Sworn to Protect

by Diana Gardin

  And that’s more than okay with me.

  Whipping a bandanna out of his pocket, Jeremy’s entire face transforms into one of his larger-than-life smiles. “It’s time, Deck.” Crooking a finger at me, he holds out the bandanna. “Come here, Rayne.”

  “What the hell?”

  Both Jeremy and Decker roll their eyes.

  “Swear jar!” Decker tries to make a stern expression, but the happiness radiating out of him makes it difficult.

  Jeremy just stands there, waiting, until I walk forward and stand expectantly in front of him. He wraps the bandanna around my head, covering my eyes completely.

  “I told you this is a day of surprises,” he whispers in my ear before I hear his steps back away. “Don’t move, darlin’.”

  I stand frozen in our backyard, trying my damnedest to figure out what they’re doing based on sounds, but it’s like they’ve practiced whatever they’re about to do and have got the process silently down to a science. I hear the birds chattering in the trees, I can feel the early fall breeze lingering on my skin. The jingle of Night’s collar sounds not too far away, and a quiet, directive whisper from Jeremy reaches my ears, but none of that gives me a clue as to what’s happening.

  What have my boys been up to?

  “Rayne…” I turn my head toward Jeremy’s voice. He sounds like he’s standing just to my right. “Even though I didn’t know it, I’ve been waiting for you to walk back into my life since the day you left. I was getting everything ready for you…a career that could support a family, this house, a lifestyle that could include you and Decker thriving by my side. When you two finally arrived, it was the best day of my life. And now, it wouldn’t be worth living without you. Either of you.”

  The backs of my eyes sting as I fight to keep the tears at bay. But the emotions curling in my chest, rising in my throat, they won’t be denied. I love this man, and our son, and our brand-new life together. Everything I have right now is more than enough. More than I thought I would get from this life.

  “Open your eyes, Rayne.” Jeremy’s voice, strong and brimming with love, comes from behind me.

  I slide the bandanna up over my head and blink a few times to clear my vision against the now-harsh light of the afternoon. There’s no one standing in front of me.

  Scanning the yard, I find Decker first. He’s kneeling down in the grass, his gorgeous smile nearly splitting his face in two. I smile back, and he points to the ground in front of him.

  Where there are big, wooden letters painted white, spelling out one word.

  WILL

  My stomach flips over and I bring my hands to my mouth. They’re trembling, but it’s nothing comparing to the tremors in my heart.

  Night barks, and I turn my head to find him on the opposite side of the yard. He’s being a good dog, sitting exactly where his master told him to, in front of another word made from the white wooden letters. My hands fly to my mouth with a soft cry.

  YOU

  “Rayne.”

  Jeremy’s voice, low and earnest, pulls me around. Turning to face the house behind me, he’s also kneeling, right behind the last two words spelled with wooden letters. My eyes lock on his face. Serious. Strong. Intense love shining out of his eyes.

  My hands still covering my mouth, my head already nodding before I read the words, my eyes dart down to the letters.

  MARRY US?

  When my eyes light on Jeremy again, there’s a little white box in his hands. His hands, always so strong and steady and sure, are shaking just as badly as mine are.

  “Say yes, Rayne. Say yes and our future starts right now.” His voice is raw with emotion, thick with love.

  Dropping to the ground with him, I rocket into his arms. He catches me, like I knew he would, and we both go down into the grass. My face is a mess of tears and laughter and a happiness I thought only heroines in movies and books got to experience.

  “Yes!” I want to scream the word, but all that comes out is a raspy whisper. “Oh, my God! Yes.”

  Then Decker and Night have landed on top of us, and we’re all a laughing, rolling mess of arms and legs and hugs on the ground. When the dust settles, and I really take a good look at what I’m getting out of this deal, I’m filled with the most peaceful sense of contentment I ever could have imagined.

  Rolling onto his back on the grass, chest heaving to catch his breath, Decker glances at Jeremy. “She said yes, right, Dad?”

  Jeremy clears his throat, rolls onto his side, and pulls me against him. “Yeah, Deck. She said yes.”

  I sniffle.

  “So.” Jeremy’s voice is casual. “Why don’t you go on upstairs and get ready for a wedding?”

  Going still, I attempt to wrap my head around those words. “Wait…what?”

  Standing, Jeremy reaches down to pull me to my feet. I might as well be floating on air, I can barely feel the ground. Jeremy glances at his watch.

  “There’s about two hours until our wedding. Give or take.”

  Mouth agape, I just stare at him. Now that I’ve said yes, Jeremy doesn’t have a care in the world. His face belies his control, although his eyes are sparkling with excitement.

  “I don’t have a dress!”

  Really, Rayne? You get engaged five seconds ago and your fiancé, the father of your child, informs you that the wedding is today, and the only thing you can think about is the damn dress?

  But I stand by my statement. “I don’t have a dress” is code for: We aren’t ready for anything remotely resembling a wedding.

  Decker laughs, and Jeremy winds his arms around my waist and winks. “Head on upstairs to our room. I promise you, I’ve got this covered.”

  I look up into his eyes, utter disbelief filling me up. “You must have been pretty confident I’d say yes.”

  Dipping his head, he brushes his lips across mine twice. “Hopeful.”

  As hard as it is to turn away from them, I do and once my feet hit the wooden floor, I’m running. Breathless, happy, excited, I burst into our bedroom.

  And pull to a stop in the doorway. My heart explodes.

  “Olive!”

  My sister, a blue-eyed, auburn-haired beauty, stands from the bed. “Well, hey. I heard you’re getting married today.” She gestures toward the ivory garment bag stretched across the bed. “Thought you might need a dress, so I brought one with me from Paris.”

  Now there’s no possible way for me to control the sob that breaks free as I launch myself at her. We hold on tight, because it’s been a year since Olive was last in Phoenix to visit Decker and me. So much has changed since then.

  When we finally break apart, she pulls me to sit down beside her on the bed. Pulling her legs up under her, she grins.

  My sister is my opposite. Reserved, demure, and driven by her career, she never has a hair out of place. She’s flawless and in perfect control, because she’s never been comfortable any other way. While I was the one who questioned our parents raising us so strictly, rebelling when I could, she catered to it and observed every rule with due diligence.

  But one thing about us that never wavered? Our friendship. Our sisterhood. Olive is and always has been my best friend.

  “You look gorgeous,” I tell her. “All France-ey.”

  Her pert nose wrinkles. “France-ey? Is that a compliment?”

  I nod. “Absolutely. Did you really bring me a dress from Paris?”

  I glance at the garment bag again, curiosity and elation buzzing in my fingertips as I stroke the bag.

  Her expression turns knowing and she brushes her long, sweeping bangs out of her eyes. “Jeremy called.”

  Narrowing my eyes at her smugness, I point a finger at her. “You got me a job at the place he worked on purpose.”

  She tries to fight her smile, but one corner of her mouth pulls up anyway. “It was time to stop the secrets. He needed to know what he was missing out on when it came to you and my perfect nephew. I just opened the door for you two. But I’m glad it ended
up like this.”

  Worried eyes run the length of me before she takes my hands. “Are you okay? After everything that happened?”

  Not even the gloom of what Wagner did to me can blacken this day. “I’m absolutely fine, Olive. I swear. I can’t believe you’re here! You’re not supposed to be back for another month!”

  A shadow crosses her face, obscuring her happiness for just a second before it’s gone. “I decided to come home a little early. And I’m really happy to be here.”

  Studying her, I poke a little further. “Everything okay?”

  Offering me a bright smile, she hops off the bed in one graceful movement and grabs the garment bag. “Ready to see your dress?”

  I know my sister better than anyone. And even though she’s going to try to keep everything pent up and controlled, something isn’t right. I want to probe further, and I will, but it’s my wedding day, apparently. So it’s time to get ready.

  There’s a knock on the door, and Macy pokes her head around.

  “Macy!” I rush toward her, my arms open.

  After she hugs me, she pulls back and gives me a sunny smile. “I heard someone was getting married today.”

  My face threatens to split open from my continuous grin. “Jeremy called you?”

  Macy’s eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiles. “He sure did. And I wouldn’t miss this for the world. God, you look happy, Rayne.”

  “Did you guys know that they surprised the shit out of me with this wedding?” I bounce on my toes as Olive unzips the garment bag.

  “I did. And normally, I wouldn’t have been able to get a designer dress on such short notice. But I designed a château for Amelia Bourchard, so there are perks.” Olive pulls out the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen.

  My sister inspects it. “It’s perfect for a backyard wedding. Not too formal, but it’s going to be so elegant on your long limbs. Let’s do your hair and makeup first. Then we’ll put it on.”

  Another soft knock sounds at the open bedroom door. I whirl around, ready to rip Jeremy a new one for peeking, but instead of Jeremy there’re two unfamiliar women standing there.

  “Hey, Berkeley!” Olive brushes past me, hangs the dress up on the bathroom door, and pulls the blonde into a hug. “I’m back!”

  Berkeley, who I’ve only spoken to on the phone, pulls away and hold my sister at arm’s length. “Hey! I didn’t know you would be here. Greta and I wanted to see if Rayne needed help getting ready.” She glances around Olive and gives me a warm, friendly smile. “Jeremy told the guys what was happening today, and Dare spilled the beans.”

  “Don’t ever ask those guys to keep a secret that isn’t top clearance. They’re worthless.” The tall, leggy brunette saunters toward me. Her face is beautiful and sweet. Her blue eyes sparkle as she holds out her hand. “I’m Greta, Grisham’s fiancée. We’ve heard so much about you, and I can’t believe the first time we get to meet you is the same day you’re marrying Jeremy!”

  Berkeley embraces me next and then holds me out in front of her as she scrutinizes my face. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

  Greta interrupts. “Of course she is, who else could have reeled in Jeremy Teague but the drop-dead gorgeous mother of his kid?”

  Olive rolls her eyes as Berkeley laughs. “Truth.”

  Releasing me, Berkeley opens the bag she brought with her. “A smoky eye for sure. Let’s do this, ladies!”

  Later, when I’m scrubbed, polished, made up, and wearing a beautiful Parisian gown, I glance at my reflection. The vision of the dress slams into me first. Long, flowing, and ivory-colored, the delicate spaghetti straps border a deep, plunging neckline. The natural waist is sheathed with a thin line of glittering, studded lace. The simplicity of the dress whispers beauty and grace, layers of chiffon flowing around my legs covering the dainty golden strappy heels on my feet.

  “Wow.” I try to breathe, turning slightly to admire the detailed back.

  When I turn to face the girls, I’m greeted by four sets of shimmering eyes.

  “Wow is right, little sister.” Olive swipes at her eyes. “Now, let’s go marry the man you love.”

  37

  Jeremy

  Scanning the yard to distract myself from my tied-up nerves, my voice thunders across the yard. “More flowers on the arch, please!”

  A deep laugh from behind me pulls me around to face Ronin. “Something funny, Swagger?”

  He sits sprawled in one of the white chairs the rental company arranged in the center of the backyard. The archway, covered in white gardenias already, stands proudly between the patio and the grass. That’s where Rayne will enter, and I want her first view of our wedding to be perfect. Guests are beginning to arrive, even though I kept the guest list to a minimum. Close friends only, the people in our lives who could really appreciate all Rayne and I have gone through to get to this point.

  Today, our family will unite for the first time. Three Teagues in this home, starting our lives together. And I don’t want it to be anything less than amazing. For her.

  “You.” With a smirk, Ronin gestures around the backyard. Hanging lights, flowers everywhere, white Japanese lanterns ready to light the area when the sun sinks below the horizon. My backyard is transformed, and I can’t wait for Rayne to see it. “Pulling an entire wedding out of your ass in a week? Never thought I’d see the day.”

  He stands, straightening the button-down I’ve asked all my brothers to wear as they stand by my side. “Happy looks good on you, Brains.”

  Slapping my hand, he pulls me into a one-armed hug.

  “Can we get in on that, or is it for couples only?” Dare’s voice booms through the yard as he strides toward us, carrying a brew. A grinning Grisham and a gruff-faced Jacob follow him closely. All are slated to be my groomsmen today.

  Ronin slings a fisted arm around my neck, trying to choke me. “Find your own bro-mance, Wheels.”

  The laughter, the joy…it’s all I’ve ever wanted. At one point in my life, I thought the only way I would get it was by living vicariously through my friends. Seeing them fall in love and get married one by one, while I sat back with the current flavor-of-the-week. But the second I saw Rayne sitting at that desk at the office, my entire outlook had changed.

  And then, when I saw Decker and knew he was my son? The pieces of my future slid right into place like the most perfect puzzle.

  The band, a steel drum quartet set up in the corner of the yard, strikes up, and everyone begins seating themselves. The atmosphere, casual and light, is exactly what Rayne would have wanted if she’d been able to plan this day. But knowing Rayne, she’s damn happy I took the burden off her plate.

  Decker runs up to me from where he’s been hanging out with his friend Jay. Night is close at his heels. I smile when I think about how fast my dog fell in love with the kid. Almost as fast as I had. Ruffling his hair, I pull him to my side. “Ready, bud?”

  Decker looks up at me, his face unusually serious. “When you marry Mom, does it mean that we’re a real family?”

  His voice, tight with nervous concern and edged with barely-there hope, tugs painfully at my heart. “Absolutely. We’re already a family, Deck. We’re just making it official today in front of all our friends.”

  We walk down the aisle, toward the area in front of the seats where another archway, this one strewn with more gardenias and twinkling lights, stands waiting.

  “Hey.” Jacob leans over the row of men. “Mind if I walk out on my groomsman job? There’s something more important I think I need to do.”

  My mouth drops open. “Seriously?”

  He claps my shoulder with a reassuring twitch of his lips. “Trust me.”

  Since the answer to that is always yes, I give him a nod. He disappears into the house just as Macy appears on the patio. The band’s music changes, and she steps forward with a big smile on her face.

  Next, Olive appears. Her bouquet held at her chest, she strolls forward, smiling at the small gathering of
guests as she goes. When she reaches the end of the aisle, she hugs Decker and gives me a huge smile. I return it, happy that I was able to get her here to share this day with her sister.

  When I called Olive, she seemed all too eager to cut her business trip short. I don’t know the reason why, but I’m happy she did. Rayne needed her sister here today.

  There’s movement out of the corner of my eyes, and when I glance down the line of groomsmen, I catch Ronin shifting his feet. His eyes are laser-focused on Olive. When he catches me staring, he shrugs and turns his attention back toward the patio.

  The light, jubilant music changes once more to something more bound in the enormity of this day. The day that the family I didn’t know I had until a month ago weaves a permanent place around my heart.

  Everyone stands as the patio doors open, and a collective gasp sweeps over the guests. Rayne steps out onto the patio, her slender arm hooked through Jacob’s strong one.

  At the sight of her, I’m hit, the same way I would be if a bullet slammed into my chest. But instead of pain exploding inside me, it’s an enormous balloon of pleasure that I don’t think can be contained within my chest.

  Just like always, it’s her hair that I notice first. Dark, thick, and wound into an elaborate braid that hangs over one bare shoulder all the way past her breast. When her eyes catch mine, all the breath leaves me in one sweep, and I bite down hard on my lip to keep myself together.

  I keep my gaze locked on hers, and it feels like there’s a tether between us, drawing her closer as Jacob walks her down the aisle. When they reach the front, the minister asks Jacob if he gives her to me, and he answers with a solemn nod.

  Then my hands are reaching for Rayne’s and I pull her the rest of the way to the arch.

  Staring at her gorgeous face, trying like hell to keep my eyes from dropping to her luscious curves that are damn near killing me in her dress, I commit myself to her. And I listen closely as she commits herself to me. All the rest is a complete blur until the minister informs me that I can kiss her because she’s mine.