by KB Winters
Everything was going as it should downstairs, which meant lots of satisfied couples, tons of moaning, and lots of fucking lube. That meant all was right with the world, and I could make my way up to the top level to make sure it all stayed that way. If we had another incident here before I put on our big party, the shit would hit the fan.
“There you are.” Gunnar’s voice broke through my thoughts at the end of the hall. “I heard you asked Holden to be your Best Man. It surprised me.”
It should have since we’d grown fairly close over the past couple years, but right now he wasn’t being much of a fucking friend.
“Why? You don’t even want Hennessy or her trouble here, so why do you even care?”
Just because we were brothers, family, didn’t mean we got along all the time. It was impossible given the lives all of us led before coming to Hardtail Ranch.
Gunnar let out a sigh and looked me right in the eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want her here. I have a kid man, a little boy who means the world to me. That might be coloring my judgment.”
Yeah, I understood that, but it didn’t fucking matter.
“Fuck that, Gunnar. This is what we do, all of us. We’ve been trained by the best to run toward danger, to put our lives on the line to save those who matter to us, and we’ve done it at least twice for Peaches. Aspen. Hazel.”
The more I talked about it, the more it pissed me off, but it was over and done with. No point bringing up the past.
“You wanna do something? You can perform the ceremony so we can keep it all in the family.”
A smile lit up his usually scowling face. “I can do that.”
“Great,” I said sarcastically and walked away. The refuge of the staircase was just a few feet away, but Gunnar called out to me before I was far enough away to pretend I didn’t hear him. “Cruz!”
“Yeah?”
“It’s not personal.”
I barked out a bitter laugh and shook my head.
“Right. It feels pretty fuckin’ personal to me, Prez.” Then I made my way up the stairs, taking them two at a time just to end this fucking conversation before I said something I might regret later.
I shoved away all thoughts of Gunnar and quickly scanned the back room so I could make my way to the front and keep an eye on my fiancée. And wasn’t that just a fucking trip to think about, that I had a fucking fiancée, and it was Hennessy Oliver.
And Sweet Jesus, she was all grown up now.
Chapter Fifteen
Hennessy
Tomorrow I’d be married woman. A woman with a husband, an incredibly good-looking husband who wasn’t really mine, but that didn’t seem to make a damn bit of difference to my mind. Or my body.
The only thing I could think about was Cruz and that dark look he sent my way from across the club last night. It hit me right between the legs, making my clit throb and ache for the rest of the night. All the scantily clad men and women, bumping and grinding all over each other didn’t help my situation. At all.
Riding home on the back of his four wheeler with my arms wrapped tight around what I now knew were washboard abs hadn’t helped at all. As soon as we were inside the cabin, I made my escape upstairs and relieved myself in the hot steamy shower while thoughts of Cruz, naked and hot as fuck, played behind my lids.
Thoughts like that didn’t bode very well for my life starting tomorrow, when Cruz and I would officially become husband and wife. He’d gotten up early to pick up the marriage license, which gave me plenty of time alone, to steel myself against my reaction to Cruz whenever he was close. Too close.
When tomorrow rolled around, and Gunnar announced us husband and wife, I couldn’t let attraction get in the way of the favor he was doing for me. The really huge, gigantic favor that could never, in a million years, be repaid. So I shoved it all down as I shredded potatoes, pretended those eyes were the color of mud while I browned the ground beef and tossed a diced onion in with them, telling myself he was plain-looking. Average. And who in the hell had washboard abs over the age of thirty outside of Hollywood? No one. It meant Cruz was vain. He was a vain man with plain features and flat dull eyes. Oh, and he was in a motorcycle gang.
Why would I want a man like that?
Despite my efforts, by the time I could smell the cheesy breakfast casserole wafting in the air, my body hummed with desire. Arousal. And it was all centered on my husband-to-be.
Damn his good-looking self.
The doorbell rang and it was followed by a series of frantic knocks that immediately put me on edge. Had Eugene’s men somehow found me? Had they been watching and waiting for the perfect moment, when Cruz was gone, to come and kidnap me?
“Shit,” I whispered and scanned the kitchen for the knife block, happy to see Cruz kept the big knives there, too. And they were sharp. Armed with the long chef’s knife, I made my way to the door and then stopped.
What the hell was I doing, answering the door when there were violent mobsters on the other side? The bell and the pounding stopped for a second and started up again.
“We know you’re in there girl, so open up!”
I paused, troubled. The voice belonged to a woman, but not any woman I knew, and I realized as I took two steps towards the door, that I was being sexist to my own detriment. It was entirely possible Eugene sent a woman to disarm me and grab me while my guard was down. A quick peek out one of the front windows showed it wasn’t just one or two women. It was a whole damn group.
“Yo, Hen, open up!”
That voice I recognized because I spent all night listening to Hazel laugh and flirt with customers while she slung cocktails. Feeling some relief, I went to the door and opened it up.
“What’s up…ladies?”
Hazel stood in front, beside a tall curvaceous, freckle-faced woman with a wild head of copper curls. Both sets of eyes slid down to my hand, and Hazel grinned.
“Expecting company?”
“Never can be too careful.”
I didn’t know how much Cruz told his club or how much they shared with their women, but I didn’t want to go through the tale again.
“Did y’all need something? Cruz isn’t here.”
“We know,” the tall copper haired woman said with a smile. “I’m Peaches. You know Hazel, and this is, Annabelle, Aspen, and the little one is Maisie.” She flashed a wide, expectant smile. “We’re here for you.”
I frowned and loosened my grip on the knife.
“For me? Why?”
The only woman I knew was Hazel, and that was just barely. What business did they have with me?
“Word on the ranch is that you’re getting married tomorrow.”
Peaches folded her arms and all the others nodded, but the situation was tough to read.
“And you’re here to warn me or what?”
Hazel laughed and shook her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders.
“No, dummy, we came to help you out. Think of today as your bridal shower, bachelorette party, and dress fitting all in one.”
“Plus rehearsal dinner,” Peaches added with a grin. “Martha is so excited; she’s already cooking up a feast for us for later.”
She snapped her fingers and pushed inside, giving me no time to do anything but step aside.
“Damn it smells good in here,” she groaned. “Are you cooking?”
“Breakfast,” I answered automatically.
“Well we can take it with us back to the big house. Do you have anything you’ll need before tomorrow?”
I stood rooted to the spot, mouth slightly open as if waiting for the words to come. “What?”
The dark haired woman with glasses let out a pretty, feminine laugh.
“Back down Peaches, give the woman a minute to catch up.”
I sent her a grateful smile that she returned.
“We want to help you get ready for your big day and we’re all set up at the Big House. How does that sound?”
Confusing. Suspicious. “Uhm
, good?”
They all laughed, each woman wearing a knowing look like maybe they had the wrong idea.
“This isn’t some love match. You all know that, right?”
The oven timer sounded, and the quiet, pregnant blonde finally spoke.
“I’ll get it!”
I kept my eyes on her as she made her way to the kitchen and searched for oven mitts, which meant she hadn’t been here before, a thought that provided me with far too much relief.
“You can tell this is Holden’s baby because he goes crazy at the scent of meat.”
She smiled but I felt all the blood drain from my face.
“Holden? Shit, I’m sorry about his face.”
She held up a hand and laughed. “Don’t worry about it. He told me the story, and I got a really good laugh. Did you really do it on purpose?”
Was this a trick? I nodded.
“I thought he was someone else.”
Peaches wrapped an arm around me and sat me on the sofa. “We all came here for something else, mostly protection. Except AB.” She sent a smile to the brunette in the red glasses. “But love was a byproduct, a happy one we like to think. Most of the time.”
“Okay, that’s great for you all, but that’s not me and Cruz. We’re practically strangers, but his mom said he might be able to help, and, well, I was desperate. But I’m not looking for love.”
“Good,” Hazel said, “because it found us when we weren’t even looking for it. That makes it more exciting to watch, right girls?”
Each one nodded, wearing a wistful smile that made me wonder about their stories.
I shook my head at their smiles.
“This is a marriage of convenience. Nothing more. I don’t even have a dress.”
“We do, so let’s wrap up that casserole because I call dibs on a big-ass piece,” Peaches said with a nod towards Aspen. “
Grab anything you might need before the wedding tomorrow. Toothbrush, tampons, whatever. We leave in ten minutes.”
I stared at Peaches, in awe of how all the women except Annabelle hopped up to do her bidding. She was like a bombshell drill sergeant with a sunshiny smile, and her orders didn’t even seem like orders. More like favors.
“You’re kind of scary, you know that?”
She nodded. “It’s my superpower. That and my hacking abilities.”
I didn’t know if she meant computer or knife, so I nodded and went upstairs to repack my small bag. I took a few of those ten minutes for myself to calm my nerves and settle my emotions. These women, total strangers, had come to me and offered their help for my wedding. I didn’t have relationships with any of them, yet they stepped in to perform the roles of best friends and family members. It was kind of overwhelming.
And really fucking sweet.
At the ten-minute mark, Peaches called out to me, and I grabbed my bag, slapped a smile on my face, and went with the women.
To my pre-wedding celebration.
How fucking weird was that?
Chapter Sixteen
Cruz
Today was the day I’d become a married man. To be honest, it wasn’t a day I’d ever thought about, not in any real kind of way. Sure, I assumed I’d get married at some point, or maybe I just expected to eventually but never in real terms like this. The big patch of grass behind the big gleaming white house had been transformed with flowers and white chairs covered with red fabric. How two simple things could turn a field of green into a rainbow of vibrant colors was beyond me, but everyone had outdone themselves.
And they did it for me. Hennessy, too, but mostly for me.
I smiled and looked at the wooden archway covered in flowers and some kind of gauzy red fabric that gave it a romantic flair. The whole place looked perfect for a wedding, but it was meant for a real wedding, for two people who were in love and ready to pledge their lives to each other. And that wasn’t me and Hennessy, but I couldn’t shake the nerves that had gripped me since I woke up this morning.
Nerves. What the fuck do I have to be nervous about when this wasn’t a real marriage? It was a temporary fix to a temporary problem. But no matter how many times I told myself that, I couldn’t help the sense that this all felt pretty damn permanent. Maybe it was that whole till death do us part thing. Thinking about making Hennessy mine forever made me hot around the collar but also made my feet a little…cold.
I let out a long shaky breath and reminded myself that despite my nerves, I made a promise to Hennessy. And I wasn’t a dude who went back on my promises. Ever.
“How you holdin’ up?”
Holden’s deep voice was a welcome respite from my thoughts.
“Nervous as fuck, but I’m just about sane again.”
At least I was headed in that direction. Maybe.
“Marriage is some serious business, man.”
I don’t know how the hell the big silent cowboy knew my thoughts, but it was his superpower.
I turned away from all the flowers and looked over at Holden.
“Is that why you and Aspen haven’t done it yet when you have a baby on the way?”
It was no secret he wanted to marry her, but the surprise was that she hadn’t said yes. Yet.
Holden let out a deep rumbling laugh. “I would’ve married her the minute she said she loved me, but you know women, and Aspen is as girly as they come. She wants to wait until after the baby comes because she wants to look hot on our wedding night.”
He laughed to himself as if recalling the conversation. “You think it matters if I tell her she’s already hot or that I can’t keep my hands off her?” He shook his head. “Nope. So, I’m waiting.”
Dammit, that wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
“Some best man you are,” I grunted at him but Holden only laughed.
He clapped me on the back with a laugh. “I’m the perfect best man ‘cause I’m gonna make sure you’re there when Hennessy makes her big debut.”
“You’ve seen her?”
She was gone when I got back yesterday with nothing but a note that the “girls” had come to get her and help with wedding details. I assumed that meant decorating, but now I wondered.
“You’ll see her. Soon if we hurry.” I followed Holden away from the big, shaded tree, and we made our way over to the cluster of chairs that weren’t set up in the traditional two sides because the Reckless Bastards never did anything the normal way.
“Looks good.”
“It does,” I answered on a scratchy voice that was suddenly too dry to speak in full sentences.
Gunnar made his way over to where we stood, looking as dressed up as he ever would, trading his trademark black t-shirt for a short sleeve black button up with his regular uniform of jeans and shit kicker boots.
“Ready to get hitched to the old ball and chain?”
I laughed and arched a brow his way.
“Is that what you call Peaches?”
“Not to her face.”
That had all three of us laughing as the rest of the women and the MC made their way to the chairs.
“Last chance to back out.”
“I’m good,” I told him and I realized the words were true. I was nervous but that was reasonable because this was marriage and it was a big fucking deal. It wasn’t something I took lightly, and I would protect and care for Hennessy for as long as she was mine.
“Good,” Holden leaned in and whispered, “because here she comes.”
My gaze followed the path of Holden’s index finger until I saw a vision of red and white. Hennessy walked slowly toward me looking hot as fuck in a white lace dress that highlighted every fucking curve she possessed. It nipped in at her waist, making her tits and her hips look like they’d give Marilyn Monroe a run for her money. But it was her creamy white skin that looked even starker with the red tendrils framing her face like a halo, or maybe it was the fire engine red lips that had my cock twitching in my pants. Then again, it could have been those red fucking stilettos that instantly had
me imagining her, legs up, in nothing but those shoes.
“Watch out man, I think you’re marrying the older, hotter sister of the fairy princess.” Gunnar’s voice was filled with amusement, and I knew he was having way too much fun at my expense.
“Shut up,” I grunted, unable to tear my gaze away from Hennessy as she drew closer and closer. Her green eyes were filled with fear and wariness, but when she was just a few feet from me I saw something else. Anticipation.
Hennessy stopped about a foot from me, a nervous smile lighting up her face, but all I could focus on was those plump red lips.
“Hey,” she said in a fragile voice.
“Hey,” I told her, ignoring the breathless note in my voice. “You look beautiful.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth just as I got my hands on her, pulling her by the waist until she was at my side and weaving our fingers together.
“Thanks,” she said with a shy smile.
Her gaze darkened as she took in the sight of me in my black suit with the red tie as Peaches had demanded.
“You look pretty too,” she said shyly.
Gunnar, along with everyone else enjoyed a good long laugh at her words. It relieved the tension between us, and when she squeezed my hand, I turned us both toward Gunnar.
Then, Hennessy and I got married.
The ceremony was short and sweet, just like our marriage would be.
Hopefully.
Chapter Seventeen
Hennessy
“You may now kiss the bride.”
At Gunnar’s words, both Cruz and I froze. Like idiots, we stood there with all of his closest friends watching us, staring at one another. The same uncertainty that churned in my gut swam in his eyes, which didn’t make sense because Gunnar just told us exactly what to do.
Still, we stood there. Frozen.
“Uh,” Gunnar cleared his throat, amusement sounding in that one drawn out syllable, “You may now kiss the bride.” This time he spoke louder and slower, drawing another laugh from the crowd.
If that had been a real wedding meant to last forever, my heart would’ve soared at all the fun and laughter going on during the ceremony. It meant no one was taking themselves too seriously, that they were enjoying the moment without putting a lifetime of expectations on it. Since this was a marriage of convenience, it took the pressure off.