Face-Off at the Altar Read online

  “Take this, love!”

  Avery took the sheet of paper and then rushed the stage, probably before Mekena could trip her. Not that she would. What did she expect? He was Avery’s husband’s best friend. They were all close, though Avery did give Markus shit a lot. Still, Mekena wished it could be like it was before. When all four of them would hang out and do things. She missed that, she missed them, she missed…him.

  Damn it.

  “Ready to do this, Sinclair?”

  “Ready,” Avery said, and they shared a smile as “Closer” by the Chainsmokers started. Soon, they had the whole crowd going. Avery was a heavenly angel when she sang, and Markus was good—not as good as Avery, but good. He sang like he owned that stage, though, and as Avery sang the high notes, he did some goofy-ass dance that only Markus could do to get a rise out of people. That was Markus, though. Everyone loved him.

  “I should be jealous of them, but then I remember she sleeps with me.”

  Looking up at Jace, Mekena grinned. “This is true.”

  “God, they’re idiots.”

  Looking back to the stage where Markus and Avery were doing the popular dance move, The Sprinkler, Mekena couldn’t disagree. “They’re something.”

  “Remember that time we went to what we thought was karaoke night, but it was really a swing dancing night?”

  As Mekena snorted with laughter, Jace pulled the chair out and sat down. “I still can’t believe we went out there.”

  “Or that Markus knew what he was doing!”

  “Right? I thought he was bullshitting me.”

  “Nope, he was flinging you all over the place while I stood there looking at Avery like, yeah, I can’t do that.”

  Laughing together as they finished up, Mekena looked back at Jace and shook her head. “It was a good night.”

  “Great night, you mean,” he said with a nod and leaned into her. “I’m glad you came out tonight.”

  “Me too,” she said, and the look on her best friend’s husband’s face told her that he wished they could do this more. As did she, but life…it was a fucker. All of them were so busy and then…there was no her and Markus anymore.

  “Aw, shit!”

  Looking up to the stage, she saw Markus was holding a piece of paper with a look of astonishment on his face. “Guys. Hey! Brooks, shut up. Listen to this!”

  Everyone laughed as Lucas Brooks flipped Markus off. “Do you people, you mere mortals, know what I hold in my hand?”

  Everyone waited as Markus just shook his head. “I almost can’t believe this is in my hand. That this goddess has decided to grace us with her presence and sing for us.”

  “Oh Lord, this guy,” Elli laughed, and Mekena giggled.

  “Guys, Elli Fucking Adler, the amazing, beautiful, and talented wife of the best defenseman of our generation, mother to five awesome kids, and owner of our team, wants to sing for us.”

  “Wow, someone really is sucking some ass to get on the team,” someone yelled from the crowd.

  “Ass-kisser!”

  “Hey, fuck all y’all. I mean this,” he said seriously, but even Mekena knew he was being a dork. “Elli Adler, please come sing for us.”

  With the biggest grin and laughing so hard, Elli made her way up to the stage as everyone cheered her on. When she reached the steps, Markus helped her up and then promptly dropped to his knees, bowing down to her.

  “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” he sang, and Elli just laughed along with everyone else.

  Especially Mekena.

  As Mekena’s face hurt from laughing while Elli took the mic and the music started, Elli proved why she had been a Broadway star. She was amazing, but all Mekena could think about was the fact that she hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time. Since the last time she was with him. Glancing over to where he stood, nodding his head to the popular “Before He Cheats,” she drank him in. The lights were low, which made his skin seem darker and even richer. His shirt was completely untucked, and he had the biggest grin on his face.

  A grin she missed.

  Ugh, her heart hurt.

  She missed him. So much.

  And that made her an even bigger idiot.

  Looking to her best friend who had returned to the table, she said, “Avery, give me that flask.”

  Since she couldn’t be a bitter cat lady, she’d be the second-best thing.

  Drunk.

  The night was going great.

  People were having a blast, Elli Adler was singing her heart out, and the drinks were flowing. It was becoming one of those nights Markus would forever hold in his heart. This was what he needed. A night with his boys, his friends, and his family.

  “You know, Markus,” Benji said, leaning on the table as he pointed to Markus. They were seated by the stage, Markus’s duties as DJ to the DJ over, unfortunately. “I forgive you for sleeping with my wife.”

  Everyone started to hoot with laughter as Markus shook his head. “Thank you, Benji, for forgiving me for something that isn’t forgivable since it happened years before you came along.”

  “Still, I was a thought!” Benji accused, and Markus nodded.

  “You’re right. As we were making love, she did say your name.”

  “Stop talking about me!” Lucy called from the next table over, and he grinned back at her.

  “You’re the bride. We’re all passing around stories about you. Two of them have been naked ones and about that birthmark on your ass.”

  Another round of chortles came as Lucy flicked him off. “I hate you.”

  “Love you too,” Markus called back as he took a long pull of his beer. He wasn’t drunk by any means, but he was feeling good. Everyone was, well, except for the non-drinkers and the pregnant women. Jace had brought a flask, so he was spiking his, Avery’s, and apparently, Mekena’s drinks. Which was good. Everyone needed to cut loose, even the children of the bunch.

  “So you think you’ll make the cut, Reeves?” Lucas Brooks asked, and Markus shrugged.

  “I’m faster than you, for sure,” he teased, and Lucas chuckled.

  “You wish.”

  “Oh, I know. And because of that, I challenge you,” Markus said, standing and putting his foot on the chair, “my good man, to a race!”

  Lucas stood, matching his stance as they shook hands firmly. “It’s on, brother.”

  “To the ice rink!” Markus called, but Jace pulled him down, laughing.

  “The ice rink is closed, loser.”

  “Oh,” Markus said, and then he thought for a moment. “This is true. So I shall sing!”

  “Boo,” everyone sang, but he ignored them, getting up and turning right into Mekena.

  She bounced off him with flair, but he stopped her from falling, steadying her in front of him. Her eyes met his, and he hissed out a breath at her close proximity. If he thought she was beautiful from afar, up close, she was majestic. She had some eye makeup on that made her eyes appear bigger and brighter. His insides went to goo, and all he wanted was to wrap her up in his arms and never let go.

  But, he refrained. Unfortunately. “My bad.”

  “No, my bad,” she mumbled, trying to get around him, but he went the same way, and they ended up back in front of each other. As they held each other’s gaze, he felt his hands twitch to touch her. To tuck the piece of hair that was escaping back into her ponytail. To feel her skin once more, to whisper how gorgeous he thought she was, but her eyes were full of flight-mode.

  “I’m going that way,” she said, pointing to the left, her speech a little garbled. She had been drinking; he could smell it.

  “Then I’ll go this way,” he said, going to the right, but he almost didn’t move. Her perfume was intoxicating, causing him to want to smother his face in her neck. But somewhere, he found the willpower and went to the stage, requesting his song. He wasn’t sure why he picked this song, but he had to pick it. Reaching for the mic, he sucked in a deep breath as “Ruin” by Shawn Mendes filled the roo