“I’d like us to get a larger tent and camp out on the property by the canyon. We can go somewhere fancy another time.”
“What do you think, Rex?” Hakan asked.
“As long as we take my helicopter there instead of driving, I’m all for it.”
“Will it hold all our supplies?”
“Sure, honey. My helo can carry quite a load. The camping stuff won’t be that heavy.”
“Good. Our plan is coming together. Mom and Averil will help me with the rest.”
“I’ll have to be extra sweet to her tomorrow so she’ll let me marry you. We got off on the wrong foot before. Supper’s ready. Come to the dining room.”
Kira had seen the dining room, but thought they probably never used it. Tonight, it was set with the finest china, candles flickered in the rustle of air from the AC and the scent of roses filled the room. There were red roses, white roses, yellow roses, and at her plate a single purple rose.
“How?” Kira asked.
“I gave Hakan a call while you were wandering around looking at the house.”
“You thought of it?” She faced Lonato.
“He did. I wish I could take credit,” Hakan said.
“But you picked them out and did a good job,” Lonato said to Hakan.
Tears came into Kira’s eyes. “I love you both so much. I think my heart may burst with joy.”
Hakan and Lonato wrapped their arms around her. Cuddled tight between them, Kira knew she’d found her home.
* * * *
The next afternoon, Rex got out of the car and waited for Kira to slide out. “So this is Cody and Payton’s place. I’ve never been here before. It’s convenient they’re having a barbecue right when we want to announce our upcoming wedding. We can tell them all at once and start celebrating.”
Hakan came around from the driver’s side. “This ranch is part Averil’s, too. She gave up her cabin for her new home.”
Kira walked around the side of the house. “Averil said they’d be out back. She sold her cabin recently to a young couple, from the third tribe. They’d just married and wanted some privacy.”
“Can’t blame them for that,” Rex started to wink, but he stopped when he saw his mother and father standing with Averil and Kira’s parents. He’d expected to see his father, but thought his mother would refuse the invitation.
“Are you all right? I thought you’d spoken to your parents since the night Pearce died.”
“I’ve talked to Dad. Mom wasn’t ready to see me.”
“She’s looking at you now, so she must want time with you.” Hakan, walk me over to talk with Averil, Cody, and the others at the barbecue grill. Go ahead, Lonato. Meet her halfway.”
Rex’s mother had said something to his father and was walking in his direction. He watched as Kira and Hakan spoke on their way to the grill.
Slowly, Rex walked toward his mother. She stopped and waited for him. “You look much better,” Rex said.
“I am. Can we walk over to the corral? She nodded to the fenced area to their left where two dark-brown horses were enclosed. “Cody has some beautiful horses.”
“Yes, he does.” Rex followed her lead. She appeared smaller, and shorter to him. His heart beat double-time wondering what she wanted and what she’d say. He tried to strengthen his defenses, but he glanced at Kira and knew he had to try and communicate with his mother. This was one of those diving-off-the-cliff moments.
His mother stopped at the rail and turned to face him. “I want to apologize for all the hurt I’ve caused you. I held my love back from you and put someone else in your place. I was a weak woman, and that’s the only excuse I can give.”
Her eyes searched his face. “My downfall was not accepting that you were enough. I thought I had to have another child. And then I went to town and met a woman who said she’d been a member of the third tribe, but when she married she’d left the tribe and had no idea where the tribe was now. Her husband had died, and she told me couldn’t take care of her child financially or emotionally.”
“And you believed her?” Rex asked.
“Yes, because I wanted to. She made me promise to not tell anyone who she really was, and to just say she had no money and couldn’t go home to her parents with a child. I was to explain her parents hadn’t liked her husband.”
“Is that when she put the spell on you?”
“I think she put the spell on your father and I when we went to get Pearce. My head hurt when I got home, and I had to lay down.
“Your father was resistant to the adoption initially. But I begged and pleaded until he agreed to ask the council to let us adopt Pearce.”
Rex looked off into the distance. “I’m surprised they said yes.”
“They liked and respected your father, and he can be very persuasive. After we brought Pearce home, we began to worry about him. But it was too late. His mother had disappeared.”
“How did Father react?”
“Your father was determined to help Pearce change. Afterwards, he finally became resigned to accept Pearce as he was. We can’t either forgive ourselves for the damage we did to you.”
His mother’s eyes filled with tears. Rex tried to pull up the wall of anger he’d used before to protect him from caring. He couldn’t. She looked so forlorn, so tiny, and he loved her too much. Slowly, almost of their own accord, his arms reached out and gathered her small, shaking body against him. Her head didn’t reach his chin.
“I love you, Lonato,” his mother said.
Hearing her say his real name broke through any lingering resentment. He couldn’t deny her the love he’d always felt, even when he told himself it wasn’t there.
“I love you, too, Mom.” Tears filled his eyes.
“Can I join this group?” His father had walked up behind them. His mom and him opened the circle, and all three wrapped their arms around each other.
“We love you, son. We won’t ever let you down again,” his father said.
“I know. I love you both. I always have.”
His dad glanced at the group gathered around the grill. “The food is ready to eat. Let’s join the others and enjoy this party.”
“I’m all for that,” Lonato said as he hurried to Kira’s side.
“Are you all right?” Kira asked and put her hand on the side of his face.
Rex took hold of her hand and held it tight. “I think so. I feel naked without my usual defenses, and it’s all your fault.” He kissed her mouth. “I have several ideas of how you can make me feel better when we get home. But all kidding aside, I have to thank you. A few days ago I’d have reacted differently to my mother’s overtures. I’m finally going to have the relationship with my parents that I always wanted.”
Chapter Eighteen
One week later
Kira watched as Averil spread the golden silk train behind her.
“Your gown is the most beautiful of them all. The gold color makes you glow.” Averil stepped back to admire her handiwork.
“The seamstress surprised me when she brought out the roll of gold-colored silk. She said it was only to be used by royalty, and they’d never gotten to make a dress out of it before. I tried to tell her I wasn’t really royalty, but she laughed and said I was wrong.”
“When did Elle tell you about the other ceremony?” Averil asked.
“Not until last night. Apparently she’d warned all of my family and friends to not tell me, but I did expect my twin would have relented and let me know what was being planned.”
“You’d have said no and Elle insists it’s necessary for all our people to see you as the head of the tribes. None of the leaders or warriors has any problem with kneeling and promising to protect you and the tribes with their lives.”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Get over it. You knew when you heard who your ancestors were that some type of ceremony would be held. You just ignored it until now.”
Averil placed the delicate gold veil over
Kira’s hair, which she wore down in long waves past her shoulders. “An outfit worthy of our queen.”
Kira frowned. “I’ll kick you if you say that again. I feel like a fake.”
“You aren’t, and if you don’t know it, everyone else does.”
“I’m glad the wedding ceremony is first. Lonato and Hakan might get cold feet otherwise and run off when they see all the pageantry.”
“Ha, they won’t ever let you get too far from them. They adore you, and what a change you’ve made in Rex. But then, love can work miracles.”
Averil carried Kira’s train as the music started at daybreak, and Kira walked down the aisle toward the gazebo ablaze in red, gold, and purple flowers. Her parents walked in front of her and Averil, and her men’s parents behind. All the guests stood and raised their voices in song as she walked slowly toward the altar and Lonato and Hakan.
They were dressed in light-gray suits with a purple rose in their lapels. Hakan smiled broadly. Lonato looked very serious. As the song reached its peak, the sun flooded the area with light. The people around her gasped. Everyone stared at her.
She glanced down and saw her gown sparkling with a golden glow. Her hair and veil must be doing the same. Elle, one of the Priestesses, raised her hands.
“Wakanda Bevyns, have you come to be joined with Lonato Rexford and Hakan Connor?”
“Yes, I have.” Her voice came out steady and firm. This was what she desired.
Hakan reached behind him and picked up a large bouquet of roses to match the colors in her hair. He stepped down, handed her the flowers, and brought her to the altar to stand between him and Lonato.
“Do all the parents agree to this union?” the third tribe’s Priestess moved forward and asked.
“We do,” they said in unison, and then walked to the seats reserved for them in the front row. Lonato had placed her flowers at her feet. He and Hakan took hold of her hands. Their warmth and familiar scent surrounded her. A deep joy and peacefulness flooded her body.
Smiling, the Priestess raised her hands and spoke in the lovely, flowing language of their ancestors. She swayed back and forth, moving her hands over each of their heads. The warmth and the musical tone of her voice mesmerized Kira. It took her several minutes to realize she understood the words. The Priestess must have seen the knowledge in her face. She nodded, and with the movements of her hands, encouraged Kira to sing. Kira’s voice joined with hers, and the audience gave a deep sigh. A sense of affinity and kinship like Kira had never felt before swept over her. Looking into the Priestesses’ eyes, she accepted the role she’d tried earlier to avoid.
At the end of the song, Elle moved into place and performed the ceremony of joining her and her men. The words were similar to the ones at any wedding. At the end of their vows, Hakan and Lonato reached in their coat pockets and brought out their rings, two rings to make a whole.
Elle blessed the rings before Lonato and Hakan slipped each ring on a finger of her right hand. When they clicked together, the Flaming Beauty bird sparkled across the width of the ring. Each color done in gorgeous jewels. One diamond on each side represented her two men.
The other Priestess joined Elle. She held the golden cloth. “Put out your wrists.” Hakan put his out first, Kira’s in the middle, and Lonato’s on top. She wrapped the cloth snuggly around their wrists, and then clamped her hand on the top and bottom. “Go forth forever bound to each other.” She raised her hands and sang more of the beautiful, flowing words. Kira and the guests joined in. When they were done, the cloth was unwrapped and hung around Kira’s neck.
Both Priestesses raised their hands and said in unison, “You are the center, the one who holds the whole together.”
The crowd cheered as first Hakan, and then Lonato kissed her. When they turned to hurry down the aisle, the air was full of rose petals raining down on top of them.
“Your ceremony acknowledging your role in the tribes is next. Then we have the small private civil ceremony with Elle, and our parents, and finally we can fly away,” Lonato said.
“I’ve told them to make this next one short. The service making Hakan and I the official couple won’t take long at all.”
“Are you sure you’re good with the decision for me to be the husband on record?” Hakan asked Rex.
“We’ve gone over this before. I’m fine with it. You found her for us, and pushed to get and keep us together. Anyway, the ceremony we had with the three of us is the most real to me.”
Kira and Hakan nodded, agreeing.
They’d stepped to the side of the trees. Kira saw Averil coming for her. “Let’s get the rest of this over and start our honeymoon.”
“We’re ready when you say the word.”
Kira walked to meet her sister. Their people filled the open area, the sun shone down on them, and a sweet breeze was in the air. This might be the official acknowledgment to her people, but her real acceptance had been during the wedding ceremony.
When she took the stage, the people roared with goodwill. In the crowd, she saw Mitch, Daren, Sara, and all the other warriors and their families. Behind them were the others that ran the ranch and made up the three tribes.
She raised her hands to greet them and a shaft of sunlight turned her into a statue of gold. She smiled, and her heart felt warm and loving toward her people of the three tribes.
Kira took the mic. “Thank you for accepting me into your lives. We have won our battles, and now is the time to build, and to bring all three of our tribes together in this community, as one.” The crowd roared and clapped.
“I see our warriors in front of me. The ones who risk their lives for us and the women who love them.” Her eyes roamed across the families she’d met recently. Mitch, Sara, Daren, and Sahale, Ellen, and Jack had Nanna with them. Morgan stood between Ethan and Justin. Standing right behind them were Cassie, Lang, and Nick. Garth had his arms around Rae and Mother Aileen, who’d recovered since her fight with the witch and Pearce. Cad stood on the other side of Rae, and Lann, Cad’s brother, stood beside him. Aleron, his friend Raoul, and their wife Jewel stood at the end of the line beside Kira’s sister, Averil, with Cody and Payton. Averil smiled and waved. The rest of the warriors surrounded them.
Looking right at the three leaders who’d be left when Lann moved to Texas, she said, “I do not want to replace anyone. You represent each tribe as their spokespersons, their protectors, their leaders. I will be part of the ruling committee, but as an equal, we will govern our people. Mitch, Daren, Garth, please join me.”
The crowd shouted their approval and clapped as each man came to her side. When they quieted, Kira spoke. “Let’s celebrate a new beginning as one complete family.”
Everyone cheered, and then they began to break up into smaller groups. A band Mitch had hired came onto the stage and started to play music.
* * * *
“Our lady is really something,” Hakan said.
“Our desirable golden queen,” Rex murmured. “You know, her gown is gorgeous, but I can’t wait to take it off of her.”
Hakan grinned at his friend. “Me, too. Let’s go claim our wife and get the civil ceremony done.”
They made their way through the crowd surrounding her. Rex picked her up, and the people laughed and moved aside. “Have a good honeymoon,” they yelled behind her.
“I’m so embarrassed.”
Rex looked down at her beautiful, flushed face. “Get used to it. We’ll probably have to come drag you out of meetings and such from time to time.”
“You will not.”
“Do you think that was a challenge, Hakan?”
“I certainly do.” He grinned. “She must know how we love to be challenged.”
“Hmm, I can see I have more training to do with you two.”
They laughed heartily and headed toward the circle of trees where Elle and their immediate families waited for them. After the short service, they waved and headed to their truck.
Hakan went around to
the driver’s side, and Rex put her in the middle and got in beside her.
* * * *
Kira put her hands on their thighs snug against hers. She felt the instant reaction as the muscles tightened. Their scents swirled around her head in the enclosed truck. She smiled when Hakan pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal.
“My wonderful, handsome husbands, you did a good job of convincing me to marry you. I never thought about committing myself until I met you two.”
“What convinced you the most, our wonderful personalities”—Kira raised her eyebrow at Lonato and he grinned—“or our superior skills in bed?”
She took her time considering. “Well, you are very good in bed, and Hakan does have a wonderful personality, but I think what really tipped the scales”—she looked directly at Lonato—“was your cooking.”
They all three laughed as they headed into their new life.
Epilogue
Ten months later
“I want to see the new cabin,” Kira said emphatically. “Nick called, and he said it’s all finished.” She stood holding their six-week-old son and faced her two husbands.
“Maybe you should wait another week or so.” Lonato frowned at her.
“No.” She stomped her foot, waking little Maska. They’d all agreed to name their son after Lonato’s father. He and Lonato’s mother were thrilled with their new grandson. All the parents were, and they had volunteered to babysit at any time.
Lonato and Hakan grinned at her. Hakan ran his hand over the baby’s black hair. Maska looked up at him. His bluish-purple eyes studied Hakan. He blinked and waved his little fists at his fathers.
“I’d like to know what he’s thinking when he looks at me so seriously,” Hakan said.
“He’s letting you know he’s ready to fight for his mama.” She bent down and kissed her son’s sweet neck. He cooed and put his hand against her face. When she looked up, her strong men had tears in their eyes.
Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Desire Their Queen [Wyoming Warriors 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 18