Page 2 of Badd Love
All of which I've had the immense privilege of having seen naked. And can't stop seeing…
I daydream about her. I dream about her at night and wake up hard as a damn rock.
"And now the bride and groom will exchange vows," Papa Lucas said. "Hit it, Dunc."
I shook myself like a dog in an attempt to clear my wandering brain. It mostly worked, and I tuned into Duncan's vows.
"…To say the events of the last few months have been unexpected is an understatement," Dunc was saying. "I definitely didn't have 'meet the love of my life, get engaged, and find out she's pregnant' on my bingo card, especially when things didn't exactly happen in that order."
This got a smattering of laughter from the gathered audience—the entirety of the extended Badd Clan, plus Raquel and Hamish, Lindsey, Rune's parents, and a handful of Rune's social circle from USC, most of whom were just up here for Raquel's wedding a few months ago.
"I wouldn't trade any of it," Duncan said. "My life was on a specific track, and this…none of it was in my plans. And I honestly couldn't be happier that my plans got derailed when a certain black-haired spitfire with the bluest eyes I've seen asked me to be her fake date for a wedding, specifically for the purpose of making her douchebag ex jealous." His eyes flitted to Ricky, Raquel's brother, who was said ex's best friend. "Sorry, Ricky, but he's a cheating jack-hole."
Ricky just held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, laughing. "Hey, I told him he was making a mistake when he first started flirting with that chick. He didn't listen, obviously."
"I don't think we need to go there, Dunc," Rune said, laughing.
Duncan just grinned. "I've never been so glad to be anyone's fake date. That weekend changed my life in so many ways. I can't imagine my life without you, Rune. I'm excited for our future together. I know being young parents won't be easy, but we've got a hell of a support system in place. I love you with every last part of myself, and I vow to you in front of everyone we know and love that I will spend every moment of the rest of my life trying to be worthy of your love, making you feel cherished, supported, and protected. I promise that I will always try to put you first. I probably won't succeed at that all the time, but I surewill try. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you. You're my everything." He sniffed, shook his head. "Um, yeah. That's it. Do I say, like, amen?"
"No, you doofus," I said. "You're not praying."
"Dane Badd, you cannot call your brother a doofus while he's getting married," Mom hissed at me, while Dad endeavoured to not look like he was stifling laughter.
"Donotencourage him, Sebastian Badd," Mom snapped at Dad.
"Guys," Duncan muttered, narrowing his eyes at me, Mom, and then Dad. "Can we not?"
Rune's shoulders were shaking with laughter, and she wiped a tear out of her eye—tears of laughter, tears of wedding emotions? Who knows.
Feelings are not my specialty.
Papa Lucas sent a warning glare at us offenders and then gestured to Rune. "Now that my family is being rude, it's your turn, Rune, my dear."
"Thanks, Papa Lucas." Rune takes a deep breath, focusing on Duncan. "Dunc, my love. Falling in love with you was definitely not in the plans, but it's absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me." She covers her slight bump with one hand. "Becoming a wife and a mother were always someday goals for me. But life has a funny way of throwing twists and turns at you, and now, suddenly, I'm getting to be both of those things, and I could not be more excited. We get to discover life together, Dunc. I'm so incredibly grateful to have found you." She looked to Lindsey and then Raquel. "Linz, you encouraged me to stop hiding and running and get back out there after certain things took a very wrong left turn. Raquel, if it wasn’t for you and Hamish planning your wedding here, I'd never have met Duncan."
"Good thing the Old Toby burned down then, eh?" Hamish called out, to much laughter.
Rune took another deep breath, held it, and squeezed Duncan's hands. "I promise to love you as hard as I can, Duncan. I promise to always forgive you when you're a jackass, and I promise to never run when things get hard. Or, if I do, I promise to at least let you catch me again." More laughter. "I can't promise to obey you all the time because I've never been good at that, but I'll definitely try to listen to you. I love you, Duncan Badd, and vow, here and now, in front of everyone we know and love, that I will spend the rest of our lives learning how to love you more perfectly."
"If anyone has reason to object," Papa Lucas said, with a dramatic pause, "keep it your damn self. These kids are gettin' hitched. Now. Rune. Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and at least try to obey Duncan for the rest of your days, no matter what?"
Rune sniffled, nodded. "Yes. I do."
"Duncan, grand-nephew, do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and at least try to obey Rune for the rest of your days, no matter what?"
"Absolutely, I do," Duncan said, blinking hard.
Oh god, he's crying.
Shoot me.
I glanced at Lindsey, and I guess I must have rolled my eyes or something because she was glaring daggers at me. Or maybe the glaring-daggers was for some other reason. I honestly wish I knew.
Maybe I can corner her fine ass and get some answers out of her at some point this evening.
"Well then, by the powers given to me by the good ol’ internet and the great state of Alaska," Papa Lucas said, with a big oldgrin, "I now pronounce you two beautiful kids married as hell. Kiss'er, kid."
Duncan yanked Rune against his chest, hooked one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, dipped her backward, and kissed her stupid.
