You want kids?"

"Yes," I affirmed strongly. "I want everything with you."

I couldn't believe I was even saying it, but that was exactly what I was thinking. I did want that with her. I knew it wasn't going to happen tomorrow, but I hoped it would happen soon.

"That's good to know," she replied.

We sat drinking and munching on the appetizers that had been served before and after dinner. With the amount of alcohol being served, the snacks were pretty much a necessity. We talked with her friends, and every once in a while Sunny sat with us. I liked watching Mary Ellen with her. She was going to make a good mom.

As the night began to wind down, Mary Ellen took my hand. "Have you talked to your mom yet?"

I shook my head. "No," I replied. It was a conversation I knew I needed to have, but one that I wasn't quite ready for.

"Has she tried to reach out to you?"

"Definitely not." I scoffed. "I have a feeling that relationship is permanently broken."

"I'm sorry." She sighed.

"It's her choice." I shrugged. "I'm not going to try and change her mind. I've realized that the harder I tried to make her happy, I was making myself miserable. I gave her too much power over my life and my happiness."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put a damper on the evening."

"No, it's fine," I said. "She's not stealing another day of happiness from me. It is what it is. She doesn't want me in her life. I'm not going to beg."

"What about your father?" she asked. "Are you guys still talking?"

I nodded. "Not like every day, but I know he doesn't feel the same way she does. I do feel a little guilty they've separated."

"It's not your fault," she insisted. "Your dad seems like a laid-back guy. He just wants to live out his days in peace and happiness. Your mom seems intent on doing exactly the opposite."

"That's what Murray says." I let out a long breath. "I do hope she'll come around, but if she doesn't, that's on her. I really did try to show her I wasn't the monster she painted me to be."

"That's all you can do," she said. "Just keep doing what you're doing. Be the man you are. Eventually, she'll see it. She'll see you're not a monster and you are worthy of her love."

I sighed. Her words were comforting, but the long-standing rift between my mother and me wore heavily on my heart. "I appreciate your encouragement," I replied quietly.

Mary Ellen leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek. "Enough about her though. Tonight is about us, not her."

"You're right," I agreed, raising my glass in a toast. "To us."

"To us," she echoed, clinking her glass against mine.

"So, how much longer do we have to stay before we can sneak out of here?" I asked. "I was thinking me and you should go back to my place and we can work on getting you out of that dress."

She let out a high-pitched giggle that had me grinning like an idiot. "Well," she said, giving the room a glance before meeting my eyes again. "I think we've been here a respectable amount of time. We'll say our goodbyes and go."

"I suppose," I sighed dramatically.

We made the rounds, saying goodnight to all of her friends before finally making it to Sunny. Mary Ellen told her she would see her tomorrow. The girls were going to be taking turns watching Sunny while Jenny and Ward were on their honeymoon.

"See you later, Sunny," I said with a wave.

She waved back with a big smile on her face.