“Yes,” I reply. “There’s nothing more important to us, so it would mean a lot if you were there. I still owe you a drink, sir.”
He chuckles. “That you do. My daughter informed me it’s a good one.”
I cup my hand around my mouth without lowering my volume and point at my soon-to-be wife. “Says the lush. It’ll put hair on your chest.”
Tessa laughs, looping her arms around my waist. “That’s why I couldn’t get that low-cut dress.”
On that light note, I kiss her hair and prepare to part ways. We say another goodbye. She hugs them, I shake their hands, and we tromp down the porch stairs.
“We’ll be there,” her mother calls out. “Of course we’ll be there. What about your sisters?”
Tessa pumps my hand and gulps back a breath of emotion before spinning. “My door has always been open to all of you. It still is, as long as you’re willing to keep your arms open for me and the people I love.”
Such a graceful way of saying,Respect us or don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
Tessa spreads her legs, attempting to brace herself better, though she’s still gravely off-balance. A wry chuckle drifts past her lips as abuzzharmonizes with my playlist.
“Of all the moronic things,” she hisses. “Stay still.”
I hum, feigning consideration, even though we both know her annoyance is a double-edged blade for me, one that cuts into both of us with an addictive sting. “You stick to your task, and I’ll stick to mine.”
“It seems ill-advised to taunt me in my current position,” she warns.
“You missed your chance to off me, Nightmare. Too obvious now. It’s always the wife.”
Our wedding was a fucking fairy tale. Tessa, Mercy, and my sister spent the afternoon being pampered with massages, manicures, makeup, and hair. The rooftop terrace was aglow with marital-celebration bliss. There were bouquets of Pixy Stix and ice sculptures designed from Tessa’s drawings.
Jax did a stellar job on song selections, working from that ranking list Tessa and I’d created. He also gave my girl a mood ring. It turned blue right after she put it on, which he insisted was a sign she was right where she belonged. I think he rigged it for her something blue, but she was over the moon either way.
Her something old was my butterfly knife. She’d even mastered a few combinations over the past few months and managed to show them off. Thoseclick-clack-rattles sounded like my mother’s swooning approval from the beyond.
Ryker had the honor of officiating the ceremony, pride and passion dripping from every word. Since my parents hadn’t been great examples of a healthy marriage, Ryker’s unwavering support and devotion to Mercy over the years was my representation of what a beautiful relationship could be. Having him pronounce us man and wife was more meaningful than hecould fathom. Mid-ceremony, Remy coiled himself around his father’s leg, which was pretty damn meaningful too.
Cash pretended to lose the wedding rings, only to pull one from Tessa’s ear and the other near my … crotch. He tsked. “Let that be a lesson that you need to be careful. Rings can get stuck on things.”
Jackass.
Tessa burst out laughing though. “Well played.”
She’d already told me that she’d divulged our mishap to him.
We exchanged vows under a crescent halo illuminating a freckled sky, with the pool fountains warbling in the background and a song that would’ve made my mother weep. As it was, the rest of the group did. Even Axel was fighting back tears.
He’d started the day off by guiding me into his office and telling me he was proud of me. That about did me in, but he followed it up by telling me I was the hardest to raise—caught in the middle and the one he’d made the most mistakes with because it was trial by fire. Pun unintended.
“But you’re also the one I saw the most of Mom in. Her mark on you was unmistakable. It still is. And, yes, she’d adore Tessa. It’s what I thought the first time I met her.”
That had us both blubbering like fucking babies. Not quite blubbering. Fine, misty-eyed and verklempt, but blubbering paints a more vivid picture. And it was a cinema-worthy moment.
The whole evening was. It was an intimate affair, but still brimming with liveliness. Rena and Ty’s entire family was here, of course. And Bernard, Gentry, and Brasi were also invited to join us.
Tessa’s family came too. My siblings embraced them with a warm welcome and firm, Mafia-adjacent don’t-fuck-with-our-girl glowers. It put them in their place, but didn’t sully the mood. Not when they saw Tessa kicking up her heels anddoing the Charleston with me and the rest of my family. They were captivated by her, which was understandable. She was striking in her off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, fitted black-and-purple dress. A smile brighter than celestial awe, her laughter more brilliant than the buoyant swing music trilling though the surround sound. But it was how free she was that struck them.
I finally made her father a drink, and in our brief conversation, he assured me he’d be stepping up the way he always should have. I’m guessing he laid down a firm warning to his wife, daughters, and their significant others because all were on their best behavior. Eden and John even allowed Anna and Adam to partake in the dancing. Remy and Bernard—the dog—were thrilled about that. And Bernard—the man—seemed to be equally elated that Tessa’s grandmother was light on her feet.
On the final slow dance of the night, Tessa nuzzled her face into my neck. “Thank you for the best wedding gift imaginable.”
“We haven’t even exchanged gifts yet, but the honeymoon is about to begin.”
