“What do you mean you’re getting married?” His voice is still menacing, but he uses an ‘indoor voice’ for the kids.
“Seriously,” Theo mutters. “Have we entered the Twilight zone?”
Macbeth pops up from the couch, looking like she wants to crack her brothers in the skull with one of her mechanic’s wrenches.God, I love this woman.
“I’d have thought,” she says slowly, like she’s talking to an idiot, “that ‘married’ would be a word in your vocabulary, Romeo, since the rest of you have all taken the plunge.”
“But you’re our baby sister,” Theo interjects.
She turns on him with the ferocity of a bobcat. “Your wife is the same age as me. And when I objected toyourrelationship with my best friend, I seem to recall you telling me to butt out.”
Theo swallows. “But…”
“Isn’t this a little sudden?” William asks, steel in his tone.
I stand up, too, squeezing Macbeth’s hand. “When you know, you know.”
“When you know, you know?” Hamlet scoffs.
Hamlet’s wife, Annie, laughs. Her laughter, nearly as loud and clear as her Grammy-award winning voice, draws everyone’s attention. A hush falls over the room.
“We fell in love just as quickly, Ham,” she points out, “and we were complete strangers. Levi and Beth have known each other forever. I think they know their own hearts.”
“But—” he splutters.
Romeo’s scowl deepens. “It was that kiss under the mistletoe, wasn’t it?”
My face splits into a grin. “Let’s just say we owe Mercury Slice a thank you card.”
None of the brothers are happy with my response. They all glower at me with fists clenched.
This is not going well.
“Good grief,” Holly says, pushing past her husband and crossing the room to pull Macbeth into a hug. “Congratulations!” The other women quickly come forward to offer their own congratulatory hugs. They include me, too, but I can’t help but see their husbands glaring at me over their heads.
“Did you…” William begins, his voice shaking.
I know what he’s asking. He wants to know if I put my hands on his sister.
“She’s mine, and I’m hers,” I say simply.
William’s eyes bulge and his face turns red, but Pete steps in front of his sons and speaks for the first time since entering the cabin. “That’s enough, boys. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a Christmas miracle. All my children have found happiness, and that includes you, Levi. It’s exactly as it should be, and you have my blessing.”
“Thanks, Pete,” I say, tears stinging my eyes as he shakes my hand. Then he hugs Macbeth. “I love you, Beth.”
She buries her face in his chest. “Thanks, Daddy.”
I look at the other men, my best friends. Mybrothers. “You know I’m a man of my word. And I love her. I’ll take care of her. I swear it.”
“You’d better,” Will snarls.
“Or we’ll throw you off Bald Rock,” Hamlet agrees.
Romeo’s face softens. “I’ve always thought of you as a brother. We may as well make it legal. But if you hurt her—” He shakes a fist menacingly.
“You’ll have to answer to all of us,” Theo says. The others nod in agreement.
And I know they mean it. Macbeth has the fiercest protectors a woman could ask for. These men would die for her—and they’d kill for her if they felt it was justified.
