“No! I didn’t take it. I thought it was insane and asked if the diamond was real.” I laugh as the words leave my mouth. “I mean really, look at it. It’s huge. And, what man goes out and buys a woman an engagement ring for their second date? Flowers would be a tad more traditional, right?”
“Apparently, Moby Cooper.” Cam is stunned, although I’m not sure why. We’ve all seen Moby spend his money like there’s a never-ending supply, courting the ladies and just enjoying life as a whole. She looks up at me smiling. “So when did you accept the ring? Because we sure as hell haven’t seen it on your finger, and you guys have been together for months.” Her sassy attitude is back in full force.
Whatever grievances my friends had when they found out, seem to be dissipating the longer we talk. I knew when they had the facts they would warm to the idea, even if they’re still a little miffed they didn’t get to be a part of it.
“Saturday at the altar.” I beam with pride as I answer my best friends’ questions.
“What? Why’d you wait until then? This thing’s gorgeous. I would’ve been sporting it the moment I said yes.” Rachel is so young. Yes, the ring is stunning, but a piece of jewelry is never a reason to get married, no matter how large the price tag.
“I don’t know. I said yes. I just wanted him to put the ring on when we married so I didn’t accept it until then. Anyway, he asked me to marry him every date we went on for months. Every single one. Every time I saw him, he would ask if today was the day I would say yes.”
“When did you finally say yes?” Charlie asks. Sweet Charlie.
“Thursday. We left Friday morning. Married Friday night. We hung out in Vegas Saturday and Sunday, and flew home Sunday evening.”
“So basically, you didn’t think about what you were doing?” Our resident utilitarian has to find a way to rationalize my behavior. Sutton’s years of service in the Army did nothing for her disposition or her bedside manner.
“No, Sutton, that wasn’t the case at all. We had talked at length about it for several months. He knew I didn’t want a wedding or the fanfare. After many discussions, we agreed we wouldn’t wait. As soon as we were engaged, we wanted to get married.”
“Piper, this is so cliché—a cheesy romance novel—it’s just not like you. Where in your mind did you think any of this would fly with your friends and family?”
“Funny thing is, Cam, my family, well my parents, were over-the-moon happy for us. Neither one of them even mentioned being disappointed we wanted to elope.”
“I bet not, it got Mr. Pritchard out of paying for a huge wedding.” Rachel’s snarky mouth is about to get her knocked upside the head. She better be glad she has a wine glass close to her face. I’d hate for her to get cut by a flying shard.
“Hardly. They knew marrying Moby is what made me happy, and I didn’t give a rip about a huge wedding. I never have. If I had wanted a ceremony, they would’ve been happy to provide it. Come on guys, look at my face, look me in the eyes, and tell me you don’t see it. If you can tell me you see anything wrong in my relationship with Moby or any sign of unhappiness, or a sign of regret, I’ll listen to you without interruption. But you can’t! None of you can. You’ve all told me how great Moby and I are together. Every one of you has acknowledged how much he makes me laugh and relax, and simply enjoy life. All of you concede the differences you see in him, he’s settled, content, exudes happiness. He is not the same man we watched parade a slew of women around a year ago,” I explain, almost pleading with them.
Looking around at my closest friends, my Fish, I inhale deeply, my shoulders rise and then fall when I exhale and release my frustration. I want them to understand, and I need them to accept my choices. I have to have their approval.
“Think about what you’re mad over…a wedding. That’s it. You didn’t have to dress up in ugly-ass dresses that cost you a fortune, wear miserable heels, or waste days frolicking around like you were enjoying the stupid shit I was subjecting you to. You weren’t forced to go dress shopping, deal with registries, buy gifts, eat crappy cake, or endure the relatives who would’ve been present. If you get down to it, I did you a favor!”
“Yeah, nice try. Since we can’t change any of that and you didn’t give us a choice, I think it’s time we all agree, what’s done is done, and we can’t turn back the clock,” Cam says raising her glass, leading the rest of the Fish to do the same. “To Piper and Moby.” With my wine in hand, my friends wish my husband and me happiness.
There’re lots of great things about being a guy but I’ve just decided the best being: my friends won’t demand an explanation for cutting them out of a wedding, rather they’ll likely be thanking me they got to avoid that shit. My brothers, on the other hand, are another story. I don’t think Brooks and Landis care, but Dax has to care because his fiancée cares. We just eliminated her role in planning two weddings with her best friend.
I mistakenly believe I have escaped the wrath by leaving the girls in the kitchen and retreat to the solitude of the porch. Thankfully, the smoke from the grill is keeping the mosquitos at bay and the sun is no longer blinding.
“I’m not going to attack you, Mo, but Mom and Dad are going to go bat-shit crazy.” I’m not sure when Dax appointed himself the keeper of the clan, but his Father Knows Best mantra is getting annoying.
“No, they aren’t.”
“Are you insane? You’re the first one of the four of us to get married. Mom’s going to cry.” Landis thinks he knows it all. He and Rachel should hook up. They would have genius children who know even more than their parents do.
Taking a draw of my beer, I lean back against the house, crossing my ankles. “They knew before it happened. So did Piper’s parents. They were happy for us.” Acting like a five-year-old, I stick my tongue out at my brothers, and the Wright boys. I’m a Mama’s boy through and through. There’s no way in hell I would take a chance upsetting her or risk her holding that shit over Piper’s head for years to come. I’d do anything for my wife but messing with my mama is a big no-no. Thankfully, Piper agreed.
“Mom and Dad knew?” Brooks smirks at me as though he now knows some huge secret. “You shithead.”
“I did you a favor. No wedding to attend. Suck it up. The only one who has any room to bitch is Dax because he’s going to have to listen to Cam whine for God knows how long.” My brothers roar in laughter while Dax gives us all an “eat shit” look.
“How’d you get Mom to agree to allow you and Piper to elope?” Brooks is a mama’s boy, too—hell, we all are. He wants to make sure she’s okay, and I respect that.
“I didn’t. Piper did. We went over there last Thursday night, sat down with them, and she told Mom why she wasn’t interested in any of the traditional wedding hoopla. You know the moment Mom heard Piper rationalize not spending the money, not wanting a show, the months of planning, the stress, blah blah blah; Mom took her face in her hands, you know how she still does to Landis right before she kisses him,” they all laugh at my little brother, causing him to roll his eyes, “and said, ‘sweetheart, if eloping with my baby makes you happy, I’m happy.’ Then she kissed her on the forehead and sealed the deal. Boom bitches!”
My best friend pipes in. “Her parents were cool with it?” Joey loves Piper. I didn’t tell him the date, but he knew about the ring and how many times I’ve asked her to marry me. I never admitted we were planning to elope, but I think somehow he knew.
“Yep. In fact, her dad gave us the money they had planned to spend on her wedding as a gift. Said he was proud of us not blowing that wad of cash on a party. You guys have heard Piper talk; you know how utilitarian she is. Where do you think she got that trait?”
“What about her mom?” I start to wonder if Joey is planning to kick my ass if I upset her parents. Hell, maybe he’s in the process of planning to anyway, regardless of her parents’ approval.
“Damn, Joe; you’re awfully concerned about how her parents took the news. I think her mom was so ecstatic to fi
nd out she was getting married she didn’t care how it happened.” I sigh. “Guys, Piper’s thirty-six years old. She wants a family. We want a family. Time is not on our side.” Suddenly, the silence is taken over by the crickets of the evening.
“Enough of this melodramatic shit. I wish you both all the happiness in the world. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Piper’s perfect for you, we all love her. Now, let’s eat.”
Jacob, the youngest of the Wrights, pulls the steaks off the grill, piling them high on the plate. The Cooper boys and the Wright brothers file back in the kitchen to hook up with the Fish, where they came up with their little gang name I’ll never know, my girl loves her girls, and that’s all that matters. Once again, we’re all one big, fucking harmoniously, mismatched family.
They crowd in the house. Finally, everyone’s cheerful and back to themselves, which in turn, makes me content. I love everyone here dearly. The Coopers have been like family since Dax and Cam started dating. They all became overwhelmingly protective of Cam’s crew: me, Sutton, Charlie, and Rachel. The Wright brothers were a bonus courtesy of Cam and Dax. Julie Wright is the receptionist at the bank Cam used to work for before her attack, and the youngest of the Wrights. Their parents and the Cooper’s parents have been thick as thieves for nearly forty years, lived across the street from each other the same amount of time, and had children at coinciding intervals—four in each family. Julie is the only one of the group who’s not here tonight and also the only girl.
Watching this brood in my home, I find humor in the run down, each brother having a partner from the other family, well except Dax. His partner passed away several years ago in a horrible car accident no one speaks about. But, it was Dax and Jeremy; Moby and Joey; Brooks and Jacob; and Landis and Julie. Poor Julie, the lone girl in the group, at least she was prior to Cam’s arrival and thus the rest of the Fish.
The overwhelming sense of security this family offers me would normally bring tears to my eyes but today I smile. My life is rich, full of more than I could have ever imagined. I have friends who love me to the moon and back, a hoard of sexy men intricately woven into my daily routine, a job at the foundation I adore, and Moby. Moby is the piece I could never have fathomed and greater than anything I ever prayed for.
At thirty-six, I had come to the conclusion I might never marry and the possibility of having children was growing more distant with each passing year. I’ve been in serious relationships but always knew they weren’t the one—they were the one right now. Other men have proposed, and I declined knowing in my heart it wasn’t right and would end in destruction.
Moby was an accident, no, a surprise. I watched him from afar when Cam and Dax got together. He’s four years my junior, but somehow I knew, even through all the women he always brought around, the perpetual bachelor, there’s no doubt in my mind, he was the only man I would ever want.
It’s hard to play it cool when you find your soul mate. Your heart wants to jump in and take the lead, but I forced myself to watch and wait. It didn’t take long for our interactions to go from casual encounters to intimate affairs. We had sex before we married but the intimacy came long before penetration. I can’t explain to myself, much less anyone else, why we hid our relationship from the outside world but it made sense.
Cam was going through a lot, therefore so was Dax. They struggled to find their groove after she was raped and went through months of counseling before starting the foundation to help others dealing with sexual abuse. My role evolved into a full-time position, Moby was in and out of Healing Wings helping Dax, and it just seemed right not to intrude on those things with a budding romance.
Moby’s reputation wouldn’t have endeared him to my group as a potential mate either. How on Earth our friends missed it is beyond me, but they did. We had been seeing each other for about four months before Cam noticed Moby paying any attention to me. I think even then she saw it more as a sibling type relationship than romantic. Looking back at it, I’m sure it was easy to overlook. I wasn’t his type, and he wasn’t mine.
His brothers, those by blood and the Wrights, all thought it was a great match; my Fish, not so much. Having seen Moby play the field they loved him—just not for me. Well, not initially. Once they began putting pieces together, they realized, Moby hadn’t had his flings around in quite some time, and his lavish playboy ways seemed to have disappeared. He appeared content, happy, but I think it was Joey who managed to convince my girls just what I really meant to his best friend. Convinced might be too strong a word, cajoled maybe, he did some whining and dining to usher their opinions the way he thought they should go. As the months went on, albeit there have only been a few since then, they warmed to us together, even grew to love us as a couple, until about four hours ago when we called them all over to drop the bomb.
The great thing about true friends and good family is no matter how badly they believe you’ve screwed up, they never leave you. I doubt any of them believes we screwed up. Rushed things perhaps, but more than anything, they’re hurt they weren’t included. But, no worries. Me, being the girl I am, bought the DVD from the chapel so we could share it when we got home and faced this demon. The East Chapel in the Bellagio is breathtakingly accented in lush gold tones. I felt like royalty the moment we walked in. It was perfect for the two of us.
The group has settled into lounging around, finding space where they can—couches, chairs, floors—it doesn’t really matter, as long as everyone is in the fray.
“I know you guys are a little miffed with us.”
Sutton let out a loud huff. The word miffed is apparently an understatement. Perturbed might be better.
I glare at Sutton indicating my need for her to shut her pie hole, and return to my announcement. “I did want you guys to have the chance to see the wedding if you want to. I have a DVD of the ceremony if anyone wants to watch it.”
Landis groans causing Brooks to slap him upside the head. I watch in humor as Brooks shakes his head at his little brother, silently telling him to shut up.
“Okay, let’s see this shit.” Landis apparently thought better of his attitude. I’m sure Moby gave him the evil eye, and he feared having his life ended before it even really began.
I clap my hands, hopping from foot to foot doing my own little happy dance. I haven’t watched it before, so it may suck. It’s short, so the misery won’t last long.
Sitting between Moby’s legs on the floor after popping the disc in the DVD player and turning off the lights, I watch the screen, our names and the date appear. The music starts followed by a panoramic view of the little chapel that’s beautifully decorated even with the minimal wedding package we selected. The Bellagio is a class act, and the ceremonies they perform are quick.
The camera stops at the front of the church, zooming in on Moby. The moment he sees me his expression changes completely. He was smiling in anticipation before the doors opened allowing him a glimpse of me. I hadn’t caught this at the ceremony. Watching him clutch his hands together, there’s an audible gasp when I come into focus. Suddenly, my image fills the screen. The dress is a soft shade of pink made of pure silk, with cap sleeves, and a deep V-neck. The structure curved with my figure, fitting perfectly through the bodice. At the waist the designer opted for flowing fabric that moved like wind, making the gown elegant, simple, and classic. I wore the greatest peep toe heels, crusted in pink sparkles just slightly darker than the dress but they’re not visible in the video. With robust pink and green cymbidium orchids in my hands, I fought the urge to cry when I met Moby’s eyes.
Tears flowed freely, with pure joy on his face. He had a radiant grin from ear to ear. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and likely always will be. My Fish all look to me, mouths wide, shocked to see the Moby they know crying at the sight of his bride. Me. His brothers make shitty guy comments in good fun.
Moby squeezes me with his legs. “Y’all shut the fuck up.” He should know better, all that does is rile the group. They all pick at him unti
l the vows start. Silence fills the room, everyone listening to us commit our lives to each other. Somehow at this moment, it’s as if we’re there doing it for the first time. A slight twinge of regret passes over me knowing we didn’t allow anyone to share the event, but it passes as quickly as it came. The video ends with our friends congratulating us as if they had been there, their elation obvious. I know they now see the Moby who sees me, and I couldn’t be more proud.
As the last of our friends leave for the evening, I shut the front door with Moby close behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, whispering in my ear, “It could’ve gone worse.”
“We need a bigger house, Moby.” Sometimes I wonder if I have Tourette’s or maybe ADD—the things that come out of my mouth are often random as hell and exactly what I’m thinking.
Moby moved in with me because he was renting and I live downtown. Having all the gang here, the townhouse is simply too small. I want to add to our group, not have to pick and choose who we have over because we don’t have enough room for everyone.
He flips off the light switches leaving nothing but the streetlights to illuminate our path. Taking my hand, he pulls me up the stairs as I continue to talk. “Surely you saw people were sitting on the floor to eat and in separate rooms. That’s no good. How did I not realize before tonight how cramped this place is?” I stop on the steps in front of him, turning around to come face to face with the most beautiful boy I’ve ever known. Everything about Moby is breathtaking, his golden hair is always perfectly groomed, his bright eyes are a radiant cobalt, even when he has stubble on his face it’s neatly trimmed, but his left eyebrow turns down just slightly more than the right. I’m always drawn to that spot on his face, the one imperfection that makes him flawless. “Seriously, Moby. It’s tiny.”
“Baby, we’ve been married three days, how about we get settled before we start talking about buying a house. I haven’t finished moving all my stuff in here yet.”
We had brought all his clothes before we left for Las Vegas, and his essentials, but none of his personal effects.
Compass (Siren Songs Book 2) Page 2