****
Vin figured out he was screwed the moment Lacy started chattering about lilac-colored ties and flowers. He’d agreed to be Drannon’s best man because he loved the guy as if they were blood brothers, but that didn’t mean he wanted to make a fool out of himself.
“You look great, Vin!” Lacy gushed, hurrying across the store to adjust the purple vest and tie under his dark grey suit.
“You’re not seriously going to make me wear purple, are you?” he groaned. This was the last thing on his wish list for a Saturday activity.
She hesitated, and then patted his shoulder. “I just wanted to get a look at the suit with the lilac under it. I haven’t really decided. Drannon’s insisting on the cream color—”
The door beside them popped open and her fiancé, Drannon Russo, appeared wearing an identical charcoal colored suit, but underneath, he wore a vanilla ice cream colored satin vest. “Damn right. I told you I’m not wearing the purple one.”
“Oh, the cream looks lovely, too,” Lacy said, moving to her fiancé’s side and adjusting his tie as well. Unlike when she patted Vin, Lacy made more of an effort to caress her man’s chest through his clothes. “I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. It’s just clothes.”
“Exactly. It’s just clothes. So why do they have to be purple?” Vin grumbled.
“Lilac,” she corrected. “And the idea is for the groom and his best man to complement the bride and her maid of honor.”
“You don’t have a maid of honor,” Drannon said with a frown.
“Yes I do. I asked Franki to stand in for me. She was really touched by it because she won’t have the chance to stand with Vivienne now, and I think it assured her of her acceptance into the family.” Lacy reached for another vest that looked almost identical to the one Drannon was already wearing and held it up against his suit. “This one might look better. I like the fleur de lis pattern on it better than the pinstripe. I wonder if it comes in lilac.”
A shopgirl who was hovering nearby jumped to bring over a book of fabric samples, and Drannon and Vin were quickly relegated to wall decoration as Lacy and the girl discussed possible combinations for the big day.
“You realize she’s going to put us in purple, right?” Vin said, shoving his brother with his shoulder.
Drannon groaned, “Fuck.”
“You know, you could still try to convince her to go to Vegas.”
Drannon shook his head, looking dejected. “Already tried. She says it’s important for the community to see that Crawley Creek Ranch is here to stay, and that there’s a new generation running it securely.”
Vin nodded in agreement. “It’ll definitely make the old timers more comfortable with our little band of misfits.”
“Come on, let’s get out of these monkey suits. I think I’m allergic to this tie.” Drannon headed back into a fitting room. Vin laughed as he went back into his own space and changed his clothes.
He didn’t mind standing up for his brother because he could see how happy Lacy made Drannon. He knew the day Lacy showed up on the ranch that there was chemistry between the two, and it didn’t take them long to connect and build an unbreakable bond.
To her credit, Lacy was a beautiful woman both inside and out. With long, red hair and gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes, she reminded Vin of their foster mother, Sera. She had a strong core of beliefs and a wicked wit. The two would have been fast friends.
As it was, Sera had passed away a few years back, followed closely by her husband, Abe. The two had created a sanctuary for foster children, and Vin always knew he’d never be able to repay them for their kindness. It still hurt to think about them, but he was slowly healing.
Vin had been their first foster child, and he’d been with them the longest out of anyone. He couldn’t even remember his biological mother or a time when he hadn’t lived at Crawley Creek. At the tender age of three, he’d been dumped off on the state because the woman who’d given him life didn’t want him. Her rejection burned in his gut every day—a wound he was sure would never heal—even though he only knew it in a figurative way.
By the time they’d changed back into their own clothes, Lacy had made her arrangements with the shop attendant, and she was handing over a card for payment. Drannon shook his head when she asked if he wanted to see the receipt, and in that moment, Vin knew for sure he’d be wearing that lilac ensemble to the wedding.
Resigned to the humiliation for one day, he said his goodbyes and got the hell out of Dodge as fast as he could. There was more wedding shopping planned for the day, but he was by no means interested in joining in. He had work to do back at the ranch. In fact, he had more work than time these days, but at least he was working with his hands, and doing what he enjoyed. Not many people could say that.
Lori’s Bio
Best-selling author, Lori King, is also a full-time wife and mother of three boys. Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie, she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.
With the motto: Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance, she will continue to write as long as you continue to read. Thank you for taking the time to indulge in a good Happily Ever After with her. Find out more about her current projects at http://lorikingbooks.com, or look her up on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LoriKingBooks or Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriKingBooks.
Her Vigilant Seal Page 24