"This is amazing. It's so beautiful," she says.
I haven't been able to take my eyes off her. Her happiness has me grinnin' so hard my cheeks hurt. The words almost spill out of my mouth at that moment, but I stop myself. Soon.
* * *
"What the hell is that doing here?" Gabriel grumps after taking his seat at the bar. He's referring to the goldfish swimming around in the bowl that's sitting on top of the bar.
"What? James Pond?" I sip my beer and Logan chuckles beside me.
Raine steps behind the bar and hands Gabriel a cold beer. "You named the fish James Pond?" she laughs.
I shrug. I don't see the big deal. I think it's a great name. Setting my empty bottle down, I look at the time. "Gotta run and meet a man about a woman." Standing, I face Logan. "Have you heard from your woman?"
"Everything is good, brother. All the women are out for lunch and a little shopping. Go do your thing," Logan responds.
Shortly after leaving the clubhouse I've made it to the hotel where Emerson's parents are staying downtown. When I walk into the lobby, Mr. Evans is waiting for me. I can't tell you how happy my woman has been since her parents made up with her and finally accepted her for who she is and what she strives to become. The difference in their relationship is like night and day. The only thing she worries about anymore is the fact things are still strained between them and her brother. "Mr. Evans," I extend my hand.
"Quinn, it's good to see you this afternoon. I hope everything is alright?" he says with a look of concern.
"Everything's fine. I needed to ask you somethin' and needed to do it in person." The worry disappears from his face, and the corner of his mouth lifts in a grin.
"Alright," he casually sticks his hands in his front pockets and relaxes his posture and waits for me to say what I want to say.
I clear my throat before speaking. "Mr. Evans, I love your daughter. My happiness feeds off of hers." He nods as I continue. "I want you to know I'll always take care of her and our family—I'll always do whatever it takes to keep them safe."
"I believe you," he says with confidence.
"Martin, I want nothing more than to make Emerson my wife."
He studies me for a moment. "Son." The word comes from his mouth for the first time. I wasn't expecting it to feel as good as it did to hear him say it. "She's always been yours. I'll be damn proud to have you marry her." Stepping forward, he puts out his hand, which I happily accept.
After the thirty-minute conversation that followed has wrapped up, I head towards my bike. My phone rings. Digging it from the inside pocket of my cut, I swipe the screen answering a call coming in from Easton. "Hey, brother. What's the word?"
"It's a go, my man. Fuck bro, this is gonna be epic," his voice sings with excitement. "Shit, gotta run—see ya soon."
Sticking the phone back in my pocket, I swing my leg over my bike. There's several more things to take care of and a few more people to see before the sun sets.
* * *
"One thing I've noticed since being around the club is you guys like to throw parties. What is this one for?" Emerson asks as she shimmies on a pair of jeans, then slips her boots on.
I've been awake since before the sun rise helping the guys set things up out back. Easton's road crew showed up roughly three hours ago and started to set up a small venue stage. Emerson has no idea any of this is going on since I didn't wake her. She has no idea her brother will be here today either. All my woman knows is Jake decided we needed to celebrate the club and family. Emerson is right though, we never need a reason to have a good time. Walking up to her, I snake my arm around her waist. "Life is good, Sunshine. That's what we wanna celebrate," I kiss her.
There's a light knock on the door followed by Lisa's voice. "Quinn? The guys need you outside."
"I'll be down in a minute," I call out. "Come on, beautiful." Dropping my arm, I grab her hand in mine, and we head downstairs together and walk into the kitchen. "Our moms have been cookin' up a storm this morning." Pulling a chair from the table, Emerson sits.
"My mom?" she says stunned.
"Yeah, babe. Right alongside all the other women." I set a plate of scrambled eggs and jellied toast on the table in front of her.
"There's a lot of food in here, Quinn. How many people are you guys expecting to show up? The whole town?"
"Everyone—the whole family."
"You should have woke me up sooner. I could have been down here helping. I'm surprised I slept through all the hustle and bustle. It's nearly noon," she bites into her toast.
"I wore that ass out last night, Sunshine. You snored all night too," I grin.
"I don't snore."
"You do, and it's cute," I chuckle when she rolls her eyes.
Finished with her meal, Emerson stands at the sliding glass door that leads to the back and peers out. "Holy shit. There's a stage back here."
"Yeah, we put some money together and hired live music for tonight." Grabbing her sweater hanging on a hook beside the door, I slip it over her shoulders because the air is a little chilly today and we walk outside. Tables are spread out across the yard. We have a few outside heaters and a large fire pit with wood ready to burn to keep people warm as the afternoon turns into night. Off to the far side of the yard we even have a bouncy house set up for the kids.
When I say the entire family has come out today that's no lie. I spot Gabriel towards the end of the building quietly talking to his sister Leyna and I wonder if Lex came with her. I scan the yard locating them all one by one. Sam, Sofia, Leah—and there's Nickolai along with his and Logan's dad Demetri talkin' with Jake and Reid. All the King's women are standing around laughing at the little kids actin' like goofballs inside the bounce house.
"I'm gonna go say hi to the girls." Leaning on her tiptoes Emerson's lips press against mine. I watch her cross the yard and hug all her friends.
"Big day today, brother." Logan appears from out of nowhere and slaps my back. "You ready?"
My eyes connect with Emerson's when she looks my way. "Been ready."
The family begins to cluster around the stage. I stride over to Emerson who has her hand over her mouth shocked to see her brother. "How did you get my brother here?"
"It's about family today, babe. He's part of the family."
"Alright," Easton's mellow laidback voice comes through the large speakers at each end of the stage. "I'm here to perform for an extraordinary person—my twin sister Em," he points in our direction. All heads turn our way. "But I'm gonna need a little help. Quinn, my man, get your pretty ass up here," he ushers me with a wave. The women gather around us. Emerson looks at me confused.
"What's going on?"
"Surprise," I grin. "All this—everyone you see is here for you, Sunshine. This whole day is yours." Leaning down, I kiss her then jog off towards the stage leaving her speechless.
Grabbing my guitar, I stroll onto the stage. I've played my guitar a few times for Emerson but have yet to sing for her. It's not something I often do in front of people, but for her, I'll do anything.
Making her way to the front of the stage, I look down on Emerson's beautiful face, and everyone around us disappears. It's just her and me. Her lovely smile encourages me. I start to sing. Hanging by A Moment by Lifehouse.
I lose myself in her eyes as I sing her the rest of the song. Tears stream down her face and all I want to do is kiss them away.
When I finish, my eyes stay fixed on hers. "Emerson Evans, will you marry me?"
"Yes," she yells and wipes her tears with the backs of her hand.
"Today," I say for everyone to hear. Her eyes widen, and for a split second I start to worry my best-laid plans will have to wait, then she runs up on the stage and throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.
"Okay."
I look at her and grin, “okay?"
"Mmhmm," Emerson hums.
Picking her up, I swing her in a circle before announcing, "let's have a wedding!"
"I h
ave nothing to wear," she suddenly frowns.
"Got it covered, Sunshine." I jerk my head to the side of the stage where all the women are standing. "Go with the girls."
I give her one more kiss. Yeah, we kiss—a lot, but who the fuck cares. I get to spend the rest of my life kissing this woman, and I'm not wastin' any of them. She pauses long enough to hug her brother then she is ushered inside.
Easton and his band sing a couple of songs to pass the time while the women help Emerson get ready which pleases the younger crowd.
The little shopping trip the other day was a perfect way for her mom to get a little insight on what kind of wedding dress her daughter would like to wear one day, and her mom paid for the dress and bouquet of flowers. Grace baked the cake, which we hid in church. Every detail was planned out. Every family member was somehow involved with helping me pull off my proposal and a surprise wedding.
I couldn't choose a best man because all my brothers mean too much to me, so here they are—all of them—standing at my side. Except for our President, Jake. He's going to marry us today. And all of our women will stand with Emerson as she becomes my old lady.
An hour later Lisa appears signaling us that it's go time.
Perfect by Ed Sheeran starts to play low in the background. The glass doors slide open, and Emerson steps out.
Breathe
Harley's line both sides of the white cloth rolled out for my woman. With her father by her side, she takes her first steps toward her husband to be.
"Finally, we are all here to celebrate Quinn and Emerson's union," Jake announces with a grin, causing my brothers to cheer. "All, kidding aside, I couldn't ask for a better match in Quinn than Emerson. She's proven her love and loyalty to not only our brother but to this club. I speak for all of us here today when I say we are damn proud to call you family. Quinn," Jake takes a small step back givin' me the stage.
"Sunshine, my words are straightforward—I love you. Loving you is like breathing for me. Forever doesn't even seem like enough time for me to cherish you. We could live a thousands more lives after this, and my soul would always find you, beautiful," I hold her hand in mine.
"Quinn, I love your outlook on life. I love how kind-hearted you are towards everyone you meet. You have a way of making people around you feel important and special. You're unapologetically who you are—who you were born to be, and you showed me—you gave me the courage to spread my wings and do the same. You taught me that we write the chapters of our own stories, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life filling those pages with you."
Jake extends his hand. The rings I bought the other day are lying side by side in his palm. "Repeat after me."
Sliding her ring on her finger I recite, "from this day forward you will never walk alone. I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my life." Gently, I wipe a tear from her cheek.
Emerson slides my ring on my finger and stares into my eyes as she tells me, "from this day forward you will never walk alone. I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my life."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss your old lady!" Jake announces. I waste no time placing my lips on hers.
After cutting the cake and sharing our first dance as husband and wife I can tell Emerson is starting to tire out from the long day, but I have one more thing to show her. Standing behind her, I brush her hair to the side. "I have one more surprise to show you, Sunshine," I whisper in her ear.
"How could you possibly have another surprise? I was proposed to and married all in one day. Nothing could top that," she sips on her glass of ginger ale.
Grabbing her by the hand, I lead her towards the clubhouse. Passing the guys, I wave my hand in the air letting them know I'm cuttin' out for the night.
"Wait, we're not going to say goodbye to everyone?" her hand tightens on mine.
"They know where I'm going. Don't worry, babe. You'll see them all again tomorrow," I promise. We'll have a houseful come tomorrow afternoon I have no doubts about it.
Trusting me, and still wearing her dress, she slides into my car. The house I bought is a couple of miles from Logan's home. As soon as I pull onto the long driveway leading to our home the two-story house comes into view. The sun hasn't completely set yet, so she gets to see what it looks like from the outside.
The moment I saw this house I knew it was the one. Cedar shingles, wooden shutters, and a large front and back porch. "You want to go look at it?" I ask.
"Can we do that?"
"Come on," I rush around to the other side of the car and open her door.
"Every window has a flower box, and look," she points as we step onto the porch, "I've never seen a porch swing the size of a twin bed. Quinn, wait— we can't walk through someone else's home."
I pause in front of the door and pull the key from the front pocket of my jeans. "I have the key, babe." Unlocking the door, I push it open then turn and pick up my bride.
"This is my surprise—a house?" her face lights up.
"You ready to add another chapter to our story?" I step over the threshold. "Welcome home Mrs. Emerson Beckett."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emerson
Ten months later
"Can you tell me where it hurts?" I ask Grayson the six-year-old little boy sitting on the exam table in front of me.
He points to his ear, "right here."
Using my otoscope, I gently examine the inside of Grayson's ear, and as expected he has an infection. Grayson's mom, Kinsley brought him in today. She said he's been running a fever for two days and has been complaining about his ear. Turning my attention to a worried looking Kinsley, I tell her. "Grayson has an ear infection. I'm going to prescribe him some antibiotics. I also want you to give him some Tylenol for his fever."
"Umm— are the antibiotics costly?" she asked in a nervous tone.
"I'm not sure, but your insurance should cover most of the cost."
"I uh— I don't have insurance."
I don't know much of Kinsley's story, only that she is a single mother and has been living in Polson for a couple of years. I also know she works at Charley's. Quinn told me once that Charley has always run the bar himself since he doesn't get too busy on any given day living in a small town and all. Charley had a feeling about Kinsley the day she walked into his bar looking for a job and he didn't have the heart to tell her no. Other than that, I don't know anything else about her. She keeps to herself.
Giving her a warm smile, I excuse myself. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
Walking into my office, I unlock the supply case that holds all our samples. We get pharmaceutical reps who come in from time to time and leave some with us. I gather the ten-day supply of the antibiotic Grayson will need, place them in a bag, and make my way back into the exam room. "Here you go," I say handing Kinsley the bag. "This ten-day supply should cover him. Also, I'm going to make a note on his chart for my receptionist telling her to set you up on a payment plan to cover today's visit."
Swiping a tear from her cheek, Kinsley nods, "thank you so much."
"You're very welcome." This right here is how I know I made the right choice opening my own practice. After Quinn and I married, he told me it was time to fulfill my dream. So, with his love and support, I wasted no time going after what I wanted. I put a call into a realtor, and two weeks later I was signing a lease on the building my office is housed in.
It was a little overwhelming at first with being pregnant and newly married while setting up my practice, but I've enjoyed every minute of the journey. It also helped I had the club behind me. Everyone pitched in. Reid and Nikolai handled the few minor remodeling aspects of the office, while the girls jumped in and helped me order furniture and decorate the waiting area. My waiting room is sectioned into three areas. I have a space for well check-ups, one for those who are sick, and I have an area for children to play. Alba even set up a reading corner and stocked it full of books. Then there is the front counter where
my receptionist Zara sits, and in the back, I have three exam rooms.
In my opinion, the place is perfect and turned out just as I envisioned it. My office is open Monday through Friday and my hours are from eight o'clock am to five o'clock pm. I love being able to set my own pace. My evenings and weekends are for my family. When I'm at work, I'm wholly dedicated to my patients. Unlike the hospital, I get to spend more than five minutes with them. I take my time to get to know every person that walks through my clinic doors. I treat patients of all ages. They range from newborn to my oldest patient Mrs. Porter who is 97 years old.
Besides my work life, another thing that has come full circle is my relationship with my parents. They have done a complete one-eighty. My practice had only been open a few weeks when I went into labor and had to go on maternity leave. Imagine my surprise when I found out my mom took a leave of absence from her job to come to Polson and help out at my office. She took on my entire workload for six weeks. I have now been back at work for two.
Before my mother left and returned home to Washington, she told me once again how proud she is of me, and I did the right thing by opening my clinic. She even expressed that with her and dad getting older they have considered opening their own practice much like mine. Something where they could still do what they love but be able to slow down. I think my mom got spoiled with the nine to five hours and free weekends.
I told her life is too short to spend every minute of it working. You have to take the time to enjoy your family and the people you love. Almost losing the love of my life taught me that.
Thinking of my man, I look down at my watch and see it's already lunch time. I told Quinn this morning I'd come by the garage and eat lunch with him. Walking out of my office and down the hall, I stop at Zara's desk. "I'm going to lunch. Be back in an hour."
LOST KING: THE KINGS OF RETRIBUTION MC Page 21