Snake.
“Let it be,” Ethan smirks. “They’re over here.” We head around the side of the great house.
My smile returns as I’m heralded by my two groomsmen, Mott and Tony, my dad, and grandfather, all of them lazily rolling Cubans in their fingers, spending lazy time blowing smoke rings above their satisfied heads.
“What’s this…cigars?”
Grandpa Michael lifts a small box from a gap in the fence, and offers me one. “Shhh…this is only for us men.”
I eye him, then my brother. “Did you smoke one of these before your wedding?”
Without a hint of guilt he grins, “Sure did.”
“You withholding piece of shit!”
“Language!” we hear Grams call from the heavens.
All six of us turn in circles, looking for her. Then Grandpa looks up and nudges Dad’s arm. “Jake, look.”
We all do.
And there’s May Cocker with her head out the window of the upstairs bathroom. “I see you, Michael! You’re a bad boy!”
“Mother, get down from the toilet! Stop spying on us!”
Waving her hand she rolls her eyes. “An old woman has to find her fun somewhere, doesn’t she? Oh, don’t worry, I won’t tell. But watch your mouths! God is listening!” She disappears and we all stand very still to make sure she didn’t fall down. “I’m okay!” she calls out.
T he team, their wives or girlfriends—those who have them, anyway, Coach, the owners of the Falcons, Carla and Mike from O’Neal’s, plus everyone else we followed the whim to invite, are in their seats. Wren’s band came and have been flirting like crazy with my Cocker cousins. My aunts and uncles are here, all except for Uncle Jett and Aunt Luna, and their daughter Sofia Sol. She’s gotten into some trouble and they got stuck cleaning up the mess…or making it worse. You never know with them.
Dad’s cousins who live in our sister city, Savannah, and their kids, came over, too. My second cousins—is that what they’re called, it gets fucking confusing—they’re all our ages though we didn’t grow up close to them. Good people.
I’m up here with my cousin, Max, Uncle Jason’s oldest. He got ordained as a minister to marry us.
“You ready to throw away the key?” he smirks.
“You’re next, buddy.”
He sobers up. “Not me.”
“Yeah…that’s what I said.”
The music starts and Mott leads Emma down the aisle. Tony guides Charlie up next. Behind them, waiting, is Eleanor and my brother. I ignored Ethan’s demands to walk his wife down because the Best Man and the Maid of Honor come down together. I didn’t want to jinx my future because he’s in love, but now that I’m watching the odd pairing, and seeing Dion puffing up in his chair, alone, it’s pretty comical.
“I know why you’re laughing,” Ethan grumbles as he comes to stand at my side, hands clasped in front of his crotch.
“Because you look stupid in a penguin-suit?”
“Har har.”
The pianist, a friend of Uncle Jason’s, pauses before starting the song I’ve been waiting for. Everyone stands and twists to see Wren standing with her father, a quiet man with laughing eyes, at the far end of an aisle covered in red rose petals. Had to represent my team, but we stayed away from black, both of us, just for this one day.
I swallow and straighten up, smoothing my tux-jacket as I whisper, “Wow.”
My brother whispers, back, “You’ll remember this forever.”
“I believe you.”
She and John slowly make their way here as everyone gazes with admiration for her smile, her dress, the curls in her hair and the way it’s pulled back under a veil that falls to her breasts, modestly covered but propped up by a corset. I’m a fan of it all, especially of the soul inside the package.
John holds my eyes, tips his head and hands her off to me, but his grip lingers for a second, and that tiny show of love is what makes Wren’s eyes turn liquid.
She hugs him and I hear her whisper, “I love you, Daddy.” He embraces her, closing his eyes and nodding. Sometimes that’s the best a man can do.
And it’s enough.
I offer my hand, forever, and the moment our skin touches I take a deep breath and realize I’d been holding it. She smiles at me and I shake my head, “You’re beautiful.”
Max conducts the ceremony with the respect I knew he’d give it, despite his snarky comment. When we get to the vows he pauses and motions for me to go ahead.
Wren and I lock eyes and the audience disappears. “Wren, since I met you I’ve become a better man. You bring out the good in me. I laugh more. I try harder. I’m me…but better. I vow from today on to be your best friend. To love you. Take care of and protect you. If you ever get Poison Ivy again I’m ready with the chamomile bathwater.”
Laughter from our family and friends, but I don’t break. I meant that as a metaphor for any illness that ever comes our way.
“From here on out I’m yours and you’re mine. Nothing can come between us. Being your husband will make me the happiest man I’ve ever been and you’ve ever seen. I love you.”
A tear drifts down her cheek under the veil and she closes her eyes a second, struggling to overcome the lump in her throat. I know it’s there, because I have one, too.
“Eric, my everything, sometimes when I wake up I’m afraid you won’t be there. Only because it doesn’t feel possible to be this happy with one person. Your smile makes my heart sing. If I could give the world anything it would be for everyone to be loved like I love you. Separately we’re flawed but together…we’re perfect. I love you and vow from this day forward to make you happy until I die. And I have to go first.”
The crowd laughs, and you can tell by the sound that every one of their hearts is cracked wide open.
Max guides us through putting on the rings. “I now pronounce you, husband and wife!”
Lifting the veil I gaze at her. Wren gives me a wink and I pull her in for a kiss that inspires applause so loud the police show up eleven minutes later—the neighbors filed a noise complaint.
But that’s what we Cockers do. We push the envelope, tear down the box people say we should live in. And when we get married, we mean it. Which means there’s gonna be a party.
A fter we’ve had our fill of the best food you’d see at any of our Family BBQs, including Grandma Nance’s famous chili and that fresh ginger ale we all want the recipe for, Wren and I take the dance floor. It’s a wooden rental complete with twinkle lights in every corner and a canopy, just in case. You never know in Atlanta what kind of weather you’re gonna get.
The intimate space overflows with everyone we care about as I slowly dance with my wife. “Never thought I’d do it, huh? Get married?”
“No,” she laughs. “But to be fair I never wanted you to. This wasn’t a dream of mine.”
“Oh no?” I ask, eyebrows lifted.
“You know what I mean.”
“Mmm,” I hum in agreement, kissing her. “Guess you can’t plan true love.”
From out of nowhere, but a surprise to nobody here, a crack of thunder makes the dance floor jolt, followed by a flash of light through what used to be a clear sky.
Wren’s eyes go large, almost like she was hoping for a storm.
Curious I ask, “You want it to rain?”
“There are some people who believe rain during a wedding means babies are coming.”
“You have something to tell me?”
Sliding her fingers into my hair she smiles. “Yes…I want them with you.”
Relaxing a little, I assure my bride, “Oh, you’ll get them.”
She makes an amused noise, half-scoff, half-laugh. But then her smile fades. “Were you hoping I was pregnant?”
Shrugging I start to lie, but think better of it—not exactly a good way to start a marriage. “A little. I’m not in a rush, but I’ll relish the day you tell me our family is growing.”
“Why?”
“Because I love
you.”
That’s what I told her at the time because I didn’t have a better answer then. But later I realized that my very large, very rowdy family has taught me a lot and given me more love, more laughter, than anything else ever has. Not school, not football, not Super Bowls, none of them compared to knowing someone has my back no matter what.
Trust.
I want my kids to trust me as completely as Wren does now. She confessed later that while she was emotional during the ceremony she was never scared to be my wife. That made me proud. Every day I want to live up to the hero she sees me as.
And I want my kids to see me the same way.
With enough luck they’ll not only see me as a hero, they’ll become ones themselves. That’s all a dad can strive for. That and making his wife, their mother, smile.
God knows I’m addicted to those laughing eyes…
THE END.
I hope you enjoyed Eric, Wren, and the Cocker Family. If their story moved you please consider leaving a review. In fact, if you have favorite family members, show them some love to help new readers find the Cocker Family.
Your voice matters.
COCKER BROTHERS SERIES
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THE NEXT GENERATION
8. Hannah Cocker
9. Ethan Cocker
10. Gabriel Cocker
11. Emma Cocker
12. Eric Cocker
13. Sofia Sol Cocker
14. Sean & Celia
15. Max Cocker
16. Nicholas Cocker
17. Cocker Bonus Scenes
18. Caden Cocker
19. Tonk Jr.
— side character novella
20. Billy Cooper
— side character novella
21. Samantha Cocker
22. Jack, Marion, & Troy
— side character novella
23. Wyatt Cocker
24 May Cocker
(Grams as a young girl, where true love in the Cocker Family began)
ONLY SIX MORE COUSINS LEFT!
Lexi, Nate, Ben, Elijah, Zoe and Hunter
(Though not in that order.)
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Thank you for enjoying Cocker Brothers.
COCKER EXTRAS
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faleena Hopkins specializes in love stories about good people with strong family bonds, in both books and film. Find out more on her website: AuthorFaleenaHopkins.com
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Cocker Brothers, The Cocky Series.
Gorgeous Cover Model: Joseph Cannata
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ISBN-10:1-947421-08-5
ISBN-13:978-1-947421-08-0
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Eric
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Cocker EXTRAS
About the Author
Copyright
Eric Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 12) Page 18