Christmas Eve Panic...

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five


James was frantic. Andrew was trying to get him to calm down enough to tell him what was wrong.

"SON OF A BITCH! MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Dude, you're going to have to tell me what's up. It's your wedding day, you cannot be this mad on your wedding day."

"There isn't going to be a wedding!"

Andrew was stunned. James and Carrie were perfect for each other. Cancel the wedding on the day of? There was no way that was going to happen. "What? Are you serious? What happened? Is Carrie okay? Are you okay? What's going on?"

James tooks a deep breath, "Carrie's fine. She doesn't even know yet. I don't know how I'm going to tell her. I....SHIT FUCK DAMN!" With that James shoved his phone toward Andrew.

Andrew read the text. "Motherfucker...that asshole."

"You see? You see what I mean? What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Andrew looked at the text again. The minister they had hired for the service had cancelled at the last minute. Who does that? And on Christmas Eve it wasn't like they were going to find an abundance of people without plans. But still he was the Best Man and this fell squarely in to Best Man handles shit that goes wrong duties.

"Don't tell Carrie. Not yet. Let me see what I can do."

James shook his head, "I don't know that there is anything we can do..."

Andrew was already texting Julianne. She was their most connected friend. If anyone knew a minister who would be free on Christmas Eve it was her. "Let me reach out to see if anyone knows anyone who can do it."

James was still shaking his head, "Nobody is going to know anyone that's ridiculous. We're screwed."

Andrew's phone buzzed, "Maybe not Julianne has a lead." Then Andrew laughed.

"Nothing is funny here, bud!"

"Sorry, you're right, it's not funny ha ha, it's funny odd. Let me see if I can do this."

Andrew sent a thank you to Julianne and then another text message out to see if he could get this fixed for James before Carrie even knew there was a problem.

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Lauren was putting a tray of cookies in the oven when her phone buzzed. She saw who the text was from and smiled a little. A Christmas Eve text? Well that was kind of nice. She hadn't really planned on contacting him until after the holidays but if he was messaging her...She smiled as she opened the message.

Her uncle and his wife had been watching the whole drama play out on her face. They smiled at each other as she mouthed, "It must be a boy."

Lauren looked up from her phone, "Do you want to go to a wedding?"

"Us?"

"Yeah, seems someone needs an emergency preacher. You are still ordained right?"

Her uncle had gotten ordained online a few years ago just to be able to perform wedding services for a friend of theirs. He had done it a few times since. Seems he was a real romantic at heart and had enjoyed doing them.

"Emergency when?"

Lauren looked at her watch, "In like a hour? Friends of a friend are getting married today and their minister canceled at the last minute. They are a little desperate and you are the only ordained minister we all know."

Her uncle laughed, "In an hour? I can fit that in, I think, as long as we don't have a long service to deal with. We've still got plans for later tonight, but...are you okay with the change in plans?"

They had been going to watch Elf and eat Christmas cookies then exchange gifts before he needed to leave.

Lauren and her aunt agreed that it was worth the change in plans. Some things overrode Christmas Eve relaxing and this seemed to fit that bill.

She smiled at her aunt and uncle, they really were the best. "Let me text Andrew back and tell him we've got it covered."

"Is Andrew the groom?" Her aunt asked.

"Oh no! He's the Best Man. His brother is the groom."

"So, he's single?"

Lauren blushed just a little. "Stop it."

She sent the text and they all went to change in to more appropriate wedding attire.