Flea grinned. “At Mom’s.”
“All night,” Grace added with a sassy grin.
“Are you really getting married?” Cricket prodded.
Katie met my eyes, and I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You sure about this, sweetheart?” Hatch asked and I frowned.
“She’s sure.”
“Shecan answer for herself,” Katie ground out, then faced Hatch. “I’m sure, Hatch. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Well, I hope it’s more because you love me and can’t live without me,” I said.
Katie waved her hand. “Yeah, and that.”
Cricket bust out laughing. “Oh, that’s the sure-fire sign of a long-lasting marriage.”
I kissed the top of her head and glanced around the room. “Are you comin’ with us on Monday to the courthouse?”
Cricket leaned against Minus as she raised an eyebrow. “You’re really going to give up your dreams of a big wedding, Kate?”
“It’s wartime, Cricket, and I’m not letting another day pass without him. We can plan a big party when all of this shit with the Spiders is over and done with.”
“You’re gonna need to postpone the Monday date, sweetheart,” Hatch said. “But as soon as it’s safe, we’ll find a date and the club’ll pay for it.”
“Like, epic, big brother,” Cricket said. “Could cost thousands.”
“Cricket,” Katie admonished.
“I got you,” Hatch said.
“Don’t argue, bestie,” Cricket pressed. “If my brother said he’ll pay for it, that means, I’m taking the credit card and running with it.”
“Jesus,” Hatch hissed.
“You can’t take it back now, darling,” Maisie said. “I’m going to help.”
“Fuck me,” Hatch bit out.
I gave Katie a squeeze. “Ring tomorrow, court as soon as possible, then party when all this shit’s over.”
Katie smiled up at me and nodded.
“We’ve got a club jeweler,” Hatch said. “I’ll give him a call.”
“Thanks, brother,” I said.
“Right, what are we drinkin’?” Minus asked.
For the rest of the evening, we drank while Maisie and Katie put together an impromptu snack plate for everyone. It wasn’t the celebration we expected, but it was the one we needed.
Little did I know our wedding would be delayed longer than either of us anticipated.
Hatch
IDRAGGED MYSELF up the stairs, hearing Maisie’s playlist playing quietly as I slipped into the bedroom, Air Supply filtering through the Bluetooth speaker. She’d gone to bed an hour ago, and after the impromptu party at Katie’s, I was sure she’d be asleep by now. However, when I slid under the covers, I had barely a minute before the song switched and she started singing along with one of her god-awful boy bands from the nineties.
