“Still coyote-ugly, brother. Rachael’s gonna run screaming.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Vogue says I’m one of the top ten sexiest bachelors they hate to see go off the market this year.”
Camden laughed. “They didn’t know you existed before now. You were ten out of ten on that list. That’s like, an honorable mention. Did you get your participation ribbon yet, pretty boy?”
“Fuck off,” Jake said, grinning. He crossed the room and pulled back the window curtain just enough to see the paparazzi camped out in the church parking lot. Despite the Vogue article, they weren’t there to photograph him but to catch Bette Collins, proud mother of the groom. And her new daughter-in-law, the up-and-coming singer/songwriter Rachael Deal.
Scratch that—RachaelCollins. His Angel didn’t wait for the wedding to change her name to his, to shed that old life, spread her wings and fly headlong into the bright future she’d fought so hard for. Today, their wedding would make it official.
She was already a welcomed and loved member of his family. His dad took her under his protective wing, showing her how a real father is supposed to act. His brothers and sister told her the most embarrassing stories they could remember about Jake growing up. And the minute Jake brought her home, his mother met them at the door and pulled Rachael into a hug. The two women who meant the most to Jake in the entire world became instant allies, sharing tears and laughter over their difficult pasts.
Rachael’s past wasn’t quite behind her then. She was just beginning the long road through the courts to clear her name and send her father and his cohorts to prison. She identified Hank as having stolen the accounting book for the meatpacking plant, leading investigators to find it hidden in his apartment. Thanks to what her mom told her, Rachael figured out where Agent Smiley’s body lay—under the very blackbird tree she and her mother loved, the one Linda Deal warned her daughter away from the day she was murdered. That information, along with the help of Jake’s older brother—L.A.’s finest lawyer if Jake said so himself—earned his Angel her freedom.
What property wasn’t RICO’ed, Rachael sold off, vowing never to return to Ross, Nebraska. She gave a good chunk of the money to Elena. As compensation for the night her father, Hank, and the sheriff took them hostage, Jake thought, though Rachael was vague about her reasons and Jake suspected there was more to it. Now Elena and Tina were free to escape Nebraska too, and Rachael didn’t hesitate to tell Elena about the many charms of California. They came out for the wedding, Elena as the maid-of-honor and Tina as the flower girl.
Speaking of….
“Time is it, brother?” Jake asked Camden as he let the curtain cover the window again.
“You don’t have a watch?”
“You’re my best man, it’s your job to wait on me hand and foot today.”
“Riiiight, and to keep you from looking like a jackass. I’m gonna need double-pay for that.” Camden glanced at his watch. “Show starts in ten.”
Jake paced. Ten minutes felt like an eternity. No, the last twenty-four hours without Rachael had been an eternity. She insisted on the old tradition of the groom not seeing his bride right before the wedding. Probably kept many a horny groom from running away, but in Jake’s case there was no way in hell he’d skip out on his wedding. He wanted nothing more than to make Rachael his wife. They could talk about babies after that—Jake wanted little Jakes and Rachaels running around ASAP. But he understood that she had a singing career to launch—one that was already taking off with a couple of Rachael’s accidentally-on-purpose leaked songs taking over social media. He was still settling in as a profiler at Watchdog Security, but as soon as they both had their careers in hand, Jake was buying the biggest crib he could find.
A knock on the door brought Jake out of his thoughts. “Finally!” He opened it to find Bill outside looking fine in a tux…and rhinestone-encrusted Elvis shades.
“Thank you, thank you verreh much for opening the door. You ready to rock and roll?” Bill’s Elvis impression was in top form today.
Jake clasped the hand of the man who gave him shelter and his Angel a chance to sing. “More than ready. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Jake, Camden, and Bill walked to the back of the church while Pachelbel’s “Canon” played on a harp. The wedding party was lined up and waiting to enter, including Jake’s older brother Grant, his younger brother Fallon, and their little sis, Samantha. When they got there, Bill kissed Connie, who laughed and took off his Elvis glasses. Their daughter rolled her eyes at her parents.
Jake couldn’t help but notice Camden speed up just a little bit when he spotted Elena, who was busy smoothing the skirt of Tina’s sweet flower girl dress. Camden dropped to his knees and touched Tina’s cheek, then told the little girl she looked as beautiful as any bride. When he stood, Elena looked up at him and blushed. Then they both looked down, small smiles on their faces.
Jake looked around in vain, hoping to sneak a peek at Rachael, but she was still hidden away somewhere. Camden nudged Jake and they entered first. Jake smiled and nodded at the guests—various cousins, aunts and uncles, friends, new co-workers including his boss, and a who’s who of Hollywood celebrities and musicians, courtesy of Bette. His mom sat at the very front in her wheelchair beside an empty spot in the pew reserved for Jake’s dad.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Love you, Bette,” he said, his heart overflowing for the woman who raised him with love, who took in his bride without hesitation, like Rachael was her own.
“That’s Mom to you, kiddo,” she answered—their old joke. Then, “Love you too, Sweetheart. You picked a good woman.”
Camden leaned in to kiss Jake’s mom. “Looking gorgeous, Ms. C.” He winked and Bette Collins, who had starred opposite some of the world’s hottest actors, actually blushed.
The bridal party made its way up the aisle next, ending with the ring bearer—one of Jake’s younger cousins—and Tina, the girl solemnly strewing white rose petals like her life depended on it. Jake fought back a laugh at her serious cuteness—and then he sawher.
His Rachael. His Angel. His bride. Standing at the back of the church on his father’s arm.
Gorgeous.
Perfect.
His.
Jake’s heart stopped at her beauty. She’d chosen a simple but elegant dress that caressed her curves. As he watched, his dad said something which lit her face with a smile. She rolled up on her toes and kissed his cheek. The music changed and they started down the aisle as everyone stood and faced them. Jake barely registered the ooohs and ahhs from the crowd—Rachael held his complete awareness, his whole heart, now and forever.
He belonged to her.
