Zander ends up yanking it out of her hand and shutting it off. It looks as though they might be exchanging some sarcastic remarks to each other, the beginning of a new argument.
“The food better be good,” Gemma mutters, moving away from the bar with another drink.
I follow suit, finding place cards with names written on them to indicate where we are to sit.
I sit down between Joey and Gemma, thankful that at least Gemma isn’t with a partner tonight. The last thing I want is to have it thrown in my face that I’m back to being the seventh or sometimes ninth wheel. Or, in the case of tonight, a twenty-sixth wheel.
Thankfully, Scarlett came dateless, and it looks like Conner did, too. Not to mention the two old biddies who look to be yelling in each other’s ears and still having trouble understanding what is being said. Otherwise, the room is full of Sasha and Declan’s old and new friends, as well as clients they have both gotten close to over the years.
Sasha’s parents are nowhere to be seen, but that isn’t a surprise since she isn’t close with them. Declan only has a father who is still alive, and I don’t think he has ever met him, given he’s in prison.
It takes almost no time before servers begin to bring out our meals. Soon, there are loud voices, laughter, and the clinking of cutlery hitting plates as the food is consumed.
By the time I finish my last bite, my voice sounds hoarse from speaking loudly to Joey and Teagan over the noise, and my stomach is bloated enough to look like I have a serious food baby. Despite that, for the first time in a while, I spend a lot of my night laughing.
Joey insists we eye the waitstaff off and determine their sexual orientation. In true Joey fashion, he is convinced every woman wants to sleep with him, even after Teagan threatens he can take her name off that list if he keeps it up.
Thankfully, I manage to go almost my entire meal without glancing at Scarlett.
“Where did Sasha and Zander go?” Ava asks from opposite us as she glances around the barn for them.
I glance around, too, not finding them anywhere. I have been having so much fun that I never even noticed them leaving.
I worry Sasha’s morning sickness might be getting the best of her. She was a bit of a bitch to Ava and Teagan both when they suffered morning sickness, so I guess it’s karma if she is getting hers now. Then again, with her and Zander missing, I wouldn’t put it past them to be arguing about something unimportant and stupid. It seems to be their way.
For two people not at all related by blood, I have never seen two people act more like siblings. They fight and bicker almost constantly, yet there is this underlining love that simmers behind their words.
“I don’t know, but who the hell is Dec talking to?” Joey asks.
I glance over at an older woman speaking in hushed tones to Declan at the side of the large table.
That’s when the music suddenly quiets again.
“Guys!” Declan yells, gaining everyone’s attention almost immediately.
He looks nervous, and straight away, I fear something is wrong. Something happened to Sasha. That’s why she isn’t here.
Oh, shit. What the hell happened? Is the baby okay?
While my thoughts spin frenziedly out of control, Declan continues speaking once he is happy he has everyone’s attention.
“This here with me is Geraldine, someone Sasha and I have met with a few times and decided she is the officiant we want to marry us.”
Ava gasps, while I’m slow to understand what is happening.
“We wanted to surprise you all tonight by not only making this our engagement party but also our wedding.”
More shocked gasps echo around us, as well as smiles and even some cheers.
I’m still in the shocked stage when the music changes, not to the traditional wedding march, but to something with a loud trumpet tempo that sounds vaguely familiar. I have no idea why.
We all glance over to the entrance to see Sasha standing with her arm intertwined with Zander’s. He looks proud as punch as he walks her the short way toward Declan
I glance around, wondering what the hell is going on.
Sasha is still in the same dress and flats, with the same small amount of makeup on. Declan is wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved buttoned shirt.
Is this seriously how they are going to get married? I mean, she didn’t even have a bachelorette party. She might be pregnant, but that doesn’t mean she can’t live vicariously through us.
As she nears Declan, their eyes never once breaking from each other, I’m soon wrapped up in their love, their excitement, and the beauty of this moment.
We all stand, moving away from the table and crowding around the couple as Zander makes his way in front of Declan. I am holding my breath, tears blurring my vision as pure happiness floods over me.
Zander gives Sasha away with tears in his eyes and a stern slap to Declan’s back.
The celebrant speaks of marriage and commitment, reads a few short poems about friendship and love, and then Sasha speaks up to give her own vows.
“Dec, I promise to love you always, fight with you sometimes, fall asleep whenever you put any of your ridiculous movies on, always finish your dessert, and always be up for sex any time we can fit it in.” Her voice wobbles, her eyes shine brightly, and her attention is glued to the man opposite her. “I know our child will be so lucky to have you for a father, just as I know I am so lucky to have you as my husband. I might have spent most of my life hating you, Declan Lockwood, but I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you unconditionally.”
Silence reigns loudly as we all glance over at Declan, wondering how he is going to respond.
I know a lot of people don’t understand them as a couple. Declan can sometimes be dwarfed by Sasha’s strong personality, but I see them clearly. I see how proud and in love Declan is with Sasha. He loves every single part of her, even her stubbornness, brashness, and sometimes overconfidence. He lets her be her, and in return, Sasha gives him her fierce loyalty. She would literally do anything for him, and I dare say she would say she proved that by walking down the aisle, on her wedding day, to whatever the hell music she just did.
Declan tries to clear his throat a couple of times before he can speak, and when he does, we all strain to hear the softly spoken words, full of emotion and love.
“Sasha, I promise to protect you, love you, and never get between you and your dessert.” He pauses to let the small wave of laughter float over us. “I will always take your side, even when your side is getting me in trouble. And before you ask, no, being my wife doesn’t get you the answers early for quiz night.”
The two old ladies groan and grumble good-naturedly from the front of the small gathering.
“These past few years, you have become my whole world, and while our child grows a little more inside you every day, I find myself even more in awe of you. You are amazing, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I promise to spend the rest of my life making it worth your while. I love you, Sasha Jennings, for now and for always.”
Tears spill down almost everyone’s faces, and the few who are holding back are blinking quickly to stem their tears from spilling over.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Everyone,” Geraldine calls out, waving her hand to the crowd, “I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood.”
We all cheer as Sasha and Declan kiss. Then, when the kiss doesn’t stop but turns into something looking like it might lead to more, someone throws a bouquet of flowers at Declan’s head, and he finally pulls away.
That is when the real music kicks in.
Declan takes Sasha’s hand and leads her out to the dance floor. They cradle each other as they sway to the music.
“You kept that a secret!” Ava gasps out when Zander comes back to our side of the table as we move to give Sasha and Declan more room.
He holds his hand out to Ava, which she immediately grasps. “Sasha pulled me aside ten minutes ag
o to ask me if I wanted to give her away,” Zander says, pulling his wife into his arms and wrapping her in a tight hug. “Fuck, I can’t believe … I mean, I never thought … Fuck,” he says, seeming overwhelmed by not only the sweet as hell gesture but also the moment.
“Let’s dance,” she suggests.
Zander must still be overwhelmed, since he actually allows himself to be led out onto the dance floor where other couples soon join them.
I look over at Teagan, who is holding a sleeping Michaela. “I’ll take her if you want to dance with Joey,” I offer.
She smiles warmly at me, letting me carefully hold Michaela, who doesn’t seem to mind the louder music yet. Then I watch as Teagan forces Joey to his feet, since he just sat back down, and laughs when he drags his feet in an overly dramatic display.
My eyes stray down the table, where I notice a sleeping Kiera being held by Harvey. He looks torn between being freaked out to be holding Ava and Zander’s little girl and murderous at any threats that may be nearby. Farther down, Jensen is sitting with Van, Zander’s much-younger brother, who is entertaining him and making his girlfriend swoon over how good he is with his nephew.
Going by what Ava has said, Van is a bit of a player. Let’s see if this girl sticks around.
Then my eyes catch on Scarlett, who takes Conner’s hand as he leads her to the dance floor. I watch her move, see her laugh, and wish I could hear it, too. Unfortunately, the music drowns it out.
Laughing is one thing Scarlett always gave so freely and is one of the things I miss most about being with her.
My life is so much emptier without her in it. So much quieter.
I dated Vanessa for years, lived with the woman, and it didn’t take half as long as this to get over her. So, why am I stuck so hard on Scarlett? Why can’t I get my heart to understand there is no way she will ever forgive me?
Several songs later, Sasha moves over to the table where she collapses beside me, followed closely by Ava and Teagan.
I hand Michaela back to Teagan and focus on Ava when she lightly slaps Sasha’s arm.
“I can’t believe you kept all this a secret!”
“I know, I’m surprised, too,” she says with a huge smile.
“Why? We would have helped,” Teagan says.
“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”
Ava rolls her eyes at a grinning Sasha who is being obtuse on purpose. “Why the rush?”
“It wasn’t a rush, exactly.” She glances down at her tummy, moving her hands gently over her small bump. “I know this is going to sound silly, but I’ve always had this thought about getting married while I was pregnant. It wasn’t like I had exactly planned it, but as soon as I peed on that stick and found out we were expecting, I knew what I wanted to do.”
“And that was to get married in a barn?” Ava questions again.
I kick her calf.
“You guys don’t like it?” she asks, her smile dimming a little.
“I love it!” Teagan quickly speaks up.
“It just doesn’t seem like you. I mean, you’re not even wearing a white dress,” Ava points out.
“I know, and fair warning, I foresee a future renewal of vows where I can get as messy drunk as I want, can dirty my overly expensive dress that you guys have to hold up every time I need to pee, and all the traditional stuff like wedding cake and best man and maid-of-honor speeches.”
“So, why not do that this time?” I ask, not sure what this is about.
Sasha glances around at us, a cheeky smile on her lips. “Because I wanted to do this my way and in a way that would horrify my mother. I mean, a barn wedding? Me not wearing one ounce of white? Pregnant? It would drive her mental to know this is how I spent my wedding day. She wouldn’t care that I’m happy, healthy, and carrying her beautiful grandchild. She couldn’t care less that I’m marrying the love of my life who cherishes me and supports me like no one ever before. The dress, the venue, the food—none of that is what a wedding should be about. I mean, they can be fun, absolutely. But what truly matters is the company, and the love that is shared between us all. And that means this wedding is perfect.
“This is what I wanted today to be about—my family. And it has been. I will look back on today and remember the laugher, the love we all share for each other, and how much fun it has been. I won’t recall the stress of fitting into a dress I’ll only wear once. I won’t remember checking the weather report every five minutes and stressing over every cloud that pops up. I just want to remember what is really important.”
“That’s beautiful,” Ava murmurs, leaning over to give her a side hug.
“This has seriously been one of the best nights of my life, only behind the night Declan and I found out we were pregnant. But, even when I think of all my favorite nights, they all include my family.
“Yours and Zander’s wedding,” she says with her hand on Ava’s leg.
“The day you walked into the office, and we couldn’t stop laughing,” she tells me, and I smile as I recall how nervous I was for my job interview and how relieved I felt to find myself fitting in so easily. I felt an immediate bond to Sasha and Ava. That day is also one of my favorites.
“The day Mickie was born is also one of my favorites. When we got to the hospital, I had never seen Joey look so stressed, so scared, and so fucking proud before. I just have to think of him on that day to give myself a smile,” she admits to Teagan, and we all laugh and grin just recalling it. Joey’s excitement was infectious, and she is right, it still affects us even now.
“Every happy memory I have is of us being together. Every night out together, every night in, every dinner, every adventure in Zander’s car.” Ava laughs at this. “It’s all about the company. Not the venue, not the clothes, and not just going through the motions. I wanted my marriage to start off on the right foot, and I know it has.”
“Well shit, I want a redo of my night!” Ava jokes.
Sasha lightly elbows her. “No way. If that night hadn’t happened, then Declan and I would probably still hate each other.”
“So, you’re saying that, not only did Zander help get you guys pregnant by beating you in the ring earlier this year, but that we’re also the reason you’re together in the first place? I think you might owe us big time,” Ava jokes, knowing how worked up Sasha gets over this.
“Seriously, Zander needs to stop telling people that shit. It makes it sound like he is the one who knocked me up!”
“I always picture him in the room with you guys, cheering you on,” Teagan admits.
I laugh hard when I notice Ava’s face turning pale from the admission.
“I think it sounds like you were so turned on by him that you just had to jump Declan. You know, like when you read those sexy books, and then suddenly you can’t keep your hands off your partner? Scarlett used to …” I trail off, my heart stuttering at my slip.
Sasha and Teagan stare at me in sympathy, while Ava is still stuck on looking sick.
“I’ll get him to stop declaring his involvement immediately. I can’t believe …” She shudders.
I try to give the girls my best smile, hoping to change the subject before this turns into some sort of pity party.
“That was incredibly sweet of you to ask Zander to walk you down the aisle, so to speak.” There wasn’t actually an aisle to walk down, but the sentiment is there.
Sasha smiles, likely knowing what I’m hoping to do and letting me get away with it.
“I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than my brother to give me away.”
“Don’t make me cry again!” Ava snaps, quickly wiping her falling tears away. “I know that meant a lot to him.”
“He means a lot to me. You all do.” She eyes us all carefully, letting us see the truth in her words. Although, I’m certain her gaze lands on me longer than anyone else, likely because she is worried about me.
“What are we sitting around for? I’m certain there is a dance floor with our names o
n it!” Teagan suggests.
With a quick handover of Michaela to Joey, who is happy to sit this one out, us girls hit the dance floor with some questionable moves from me and Teagan and laugh through several songs with each other.
Sasha is right; the night is perfect. Not everyone can have everything they want, but we all need to remember to appreciate what we do have, to live in the moment, and enjoy it. Because, all too soon, nights like this can be over, and no one wants to be stuck living with regrets.
Chapter 2
I stare at my computer screen, smiling ruefully at the photos Sasha emailed me from her wedding last month. The photographer did a great job of capturing some wonderful moments. Everyone looks relaxed and happy, except for the one photo of Gemma.
My eyes are stuck on Scarlett. She looks so beautiful, and while I can’t take my eyes off her, it hurts to look at her.
Why couldn’t things have been different? Why did I have to mess up so badly?
I shake my head, thinking back to the date Sasha set me up on. I tried, I really did. Larissa was beautiful, nice, and we got along really well. But I couldn’t help continuously bringing up Scarlett. Then she soon admitted to having an ex she was stuck on, too. After that, everything felt much easier between us, and we stuck to a new friendship rather than something more.
Still, I glance at the photos of Scarlett and wonder if I will ever be able to move on. Maybe I can’t, and maybe that’s the point.
Before I can ponder on that further, a message from Sasha pops up on my screen. Usually when she does this, it’s to either inform me that a client has arrived or to remind me that we have lunch plans. This time, it’s different.
This time, her message makes my heart stutter.
Scarlett is approaching our building!
Scarlett is here? Does she want to speak with Harvey? She hasn’t visited here since our breakup. Maybe something is wrong with Nix?
She just asked to speak with you. What do you want me to say?
She wants to speak with me?
I panic for a second, glancing down at my boring pantsuit and feel the tightly wound bun in my hair.
I Blackmailed Her Brother Page 4