by Wade, Maddie
The library was all dark mahogany wood, with floor to ceiling bookshelves, two old green leather chesterfield sofas and a massive open fire that was roaring in the grate. The room reeked of money, but unlike some, Zack never shoved his wealth in anyone’s face. To hear him cuss and swear at the team when they messed up, no one would never know he had been brought up with such privilege.
Like all of them though, Zack had suffered his fair share of heartache. Losing his sister as a teen, being kidnapped and tortured, and missing out on the first few years of his son’s life proved that.
Nate watched Skye’s reaction when her parents stopped short at the sight of Reg. Her hands fisted at her sides, a sure sign she was anxious. In his leather trousers, long Henley top and leather vest, the grey-haired, pink bearded man was so far removed from his stick up his ass brother that it was hard to imagine they were related.
“Reginald,” William said snootily.
“Hello, Billy,” Reg replied with a raise of his glass.
William’s face twisted at the name his brother used. “William, if you don’t mind,” he answered.
“Still got that stick up your ass I see,” Reg said, as Nate moved so he and Skye were next to Reg and his parents. The not so subtle move showed her parents exactly whose side they would take if this turned ugly.
“Mum, Dad, this is William and Margaret, Skye’s parents. William, Margaret, my parents David and Mimi.”
Mimi and David smiled in welcome and moved forward to shake hands.
“It is so lovely to meet you,” Mimi said, her bold-faced lie hidden beneath a veneer of manners.
“And you,” Margaret replied, her social niceness ingrained in her blood.
“Do you live here?” William enquired of his dad.
“Yes. We like to be close to the kids, and we look after the estate gardens,” David said proudly.
“So, you’re marrying the ‘helps’ son,” Margaret said in a sickly-sweet tone to Skye.
The silence was complete. Nate was sure he could have heard a pin drop after her words.
Every person in the room bristled at her vile comment, but it was Mimi that answered. “She is marrying a man who loves her more than his next breath. We may help out, but we do it out of love, not for monetary payment. We don’t need the money. We do it because every person under this roof is family and we value family, unlike some, and you will do wise to remember that.” Mimi went to move away as David glared daggers at them both.
“But you’re an immigrant,” William said. “You have no title or money. How I do know you can care for my daughter?” He addressed his comment to Nate, going on the attack not having the sense to realise the danger he was in.
“You never learn, do you, Billy?” Reg said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
Nate saw the look of horror and fury on Skye’s face and was seconds away from going nuclear himself. “I have more money than I know what to do with and as for a title, I have one—it’s called being a man, and I’m more than man enough to look after Skye,” he spat his ordinarily tolerant nature gone.
He felt Skye’s hand on his chest and stopped his next words. “Mum, Dad, I have no idea what I was thinking inviting you back into my life. I guess I hoped that you’d changed, that I could have my parents at my wedding, but you insist on being rude and condescending to people I love and respect. Mimi, David, and Uncle Reg have been more like parents to me in the last year than you ever have.” Nate saw her father pale at Skye’s words.
“I have no use for your rude, snobbish behaviour, and if you cannot behave and hold your tongue, then you can leave. Reg has already agreed to give me away. If you stay, you will apologise, to Mimi, David, and Nate. If not, then you can go.”
“But Skye…” her mother began.
“No, I’m so ashamed right now to call you my parents and those are my terms. If you don’t want to stay, then go and consider us done. But I won’t let you treat my family this way,” she said, and Nate could feel her body shake in anger. He was so proud of the strong woman he was about to marry.
Her parents looked to Zack and Ava and seeing no allies there looked to him with barely concealed dislike.
“Fine, I apologise for my words, I did not mean to offend,” William said the words making him choke.
“Mum?” Skye said with a look that would melt tar.
“Fine, I’m sorry,” she replied bitterly.
“Good, now that is done let us have a drink and toast the happy couple,” Reg said.
Chapter 6
It was two hours later when he drove a very quiet William and Margaret back to the hotel. They had managed to get booked in at the wedding venue after Zack had said that unfortunately, they did not have room for them at the estate after all due to a water leak in one of the rooms.
Of course, that was rubbish. Zack had confided he was worried Dane or one of the team might kill them if they behaved like that around them and he didn’t want their wedding ruined.
Nate helped them inside with their bags as Skye spoke with the wedding coordinator about the final details. Once they were checked in, he headed towards the room where they would say their vows.
It looked beautiful, and he knew a lot of work had gone into it. Fairy lights were already strung and lit, the chairs tied with pale pink ribbon. The aisle Skye would walk down was strewn with gold confetti. The pillars that ran down either side of the room were wound with fairy lights and sprigs of mistletoe. His heart beat faster as he thought of the first time he had seen her in that hospital room.
He had known then that she was it for him, his heart recognised her as his, even before his brain caught up. The fact that she came with Noah was a bonus. The boy had stolen his heart as much as his mother had.
“Hey, Dad,” Noah said from behind him and not for the first time Nate had to brace as the emotion that word evoked hit him.
“Hey, Son. You ready to go?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah, mum is talking to Aunt Lauren about boring hair stuff.”
Lauren and Dane had taken Noah for the day once they had found out what idiots Skye’s parents were. Noah didn’t know them, and as far as the child was concerned, they were strangers.
“Did you have a good time with Uncle Dane and Aunt Lauren?” he asked as he steered them to the reception room.
His eyes caught on a man that was checking in and his senses began to tingle. The man was tall and fit but not muscled, and in his early thirties. Handsome as well if the way some of the receptionists were flirting with him was anything to go by. The man had one small bag and a large guitar case, but that wasn’t what had set Nate’s asshole radar off. It was the way the man kept looking around and up as if he was checking for cameras and trying to look inconspicuous.
He made a mental note to have Will check the CCTV and run a check on whoever this guy was. No way was he leaving the woman he loved here overnight if he had any doubts about a guest.
Nate turned back into Noah as he was telling him about the twins and how they kept putting food in their hair when they ate.
He laughed at his son. “I’m sure you were the same at their age.”
Noah pulled a funny face that had him hauling the boy in, so he could ruffle his hair.
“Daaaad,” he moaned as he flattened it back down. Even at the advanced age of seven Noah was becoming quite the ladies’ man and always liked his hair on pointe. Nate looked up and saw William Mitchell watching him from the bank of elevators, a look of regret in his eyes.
If he were a better man, he would feel sorry for Skye’s father, but he wasn’t, and he didn’t. He would never forgive the man for making Skye’s life so hard when all she’d needed was some support and love from her family. William looked away, and Nate turned to see where the other guy had gone but he had missed him. No matter, he would text Will on the way home and get him to hack the hotel security.
He smiled as Skye, Lauren, and Dane walked towards them.
“Ready to go?” D
ane asked.
“Yep,” Nate replied as he turned to Skye. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her towards his body. The smile on her face mirrored how he felt. He had heard about people getting cold feet and having doubts, but he didn’t have a doubt in his body that she was it for him. Skye was his world, and he couldn’t wait to make her Mrs Jones.
“I’ll help you get checked in,” he said as he gazed at her, loving how he could still see some of the freckles she had picked up from the hot summer they had had.
“No need. Lauren already checked us in, and Lucy and Lacey are up in the suite waiting for us.”
“I guess this is it then.” He said he looked down at her and felt her hand on his chest, her body turning into his.
“How about we give them five minutes to say goodnight,” Lauren said as she pulled Dane and Noah away to the small gift shop.
Nate smiled at Lauren in thanks and thanked God for her friendship with Skye. Without it, he may have taken years to find her. But he would have found her. In his heart, he truly believed that they would have found their way to each other eventually.
“Now is the time to run, Skye,” he said, his heart in his mouth even though he had no doubt that she loved him as he loved her.
“Never. I have never been surer of anything in my life. I love you, Nate. You saved us, and I’m going to spend every day for the rest of our lives making you happy.”
“I didn’t save you, Skye, you saved yourself. You’re strong and beautiful and mine. You already make me happy, happier than I ever thought possible. Kiss me,” he demanded.
She frowned and grinned a sexy grin that made his heart beat faster. “So bossy,” she said as she raised on her tiptoes and touched her mouth to his in a hard kiss, that was not enough but all they could have. He kissed her back and smiled as he rubbed his thumb over her ring finger knowing tomorrow she would have the perfect circular band they had chosen that represented their never-ending love for each other.
He saw Skye turn and a smile lit her face that filled his heart. He followed her gaze and saw Noah. The boy who had battled so hard and with such bravery and wisdom.
“You ready to go buddy?” he asked.
“Yep, can we play Xbox when we get home?” he asked with a pleading look at him and Skye.
“Sure, we can, as long as you’re prepared for me to beat you?” He answered with a smile knowing that even at seven Noah could kick his ass at Lego Batman. The snort and chuckle from Noah proved he knew it too.
“What about me, don’t I get to play?” Dane asked.
Noah looked at him with pity. “Sure, Uncle Dane, I’ll put it on the easy level for you.”
The group again broke up laughing and then it was time to say goodnight.
As they stood watching the women go into the lift to the suite, Nate thought again about the man from earlier. “I just want to call Will,” he said to Dane as they walked out.
“Anything wrong?” his best man asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t think so, but someone triggered my radar earlier, and I want Will to run a background check for me.”
“What? Here in the hotel?”
“Yeah. I’m sure it’s nothing. Just being cautious because Skye is here.”
Will didn’t answer so Nate left him a voicemail to call him straight back. He knew Skye was safe with Lucy, she was one of the deadliest people he had ever met but Skye was his, and that changed everything.
Will called him back as he was opening a beer for him and Dane and a Sprite for Noah. Nate gave Will the details, and he promised to have a background check done within the hour. That was the thing with Will, he would drop anything for his team. It made Nate wonder, not for the first time, why his relationship with Jack was so strained.
Will hadn’t been himself the last few months though, spending more and more time in the gym, his body going from lean to bulky muscle. When he wasn’t training, he was in the tech room, he didn’t seem to sleep. That wasn’t the only change though, he seemed more focused, less the relaxed Will everyone knew.
He suspected it was something to do with a woman. But his cryptic comment to Jack about regret made Nate wonder if there was way more to it. He put it out of his mind, Will was a grown man and could sort his own shit out. As long as he knew they were there if he needed them, that was all Nate cared about. He had no intention of poking his nose in otherwise.
Handing Dane a beer, he sat on the couch and waited for the pizzas he had ordered to arrive. When the doorbell sounded, he checked the app on his phone and saw his friends—Simon, Stoner and Ice along with Jace and Smithy. Nate’s grin was huge seeing Smithy had come along.
It was going to be Pizza, Xbox, and a few beers night, as well as the Chocolate Brownies Skye had baked yesterday for them all.
He opened the door, and Simon grinned. “I brought my Xbox, so we could have two games going.”
“Cool, but no Call of Duty or anything, we’re a Lego shoot-em-up only in this household,” he said indicating Noah.
“Of course,” Simon said holding up a handful of Lego games.
Nate shook his head and smiled as he closed the door. This was why they were his best friends. They always respected his boundaries and had his back. He opened a beer for them all and was happy to see Smithy smile as he sat with Dane and Simon. The man had a long road ahead, but something told Nate he would make it.
Chapter 7
As she sat in her white silk dressing gown that had Bride embroidered on the back, Skye watched as her hair was curled. She felt calm and serene despite the number of people in the room and the activity everywhere.
Lauren, Lucy, Lizzie, and Lacey were ready and looked stunning in the pale pink dresses she had chosen for them. Each woman had decided to wear their hair up, and the crystal combs in their hair twinkled when they moved. The dresses themselves were long chiffon, with a floaty A-line skirt and fitted bodice with drop sleeves. They would have faux fur capes in ivory to cover their shoulders.
Ava, Megan, and Roz were in charge of the flower girls and were in the room next door getting them ready. Paige, Katarina, and Natalia were wearing ivory dresses with pale pink sashes and pale pink petals sewn into the netting at the bottom of the dresses. Riley was a page boy, and Noah was the ring bearer.
They were getting ready with Nate and Zack and would be wearing the same grey suits, and pale pink tie combo, but in a smaller version. Skye had fallen in love when she saw Nate and Noah wearing them, looking so gorgeous.
She felt a flutter in her belly as she looked up when the hairdresser had finished. Her dark hair was swept into an elegant twist with soft tendrils curled by her ears. The small tiara she wore was pinned in, and the long veil hung down her back. She blinked back tears as she thought about how happy she was.
Lacey thrust a tissue at her as she sat down beside her. “You look stunning, please don’t ruin your makeup.”
Skye dabbed her eye quickly and smiled. “I just can’t believe how lucky I am,” she whispered to her friend, the one person who had been with her as a young girl and then a young woman as she’d tried to navigate the bile that was her parents.
“He’s the lucky one, and thankfully he seems to know it and adore you, or I would have to kick his ass.” They both laughed then before Lacey became serious. Her eyes moved to Skye, and she saw pain and pride in Lacey.
“I am so happy you found this, Skye. This kind of love does not come around for most, but if anyone deserves it it’s you.”
Skye reached out and took her friend’s hand in hers. “It will happen for you too.”
Lacey shook her head, and her guard went up, the walls she had erected to hide the pain Skye knew she was feeling in full force. “Not me, I’m staying single.” She replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Now let’s get this dress on you.” Skye stood, and Lucy, Lizzie, and Lacey helped her into her dress.
“I have something for you, that Noah asked me to give you,” Lauren said as she
reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny drawstring bag handing it to Skye. “He said to tell you to wear it in your shoe.”
Skye tipped the bag up and out fell a six-pence, slipping off one of her ivory satin beaded shoes, that Lucy had gifted her, she slipped the six-pence in and smiled. Her boy was so sweet he broke her heart. For so long it had just been the two of them, but he had never resented Nate, he had embraced him and loved him as much as she did.
Standing straight she faced her friends, they all had happy, sappy looks on their faces. A knock sounded on the door and Ava walked in with the flower girls. They looked adorable, and each was holding their cream rose posy in their hands, smiles wreathed their faces.
“You all look so beautiful,” Skye said as she crouched to face Paige.
“You look like a princess,” Paige breathed.
Skye smiled as she turned to look at the dress she had chosen. The A-line style suited her frame, the ivory colour warming her skin. The dress had lace elbow length sleeves, with a bateau neckline and lace appliques all around the base of the tulle skirt. The back was sheer lace and had tiny pearl buttons that ran all the way to the bottom of her spine. She felt like a princess in it and hoped Nate would like it.
A knock sounded, and her Uncle Reg poked his head in. His face went soft, his eyes watery as he looked at her. Not for the first she wished with all her heart that he had been her father.
“It’s time,” he stated as Lizzie started herding everyone towards the lift that would take them to the second floor and the wedding venue.
When it was just the two of them, Reg moved towards her and took her hands. “You look as pretty as a picture, sweetheart,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion.
“You look pretty good yourself,” she said with a wobble of emotion.
He had chosen to wear a grey suit like the groomsmen but had added his leather waistcoat and a black leather tie. He had dyed his beard pink though. He wouldn’t be her Uncle Reg if he weren’t a bit different.