Oh, I so, so was.
"Some day," I agreed.
"Well," he said, moving a little closer. "After dinner, maybe you and me, we should, y'know, practice making them. Just to be sure we get it right when the time comes."
I pressed in a little closer, my own smile wicked.
"I think that might be a very prudent idea."
Reese - 3 months
"Ree, stop," Cy said, grabbing my hands to hold them still as I frantically tried to clean up the apartment.
Yes, the instead of my. While Cy still stayed at the compound once in a while, he had pretty much moved everything of importance into my apartment. I had cleared off a few shelves in the living room for his CDs, vinyl, and an 8-in-1 record player. I was even starting to get more into music than I ever had been before. When he was around, something was always on, and he was always humming, singing, or even strumming along. I began to look forward to it. Even if my attention was on a book, I liked having it as background noise.
And, well, it was possibly the most soothing sound in the world for him to sit up in bed with me curled at his side, singing something slow and soft at night.
I finally understood the fascination with men and guitars.
I had had him playing in my bed for three months, and every single time he finished, I needed to jump him.
"There is junk everywhere!" I insisted, trying to pull my hands away.
"She won't care."
"You don't know that! What if she sees some smutty book laying around? What if..."
"Ree, she isn't like that," Cy insisted, giving my hands a squeeze as he pulled them to rest on his chest. "If you saw her RV, you would know that she is a knick-knack kinda person. She won't care about all the books. And don't worry, I already got your clothes off the floor in the living room where we left them last night."
See, Wasp was coming to visit.
The original plan to meet her went out the window months back when she had just up and left town without a word.
But she was back.
And, apparently, Wasp wasn't exactly one for advanced notice. She just breezed into town on a whim. In fact, Cy told me that her ten-minute warning was actually generous, that she usually just stopped in unannounced.
I could do a lot of cleaning in ten minutes if he would just let me go.
I mean, the house wasn't dirty or anything. I was just known for leaving sweaters all around because I was always cold. And my Harry Potter slippers were in front of my papasan chair. And about two dozen books were lying across various surfaces in the main area of the house.
It just needed a straightening up.
Like you would normally do when having someone over for the first time. After the first time, well, all bets were off. But I wanted to make a good first impression.
Wasp had been something like a legend in my mind since Cy first started telling me about her and her work and her quick wit and adventures.
I just wanted her to like me.
Just like I wanted Reeve to like me.
I had met him on five separate occasions, and I still wasn't sure that he truly did. But, as Cyrus explained, that was just how Reeve was. And when I finally heard why, I stopped waiting for him to give me a smile that reached his eyes, sure that those didn't exist for him anymore. That thought always made my heart hurt when it crossed my mind.
Poor Reeve.
Someday, I wanted to see him even just a little bit happy.
I was sure it would be a sight to see.
But before I could let thoughts of Reeve really settle in again - something that put me in a bit of a funk for the rest of the day when it happened - there was a banging on my door.
"She's early."
"She likes to keep people on their toes," Cy said with a shrug as he pulled me to the door.
"You're the one I need to go to to get this signed, right?"
Those were Wasp's first words out of her mouth as the door opened. She was holding out a copy of Drunk Dial, Daya's first novel which she had published indie seven weeks before, completely flooring her when it actually broke the top 100 on Amazon after I created quite the buzz for it in my groups and all over my book-related social media pages. Heck, when she dedicated the darn thing to me, it was certainly the least I could do.
"You didn't tell me she likes books," I accused, giving Cy small-eyes.
"See, I told you you two would get along just fine."
And we did.
Cyrus - 1.5 years
"She's gonna be pissed that you gutted a book," Reeve warned as I pulled it out of the bag on the coffee table in the compound.
"It's so I can put a ring in it," I objected, shaking my head as my hand reached for the smooth handle of my pocketknife.
It was the book too. That notorious one I read aloud to her in the library that night, Denver, because, really, it had to be that one. Sure, I could have picked her favorite romance, or her favorite Austen or Bronte or any other number of books that would have been heavier on the sentimental note. And, you know, nowhere near as raunchy. But this one had meaning for us, and I was pretty sure that was what mattered most.
"It's still a book. I once caught her petting the cover of a book, Cy," he told me with a small smile. Reeve had a soft spot for Reese. I knew she spent a long time worrying that he didn't like her, and it took many long months of trying to convince her that was just how he was for her to stop being so shy around him. He had already cared about her, but once she let him in a little, he was fucking charmed as shit by her.
Hell, he had been the one to drop down next to me on the couch a week before and declared it was time for a fucking ring.
I had already bought a ring. In fact, I had had the damn thing sitting in my drawer for almost eight months, but I couldn't figure out when the time was right.
Reeve's declaration was the little push I needed.
Hence the book.
"She can still pet it," I said with a shrug as I started digging. "But she'll be doing it with my ring on the finger of that hand."
Reese - 2 years
"It's perfect," Kenz said, head tipped to the side as she looked me over in the hotel room suite. "I mean, of course it is. I made it. But it looks absolutely beautiful on you," she added, running her hands over the simple wedding dress she had designed for me.
Yes.
Wedding dress.
As in, it was my wedding day.
To Cyrus.
It was a thought that needed repeating, had needed repeating every single day - sometimes multiple times a day - for the past five months.
I was going to marry Cyrus.
I was getting my very own happily ever after.
Originally, I had set the date for just five months after the engagement because my plan was to keep it small, so there was no need for more time since there wouldn't be any crazy planning going on.
That was the plan. Until, you know, the girls club and my female relatives got wind of things.
Suddenly, they were renting out a giant ballroom and decking it out. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't even involved in the planning. The idea of things like choosing linens and a menu was keeping me up and giving me hives, so I had sort of sent out a massive text to every single woman I knew who would be involved, and told them to just handle it for me.
It was a weird move, I know. But, for me, the chairs and the altar and the music... none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered at all was Cyrus. He was going to be there. The rest was window dressing - pretty, but completely inconsequential.
So, aside from knowing what my dress, and this suite looked like in the hotel, I was completely in the dark.
A surprise wedding, if you will.
It was actually rather exciting.
It was helping to ease the nerves I had about walking down the aisle while a ton of people stared at me.
"Oh, honey," my mother said as she came in, her fingers steepled in front of her mouth, her eyes starting to water.
My mom shook her head, blinking fast. "Right. Okay. Can't have that. They're ready for you, honey. Cy looks pretty damn good up there, I won't lie. Your brothers are waiting for you."
I took a deep breath, and followed my mother and sister out of the room where Paine and Enzo were flanking the door, looking very comfortable in their suits.
"You look beautiful, Ree," Paine declared, giving me a warm smile.
"And this is for you," Enzo said, pressing a bouquet into my hands.
But they weren't just any flowers.
Oh no.
It was a bouquet of faux white flowers with delicate script writing on the petals.
I smiled down at it before smiling up at him, charmed by the idea.
"Ready to go get married?" he asked.
I so, so was.
They each took one of my arms as my mother rushed off, and Kenzi moved down the hall to take Reeve's arm. It was the only concession I had made. I didn't want a huge bridal party. I had my sister; Cy had his brother. It worked out perfectly.
"See you up there," Kenz said as the music started, and Reeve led her down the aisle.
Then my brothers led me into the doorway.
I saw Cyrus first, of course, looking even better-looking than he usually did - which was truly saying something - in his dark gray suit and - wait - a beige tie printed with words.
At that realization, thinking of my bouquet, and how this couldn't possibly be a coincidence, my eyes finally started drifting.
And it hit me.
The girls club, the amazing, weird, quirky, wonderful group of women that they were, hadn't just planned me a wedding.
Oh, no.
They planned me a book-themed wedding.
The arbor Cyrus and the Justice of the Peace were standing under was made entirely of paperback books with various shades of cream covers.
The material covering the seats where everyone was sitting had the same pattern as Cy's tie.
I could only imagine what the reception room looked like.
But I couldn't think on that too much as Paine and Enzo started walking me down to Cyrus who was watching me with those seaglass eyes I had come to love so much.
"Threat still stands," Enzo said as he shook Cy's hand, then kissed my cheek before going to find his seat next to Espen.
"Think you accomplished your goal," Paine told him before doing the same.
"What goal?" I asked as everyone moved to sit, as he took my hands.
"To deserve you," Cyrus declared, giving my hands a squeeze.
It wasn't until the rings came out that I realized Cy had totally been in on the book-themed plans as well.
Because the inside of my ring was inscribed with a Bronte quote.
Reader, I married him.
And, I did.
Cyrus - 12 years
"Stop hovering," I said, snagging her hand, and pulling her down on my lap.
"I just wanted to get a picture," she insisted. "I never thought this day would come, and look at him!"
We had been blessed with two children.
Luna had come first, a little mini version of her mother. Looks wise, with slightly tanner skin than mine, darker hair, and eyes that were green, without a hint of blue. But it was her personality where it showed the most. She was shy, sweet, warm, and perfectly content with her own company for hours on end
After Luna, we had had Bennet.
Now, Bennet was all me. He was tall, thin, with lighter skin and lighter hair, and eyes that had a little bit of blue to them. The same went for his personality too. Even at ten, he was charming, confident, laid-back, and already half as good at the guitar as I was.
Now, Reese practically raised the two of them in the library. I didn't have to ask where she was if she went out with them, they were always there. Luna devoured stories much the way Reese did, even before she could read herself, she was always begging for "just one more" bedtime story. And Reese, well, she was not going to deny her. So, often, it was eight more bedtime stories before she finally put her foot down and made her go to sleep.
Bennet, well, he didn't like books.
When they all went to the library, he was usually in the craft room, doing puzzles, or on the computers playing games.
Never, ever looking for books to check out.
Reese tried, bless her bookish heart, to find that one, that perfect book that might turn him into a lover of fiction.
But she never could.
What kid doesn't like Harry Potter?! She had once asked, throwing her hands up as she dropped down in the bed beside me.
So, to say it was a huge fucking deal that Bennet was across the room with his Uncle Reeve reading a book, well, it wasn't an exaggeration at all.
The other kids were all out back, kicking balls, climbing trees, rough-housing. It was the shit that had always been up his alley. Normally, that was where he would be.
But there he was, reading.
"What book is that?" she asked, shaking her head, looking over at me.
I didn't have to look to know.
It was the same book it would always be.
The same book that would somehow haunt him forever.
"'Hatchet,'" I supplied, giving her a squeeze.
"Of course it is," she said, rolling her eyes at herself. "Why didn't I think of that? I was going for all the sci-fi and fantasy adventure stuff. Of course a boy his age would be into the surviving on your own in a dangerous wilderness thing."
"Mom," Luna's soft, sing-song voice called, making us both turn to see her walking in from outside, a book tucked under her arm. She was wearing one of Reese's sweaters, light blue, and almost dragging on the ground.
"Yeah, honey?" Reese asked, not moving out of my arms.
"She's too stupid to live!"
"Hey," I went to scold, never having let the kids use that particular word, as my own mother had never let us at their ages either.
"The heroine in the book," Reese informed me, shaking her head. "The heroine is 'too stupid to live.' It's a book term."
"And every time they back her into a corner, suddenly she has some new magical power that gets her out? What kind of character development is that?" she asked mostly herself as she rolled her eyes and moved off into the kitchen.
When Reese turned back to me, her smile was one of pure joy.
"What?"
"I have two readers!" she declared.
"Yeah, about that..." I started.
"About what?" she asked, head ducked to the side.
See, I had been fucking good. Over a goddamn decade I had kept the secret, wanting to tell her the truth on our tenth wedding anniversary.
But this moment was too good.
It was time that she knew that every single book she ever mentioned I would like reading - over one-hundred and ten over the past twelve years - I had bought. And read. And enjoyed. In secret.
"You actually have three readers..."
XX
DON'T FORGET!
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking time out of your life to read this book. If you loved this book, I would really appreciate it if you could hop onto Goodreads or Amazon and tell me your favorite parts. You can also spread the word by recommending the book to friends or sending digital copies that can be received via kindle or kindle app on any device.
ALSO BY JESSICA GADZIALA
The Henchmen MC
Reign
Cash
Wolf
Repo
Duke
Renny
Lazarus
Pagan
The Savages
Monster
Killer
Savior
Stars Landing
What The Heart Needs
What The Heart Wants
What The Heart Finds
What The Heart Knows
&nbs
p; The Stars Landing Deviant
Mallick Brothers
Shane
Ryan
Mark
--
DEBT
For A Good Time, Call...
Vigilante
The Sex Surrogate
Dr. Chase Hudson
Dissent
Into The Green
Dark Mysteries
367 Days
14 Weeks
Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Romance
Dark Secrets
Dark Horse
Unwrapped
Peace, Love, & Macarons
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica Gadziala is a full-time writer, parrot enthusiast, and coffee drinker from New Jersey. She enjoys short rides to the book store, sad songs, and cold weather.
She is very active on Goodreads, Facebook, as well as her personal groups on those sites. Join in. She's friendly.
STALK HER!
Connect with Jessica:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaGadziala/
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<3/ Jessica
Cyrus (The Henchmen MC Book 9) Page 22