A/N Happy Daylight Savings Day? Hehe I got nothing. And I actually hate time changes. Pretty sure I've bitched to you guys about them before. I am a creature of habit, so the change always throws me off for longer than it should. But it'll be darker in the morning which is never a bad thing sleep-wise. So there's that.

I missed you guys last week! But we're back on track. The NFL free agency period is about to start. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by how much coverage there's been this year. I take what I can get!

I'll stop yapping and let you get on with the reception. I know several of you want some high GrandMonster time. I promise that I put some in for you, just not in this chapter. Next :) So enjoy and I'll see you next week!

Getting Blitzed Chapter 26

It seemed like we preened and posed forever for pictures. In the ballroom, on the beach, with the water sloshing up over our toes, playing in the sand, around the fire pit; on and on and on it went. Luckily, most of those pictures had me touching or kissing my Reed Girl, so I didn't utter a word of complaint. And when the girls were posing, I totally stuffed my face with more of the appetizers the caterer had put out for the guests.

"God, that was exhausting." Reed Girl fell into my lap in the cushy wicker chair near the fire.

Shit, I hadn't thought about how tiring this all might be for her. "Do you need to lie down, baby? We can go back to the room if this is too much for you."

She laughed and gave me a hard kiss. "I'm perfectly fine, Edward. I was talking about all that posing and smiling. My face muscles hurt."

"Sucks for you, bro! Or doesn't suck, more like." My brother laughed like a hyena at his own humor. Blondie smacked him upside the head for me. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"You don't need to be all crass on their wedding day, Emmett. It's not appropriate."

He smirked at her. "Really? Because I remember including oral in our vows." That got him another hit. "What? That was important to both of us!"

"We were drunk, you asshole. And if you ever tell anyone outside of this immediate circle about those vows, then I'll break them. For good. Got it?"

Damn, that shit was cold. My brother looked like he was going to pitch himself into the fire at the very idea. Then again, I couldn't blame him. I'd probably want to do the same thing if Reed Girl said that to me.

"I got it. Sorry, Bella."

My girl-no-my wife, just laughed. "No offense taken, Emmett. We're family, now. You can say anything to me."

Blondie snorted. "Don't issue that invitation, Bella. You'll regret it."

Reed Girl rested her head against my neck and nuzzled me. "I couldn't possibly regret anything today. It was absolutely perfect."

I turned my head and kissed her softly. "It sure was. You look fucking gorgeous, baby. I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw you."

She still had that beaming smile on her face, tired facial muscles be damned. "I could say the same about you. We're lucky that no pool waitresses were nearby."

"The only girl I'm going to make wet tonight is you," I whispered in her ear before nipping the lobe lightly.

"Holy shit," she murmured, squirming in my arms. "You can't say something like that to me now, when we have to go in and have dinner with a couple hundred people."

I held up her left hand and kissed her ring finger. "I most certainly can. You're officially my wife now. Just because we didn't include it in the vows like they did doesn't mean that it wasn't implied."

Everyone busted up laughing.

"See! It should be in the vows! Edward agrees with me."

Blondie rolled her eyes. "Of course he does. You're both perverts." She turned to Reed Girl. "Watch out for some of these motherly looking types. I heard a couple of them reminiscing about our men. Whores. We should get them arrested for statutory rape or corrupting a minor or something."

"But, Rosie, you've enjoyed the benefits of that corruption. Where do you think I learned-ow!" Emmett rubbed at the back of his head. "Never mind."

"Dumbass."

It was time to change the subject. "Why don't you guys go in and get a load of the GrandMonster? Jasper got her high before the ceremony."

Everybody gaped at me. Well, everybody but Jasper, who just grinned triumphantly.

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"Grandma's high?"

"Jaspy, you better not have smoked! You promised!" Shorty looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"He didn't," I assured her. "Apparently he got her to try it after we won our first championship. It makes her a much more pleasant person, according to Jasper."

"It does! She tells stories about her wild youth, and she stops being all uptight about you guys. It was my duty, as best man, to make sure that she didn't cause any trouble today. She hasn't and she won't."

Emmett stood and pulled Blondie to her feet. "This I have to see! Let's go fuck with her! Come on, Rosie."

"We should all get in there. Esme will come looking for you soon," Shorty pointed out.

I tightened my arms around Reed Girl when she started to move. "Go. Tell her we'll be in shortly." We were the ones who got married. They could wait for our asses.

Everybody left, and finally, we were blessedly alone. Reed Girl put her hands on my shoulders and smiled at me.

"You're still smiling, baby. That's not going to help those facial muscles."

She giggled. "Don't worry. It won't stop me from performing later."

I laughed and gave her a kiss.

"Besides, I can't stop smiling. This entire day has been better than I could have hoped for."

That's what I wanted to hear. "I'm glad you're happy, baby. You look amazing. Did you have a good time at the spa?"

She nodded. "I've been waxed and buffed, massaged, plucked, primped, and polished. It was all fun-well, mostly."

Yeah, I couldn't imagine waxing being fun, but I wasn't a girl, thank fuck. The shit they did to themselves was insane. But she looked stunning, so I couldn't fault the methods.

"Good. I'm sorry about your mom." She was the one bad spot in an otherwise perfect day.

"I'm not. She is what she is, Edward. I accepted that a long time ago. She can't hurt us by wearing a trashy dress and hitting on your friends. If anything, it'll add to the stories we have to tell one day."

I had to laugh. "Baby, I love your outlook. I just didn't want her to do anything to upset you."

"Nothing could upset me today. I'm Mrs. Edward Cullen, finally. That's all I truly wanted. The rest is just icing on the cake."

I kissed her again. "Speaking of cake, we'd better go in. You need to eat."

Reed Girl chuckled. "We had lunch at the spa, not to mention the delivery of carrot and celery sticks to the room a few hours ago."

I helped her off my lap and stood. "Gee, I wonder who sent that."

She grinned and threw her arms around me. "Thank you for thinking of me and taking care of me, even when we're not together."

"That's my job now. Officially." I couldn't stop smiling either. I was practically fucking giddy.

"Well, you do that job exceptionally well. Remind me to give you a raise later."

Fuck, just the thought of that had a certain part of me raising, so to speak. "I'm looking forward to that more than I can say."

"Me, too. Now, come on, Mr. Cullen. I need to show off my hot husband."

"Who am I to argue with that, Mrs. Cullen?" I fucking loved saying that. I kissed her ring finger when I remembered. "Wait. We need to put your diamond back." I slipped it off her right finger and put it back on the left. "Now it's just right."

She smiled and reached out to touch my ring finger. "As right as it gets. I love you."

"I love you, too." I kissed her again. "Let's go party."

"Let's."

Xoxoxoxoxox

We entered to the Seminole chant, because why the fuck not? The entire wedding party was Noles except for Sammy, but he sucked it up because he had no choice and he was cool like that. Everyone cheered and shouted, but I immediately swung Reed Girl into my arms for the first dance.

Reed Girl and I had decided that the song "Lucky" by that tool Jason Mraz and some other chick was very fitting for us. She was my best friend, after all. So I held her in my arms and looked into her eyes as the music played.

She beamed up at me, smiling with her entire face. "I'm so lucky."

I twirled her, making the crowd cheer. "I'd say we both got damn lucky. I'm thankful every day that you stalked me two years ago."

She giggled madly as I pulled her close. "You're extremely lucky that your ego didn't drive me away in the beginning."

I nibbled on her neck, making her laugh harder. "You know you loved it, baby. My confidence drew you to me. Or was that my cock?"

I pulled back to see her eyes were comically wide and her cheeks were pink. I fucking loved getting her worked up, even at our own wedding. What better place, really?

"Edward! You can't say things like that. Our parents are right there."

"So? They can't hear! Plus, we're married now. And you're pregnant. They have to know that we f-have fun." I decided maybe I shouldn't call it fucking at our wedding. Even if I had just said cock.

"Be that as it may, what drew me to you definitely wasn't your tact."

She pouted at me. I couldn't resist her lower lip sticking out, so I bent down and sucked it into my mouth. She sighed at the contact and melted into me.

"Fuck tact," I murmured when I pulled back.

Reed Girl looked completely dazed for a few moments before a bright smile stole over her face.

"Fuck tact. Fuck me instead."

That was my wife right there. "As soon as I can get you out of here, baby."

She chuckled and rested her head on my shoulder. "This isn't quite the romantic moment that one imagines for a first dance, but it fits us."

No, that was true. I kind of sucked at the romance thing. I was trying to be better, though. She started to pull away from me, but I pulled her back.

"We have another song. I'll try to do better this time."

"We do?" She looked blank.

I hadn't run this one by her, but I thought she'd enjoy that I'd picked a song out for us on my own. I hoped so, anyway.

"Trust me, baby."

The song started, and she let out a little gasp.

"Edward! It's Ed Sheeran! I love this song."

Of course she did. It was a song designed to make a woman melt. And she sure as hell did. Her eyes teared up, but her smile was blinding as we moved to the music.

"I chose this song for a lot of reasons, but this part seemed especially fitting," I told her.

When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm
I know you will still love me the same

"God, it does fit, doesn't it?"

"The strings for you, the crowds for me. But I'll never lose my hair."

Reed Girl threw her head back and let out a loud belly laugh. "Here's hoping! I didn't promise to stay through hair loss."

"Oh, yes you did. It was implied. Not that it's an issue." Dad still had all his hair. I was all good. Fuck that noise. Balding wasn't happening.

She smiled up at me. "Just how much was implied in our vows? Oral, hair loss…anything else I'm missing?"

"Plenty. But I'll enlighten you as we go." I had to keep my ass covered. She wasn't ever getting away.

"Fair enough. And just so you know, I'm going to love you long past when we're seventy. You're stuck with me forever."

Hell yes I was. "Forever sounds good to me."

I kissed her as the song came to an end. When we parted, I glanced over and saw my mom wiping away tears while Dad handed her a tissue. Charlie grinned at us. Hell, even Renee seemed happy for the moment. She'd probably go back on the hunt after dinner.

We took our seats and finally started eating. The meal my mother had stressed over a billion times came out pretty fucking awesome. Filet mignon, some fancy mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and even the vegetables rocked. Others had some kind of chicken dish or fish. Everybody seemed happy, which was all that mattered.

After dinner, it was time for the speeches. Nobody seemed to care that we'd skipped the toast thing. I wasn't drinking since Reed Girl couldn't. I braced myself when Jasper took the mike.

"In honor of Edward and Bella's wedding, I've composed a poem, called Bella and Her Fine Fella."

I let out a groan and buried my head. Reed Girl giggled next to me.

"Just kidding."

I looked up and saw him grinning at me.

"Poems are mine and Ali's thing. Edward and Bella aren't a poem couple. They're a full-on love story."

Thank fuck he wasn't doing a poem. I laced my fingers through Reed Girl's and brushed her knuckles with a kiss.

"I was lucky enough to be there from the very beginning of their relationship. In fact, they might not be together if it weren't for me." He flashed a grin at us. "Edward used me as a bargaining chip to get to a party that Bella was going to, and that night he asked her on their first date. They haven't looked back since."

Okay, so maybe he was part of the reason that we'd gotten together, but he wasn't all of it.

"Then again, I wouldn't have my Ali if Edward hadn't met Bella, if she hadn't gotten under his skin. And Rose and Emmett probably wouldn't have reunited with one another either. They came together and brought us all with them. We became a family instead of just friends. And they were the center of that. The heart."

Damn if Jasper wasn't kicking ass right now. He had everyone spellbound. Shorty looked like she was ready to throw him down and attack his ass at first opportunity.

"I knew Edward before he met Bella, and anybody that did can tell you that she changed him in too many ways to count. He's still the same guy, but he's better. And to me, that's the best measure of love that there is. Bella makes him a better friend, a better football player, and a better man. She didn't completely smooth away the rough edges; she just softened them some."

He smiled at Reed Girl.

"And from what I've been told, he does the same for her. These past few months where they've been apart have been hard on both of them. You can see it when they reunite, though. They fit together like puzzle pieces. Bella never looks happier than when she's looking at Edward. And when he's looking at her…well, that's about the only time that he ever smiles."

Everyone laughed at that comment. It was probably true, but I sent him a smile just to prove him wrong.

"See? Even just hearing someone talk about her makes him smile. We all know that's not for me, Edward."

More laughter.

"But that's okay. You found the girl that makes you happy. That's what it's all about. I know I'm supposed to wish you a great future, and I do, but I don't think I even need to say it. You fit. You belong together. I'm forever grateful that you found one another and that you included us in your lives. Thank you both."

Everybody clapped for him, and I stood when he returned to the table.

"Thank you."

I gave him a hug, and Bella followed with a kiss to his cheek.

"You're just thanking me for not doing a poem."

I laughed at that. "Maybe that's part of it. But you were right. You've been there from the beginning, and you even helped us get together, some." Of course, if he hadn't been high as a kite most of that time, he might have been even more helpful, but it didn't matter in the end. He'd been a part of us, and he'd remain that way. He was my best man, after all.

"You go. I can't." Shorty was sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. Blondie rolled hers but headed to the mike.

"I'm not much of a speaker, but I'll try. Jasper was right. I wouldn't be with Emmett today if Edward and Bella hadn't found one another." Her eyes met mine. "I gave Edward a hell of a time when he first started coming around. His reputation and his brother's sins were enough to convince me that he didn't belong with one of my best friends. I told her time and time again to run the hell away and not to look back." Blondie smirked at Bella. "Clearly she didn't listen to me."

Reed Girl shrugged and made everyone laugh.

"And I'm glad she didn't. I've never seen her happier than when Edward came into her life. She's better, just like Jasper said. She takes more joy in her music, with her friends, and in life in general. And she's fierce now." She smiled. "She stood up to me, after all. And I can tell you that's not easy."

"I second that!" Emmett shouted. Moron.

"And he didn't back down, either. These two fight for what they want. And what they want is each other. It doesn't get much better than that. So that's my advice for them. Keep fighting to be together, and take down anyone that tries to get in their way. They're both winners, so nobody stands a chance if they try. Congratulations, Bella and Edward!"

Short but sweet. You had to appreciate Blondie. We both hugged her, and of course my Reed Girl was crying now. Hormones and weddings didn't mix, but I knew they were happy tears.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I guess maybe I should say a little something." He looked so damn uncomfortable. It was hilarious.

"I knew when Edward showed up at my door two years ago to surprise Bella at Christmas that these two would be married one day."

I snickered. He had definitely known-or at least, wanted it. I remembered worrying he was going to force a shotgun wedding on me.

"Edward didn't really know it, though. In fact, I made a joke about them getting married, and the boy ran out the door like his ass was on fire."

Everyone busted up at that. Reed Girl gave me a smacking kiss on the cheek.

"My girl just about took my head off for that, let me tell you. But she went after him, and he came back the next day. That said a lot about them, I thought. Plus, they were already like a little family, with their crazy kitten, Rainbow. They had each other's backs. I saw that in play when Bella's ex was sniffing around her. All three of them combined to take him down." Charlie grinned. "They were already a team, right at the start."

"They're even stronger together now. It's not easy for a man to give up his only daughter, but I couldn't be happier with the man she's chosen. He takes care of her. And he's loyal as can be. Comes from being a teammate, I guess. But that's what a dad wants for his daughter. A man he can respect and trust with her heart. Because she's truly the greatest gift I could ever give. And her mother and I give her to you, Edward. So just…keep taking care of her." His moustache twitched. "I have a gun, if you don't."

Reed Girl ran into his arms, crying away. He hugged her, and I was pretty sure he was crying as well. I wasn't sure what to do with that, but I clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll take care of her, Charlie. That's the most important job for me."

"I know, son. Maybe you could call me Dad now?" He scrubbed at his eyes.

Reed Girl looked like she was going to start sobbing again. I pulled her into my arms.

"Sure, Dad. I'd be honored."

His smile rivaled his daughter's. "Thank you."

My parents stood together. "We just want to welcome Bella to the family. We've been blessed with two wonderful sons, and they've brought us two beautiful, incredible daughters. We couldn't be happier. Thank you all for coming to help us celebrate today."

More hugs and congratulations. I knew we had to speak, but that would wait until it was time to leave. I was getting anxious for that, but I did want to spend some time with our friends and family. My mother took Bella to the side, and the two of them started talking, so I wandered over to my teammates.

"Thank you guys for being here. It means a lot to us."

"Are you kidding? This has been awesome. Have you seen the women?" Brady took a slug of his drink.

I laughed. "I can't say that I have. Just stay away from Bella's mother."

"Which one is that?"

I pointed out Renee, who was chatting up one of my dad's doctor buddies. At least he was in her age range. It was only a matter of time until she came over here, though.

"Dude, she's hot for an older chick. I'd hit that." Brady probably would.

"She'd hit you right back. But if you do hit it, don't come whining and crying to me when you can't get rid of her. She'll be your problem then." I'd issued the warning. It was their problem if they didn't listen to me.

"Don't worry, man. She's got crazy eyes. I won't go near that," Paul assured me. "Thanks for inviting us. It was a fun wedding. And I see a lovely lady that needs an escort." He was off like a shot.

They'd been dancing and enjoying the female attention for sure. Sammy was flirting with his blonde again.

"Do you think she'd go for a lineman?" Colin asked, eying Renee with interest.

Fucking hell. "She'd eat you alive."

"Plenty of me to eat," he said, laughing. "Introduce me. We'll call it even on the car."

He'd finally discovered the litter in his trunk a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I'd been braced for retaliation.

"Really? You won't fuck with me if I do?"

"Dude, it's been a long season already. I could use some relaxation."

Fuck it. What did I care? "Okay, let's go."

I hauled Colin over to Renee, who was quick to desert the doctor.

"Edward! Such a beautiful wedding! I'm so happy for you and Bella." She planted a smacking kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks, Renee. We appreciate you being here." Sort of. "Have you met my teammate, Colin? He's one of the guys who protect me."

Renee held out a hand, licking her lips. "I'm all about protection. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too."

He shot me a pleading look. What the fuck was I supposed to do? I couldn't talk to her for him. Idiot.

"Colin is one of the strongest guys on the team. And a former first-round draft pick."

Her eyes lit up at that. There. She knew first round equaled money.

"I like big, strong men. You must have excellent hands." Renee was practically purring as she touched his chest.

I bit back a laugh at the look on his face. "He does. I'm sure he'd be happy to show you, wouldn't you, Colin?"

He nodded emphatically. "I would."

Renee tucked her arm through his. "Why don't we go somewhere a little less crowded? Maybe you could show me."

That was all I needed to hear. "See you guys later."

I hightailed it over to where Sammy sat, his arm along the back of the blonde's chair.

"Did you just hook Colin up with your mother-in-law?"

"Don't ask. I feel dirty."

"You should! I hope your new bride doesn't kill you for that."

"Bella won't care. She'll be glad her mom is staying out of trouble, more or less."

"Sure, unless she gets the sad bastard to marry her. Then he'll be your father-in-law, and Bella will kill you."

Fuck. I hadn't thought of that. "Maybe I should-"

"I'm kidding, man. Colin's hard up, but he's not an idiot. He'll take what he can get and get home tomorrow. Speaking of that, I was wondering if I could catch a ride back with you on Monday?"

"Sure. I'll be leaving from Tallahassee, though."

Sammy grinned. "And that's where I'll be. Kylie here wants to show me around town."

And show him off, based on the way she was preening next to him.

"That's cool. I'll text you to tell you what time."

"Sounds good. Thanks. And congratulations. Great wedding. Gorgeous bride. You've got it all, man."

"He does." Reed Girl slipped underneath my arm. I pulled her close. "But then again, so do I. Thanks for being here. It means a lot to both of us."

"Thanks for having me. And for having such lovely friends."

Kylie smiled. "It was a beautiful wedding, Bella."

"Thank you. I had very little to do with it. Edward's mother's been a godsend."

I kissed the top of her head. "I already told her about the trip."

She laughed. "I heard. She's very excited. I'm pretty sure she's already shifting plans around in her mind."

That would be just like her. "That's Mom for you."

Reed Girl raised an eyebrow at me. "Speaking of moms…did I just see my mother leaving with Colin?"

Sammy let out a low whistle. "Good luck, my man. Sweetheart, let's dance."

Deserter. I shot him the finger, but he just grinned as he trotted off. My wife turned to face me.

"Well?"

"Look, he wanted to meet her. I warned him. He still wanted to meet her. He said we'd be even on the kitty litter. What was I to do?"

Her face was unreadable. Fuck. Was I in trouble already? We had only been married a couple hours.

She shook her head. "As long as you warned him."

"I did. I don't want him to become my father-in-law."

She burst out laughing. "Now, there's an awful thought! I don't think we have to worry, though. Colin's not her type, beyond the money. She'd want arm candy, like I got."

I chuckled and pulled her to me. "Arm candy, am I? I knew you married me for my looks."

"Well, of course I did! Surely it wasn't for the kindness that you rarely show anybody but me, or your intelligence, or your sense of humor."

She was so fucking awesome. "I don't need those. I have you for that now. And your looks."

She giggled. "I sound like the total package."

I kissed her. "You are. And I can't wait to unwrap you."

She hummed and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I can't wait, either. Let's do the cake and garter stuff and get the hell out of here."

Again, she reminded me why I'd married her. She was perfect for me.

"I could use some sweet before I get to the salty."

She giggled and smacked my ass. "Pervert."

"Yeah, but I'm your pervert," I reminded her.

She took my hand and headed toward the cake. "Yes, you are. Don't you forget it, Mr. Cullen."

"I could never, Mrs. Cullen."

I fucking loved saying that. And the way her face lit up every time I did.

We got through the cake without incident. I'd never understood the tradition of smashing perfectly good cake into your new spouse's face, so we skipped that shit and went right for the eating. Bella had the vanilla with raspberry while I went for the chocolate Boston cream. It was fucking awesome.

I was totally excited to dive under her dress to retrieve the garter, but the problem with her not wearing super poofy dress meant there wasn't that much room, so I couldn't go as far up her body as I wanted. But I did get in a few nibbles of her leg as I was removing the garter with my teeth.

I aimed the garter right at Sammy, who couldn't jump out of the way fast enough. Jasper dove for the thing, making Shorty squeal with glee, like their wedding wasn't already set in stone. Bella's other bridesmaid, Angela, caught the bouquet. Her boyfriend looked a little green about it. Fucking hilarious.

We danced and talked and mingled until my eyes were ready to cross, but Bella finally gave me the high sign.

"Are you sure it's cool that I do this?" I asked as we stood with the mike.

"Yes," she assured me. "I think it's great."

Okay, then.

"Bella and I want to thank you for coming to our wedding. It's been an amazing evening, and we're honored that you were all a part of it." I slid my arm around her. "I've been blessed to have a lot of incredible moments of celebration in my life. Hopefully I'll have a lot more."

That got a cheer from my teammates.

"But I can honestly say that I'll never have a better day than this. I think maybe when we have our child, it might be right up there." I flattened my hand on Bella's stomach. "We'll find out in about six months."

There were gasps and murmurs from the crowd, which quickly turned into applause and hooting.

Reed Girl grinned at me.

"We're thrilled to become a family officially today, and the fact that we're already going to expand that family has us incredibly excited for the future and everything that it holds. My best man was right when he said that I've become a better person since Bella came into my life. And I know that with her at my side, the sky's the limit.

"We thank you for being here for the beginning of our journey and look forward to you being part of our future. Thank you all so much for being here."

Reed Girl stepped up. "I just want to echo what my husband said."

Husband. How fucking awesome was that?

"We're so grateful to you all for being here and supporting us. We especially have to thank my new mother-in-law, Esme Cullen, for putting this beautiful wedding together for us. She had short notice, but she made it more beautiful than I could ever hope for. Thanks, Mom."

Of course my mother was crying. No surprise.

"And thanks to our families, friends, and everybody for being here for us. We love you all."

"We do," I echoed.

After a few more tears and hugs, it was finally time to get my wife alone. I hoped the hotel manager had come through with my requests. I wanted to make it a night to remember for my Bella. For both of us. We needed to have a night to match the wedding, after all.