Page 86 of Season's Schemings
“What?” Jimmy demands. “What’d I say?”
“Just wondering… were you planning on wearing white?” Dallas asks with a smirk.
“Well, I haven’t thought about the color scheme, yet,” Jimmy replies thoughtfully, clearly missing Dallas’s joke. “But I think I’d go for a tuxedo with a top hat. And my future wife would wear one of those poofy dresses with the laces on the back, maybe wear a matching top hat…”
At this, everyone dissolves into a fresh bout of laughter, made all the funnier by Jimmy blinking and saying “what?” repeatedly, genuinely not understanding what’s so funny.
It’s almost too much, and I’m clutching my sides by the time it all dies down.
Then, Mal looks at me with a smug, knowing smile. “Why all the wedding questions, Seb? Wanna get something off your chest?”
“I was actually thinking that I’d like to give Maddie a wedding, seeing as we eloped and didn’t really have one,” I admit. I don’t care if the guys label me a simp for this comment, it’s just true.
I’m amazed when Colton nods encouragingly. “You should.”
Aaron looks up from his puppy crochet disasterpiece. “It’s a great idea.”
“Does Mad Dawg like surprises?” Dallas asks. “You could throw a surprise wedding.”
“Do you really have to call her that? And who ever heard of a surprise wedding?”
“Duhhh, they’re, like, a thing on TikTok.”
“You think I should throw a surprise TikTok wedding for my wife,” I repeat dumbly.
“We could plan it!” Jimmy pipes up. “Do you know what she likes?”
I think back, and suddenly remember all of our interview prepping.
Of course I do. I know her favorite food, color, flowers, places…
“Damn right I do,” I tell him, a strange excitement building in my stomach. Is this really going to happen?
Jimmy’s already got his phone out and is taking notes. “First thing’s first: when do you want to have it?”
“I don’t know.” I frown. “Soon, I guess. How long does it take to plan a wedding?”
“Years, apparently.” Lars sighs tiredly.
“I’d say you could do it pretty quick,” Mal pipes up. “You’d just need to give everyone a task.”
“So…” I blink around at my teammates, who are all sitting up straight, alert, and peering at me like a pack of meerkats. “Are we really doing this? A hockey team is planning a surprise wedding?”
“Looks like it,” Jake Griswold grumbles from the back of the bus. “Dunno how you’re all gonna keep your mouths shut and not ruin the surprise, though.”
Up at the front, Coach Torres stands. He winks at me. “I know how. Because we’ll do it tomorrow night. New Year’s Eve. The wedding can be in lieu of the party.”
New Year’s Eve is Maddie’s favorite holiday.
A fresh new start for a fresh new year.
I stare at Coach. “A New Year’s Eve wedding…”
“And we can do the heavy lifting,” Jimmy pipes in. “Work together to get all of Maddie’s favorite things.”
A loud, communal holler and cheer resounds around the bus as my team, my dysfunctional pack of brothers, all indicate that they’re in.
This plan is so freaking insane, it might actuallywork.