If one person is having a rough Thursday, so rough that they want to give up and check out of their life, and they’re encouraged by the thought of something someone said on Sunday morning, or a smile, handshake, or hug they got here, I’ve done my job. I’ve done a better job than I could’ve ever done in a traditional church where I was bound by doctrine.
Oh, and the one thing I thought I’d never get to do again? Well, so far, I’ve married four couples in our little congregation. Of everything that’s happened here, I think that’s given me the most joy.
One of the local papers did an article on us. Boone and Clint got a little pissed about something they said: Standing in the midst of it all is the minister of outlandish fu**ery himself, Brandt Thomas Lawson. Lawson, a former Southern Baptist minister, found himself at odds with the church when his wife tossed him out, admittedly because of some of his proclivities. In the creation of Blessed Lifestyle Congregation, Lawson has found a home and a place where he belongs. Didn’t bother me. I embrace it. Why not? I’ve given people who sometimes feel they’re on the fringe of society a place to call home, to come together in a spirit of unity, and to show each other love and support. Yeah, it seemed kind of weird bringing kids into the club, but aside from the performance alcoves, there’s really nothing that looks out of place here. It’s true that Clint and Steffen’s kids are pretty curious about what’s behind those curtains and down that hallway, but I have a feeling that at some time in the near future, their moms and dads will pull them aside and explain it all. And that’s as it should be.
Two months in, somebody suggested we bring food and eat lunch afterward, and I’d say at least seventy percent of those in attendance do that. We set up a few folding tables―of course, Boone donated those, bless his heart―and we fill them with casseroles and salads and pies. And cakes, of course, because … Baker.
So I sit here and reflect, my fingers wandering to the cleric’s collar I never wore as a Baptist minister, and I think about this place that’s become my second home, these people who’ve become my family, this city that’s become more than just a stopping place for me. But all of that fades as I think about the woman whose love has made me the man I always wanted to be, and for that, I’m eternally grateful to any and every higher power out there. Danielle is my rock, my soul, and the love of my life, and I don’t know how any submissive could be more devoted to their mistress. We’re here. We’re together.
We know who we are, who we love, what we want together. Most importantly, we’re right where we belong.
Epilogue
Twenty-five years later
“Twenty minutes, y’all. They’re all starting to come in.” I turn and head back down the stairs and Danielle joins me at the bottom. “Things going okay down here?”
“Yeah. It all looks good. Help me greet out here and get everybody where they’re supposed to be.” With a hand on the small of my back, she commands my attention and steers me to the front door.
All my nieces and nephews will be here, they’ve assured us. It surprised us that Blake wound up being the first grandpa of all of us, but now Brock’s got two grandbabies, so the new has worn off. Actually, I guess I was the first if you count Hazel. She and Eamon have been here for about thirty minutes because they brought Caleb with them and wanted to get him settled. His health is failing, but he’s always optimistic. We’re hoping he holds on long enough for Hazel and Eamon to give him a grandchild. Me, a great-grandpa? Never could’ve seen that coming.
“Hey! Look who’s here!” I cry out when Clint and Trish come through the door. “The kids coming?”
“Yeah, wouldn’t miss it. Morris and Davida are running a little late, but the girls and their tribes will be here in a few minutes. Look who’s behind us!” Clint says and points.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Steffen hugs me and Danielle, and Sheila does the same. “Joey woke up this morning throwing up, and I told them they all needed to keep their sick selves at home. Don’t want everybody else sick.”
I feel my brows jack up. “Yeah, uh, no. But Rachel’s coming, right?”
“Oh, yeah. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Damn it, why does there have to be dancing?” a grumpy voice asks from behind Steffen and I turn to find Dave, Olivia, Nadine, and Nadine’s husband, Michael, standing there.
“There’ll be dancing because it’s a joyous time,” Olivia scolds and he scowls.
“I don’t dance as well as I used to.”
“None of us dance as well as we used to, you old fart,” I say and take his hand to shake it.
“You’re an old fart too, Brandt Lawson,” Dave barks.
“Yeah, and thank the powers that be, you’re finally aging. Look at you! You look like you’re seventy!” It’s work to keep from laughing right in his face. Considering he’ll be ninety next year, I think he looks pretty damn awesome, but no way am I going to tell him that.
“Shut the fuck up, Lawson. You know how old I am. And thanks for doing this for them. I know it means a lot to them.”
I shrug. “Honestly, if they’d asked anybody else, I would’ve been pissed,” I tell him as he and Olivia start into the beautiful wedding chapel created in Boone and Melina’s den by some very talented women. I’m proud to say I know every one of them.
“It’s time, honey,” Dani whispers to me, and I make my way to the front. The chamber orchestra Boone hired starts to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and I know that’s our cue. I mount the podium and the men come in from my left. Then Dani starts seating the family. Rayanna’s crying so hard that I’m pretty sure she can’t see what’s going on. Fortunately, Dani had the forethought to seat Brian and Cirilla in the same row, so she’s not alone. Rayanna and Lucien’s two girls, Corinna and Matilda, are bridesmaid and maid of honor, respectively, and their son, Darius, is a groomsman. My parents are sitting in the row where Dani seats Melina, Marie, Marie’s husband, Ennis, and their son, Enos. A beautiful songbird named Bayli, Boone and Melina’s daughter, will be singing during the ceremony, and Boone is the best man.
I glance to my left to see the groom standing there, and he looks like he’s going to faint from happiness. The bridesmaid and maid of honor make their way up the aisle and take their places, and then we rise for what has to be the most beautiful bride I’ve seen in a long, long time. When she steps to the front with her dad escorting her, I can see that he’s struggling to stay composed. It’s time for me to do my thing. “Please be seated. Good Saturday afternoon, friends and relatives. We’ve come today to celebrate an occasion that I can only describe as a miracle. Today two hearts are joined, hearts that have been joined since they weren’t even halfway through elementary school. Before we go any farther, is there any man or woman in this cloud of witnesses who would have objection to these two being wed?” As expected, the room is silent. “And now I ask, from whose care is this woman released to join with this man?”
“Her mother and I release her,” the bride’s father says and lifts her veil.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bride as radiant as Carly Louise Pelletier. It’s no secret that she’s about five months along, but you’d never know by looking at her except for the glow about her countenance that’s unmistakable. Tears are flowing freely down both her and her father’s faces, and Lucien leans to kiss his eldest child before he hugs her and takes his seat beside Rayanna, who’s damn near squalling by this point. As soon as he’s seated, I smile at the group. “I would ask that the groom join us here at the altar.”
Baker steps forward wearing a smile the likes of which I can honestly say I’ve never seen, and I can’t stop the tears that slip from my own eyes. We were so sure we’d lost him. There seemed to be no hope, no way to save him, and I know my brother was already thinking about hospice cancellation and funeral arrangements and the things that go along with losing a small child. And then a beautiful angel in the form of a washed-up porn star, a woman with a huge heart who thought about everyone ex
cept herself, stepped up and gave him the gift of life. And it almost cost her life in the process. Today, she’s healthy and has given my brother their beautiful daughter, as well as being the best stepmother Baker could’ve ever asked for. By all rights, this young man shouldn’t be standing here today, but he is, and it’s a true miracle.
“Today we join the lives of Carly Louise Pelletier and Baker Russo Lawson. Their parents will tell you that these two pledged their love to each other not long after they met, and they’ve been together ever since. We celebrate that love here, as well as the miracle of health given by a loving woman that brought Baker to this day, and the miracle of the love of a strong man who wanted only to protect her that brought Carly here.” It’s true; if it hadn’t been for Lucien, I do believe Carly and Rayanna would be dead. “Marriage is a sacred commitment. There are many commitments just as sacred, but this is the one they’ve chosen, and we honor that today by pledging our love and help to them as they navigate the waters of their newly-changed relationship. They’ve written their own vows and would like to repeat them now.”
The ceremony goes on just as most do, including the exchange of rings, the pronouncement, and the kiss. The reception is a full-fledged down-home Alabama-style hootenanny. There’s beer and liquor and dancing. There’s also a surprise for Baker.
His groom’s cake is three times the size of the regular wedding cake. Because, you know … Baker.
I’m standing there, looking out over the gathering with a smile, when I feel a presence at my right and a familiar voice chimes up. “You know, I’ve been thinking about those curtains around the performance alcoves … What if we had a talent night at the club?”
“Sounds good to me,” I answer with a grin.
“Hey, we could backlight those curtains so if some of the submissives wanted to do a dance routine, that would be cool.”
“Submissives, huh?” I ask, almost laughing.
“Female submissives. Although I suppose if you wanted to dance, that would be fine. Just tell me and I’ll leave for that part. That’s something I decidedly don’t want to see,” my youngest brother hisses.
“Spoil sport.”
“Shake your thang for your mistress. I don’t wanna see that business,” he says, laughing.
“Run the idea by Brian, but you know what he’s going to say.”
“Yep, he’ll say if it’ll bring folks into the club, do it,” Boone says and grins back at me.
“You know what they say,” I whisper. When he gives me a quizzical look, I answer, “My kink’s not your kink, and your kink’s not my kink.”
“Yeah, but we both know … Bliss is everybody’s kink,” he says and slaps me on the back, laughing the whole time.
He’s right. It truly is.
* * *
Thank you for reading Blissfully Hers. I hoped you enjoyed reading this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’d be thrilled if you would consider leaving a review or if you just want to chat about the series hop over to my Facebook Group - Deanndra’s Construction Crew.
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About the Author
Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).
On the Web: www.deanndrahall.com
Email: [email protected]
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 3722,
Paducah, KY 42002-3722
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Also by Deanndra Hall
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The Bluegrass Bravery Series, part of Susan Stoker’s Police and Fire: Operation Alpha world
Shelter for Sharla - May 2019
Justice for Aleta - July 2019
Shelter for Martina - Coming 2019
Justice for Daesha - Coming 2019
The Love Under Construction Series
Laying a Foundation with prequel, The Groundbreaking
Tearing Down Walls
Renovating a Heart
Planning an Addition
The Citadel Series
One Simple Mistake
One Broken Promise
One Poor Choice
One Wrong Glance
The Legacy Series
Atonement
Legacy of Freedom
Legacy of Faithfulness
The Me, You, and Us Series
Adventurous Me
Unforgettable You
Incredible Us
Completely Mine
Undeniably His
Eternally Yours
Blissfully Hers
The Witch of Endor Series
Laid Bare
Ripped Open
Torn Apart
The Harper’s Cove Series
Karen and Brett at 326 Harper’s Cove
Becca and Greg at 314 Harper’s Cove
Donna and Connor at 228 Harper’s Cove
Savannah and Martin at 219 Harper’s Cove
Cheryl and Samuel at 323 Harper’s Cove
Tasha and Davis at 333 Harper’s Cove
Lily and Brock at 343 Harper’s Cove
Siobhán and Gabhain at 241 Harper's Cove
The Silent Cove Series
Awakening
Retribution, by Anne L. Parks
Banishing, by Jax Jillian
The Celtic Fan (independent novel)
Rough Stock (part of the Bad Girls of Romance Series)
Blissfully Hers: Bliss Series, Book Seven Page 28