In Over His Head

Chapter 44

The ceremony was short, everyone standing in centre field of a major league baseball stadium, no chairs. In the space of a quarter hour, everyone had paraded in; Josh and Gretchen stood on the mound, exchanged vows, rings, and signed something, whipping through a traditional ceremony faster than he had ever seen.

He'd not minded. He wanted to have his arm back around Sharla as soon as possible. He didn't like not being beside her. He'd caught her eye at one point during the vows, and she'd smiled at him so widely it had lurched his heart and Cressida had giggled, patting his arm with a whispered "Oh she has you good".

Cressida was on one side of him, and on the other was Sharla's brother. He'd never seen Benji in a suit, and it was obvious he didn't like them. Benji kept tugging on it, fidgeting much like Sharla did when she was nervous.

When the couple kissed and everyone cheered, the incredibly loud home run foghorn sounded, all the infield lights started flashing, and the giant screen in the outfield displayed a video of a car driving away with a Just Married sign on it. It was a nice touch. Pure cacophony erupted, but it wasn't chaotic and everyone was laughing, greeting one another, and chatting, camera men and a videographer bustling around the entire scene.

"My goodness, this is something else!" Cressida exclaimed. Benji put his arm around her quickly as the crowd was moving about.

"Here, let's not have you pop over on those spikes," he said, and she looked up at him. Kevin watched them for a moment. He was going to be without his plus one, if that kept up, and he chuckled as Cressida blushed and tugged on the strap of her wee purse.

"Everyone gather over here, they're doing an aerial shot," someone called out, and the camera man pointed to a big red X of gaffer tape on the turf. As Kevin took his place with Cressida, a hand pulled on his arm.

"Let Benji take care of Cressy for a moment," Sharla said, and he followed her back to the middle. A tall young man gestured beside him, and Kevin took his place just behind Sharla.

"I wanted to be with you in the picture," she murmured. He slid his hands around her waist to hold her in the pressed-together crowd.

"This is Neptune, by the way," Sharla said. Kevin nodded at the boy, who grinned back with a low "Sir."

They did their bit, a camera man up on a cherry-picker prompting them where to look, and within moments the crowd dispersed. Cressida and Benji found him again, and Sharla was posing for pictures.

"She'll be a bit, let's go get a tea. We don't have to be at the reception until five," Benji said. "I know a great independent shop just up the street that has killer lattes."

"Let me go make sure Shar doesn't need anything," Kevin replied.

"Hey. Are you and my Sharkie good now?" he asked suddenly before Kevin could leave. "Because if this is another false start, I don't know if I can be nice to you anymore."

"Sharkie?" Cressida asked, looking at him funny, then at Kevin.

"A nickname," he muttered. "Long story."

"We are, Ben," Kevin said, saving Benji from Cressida's curiosity for the moment. She'd not let up until he told it now. "I love her. That is never changing."

Cressida awwed under her breath and gestured. "See? We'll be attending another one of these soon enough, and it will be pomp like this.'' Everyone chuckled, and Benji relaxed.

As Kevin strode over to the wedding party, the thought hit him. Maybe someday. It wasn't a bad thought, and as Sharla's eyes caught his and his heart reacted to her as it always did, he amended his thought.

They hopefully would be.