I woke the next morning blissfully anxious and completely exhausted; I hadn’t been able to sleep. To say last night was the longest night of my life was an understatement. Beau and all of the guys (including Dad, Jake, and all of Eternal Down) had stayed at Ryder and Everleigh’s house and Mom and all the girls stayed with me. Ever since we’d gotten back together I rarely spent a night away from Beau. The empty space where his hard, toned body usually slept made it difficult for me to get any rest. The bed felt cold and empty, but I took comfort in knowing it was the last night I’d ever be without him. In a few hours Beau Cavanaugh would be my husband and knowing that warmed every part of me.
Thankfully the morning passed pretty quickly. Once I was out of bed and showered, I found the girls and Mom already waiting for me. Mom had cooked us a huge breakfast and Beau arranged for a team of stylists to come to the house and pamper us, complete with a masseuse, nail technicians, hair stylists, and makeup artists. By the time I was ready to step into my wedding dress I was completely relaxed and didn’t have a care in the world.
Once my manicure and pedicure had dried, Sadie helped me up and walked me to my bedroom.
“So, have you talked to him?” I asked her. “How’s he doing?”
Sadie smiled at me and in that brief moment I really looked at her. She was already wearing her maroon strapless bridesmaid gown and her hair had been twisted and styled beautifully. Her pink and purple highlights really stood out in her snowy blonde hair. Her makeup was toned down accentuating her beautiful brown eyes; she was gorgeous. I suddenly felt self-conscious standing next to her. I was as big as a whale and she was tiny and svelte. She had the small of her hand at my back as she led me into the room.
“He’s about to jump out of his skin,” she laughed.
“What do you mean? Is he nervous or having second thoughts? Did he have it out with Jake or something?” I asked, worried.
“No, no, Danni, everything is completely fine. He’s anxious to marry you. The last text I got from him said this is the longest day of his life. I think he’s driving the guys bat-shit crazy,” she answered, laughing.
My chest felt warm and slippery and I smiled so widely that my cheeks hurt. “I can’t wait either. Sadie,” I said, stopping and taking her hands in mine. “I hope you know that I love your brother so, so much and I plan on making him happy for the rest of his life.”
She smiled at me proudly and her eyes blinked rapidly, obviously trying to hold back tears.
“I love him too, and I’m so happy for you both. You know Beau and I didn’t have it easy as kids. He was always trying to drink and fuck away that pain Sharon caused us. He appeared to be doing okay on the outside, but I don’t think he ever knew how much he wanted or needed someone to make all of that hurt go away. Until he met you Danni. You saved my brother in more ways than one and meeting you was the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Thank you for loving him,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Oh Sadie,” I said, letting go of her hands and embracing her in my arms. “It’s not hard to love him. I promise I will do it for the rest of my life.”
My belly jerked as my little girl kicked and Sadie giggled. She put a hand on my belly saying, “I think she’s happy too. My niece is going to be a little hellion like her Aunt Sadie.”
I laughed. “Dear God help us all!”
“Well, I’m going to go check on Everleigh. That giant she’s carrying has to make it hard to get around so I’m going to see if she needs help with anything. I’ll leave you to get dressed. You just holler if you need me, okay?”
“I will. Thank you, Sadie.”
“Anytime. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too,” I replied, and she left me to get ready.
My dress was lying on the bed but before I put it on, I had to know how Beau was doing; I was going crazy. I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my yoga pants and as soon as I swiped the screen there was a text message. It was from Beau.
Can’t wait to marry you today, counting down the seconds until I see you walking toward me as my beautiful bride.
My heart jumped and I sighed with relief that he wasn’t freaking out or having cold feet. I texted back.
I love you too, can’t wait to see you at the altar waiting for me.
I quickly began to get dressed, my excitement building. God this day was dragging on…
As soon as I walked out of the bedroom in my wedding gown, everyone gasped. Despite the fact that I was as big as a whale, I felt like a princess. My dress was strapless with rhinestones and sequins covering the top, and it flowed out in soft waves around my belly; it was gorgeous. The stylist had pulled and twisted my hair into an elegant chignon and had added a few white and maroon flowers that matched the roses in my bouquet.
I was so overjoyed in that moment; I felt like I was floating on air. I was marrying the love of my life while our daughter danced in my belly. As I took in everyone’s jubilant faces, I was the happiest I’d ever been.
“Oh Danni, you’re so beautiful!” my mom exclaimed with tears flowing down her cheeks. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief mumbling, “Thank God for waterproof mascara.”
“Aw, Mom,” I said, walking over and embracing her. “It’ll be okay.”
“I know honey. It’s just that…you’re my baby girl,” she replied, her lip quivering. “You’ve made me so happy these past twenty-six years. I can only hope that when your daughter is born you will know the incredible joy I felt when I held you for the very first time. Beau is a wonderful man who loves you so much…that’s all a mother can ever wish for her daughter. I know you two will be as happy as I’ve been with your father.”
I felt tears burning in my eyes. “Don’t make me cry. I want to save the tears for when I see Beau in his tux,” I said, smiling. “He’s going to stop my heart, I know it.”
Everleigh stood up from her chair (with much-needed help from Sadie) and waddled over to me.
“Danni,” she said, already crying. “I…there’s so much I want to say to you.”
I took her hands in mine.
“Ev,” I said, my voice breaking, “I love you so much.”
“Let me get this out before I can’t. I can’t say you’re the sister I never had, because you aren’t. You’ve been my sister from the first day we met on the preschool playground when Emily Johnson and Jana Michaelson were picking on me and you came charging in to defend me,” she said, and I chuckled. “We’ve been there for each other through everything from crushes, arguments, boyfriends, and the whole thing in New York…”
She started to cry harder so I gently placed my hand on her swollen belly. “Ev, it’s okay. Think of Max,” I told her.
She shook her head and sniffed. “I’m okay. You just…you mean so much to me and I’m so glad that I’m here today standing by your side. You are an amazing woman inside and out. You’re going to be a wonderful mother, and Beau is the luckiest man alive to have you.”
“Ev,” I croaked, hugging her close as a few tears escaped from my perfectly made-up eyes.
“I-I love you.”
I was barely able to choke out the words as we hugged, our bellies bumping together between us, which seemed to lighten the mood. Everyone joined in a quick group hug before we heard a knock at the front door.
Sadie answered it and as soon as I saw who it was, I squealed and smiled. “John?”
“Hello, Danni,” he answered, stepping into the house. “You look beautiful.”
John had been away for the past few weeks after receiving a call that his mother was sick. We’d gotten word last week that she passed away, and even though we all wanted to travel and be there for him, he insisted that no one come. He knew that if any of the guys went, we’d all want to go and Everleigh and I weren’t allowed to travel as pregnant as we both were. I didn’t know if he’d be able to make it back in time so I was thrilled that he was here now.
Wrapping my arms around his big muscular frame, I exclaimed, “
Oh John, I’m so glad you’re here! Now this day feels complete.”
“I’m glad to be here with you. So, are you ready to go to the church?”
“What do you mean? I thought we were taking a stretch limo,” Sadie stated.
“You are. I’ll be your driver for the evening,” he said, grinning. He held out his arm to me and asked, “Are you ready to get married?”
I smiled and laced my arm through his. “More than you know.”
As John helped us all into the limo and drove us to the church, I felt my daughter kicking and I contemplated telling him to disobey all speed limits to get us there. I had never felt so anxious in all my life; it was literally hurting me to not be near Beau. I needed to be with him, to be safe in his arms…to be his wife. I took comfort in knowing that by the end of the day, I would be all of those things and my dreams would finally be a reality.
Chapter 14
Beau
The Night Before
“So, you ready to be shackled tomorrow, bro?” Ryder asked me after we’d all placed our orders.
Instead of hitting some sleazy strip club or a bar where we’d have fans groping us, I had decided I wanted to hit up our favorite steak house for my bachelor party.
“Bring on that ball and chain,” I answered, laughing.
As much as I wanted to spend my last night as a sort-of single guy with my friends, the only place I really wanted to be was at home with my beautiful fiancée in my arms. But Danni wanted to be traditional and that meant following all of the usual pre-wedding customs, including the one I hated the most; the groom being forbidden to see the bride for twenty-four hours before the wedding. I could text and call her, sure, but it wasn’t the same. I’d only been away from her for like twelve hours, and I was craving her presence like…like an alcoholic that needed a drink.
I also wasn’t loving the fact that Jake Riggins had made it into town with Jagger, Cash, Logan, and Zayne. Technically, I had no reason to be mad at him, but I still couldn’t erase the image of their kiss out of my mind, no matter how innocent it may have been. I knew it was lame to feel angry, especially considering what despicable act I performed right after I’d witnessed their kiss, but it still bothered me that my friend had made out with my now fiancée.
I didn’t speak to him much during the night, focusing my conversations mainly on my band brothers and the guys in Eternal Down. I knew Jake wanted to hash this thing out, and I’d avoided it as long as I could. I knew he wasn’t going to let it slide though, and when that time came I’d have to bite the bullet and quit being a whiny bitch.
“Well, thank God you are driving me tonight because I plan on getting fall-on-my-ass drunk,” Jude stated. “No pussy for me equals all the alcohol in the restaurant will be in my blood stream before the night is over.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that anyway?” Zayne asked, taking a long drink from his beer. “You still do like pussy, right?”
Jagger snickered into his beer as Jude answered, “I love pussy and I want it morning, noon, and night.”
“Then why the fuck are you keeping your cock in the barn these days?” Jake asked him.
“Because I’m living with Sadie now and I just didn’t feel right bringing women to the house with her there,” Jude stated smugly.
“Wait, so you’ve given up pussy and you live with Sadie Cavanaugh, a girl that’s as hot as fuck? Dude, are you gay or am I missing something?” Jagger asked.
Jude grumbled, swallowing the last of his beer.
“Damn it, I’m not gay, okay? I just didn’t want to have a bunch of hoes hanging around all the time. Sadie’s one of my best friends and I was trying to be considerate.”
“Well, you know you can still get laid and not take them home with you. I’m not even in your band and have walked in on you fucking some girl in a random bathroom more times than I care to remember,” Logan pointed.
“So, you and Sadie aren’t hitting the sheets I take it?” Jagger asked.
Jude shook his head frustratingly. “No, we aren’t. It’s not like that with us, we’re just friends. Besides, even if we were, why would it matter to you?”
Jagger shrugged his shoulder and smiled crookedly. “I don’t know, I might ask her out. Why would it bother you?”
“It wouldn’t,” Jude answered, but he seemed irritated that Jagger had suddenly taken an interest in Sadie.
“Dude, none of you fuckers are taking a shot at my sister,” I informed them. “Forget it.”
Jagger snickered, smirking at me.
“Fine, fine. Hands off the sister,” he answered, looking up and smiling.
My eyes followed his to find he had already set his sight on a brunette who was eye-fucking him from across the restaurant.
“Well, I don’t mean to steer the conversation to something other than pussy and hot sisters, but there was something I wanted to tell you guys now that we are all together,” Kris said somewhat seriously.
“What is it, man?” I asked him.
He sighed from somewhere deep and grinned.
“Jess and I found out this morning we are having a baby. Finally,” he answered.
Grinning big, I leaned over the table to bump fists with him.
“Dude, that’s awesome. Congratulations!”
We all knew the reasons why having a baby was so important to Jessie and Kris and I was really happy for the both of them.
“Yeah, that’s great, bro,” Zayne said, seeming totally sincere.
Zayne was always the first one to be a dick so for him to actually say something nice to one of us without it being laced with sarcasm was kind of weird. I wondered if he’d finally met someone to help tone down his bad attitude.
“Thank you Zayne. Seriously, I feel like jumping out of my skin right now. It’s taken me and Jess years to get pregnant and now that it’s finally happened I feel like…I don’t know, like the luckiest guy in the world. Next to Beau, of course,” Kris answered, nudging me.
Jake laughed and took another drink of his beer.
“I never thought I’d see the day when almost all the Bad Blooded Rebel members are settling down and making babies and shit. It’s awesome, seriously, but I just never thought it’d happen for anyone other than Kris. We all know he’s been in love with Jessie forever, but I really never thought you guys would stop partying and do the family thing.”
“Well when you find that right girl you fight like hell to make it happen,” I answered him, slightly agitated. “I still can’t believe Danni gave me another chance after how badly I fucked things up, but once she did I knew then and there that nothing and no one would stand in our way again.”
Jake smiled at me and it seemed genuine. “I’m glad you two found your way back to each other, really.”
I could sense that he wanted to say more to me but he steered the conversation to Ryder.
“So, Ryder, Everleigh’s got to be close to having that little rocker baby soon, right?”
Ryder smiled. “Yeah, she’s due in three weeks. In fact her doctor told us at her last appointment that she could really go into labor at any time.”
“That’s not surprising, she looks so uncomfortable,” Cash answered sympathetically. “I know nothing about pregnant chicks, but that belly of hers looks abnormally huge. How can she move around?”
“It’s not without difficulty lately, but she’s not complained once. She said she loves being pregnant and is trying to enjoy every moment of it. But, I have to confess I hope she goes into labor soon. Like right after the wedding tomorrow,” Ryder admitted.
“I love seeing her pregnant with our son but I can’t wait to hold him. I’m going fucking nuts waiting.”
He was toying with the label on his beer bottle and gently rolling his tongue across the ring in his lip.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get to hold your kid soon, man,” Logan answered, clapping him on the back.
“I hope so. Okay, let’s change the subject because it’s making me tense. Tel
l me about the tour. How’s it been on the road now that you jackasses don’t have us to make look good?” Ryder asked, and everyone barked out a laugh.
I sat back in my seat, drinking my water and watching everyone interacting, and I realized how much I had missed this. Danni and our daughter were my life now, but I still missed my friends…all of them. Even Jake (although I hated to admit it).
After dinner the other guys started making plans to maybe hit a club. I was just about to text Danni when Jake walked over and took Jude’s unoccupied seat.
“Hey man, where are the girls tonight?”
I gritted my teeth together for a few seconds before answering him. “They are at my house. Sadie was throwing some kind of toy party or some shit instead of them all going out since Danni and Ev, and apparently now Jessie, are pregnant.”
Jake threw his head back and laughed. “A toy party? Like, sex toys? Damn,” he said. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall in that room.”
“Yeah, I bet you would,” I grumbled.
He sighed. “So, you’re still pissed about that kiss a year and a half later? Beau, you know nothing happened.”
“I know nothing happened, Jake, but it still bothers me that you kissed her. I know it’s stupid, especially after what I did, but it does.”
“Look, I’m sorry, but she shot me down pretty fast and I’m pretty sure we’re both over it by now. Fuck man, she’s marrying your dumb ass tomorrow and she’s pregnant with your kid. She loves you and she always has.”
“I know,” I said, running my fingers through my hair.
Jake looked around before leaning closer to me.
“Besides, I met someone anyway so I’m not after Danni,” he admitted quietly with a wink.
I sat up in my chair a little straighter, suddenly feeling a little less tense. “Wait…you what?”
Reckless Redemption: A Bad Blooded Rebel Novel (Bad Blooded Rebel Series) Page 19