When Two Becomes One

by E. L. Todd

  Slade stood up and hugged him. “I love you too, Dad.”

  Ryan patted him on the back before he released him.

  Trinity stood up then hugged him next. “Thank you for being in our wedding.”

  “The honor is mine.” Ryan kissed her forehead before he sat down.

  Conrad stood up next and grabbed the microphone. “Alright, I’m Conrad. I’m Trinity’s younger brother. I’m also a good friend of Slade’s.” He put his hand on his hip as he regarded them. “I’ve got to be honest. When I found out these two were together I wasn’t happy about it.”

  Most of the people in the audience laughed.

  “Actually, it was a nightmare. I’ve always liked Slade but I knew what type of guy he was—not the kind you want to be with your sister. I was pretty pissed about it and threatened him countless times. But then I saw them together and realized Slade actually loved my sister. And the more time passed, the more I realized what they had was going to last forever.” He turned to Trinity when he spoke. “I pick on my sister a lot because it’s what I’m supposed to do. I tell her she’s ugly and stupid—all that good stuff. But what she doesn’t know, and what I don’t say enough, is I’m so proud of her. She’s way smarter than me, she’s beautiful, and she has a heart of gold. My sister deserves all the happiness she receives.” He raised his glass. “To the happy couple and my new brother-in-law.”

  We all raised our glasses in return.

  Arsen stood up next. “Hello, everyone. I’m Arsen and I’m dating Silke, whose Slade’s sister. I haven’t known Slade as long as everyone else at this table but I don’t need to be around him for decades to understand what kind of man he is. Even though I don’t come from the best background, he’s accepted me from the beginning. He’s embraced me as a brother and made me feel welcome. I don’t have a family of my own and I’ve always felt a little lost…but Slade and Ryan have taken me in and made me feel like a part of the family. They are the best guys I know, and I’m glad Slade got the girl of his dreams. You guys are great together, and you balance one another. A long and full life awaits you.”

  “That’s my daddy!” Abby squealed from her seat.

  The crowd chuckled as they looked at Abby.

  Arsen smiled like he always did when he looked at his daughter. “And that’s my little girl. She tends to like attention.”

  Abby moved off Janice’s lap then ran into his. She crawled on his lap and sat there.

  Arsen shrugged and let her do whatever she wanted.

  Roland grabbed the microphone next. “I think this wedding is perfect because it unifies our families even more. Slade is already family and so is Trinity. What could be more perfect than that? I know this couple has their ups and downs, and their relationship has been a bit of a roller coaster—for all of us.” He chuckled at that part. “But what they have is amazing. I know they’ll last forever, and I’m looking forward to Slade chasing around a bunch of kids. Man, that will be hilarious.”

  Slade shot him a glare.

  Roland sat down and handed the microphone to me.

  I stood up and released a sigh. “Man, this is a lot of pressure…being the best man.”

  “It better be good,” Slade said.

  “Well, I could tell you a million stories about Slade…the good ones and the really good ones.”

  “You better shut your mouth,” Slade threatened.

  “Hey, you asked me to be your best man,” I said. “It’s your funeral.”

  “Spill it!” My mom shouted.

  Slade gave me look that looked like a death threat.

  “Alright, I’ll cut you some slack since it’s your wedding day.”

  Slade visibly relaxed.

  “But there is one story I want to share, and when I’m finished you’ll understand why.” I moved the microphone to the other hand. “I had no idea something was going on between Slade and Trinity when they first got together. But I did notice Slade was acting weird. He was evasive in his whereabouts, he wasn’t checking out girls anymore, and he was unusually quiet. When a gorgeous woman hit on him right in front of me, he brushed her off without looking at her. I knew something was up.

  “Then he started acting even weirder. He asked me how to treat a girlfriend the way I treated Skye. And then I found a How to be a Boyfriend for Dummies book in his apartment. I knew something was up.

  “But I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t tell me, his best friend. We told each other everything. He knew about every feeling I ever had for my fiancé, Skye. What could he possibly be hiding from me?

  “So then I made the wrong assumption. I thought he was gay.”

  The entire crowd laughed at my words.

  Slade shook his head and sighed.

  “I tried to tell him I didn’t care if he was gay but that just pushed him away more. He wouldn’t open up to me. So then I did something unethical. I followed him in the hope I would catch him in the act. Then I could show how supportive I was. Instead, I spotted Slade with Trinity. And the second I saw them together, I knew it wasn’t just a meaningless fling. Even a hundred feet away and blocked by a car, I could tell he loved her just by the way he kissed her. And in that moment, everything changed.

  “Two years later here we are. I’ve never seen my best friend happier, and I’ve never seen Trinity happier either. If Skye and I are as happy as you guys on our wedding day, we’ll consider ourselves lucky.”

  The crowd clapped and I sat down.

  Slade fist-pounded me. “I love you, man.”

  “I love you too.”

  “I’d like to say something.” Mike stood up and a worker brought him a microphone.

  “This should be good,” Slade mumbled.

  Mike grabbed the microphone and looked at Slade and Trinity. “It seems like yesterday Trinity was crawling on the floor of my office. I used to take her to work with me when my wife needed a break. But honestly, the real reason why I took her was because I wanted to keep her to myself.

  “The first day I took her to kindergarten it was one of the worst days of my life. Trinity immediately left my arms and joined the other kids. She wasn’t scared at all. I was the one who was scared. It was the first time I had to let her go, to turn my back on her and walk away. And that was so hard for me.

  “Then when she moved away for college, that was even worse. I put on a smile and pretended I was okay. Inside, I was battling a waterfall of emotions. Leaving her and driving away was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

  The speech was even making me choke up.

  “Now here I am again…letting you go.” He paused as he blinked his eyes quickly. Cassandra rubbed his arm for comfort. He finally found his words again. “I have to remember I’m not letting you go at all. But I’m gaining a son instead. Congratulations, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you.”

  Everyone clapped and Mike sat down.

  Trinity dabbed her tears away.

  Slade discreetly wiped his eyes.

  “Goddammit, Dad,” Conrad said. “He always pulls that crap.”

  “Make people cry?” Roland asked.

  “Yeah, it’s annoying,” Conrad said.

  “My dad is worse,” Roland said. “I feel bad for Skye. Geez, he’s going to make her sob.”

  I had a feeling he was right.

  ***

  Skye was at the snack station, picking at a stuffed mushroom.

  My eyes honed in on her and I came from behind. “Want to check out the wine cellar?”

  She smirked as she turned around and ate the stuffed mushroom in one bite. “We shouldn’t.”

  “Exactly. And that’s why we should.”

  “It can wait. Tonight isn’t about us.”

  I came closer to her then wrapped my arm around her. “You can’t wear that dress and get away with it.”

  “It looks like you wish I weren’t wearing it at all.”

  “That’s the truest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

  She picked up her
wine and took a drink. “You look good in that suit.”

  I brushed off one shoulder. “Well, it’s tailored.”

  She continued to sip her wine.

  “Dance with me.”

  “I’m waiting to see if someone better asks me for a dance…”

  I yanked her toward the dance floor. “There’s no one better than me and you know that.” I spun her then pulled her into my arms, holding her close. My hand moved to her lower back and I gripped the satin fabric of her dress. My eyes moved to her scarred shoulder and I pressed a gentle kiss there. “I’m dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room tonight.”

  “I’m not Trinity.”

  “You are far more beautiful than she is.”

  “Not tonight.” I lead the dance and moved her with me. My hand grasped her left one, and I felt the engagement ring I spent a fortune on. It suited her perfectly, classy and simple.

  “You’re sweet.”

  I pressed my forehead to hers. “I can’t wait until our wedding day.”

  “We can start planning tomorrow.”

  “Good,” I said. “It’s our turn.” I sealed my mouth over hers and gave her a kiss that lingered a little too long. We were in public and I knew I should stop but I couldn’t. Skye was my weakness, and I wanted her all the time.

  Skye pulled away. “Save that for the wine cellar.”

  “So, there will be a trip to the wine cellar?” I asked hopefully.

  “We’ll see if we can slip away. But be cool.”

  “I’m always cool.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Conrad

  I was relieved when dinner was over so I could get to Lexie. She’d been hanging out with my parents for the night, and I’m sure she was bored as hell. I headed to her seat at the table. She was drinking a glass of champagne, wearing a purple gown that made her breasts look awesome. “Hey, baby.”

  She turned to me, her glass still in her hand. “You clean up good.”

  “You clean up better.” I extended my hand.

  She took it and allowed me to pull her up.

  “Dance with me.”

  “How can I say no to a man with a face and body like that?”

  “Good answer.” I pulled her to the dance floor and held her close to me. She felt perfect in my arms. Her hourglass shape was a perfect place to rest my hands. I looked into her face and admired her burgundy eye shadow. It brought out the color and shape of her eyes. Every time I looked into her face I was surprised at her stunning beauty. I could stare at her for hours and find something else to appreciate. “You look drop-dead gorgeous tonight.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “I mean it.” I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “All I could think about during dinner was running over here so I could be with you.”

  “Then maybe I should have sat on your lap.”

  I smirked. “I wouldn’t have minded in the least. But you would have been poked the whole time.”

  “I’m used to it.”

  I chuckled. “I bet.”

  Her arms moved around my neck and she held me close. “This is a nice wedding.”

  “My sister is a perfectionist.”

  “She did a good job.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And what you said in your speech was really sweet.”

  I shrugged. “I guess I do like my sister—sometimes.”

  “You love her. And I think that’s sweet.”

  “In that case, she’s awesome.” I gave her a smug look.

  “You’ll say whatever you need to say to get in my pants, huh?”

  “Actually, I can get in your pants anyway.” I grabbed her ass. “And you know that.”

  She took a deep breath when she felt me grab her. “You know, there’s a wine cellar here.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Maybe we should take a look…”

  Lexie was adventurous and didn’t care what anyone thought of her. That was why I admired her so much. “You’re the perfect woman, you know that?”

  “Perfect is a strong word.”

  “It’s appropriate in this instance.”

  “That’s a compliment.”

  “And I mean it.” I pulled her closer to me, wanting our bodies to combine in whatever way possible. I wanted all of her, right then and there. Whenever I was with Lexie, I was home. I could say and do anything I wanted and she wouldn’t think less of me. She was like a hotter and female version of Roland.

  I was about to lean in and kiss her when she was pulled from my grasp.

  “My turn.” Dad pulled her toward him and started to dance with her.

  “Get your own, old man.”

  “No, I want to dance with this one.” Dad smiled as he spun her around.

  Mom grabbed my shoulder. “Will my handsome son dance with me?”

  I couldn’t say no to my mom even though I’d rather be with Lexie. “Of course, Mom.” I pulled her to me and led the dance.

  “I really like Lexie,” she said with no preamble whatsoever.

  “She’s cool.” I eyed Lexie with my dad. They were laughing about something.

  “I really like her, Conrad.” She said my name in a special tone. I recognized it from my youth. It usually meant she was either upset with me or she knew something I didn’t.

  “And she’s really cool.”

  She shook her head slightly. “That girl is beautiful, intelligent, successful, and she has a wonderful personality. She’s charming and fun, and she never takes herself too seriously. Your dad adores her.”

  “Well, everyone adores her.”

  “Conrad.” She became more aggressive. “It’s so obvious she’s in love with you.”

  “No, she’s not.” No one would ever understand this.

  “Why are you in denial?”

  “I’m not,” I said. “I just know her better than you do. She and I are just having fun.”

  “For months?” she asked incredulously. “And how are you going to feel when the fun ends?”

  Terrible. “No flame burns forever.”

  “Actually, some do.” I knew she was talking about Dad. “Don’t let this one go. She’s perfect for you.”

  “Mom, I’m a terminal bachelor. Just accept it. This is the only wedding you’ll be throwing.”

  “I sincerely hope that isn’t true.”

  “Well, it is. And tonight is about Trinity, not me. So let’s have a good time.”

  Mom watched me for a moment. “I was married before I met your father. And I told myself I would never marry again.”

  Mom didn’t talk about her personal life to me and I never asked. But I didn’t tell her to shut up.

  “I never wanted to marry again because I assumed all men were jerks. But then your father proved my theory wrong. When he did, I realized I needed to give love another chance. And now I’m dancing with my son at my daughter’s wedding, and my husband loves me even more than he did on our wedding day.”

  “I’m glad everything worked out, Mom,” I said. “I wouldn’t be born if it didn’t.”

  “Convince her to give love another chance.”

  “She won’t.” There was no doubt in my mind.

  “So, are you saying you would want her if she did give it another chance…?”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know. Mom, let’s just talk about something else.”

  She gave me a knowing smile. “Whatever you want, son.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lexie

  “You’re an excellent dancer, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, Mike.” I smiled at him as he took the lead. “But you can only be as good as your partner.”

  “Then we fit perfectly together.” He spun me around.

  “Maybe we do.”

  “I can’t believe my daughter is married off,” he said with a sigh. “It was just yesterday she was a little girl.”

  “She’ll always be your little girl,” I said. “It’s obvious you two are ve
ry close.”

  He shrugged. “She and I are friends. I’m very lucky I have a close relationship with my daughter. Not all parents have that privilege.”

  “You are a wonderful father. She trusts you.”

  “I suppose. I know I shouldn’t be sad over it but it does get me down.”

  “You’ll realize nothing has changed,” I said. “Give it time.”

  “I hope you’re right.” He regarded me closely. “I really want to dance at my son’s wedding next. I want the same happiness for him.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that so I just smiled. His parents knew Conrad and I were just fooling around. They never pressured for something more but maybe things had changed.

  “I know you love him.”

  I flinched slightly but tried to brush it off. “Why do you think that?” I kept my voice steady, like I was amused more than anything else.

  “I see it every time you look at him.”

  I averted my gaze, feeling like I was on display.

  “I don’t say this to make you uncomfortable,” he said gently. “I say it because I know my son feels the same way.”

  I turned back to him, keeping my poker face.

  “I’ve known it for a while. My son hasn’t been this happy in a long time, and when he’s in your company he’s a whole new man. When he was with Beatrice he claimed he loved her but they never had the type of trust that exists between you. In that relationship he was doing all the work. In this one, it’s equal. And that’s exactly what he wants.”

  I didn’t like hearing Beatrice’s name. It always put me on edge but I wasn’t sure why. I’d seen her several times, and she had beautiful brown hair and startling green eyes. She held herself like a woman who earned power. She was captivating, even to me. It didn’t surprise me that Conrad had fallen in love with her.

  “Tell him how you feel, Lexie. Conrad won’t make the move because he thinks you’ll never speak to him again.”

  “He said that?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question.