by Erin Osborne
“Karla, you got a problem?” Gage asks, standing behind me and letting them know by his actions that he’s got my back.
“I don’t see why we have to listen to a dumb bitch when she just started coming around here. I’m here to have fun and take care of any needs that come up, regardless of if that man is attached or not,” Karla says, standing up and looking for a fight.
“Shadow, you know what to do,” Gage says, letting the prospect take a bitching and screaming Karla away. “Anyone else gonna give her a problem? You will all do what she says and not bitch or whine about it at all. You’re all easily replaceable and I have no problem cleanin’ house now. Riley is my old lady and she will be shown the respect she deserves. Especially when she’s tryin’ to be your friend and not treat you like scum the way some other old ladies would.”
I watch as the rest of the girls nod their acceptance of the situation. Gage stays until Shadow has Karla out of the clubhouse before they make their way back to the office. Once they leave, I lay it out how things are going to go as far as the testing and getting put on birth control. Everyone accepts their fate and I know that I’m going to be bitched about for a long time to come. Oh well! I continue on by handing out the appointments that were already made with Doctor Sanchez and the new list of chores that will be completed daily, only keeping the card with Karla’s time on it. I’ll cancel that one as soon as we’re done here.
Now, I need to sit down with Addison. I know that the girl in the back was one of her girls. Something is obviously going on and I want to make sure that she’s okay. If she’s in trouble, maybe we need the guys to help us out with this one. I’m not sure what to do here. So, I sit down with her while we watch the rest of the girls leave. Darcy goes in search of her men while everyone else scatters to do what they need to right now.
“You say your girl in the back?” I ask, wanting to get right to the topic at hand so I can finish finalizing everything for the wedding.
“I’ve had my eye on her for a while now. There’s been a few times she’s called in to work recently, or said that she didn’t feel good enough to strip, but could tend bar. I’m not sure what’s going on, or what to do about the situation,” Addison tells me, letting me know that she’s already on top of her girls. Which I never had a doubt about.
“What should we do? Do we go to the guys about it or continue letting you keep an eye on her? I don’t want her to continue getting hurt if we can do something to help,” I ask, letting my mind go back to the time I spent with Sam and what him and his men did to me. I’ll never let anyone go through that kind of hell if I can help them out of it.
“I’m with you on that. Why don’t I talk to Steel about it and see what he says? He’s in the Kitty Kat a lot recently and I know that I’ve seen the two of them talking more than once in a corner. Maybe he already knows what’s going on,” she replies, standing and letting me know that she’ll let me get back to what I have to do for the rest of the day.
Three days later…
Today is finally the day that I’ve been waiting for. Gage and I are getting married today and I’m so excited that I can’t stand it. Last night, the girls ended up staying at our house and kicked Gage and my dad out. They came to the clubhouse to stay for the night, and let me tell you that he was not a happy man. But, they said they were doing it because we wouldn’t let them give us individual parties with strippers and drinking. I don’t want that being pregnant and I don’t know what was going through my man’s head when he declined going out. So, that’s why we had the dinner with all three clubs instead. I’d rather have the family atmosphere than huge parties where everyone is getting crazy. I’ve had enough crazy in my life to last multiple lifetimes.
“Hey Riley!” Keegan says, walking in my room with Shelby balanced on her hip. “What’s the plans for this morning?”
“Morning,” I respond, sitting up in bed further. “I’m going to shower, get my hair and make-up done here, and then we’ll go to the clubhouse. I’ll get in my dress there so I don’t have a chance of getting it dirty or anything before I head down to my man.”
“When did you have your last fitting?” she asks, knowing that I’m really starting to pop and you can definitely tell that I’m pregnant now. I would hope that’s the case since I only have three months to go.
“I tried it on yesterday before you all showed up, honestly. Gage was busy and I wanted to make sure it still fit. It’s tight, but it works. I can’t say the same would be true if the wedding gets postponed or anything like that though,” I tell her, letting the tears fill my eyes at the thought that something will happen today.
“Nope, not going there!” Keegan tells me, sitting down next to me and letting Shelby make her way up to me. She wipes my tears while murmuring ‘mama’ over and over. My little girl is definitely one that doesn’t like to see anyone crying or upset.
Sucking in a deep breath, I get my emotions under control and squeeze Shelby to me in a big hug before tickling her little belly. “Alright, I’m going to shower and get dressed in sweats so we can all get ready.”
“I think most of us plan on showering at the clubhouse. We’re here to help you get ready before we leave and that’s about it. That way you can have time with your mom and sister alone at the clubhouse,” Keegan tells me, reaching out for Shelby so she can take her out to get fed before bathing her.
I get up and quickly get my shower done so that I can get on with getting ready. The girl that works at the Kitty Kat is still in the back of my mind so I’m going to talk to Addison again today about her. I know today is about Gage and me, but something about her is making it hard to forget. As soon as I’m dressed in a button-down shirt, one of Gage’s, and a pair of comfy sweats, I let the rest of the girls in to help me with my hair and make-up so we can get over to the clubhouse. My mom and sister have tried to stay out of the way, helping with Shelby instead of crowding in the bedroom with everyone else.
“Alright, we’re not letting you see your hair or anything until you have your dress on,” Darcy tells me, making sure that all the mirrors are removed or covered. “You’re riding with your mom and sister while the rest of us pile in the SUVs. We’ll see you in a few minutes.”
We all head out and make our way to the vehicles waiting in the driveway for us. I’m last out so I can make sure that all the doors are locked and that I have everything we’ll need for the day. Tammy is strapping Shelby into the car seat they put in my parent’s car as I get in the passenger side. My mom has tears in her eyes and I know that it’s going to be the longest hour I’ve ever had in my life. The reason for that thought is that if it wasn’t for Gage, my family wouldn’t be here to spend this special day with me. It still would’ve been a good day, but now it’s special in a way that I didn’t dream possible.
As soon as the SUVs pull up outside the clubhouse, I see my dad making a beeline for the car to help my mom, sister, and myself out and inside. He tells me that they have Gage in a room right now so that I can make it in and to our room without him seeing me. We don’t have much time to finish getting ready. It’s definitely going to take the girls longer than me, but they’re each in someone’s room so it shouldn’t be too bad.
My mom and sister help me get in my dress. It’s the first time that Tammy has seen it because she’s been travelling back and forth for work and to spend time with her husband. I get to meet him for the first time today and I’m excited about it. Like I told Keegan, my dress is just on the side of tight, more than I usually like. But, nothing can be done about it when I’m pregnant and seem to get larger by the second. The dress is only snug in the stomach area and flows around me from the waist down.
“You look stunning!” my mom tells me, tears fill her eyes and I pull her in for a hug before I start crying too.
“I’m so happy that you are here with me today. That my entire family gets to be a part of this day,” I tell her, pulling Tammy into the fold.
“Okay, enough tears,” my
mom suddenly says, walking over to the bag she placed on the bed earlier. “Now, you have something new with your dress. I have something blue and something borrowed for you as well.”
Walking back over to me, I see that my mom is carrying a hair clip in the shape of a small heart to stick in the back of my hair. I sit down in the chair so that she can place it where Darcy put my hair up a little while ago. Tammy steps up and hands me a garter that has the lightest blue colored ribbon weaved through the middle. It’s delicate and beautiful. She helps place it where it goes while my mom finishes messing with the clip. By the time they’re done messing around with me, there’s a knock on the door. Tammy opens it to show my dad and another man standing there. If he’s here, that must mean that it’s almost show time.
“Riley, I’d like you to meet my husband Hank,” Tammy tells me, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. “Hank, this is my sister Riley.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, holding out my hand for him to shake. Instead he pulls me in for a hug and tells me that he’s pleased to meet me. My sister picked a good one if you ask me, but time will tell if I’m right about that thought.
“Are you ready baby girl?” my dad asks, kissing my cheek and taking a step back to look at me. “You’re beautiful. Gage is a lucky man!”
“Thank you daddy,” I respond, letting him know that his words touch me.
“It’s about time to go,” he says, as my mom, sister, and Hank scoot out of the room to make their way out to find their seats.
My dad walks me to the back door where I see the rest of the girls standing in line, waiting to walk out. Shadow is standing at the end, holding Shelby in his arms as she’s the flower girl. The door remains closed until one of the guys opens it from the outside to signal that it’s time to walk down and tie myself to the man of my dreams for the rest of our lives. As soon as it’s my turn to walk down the aisle lined with the guy’s bikes, the music pauses and changes to Outlaw In Me by Brantley Gilbert. Gage got to choose the songs for me to walk to him and for our first dance. This song choice doesn’t surprise me one bit. He heard me listening to it one day and whenever we’re together, he makes sure to play the playlist with it. Taking a deep breath, I look at my dad and we begin to make our way to the beginning of the rest of my life. The best part if you ask me.
Gage
I’m a nervous wreck as I stand in front of my brothers, our family, and friends waiting for Riley to make her way to me. I watch as the girls begin to file out of the back door and line up where my girl and I will stand front and center. Finally, I lay eyes on Shadow carrying my baby girl out, helping her throw the blue flower petals as they slowly make their way forward. As soon as Shelby sees me, she forgets all about the flowers and throws her little arms out for me to take her. The crowd surrounding us laughs along with me as I go to take her from his arms before she hurts herself in her quest to get to me.
I turn my attention to the back door when I hear the song I chose begin to play. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Not just today, but for my whole life. Riley is the person that makes me complete and lets me know that together we can do anything we want to. We’ll accomplish all of our goals and come out the other side better people. I know that Riley makes me feel alive, she shines the light on my broken soul and she’s been fixing it one piece at a time.
The sight of Riley walking toward me takes my breath away. Her dress is tight on her stomach showcasing the baby that we created resting peacefully in her stomach. There’s a thin line of blue outlining her enlarged tits and blue in some sort of pattern throughout the rest of the dress that hits the ground around her. Riley’s hair is half up with the rest cascading down her back and around her shoulders. I can’t imagine a more beautiful sight in this moment.
It feels like it takes hours for her to make her way to me but I’m sure it’s only a matter of minutes in reality. When her dad places her hand in my outstretched waiting one, I can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face. Especially when our daughter leans down and places her hand over the top of ours. Carter, Riley’s dad, stands next to us until the judge marrying us asks who gives my girl to me. Once he’s done with his part, I watch as he hugs us both before taking his seat.
I don’t hear a single part of the ceremony until Crash nudges me from behind to let me know it’s time for me to say my vows to Riley. Looking deep into her eyes, I begin the speech that I’ve rehearsed for days now. It’s nowhere near good enough or will convey the love that I feel for her. “Riley, you bring a light to me that I didn’t know existed. The day I met you, I knew that our souls would forever be entwined with how broken we both were. Shelby, you, and the baby that you carry now are my family and have more love than I’ll ever be able to show you. There aren’t words that will let me tell you how much you have reached into my heart and how my love for you grows each and every day. I will love you, support you, and stand by your side for the rest of my life and after I take my last breath. I love you, beautiful.”
Lifting my hand from hers, I wipe the few stray tears that Riley’s allowed to escape. She doesn’t begin to speak until I place my hand back in hers. “Gage, you have given me more in the short amount of time I’ve known you than anyone else ever has. You’ve given me my daughter, a new baby on the way, a family including my own family back, and you support me and let me have my way every now and then. Instead of trying to rebuild my broken heart and soul the way you wanted to, you let me find my own path and learn and grow the way that I want to. We have created a home with our little girl and I can’t wait to see where this life takes us. I love you more than you’ll ever know and nothing will get in the way of that, including taking my last breath. I love you baby.”
I’m not going to lie and say that her words didn’t touch my soul. My eyes have a few tears shining from them and I’m not ashamed to let the world know that this girl can bring me to my knees with her words alone. We have given one another the world and I’ll continue to do my best of that forever. Finally, the words I’ve been longing to hear are spoken.
“By the power vested in me, you may kiss your bride,” the judge says, standing back and waiting to finish his part in today.
I turn and hand our daughter to Crash. She happily moves into her uncles’ arms while I bring my hands up to gently cup Riley’s face before leaning in to kiss her. I’m not sure who deepens the kiss, but I finally break away from her when the catcalls and hollering break through and take away from our moment. We turn to face the crowd and take a moment before we walk back toward the clubhouse for a few minutes to ourselves. Since the reception is here, we don’t have to go anywhere. I think Riley’s going to change dresses, but that’s about it. She can’t be comfortable with the tightness of the wedding dress she’s currently wearing.
Sure enough we head into our room and she asks me to help her undo the back of the dress. There’s a million little buttons to undo, but I’m not going to complain one bit. Every button reveals a new piece of skin that I place a gentle kiss on until I can hear Riley panting with want. I’m not going to take her now though. I’ll make sure she gets off, but the rest will wait until we’re alone for the night. Little does she know there’s one more surprise in store for her and she’ll find that one out when we can finally leave here.
We’ve been at the reception for a while now. Food has been devoured, music is blaring, photographs have been taken, and the cake is waiting to be eaten. Riley and I haven’t even had our first dance together yet. Instead, we’ve been wandering around from table to table saying hi to everyone and making sure that we thank them all for sharing our day with us. I can see that my girl is getting weary on her feet and I know it’s just a matter of time before she wants to head home. She’ll never say anything though. So, I take the lead and lead us over to the table holding the cake. As soon as I know we have everyone’s attention, we cut the cake and feed one another a small piece.
I’m trying to be all nice and not shove it in Riley’s fac
e. She has no such thought on the matter though. Hell, she really goes for it and shoves the small piece directly in my face to the point that it’s in my eyes, up my nose, covering my entire face, and in my hair. Who knew such a small piece of cake could cause so much destruction. I will get her back though. One way or another, she’ll get hers. I laugh, knowing that this is making her extremely happy. I’m so pussy whipped that I can’t summon up any kind of feeling other than pure joy.
“I’m sorry babe, but I couldn’t resist,” she says, joy and laughter lighting up her entire body.
“It’s okay beautiful. Just remember, payback’s a bitch,” I tell her, giving her a kiss so that she can’t respond. And because I can’t seem to keep my lips or hands to myself knowing that she’s mine in every way possible.
“I’m not scared of you, Gage. I know you’d never hurt me, so bring it on,” she says, letting her sassy side out.
“I’m goin’ to have our song play so that we can start gettin’ ready to head out,” I let her know that I can see she’s getting tired and I want her to be able to enjoy the surprise I have in store for her when we leave.
Riley tiredly nods her head and I look over at Tech who is using the computer to play certain songs. He’s hooked everything up to the speakers we usually use outside. With one look from me, he announces that Riley and I will be sharing our first dance now. The dance floor clears out and I lead my girl to the middle of the floor. You Are The Reason by Calum Scott starts flowing through the speakers. My girl lays her head on my chest and I wind my arms around her. We spend the next few minutes slowly spinning with our friends and family watching us. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.
“You ready to go?” I ask a few minutes after the song comes to an end and I’ve led her away from the make shift dance floor.