“You would do that for me — us?” I question. “What if I’m a serial killer or a bank robber on the lam or something?”
He starts chuckling and is soon laughing so hard, his head is thrown back. I watch in amazement because he’s a good-looking man, but when he laughs, he moves into a completely different stratosphere. “You’re fucking adorable, you know that right?” he manages to ask between fits of laughter.
“I’m a bit concerned that you think this is funny. It could be true, you know.”
“First of all, if you were either of those things, you wouldn’t have your kids. Second of all, Juan and Maria are excellent judges of character, as all of us in the club are, and there’s no way he’d allow his beloved daughter to babysit for you. Lastly, sweetheart, if you were a bank robber, you were a pretty terrible one because as hard as you work, you don’t really have a lot to your name.” I feel myself bristle at his words; I may not have a lot, but what I have is mine and I’ve busted my ass for every single thing since Alistair left me high and dry. “Sweetheart, I wasn’t casting aspersions on you or your ability to do anything. Just an observation. I know how hard you work, it’s evident in how well you keep that place you live, despite the fact that I think a strong wind would carry it away and by how your kids have everything they need, as well as quite a few of their wants from what I could tell.”
I deflate at his words. Here he is, pretty much offering me everything on a silver platter and I want to fuss about his choice of words? That’s kind of rude and if Mama T were here, she’d be giving me her signature look. “I’m sorry, Matt. I don’t mean to get defensive.”
“Never apologize for sticking up for yourself, pretty girl, even to me. So, what do you say?” he asks.
9
Mandie
I look at him but don’t say anything, my mind whirling with the information overload he’s just released on me. I mean, I’m attracted to him, sure, but what if he figures out I’m not all that? Of course, he made a lot of sense too. Sure, we’d be starting out a bit backward from most relationships, but people have gotten into them before with less in common. Right? I already know a lot about him from how he’s treated me, as well as the fact that when he heard about Aria, he came right to the hospital and other than running to get a few things, he seems to be sticking around.
“You’re overthinking things, Mandie,” he murmurs when I remain silent.
“Am I? I mean, you’d be taking on a hell of a lot, Matt,” I retort. “Two kids, me… that’s quite a bit to ask anyone to take on.”
“How so?” he asks.
Instead of answering him, I remind myself that I decided to grab the brass ring with both hands. “Well, unless I miss my guess, you’ve never been married before, correct?” He nods in agreement, so I continue. “I’m a raging lunatic once a month; chocolate isn’t safe within a ten-mile radius. That something you can live with?”
“I’ll go buy stock in your favorite brand today if I need to,” he replies, his face serious even though his eyes are twinkling.
“Then there’s the fact that Beau hasn’t even started walking yet, but if he’s anything like Aria was, nothing will be safe. Of course, she’ll eventually become a teenager as well. See what I mean? I don’t see what you’ll get out of the deal.”
“You.” His softly spoken word takes the wind out of my sails, especially when he tips my chin up with his finger and cradles my face in his hand. Before I can respond, his lips are descending toward mine and I feel the softest kiss imaginable while his thumb lightly strokes my cheek. Even though he keeps the kiss light and not overly invasive given where we are, I still feel as though I’ve been branded down to the marrow of my bones.
I pull back slightly and ask, “Is that enough?”
“Yeah.” His voice is huskier, and he pulls me close again only this kiss is anything but soft and light. I feel a fire start burning deep in my gut, one that I never knew was there, and my hands move to cup his head, my fingers roaming up and down his body in an attempt to learn his physique.
Finally needing air, I pull back slightly and say, “Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. It may not be conventional, but most of my life hasn’t been, you know? We’ll figure it out as we go along.” At my words, he kisses me again and desire unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before engulfs me, causing me to squirm on his lap.
“Guess you need this then,” he replies, once again pulling back slightly. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a simple engagement ring. “It’s not much, but I had limited options available seeing as how I wanted to get back here to y’all,” he says, slipping it on my finger.
“It’s beautiful,” I state, looking down at the silver band with a diamond solitaire in the center. I’ve never had much jewelry-wise, just a few pieces that were my mother’s, but when Alistair left, he stole them.
I’m about to say something else when I hear the unmistakable sound of giggles coming toward the room. Glancing up, I see Aria riding in the wheelchair they took her down in, a princess crown on her head and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cape. She’s got her hand up and is waving to people as she passes them. “She’s something else,” Matt says, looking at the door.
“That she is,” I reply, standing to greet her and the nurse. “How did she do?” I ask.
“She was perfect,” the nurse says as she helps get Aria back into her bed before she reconnects all the tubes where they belong. “The doctor should have the results shortly.”
“Thank you.” I look at Aria and see that despite her merriment, she’s wiped out. “How about you take a nap, sweetie?”
“I don’t like naps, Mommy, but I is very tired right now,” she admits.
“Just a little one, okay?” I lean down and kiss her forehead, grateful that she seems to have broken the slight fever she did have when she first arrived.
We end up staying two additional days before the doctor releases us to go home. As I pack up all the things that have made their way to the hospital courtesy of not only Matt but also Shayla and Corrie, I keep glancing at my finger where my diamond sparkles. We’re going today from here to the courthouse to get married. Not sure how he managed it, but he was able to get our marriage license despite me not being with him and I suspect it had more to do with the fact that he’s a member of the club than anything.
Juan, Maria and Ollie are meeting us there with Beau and will stand up as our witnesses. I did ask Matt if he wanted anyone from the club, but he said they would be good enough. He also said if I wanted, we could have a fancy wedding down the road, but I’m okay with us going to the courthouse.
Once I have everything packed up, I slip into Aria’s bathroom to try and make myself presentable. Even though I slept in her bed with her, I still have deep circles under my eyes and lament the fact that I don’t have any makeup.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Matt asks, coming into the room. He already took one load of our things down to his truck while they have Aria getting one last X-ray. At this rate, she’s going to start glowing. I’m just glad she’s feeling better.
“Yeah,” I reply, walking out with yet more things that were stashed in the bathroom. “How is it we were here less than a week and yet, we have all this stuff?”
He chuckles as he takes what I’m holding and puts it all into yet another duffle bag. “Probably because everyone kept bringing things to y’all,” he replies, leaning in to kiss me. “You ready for this?” he asks, his finger stroking my ring.
I take a deep breath and let it out before saying, “Yes. Still think you’re getting the raw end of it all, but no take-backs.” He grins and kisses my forehead before turning to the door where I hear Aria singing.
“We’re all ready to go, Mom,” the nurse says as she brings Aria into the room. “I’ll wheel the princess down if you want to go get the vehicle.”
“You walk with her, sweetheart, I’ll pull the truck around,”
Matt states. Looking at the nurse, he asks, “Do I pull around to the front?”
“Yes, sir,” she replies.
He leans in and kisses my forehead then ruffles Aria’s hair. “I’ll see you two downstairs in a few minutes.” He then grabs all the bags and walks out the door and I feel my heartbeat speed up. I have no clue what the future holds and I’m anxious as hell, but I suspect this man, who has already turned my world on its axis, is going to show me what it really means to be loved.
Matt
I pull the truck around to the front and get out to wait. When I see Mandie and Aria, I open the doors before I scoop Aria up, set her in the car seat and get her buckled. Once she’s squared away, I kiss her head and say, “I’m glad you’re feeling better, sweetheart.”
“Me too, Mr. Matt. Is we going to gets married now?” she asks.
“Yes, we are,” Mandie replies. I grin as I make sure her door is shut tight, then walk around the front of the truck and slide into the driver’s seat. Leaning over, I gently tug Mandie toward me and kiss her. “So, you got car seats for your truck too?” she asks. I smirk at her as I nod, then put the truck in gear.
“Why is you kissing my mommy?” Aria questions.
I chuckle. She never stops asking questions and is inquisitive as fuck, just like JJ and Meli are. “Because I like kissing your mommy,” I state. And judging from the tightness of my jeans, my dick does as well.
The trip to the courthouse doesn’t take very long since our town is barely more than a couple of red lights. I park and repeat the process of getting Aria out but when I attempt to keep carrying her, she says, “I wants to walk, Mr. Matt. Please lets me.” How the fuck can I resist this little three-year-old cutie? I put her down and hold out my hand for her to take. She grasps my huge, calloused hand in her dainty fingers and grins up at me. Shaking my head, I reach for Mandie’s hand and lace our fingers together.
It feels so fucking right, despite how backwards we’re doing things. We walk into the courthouse and my jaw nearly drops. Juan, Maria, Olive and Beau are standing off to the side, which I wholly expected. But standing with them are my brothers as well as the old ladies. When I look at Reese, he states, “We’ll always have y’alls back, Matt.”
“How did you find out?” I ask. He gives a nod down to Aria, who is currently hugging Juan and chattering to Beau.
“Let’s do this thing,” Corrie says, hugging Mandie.
Reese leans in and says, “Y’all are coming back to the clubhouse once we’re through here. No arguments. We got Mandie’s cut ready and waiting there.”
I just shake my head because it doesn’t bother me one bit that not only will she be my old lady, but I’ll have her tied to me legally as well. “Where do we need to go?” Mandie asks.
“Through here,” Shayla says, pointing to a sign. As a group, we move into Courtroom A, where an older man is sitting there. Based on his robes, I’m going with the thought that he’s the judge who’ll be marrying us today. A thrill shoots through me; after Jessa, I never expected to be in this position. I won’t say that I love Mandie, but I think we’ve got a good foundation started with being friends. I respect the hell out of what she’s managed to accomplish on her own and am grateful that she found Juan and his family.
The judge stands and walks over to us. “So, who am I marrying today?” he asks.
“Us,” Aria says, pointing at me, her mom, Beau and herself. Mandie smiles and I realize that I haven’t talked to her about eventually adopting the kids as my own. Later, I promise myself.
“Actually, it’s him and me,” Mandie replies, holding up our joined hands.
“Well, I see you’ve got plenty of witnesses. Family?” he questions.
“Absolutely. Maybe not by blood, but family isn’t always about that,” I state.
“You’re correct, young man,” the judge says.
The ceremony doesn’t take long and before I know it, the judge pronounces us husband and wife.
I have a wife, I think as I gently kiss her. Her soft smile after I pull back has me stroking my hand down her cheek.
“Clubhouse,” Reese calls out after hugging Mandie and slapping me on the back. Maria is busy taking pictures of us all and I make a mental note to see if I can find someone who can take family pictures of the four of us to start our new life.
10
Mandie
I’m married.
We head to the clubhouse, the kids chattering in the back of the truck, and I can’t stop looking at the wedding band that now sits on my left ring finger. That day he went shopping, he got everything at once; a fact that still blows me away. “You’re awfully quiet over there,” he murmurs, glancing at me.
“Still can’t believe we did this,” I reply.
“No take-backs,” he teases, using the words I said to him a few days ago.
“No take-backs,” I promise. Deciding I need to say more, I continue. “I promise that I’ll always be honest, and I’ll hold your secrets as if they are my own. I won’t stray and if we have an argument of any kind, I promise to talk it out until we reach a solution or a compromise.”
He nods, saying, “This is new for me too, sweetheart. Been a long time since I’ve been in any kind of relationship, and while I know we’re just starting, I think we’ve got a good foundation already.”
“I think so too,” I reply, looking at him. He winks at me and I feel myself blushing. I wonder if he’s going to want sex right away. The thought doesn’t freak me out as much as I thought it might, but I’m still nervous about him seeing me naked with all my faults and flaws on display.
“Whatever you’re overthinking about, you need to stop, sweetheart,” he advises.
I shake my head. “You’re doing it again,” I retort.
“What’s that?”
“Somehow, you knew I was in my head about something,” I reply.
“You get a look on your face when that happens,” he says. I’m about to reply when he pulls up to the clubhouse. Putting the truck in park, he motions for me to stay put, then he gets Beau out and walks around to the rear passenger side to unbuckle Aria and help her down. Once they’re taken care of, he opens my door and helps me out, kissing me after I’m standing in front of him. “Okay, let’s see why they needed us here.”
I take Aria’s hand and despite him carrying Beau, he still manages to pull me into his side with his arm around my shoulders. The weight gives me a sense of peace and security I haven’t known in years. When he opens the door and I see the sign that’s hanging from the ceiling, I start crying.
He hurriedly passes Beau off to Olive, who came over to us and pulls me into his arms. “Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay,” he whispers.
“N-n-no one has ever done as much for me as y’all have,” I stammer out. “I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
“They’re family, Mandie,” he replies. “And since you’re my wife and old lady, they’re yours as well. They want to celebrate our beginning which I think is fucking fantastic.”
I manage to get my tears to stop and look up at him. Being this close, I can see the sincerity in his gaze. “I’m good, Matt. It just surprised me is all.” I hear the clicking of nails and glance to my left to see his dog coming toward us, three others behind him. “We’ve got company,” I say, giggling.
“Champ, Bosco, Louie, Duke,” he replies, pointing to each one. “Since we’re all together and not stressing, they’re roaming right now.”
A thought crosses my mind and I ask, “Where are we staying?”
“We’ll have to stay at your place until I get the details on the house finalized,” he admits. “Shouldn’t be more than a few weeks, though. It doesn’t need any renovations and in fact, the current owner wants me to bring you by because he’s willing to let us keep whatever furnishings we want. The only thing I insist on is a new bedroom suite.”
“We’re going to share a room?” I whisper. I mean, our relationship isn’t conventional and outside of the few kisse
s we’ve shared, he’s given no indication about his expectations regarding physical intimacy.
He tilts my chin and leans even closer. “We may not be there yet, but yes, you’re my wife and I’m your husband so we’ll be by one another.” His voice is firm, yet kind and I nod.
“Okay, Matt,” I murmur.
“Can we party now?” Aria asks, interrupting our moment. I suspect that’ll happen frequently, because she’s always on the go. Her enforced rest during her hospital stay nearly drove me crazy, because the steroids hyped her already exuberant personality up even more. When she was finally allowed out of the bed, we spent a lot of time walking around the floor just to try and wear her out.
“Absolutely,” Matt states, drawing me further into the room where I see balloons and streamers decorating the walls and tables. One long table is off to the side with covered pans and I instinctively know that Juan and Maria made the food.
The next few hours are spent eating and talking with everyone, with Maria constantly snapping pictures. When she stops by me, I ask, “Can you email me the pictures you’ve taken today?”
“Absolutely, sweet girl. You ready for some cake?”
Cake? We have cake? Score!
“Is that a serious question, Maria? By the way, I can’t thank y’all enough for taking care of Beau for me.”
“It’s what family does, mija,” she replies, kissing my cheek. Matt comes over and wraps his arms around me from behind and I lean into his embrace.
“We’ve got cake, Matt,” I tell him.
“Well, every good party has cake,” he replies, chuckling. He walks me over to the table where a beautiful wedding cake is sitting. I start laughing when I see the motorcycle on top, with a groom wearing a cut and the bride in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
Matt - The Black Tuxedos MC Page 9