Till Demon Do Us Part (Paranormal Wedding Planners Book 6)

by Jones, AE

  “I was the first to get married. Our wedding was perfect. We were in that small chapel with the candles, and Lorinda walked Alex down the aisle,” Devin said.

  “Your wedding was nice,” Charlie said. “But when Sheila appeared on the balcony in that dress and used her woodland powers to have the trees bloom flowers as she walked toward me, that was amazing.”

  Jack shook his head. “We had the best wedding. Julia’s red dress, having Sullivan and Maeve there as part of my new family. It was the best.”

  Connor smiled. “Ours was the best. Spontaneous.”

  “Cheap,” Jack said.

  “Hey! I would have given Olivia anything she wanted. She just wanted me.”

  “Yeah. I think the shrink needs a shrink,” Charlie quipped.

  Tim guffawed.

  Connor scowled at him. “What are you laughing at? You haven’t gotten married yet.”

  Tim scowled back at him. “Maeve and I will get married on our own timeline.”

  Jack and Connor froze. “Then you are going to marry her?”

  “Of course I am, you idiots. But I haven’t asked her yet, so butt out until I do.”

  Jack and Connor bracketed Tim, each putting an arm around his shoulder.

  McHenry chuckled. “This isn’t a competition, guys. We got the females we love, so we’re all winners.”

  Five sets of eyes looked him up and down.

  “What?”

  “‘This isn’t a competition, guys,’ says the demon in a kilt,” Charlie said.

  Connor nodded. “He always has to try and one-up us.”

  Jack sighed. “Wait until they see him. I can hear it now.”

  McHenry turned from side to side. “I’m wearin’ my plaid proudly, boys. Don’t be jealous, now,” he said in a thick brogue.

  They groaned, and he laughed harder. When had he ever been this happy? Never.

  They were standing in the meadow where the wedding would take place. A small set of chairs had been placed in rows for their guests.

  Neither McHenry nor Darcinda wanted a large wedding, so they had invited the team and their mates, along with Sullivan and Nathan. The elf king and queen, who had graciously agreed to marry them, and two of Darcinda’s faerie healer friends were also in attendance.

  Of course Jamie and Andrew would be standin’ by his side, and Andrew’s wife, Selina, was with the womenfolk in the tent where they would hold the small reception afterward.

  And his mam and sister were here as well. They had come from Scotland for a visit a couple of weeks ago so they could attend Andrew’s nuptials. So it made sense to have this wedding while they were still here.

  Maybe the biggest surprise was that Roderick would be in attendance.

  Now Selina and Andrew were married, they had actually seen a lot of him. Especially since the young couple were building a home on the land next to McHenry’s house. Selina was an accounting whiz, and Andrew convinced him to let her do their books, which McHenry was more than happy to do.

  Roderick had also been very involved in helping plan his daughter’s wedding. According to Andrew, Roderick had butted heads with Peggy—Devin’s sister and office manager for the wedding planner business—throughout the process.

  But it had worked out in the end, and the kids’ wedding was amazing. Peggy was overseeing the wedding today as well, so everyone else could enjoy the festivities.

  “There are my girls,” Charlie said, interrupting McHenry’s thoughts.

  McHenry turned to watch Sheila walk across the meadow with a small girl holding her hand. Every time he saw Melissa, his heart pinched. Two months ago, Darcinda took Sheila and Charlie to a foster home for supernatural children, where they met the five-year-old earth nymph.

  They had fallen in love with the little tyke within minutes of meeting her, but Melissa was still adjusting. Charlie skirted around the men and squatted down in front of Melissa.

  “What’s going on?”

  Sheila smiled. “Melissa wants to see how you’re doing.”

  Charlie grinned from ear to ear. “Is that right?”

  Melissa nodded. “I want to play with you, Charlie.”

  Charlie reached out and picked her up. “Let’s pick some flowers. You can carry them like the bride. Does that sound like fun?”

  She smiled, and Charlie bounced her in the air before they headed over to the wildflowers.

  McHenry joined Sheila and put his arm around her shoulder. “She is wonderful.”

  “She’s doing so much better than when she first came home with us,” Sheila said. “We are just taking it a day at a time. Sometimes, when she smiles, I think my heart is going to burst.”

  “Ah, lass. I’m so happy for you, Charlie, and Melissa.”

  “When Darcinda first suggested for me and Charlie to visit the foster home, I was so scared. But she and Charlie convinced me to go and at least meet the kids. I don’t know how I can ever thank her for what she did for us.”

  “She told me the other day that seein’ you three together is thanks enough.”

  “Well, she’s hard to say no to.”

  “Don’t I know it!”

  Sheila laughed. “Well, we’ll have to wait and see if she was able to weave some more magic.”

  McHenry removed his arm from her shoulder and faced her full on. “Has my soon-to-be wife been meddlin’ with someone else?”

  Sheila chuckled. “You could say that. She took Sullivan and Nathan to the foster home to show them the setup, and she just happened to introduce them to Lucas.”

  He had a sneakin’ suspicion exactly where this was going, but wanted her to confirm it. “And who is Lucas?”

  “A troubled ten-year-old wolf who needs the love of two fathers.”

  His heart squeezed. “She’s a diabolical one, my bride.”

  “She is. I better go see if they need any help in the tent.”

  He nodded and watched her walk away.

  “How you holdin’ up, McHenry?” Tim asked as he walked over.

  “I can’t wait to see my bride.”

  Twenty minutes later, McHenry got his wish. He stood in the meadow with Andrew and Jamie at his side. Across from them, Maeve and Melinda, one of Darcinda’s faerie friends, stood up for her. The rest of the small crowd stood from their seats when Darcinda started toward them.

  When he caught sight of her, he had trouble sucking air into his lungs.

  She was glorious—and his.

  Or more like they were each other’s. What a blessin’.

  She wore a yellow sundress with daisies woven through her long purple hair. Hair the same color as her army boots. Damnation, he loved those boots.

  She walked through the field toward him, and he blinked back the moisture.

  She stepped up to him, smiling. “I never thought a man’s knees would be sexy, but you proved me wrong.” And then she winked at him while the small crowd chuckled.

  He was lost.

  “You are breathtakin’, Darci-girl.”

  He reached for her hand, and they turned to face a smiling elf king and queen.

  And so they were married in front of the people they cared most about. When it came time for the rings, McHenry turned to JT, who bounced in Devin’s lap, holding the pillow with the rings. Devin stood, but before he could make his way over to McHenry, the pillow levitated and floated over to him.

  JT squealed and waved his arms.

  “That’s our grandson,” the elf king gushed from his officiant spot.

  McHenry untied the rings from the pillow and slipped the second ring he’d designed down her finger until it locked to her engagement ring. Then Darcinda slid his ring on his finger.

  And when they finally kissed, everything and everyone fell away.

  It was just the two of them, until someone cleared their throat in the front row. They looked over to see his mam shaking her head and giggling.

  And then it was everyone’s turn to laugh while they walked together to the tent.r />
  Peggy had brought along a small team who set up food and drinks for them, nothing fancy. Also there were the desserts he, mam, and his sister had made. Scottish cookies and cakes that took him back to his childhood.

  And they sat around a few tables and enjoyed each other’s company. Even Julia, who was over eight months pregnant and had insisted on coming to the wedding anyway, seemed to be having a good time. Julia was laughing at something JT did while he was sitting on his grandmother the elf queen’s lap.

  After the Tribunal, the elf king and queen had reached out to Julia and Jack and asked if they could be a part of their lives. They missed their daughter-in-law and believed Thomas would want them to remain close. When Julia put her stubborn foot down about coming to the wedding, the elf king cast a spell on a chair and had actually levitated Julia and the chair through the forest once she was too tired to walk.

  Julia held a special place in McHenry’s heart. If it hadn’t been for her insisting on being his friend and not letting him scare her off, he wouldn’t be sitting here today with his friends…and, most of all with his Darci-girl.

  He and Darcinda had actually considered postponing the wedding, but Julia wouldn’t hear of it, insisting that they needed to get married while his mam and sis were still here.

  Darcinda leaned over and kissed his cheek. “What are you thinking about?”

  “How lucky I am to have all of you in my life.”

  Andrew and Jamie stood up at the end of the table, and everyone grew silent.

  Andrew spoke. “Since we’re their best men, Darcinda and Uncle Mac asked us to give the toast. To say we’re honored is an understatement.”

  “Definitely,” Jamie said.

  “Mac. You will never know how much it meant to us to come live with you. I know we didn’t show it in the beginning.”

  “Amen,” Jamie muttered, which had everyone chuckling.

  “But we would not be the men we are today if not for you. We are proud to call you uncle but, in our hearts, you are really our father.”

  McHenry’s throat tightened as tears threatened. Darcinda rested her hand on his chest, and he looked down into her eyes.

  Jamie cleared his throat, drawing McHenry’s attention back to them.

  “Darcinda. You are amazing. Strong and outspoken, which is a good thing when dealing with Uncle Mac.”

  McHenry smiled as the rest of the group laughed, including his wife.

  “But you are also one of the most caring individuals Andrew and I have ever met. You saved me when I didn’t think I could be saved. And then you saved Uncle Mac. For that we will be forever grateful.”

  Jamie looked at his brother, and they raised their glasses along with everyone else.

  “To Mac and Darcinda.”

  “Hear! Hear!”

  McHenry reached for his glass, his hand shaking slightly as he clinked it against Darcinda’s and the others around him he could reach. He took a sip of his drink and then kissed Darcinda on the lips to the cheers of the group.

  And then more toasts were called out until it got to Maeve.

  “To McHenry’s kilt!” Maeve said.

  The females cheered heartily, and the males turned and glared at him.

  McHenry threw his head back and laughed out loud.

  After a few more minutes, the group started talking among themselves.

  “I have it on good authority that you’ve been being naughty again,” McHenry murmured to his wife.

  Her eyebrow rose. “You have to be more specific about said naughtiness.”

  McHenry reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. “Sheila told me you took Sullivan and Nathan to the foster home.”

  “I did. Sullivan has been wanting to find a way for the pack to help through donations or volunteering.”

  “And you just happened to introduce them to Lucas?”

  Darcinda looked over at the two males sitting at the table beside them before chuckling. “Nathan fell in love the moment he saw Lucas. I think Sullivan felt the same way, but he wasn’t as transparent.”

  McHenry kissed her temple. “See? Naughty.”

  She smiled at him. “That’s why you love me.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I love you.”

  “I love you too, my kilt-wearing husband. You had me at ‘Who let you in?’”

  “That’s what I said when I woke up from the accident.”

  “Yes. You’ve always been a romantic at heart.”

  “I will get you for that later, wife.”

  “I look forward to it, husband.”

  She settled into his arms, and he looked around the tent and grinned like a fool again. How did a grumpy demon end up with such an amazing female?

  He had never been one to believe in luck—how could he, when he had spent most of his life cursed?—but having Darcinda show up and refuse to leave was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  And they all lived happily ever after…

  Chapter 36

  Six months after that…

  Darcinda was giddy. There was no other word for it. She never thought of herself as someone who could feel giddy, or could feel much of anything, really, but McHenry had changed all that for her.

  She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Six months they’d been married. She was blessed by the Fates with this male. She ran her fingers through her hair and then opened the door to the bedroom.

  And there was her blessing, waiting for her in bed. He turned back the covers, and she climbed in beside him and lay back against his chest.

  “Recap time,” he said, in that rumbly voice of his that still made her melt.

  She smiled. Instead of nightcaps, before they went to bed they shared with each other what they did that day. Darcinda had kiddingly called it a recap, and the name stuck.

  “It was a special day. The weddings were amazing.”

  “Did you know there were goin’ to be two weddings?” McHenry asked.

  “No. I was as surprised as you were. I thought we were going to Tim and Maeve’s wedding, and then when Sullivan and Nathan stepped up beside them as well, I thought, how absolutely perfect. Did you see how snazzy Lucas looked in his tuxedo while he stood up front next to his dads?”

  “Aye. That boy reminds me of Andrew when he was younger.”

  “He was so proud to be a groomsman like his uncles, Jack and Connor.”

  “Speakin’ of Jack and Connor, I got the whole story out of the twins after the ceremony. Apparently they were at a family dinner, and Tim asked Sullivan, Jack, Connor, and Nathan for Maeve’s hand in marriage. They gave their blessin’, but what they didn’t know was that Nathan and Tim had been workin’ together, and as soon as Tim had their blessin’, Nathan turned to Connor, Jack, and Maeve and asked for Sullivan’s hand as well.

  “After that Maeve insisted they have a double ceremony, but Sullivan didn’t want it to turn into a circus since he is the pack alpha. So they didn’t tell anyone it was a dual wedding.”

  Darcinda chuckled. “Well, they definitely pulled it off. Poor Alex was fit to be tied that she didn’t know about it.”

  “She has enough to worry about with JT runnin’ around. That boy is a handful. He turned the punch bowl into a fountain.”

  “Speaking of babies, I don’t know if I am ever going to get off Julia’s naughty list. I still can’t believe I didn’t sense two babies while she was pregnant, but if they’re anything like Connor and Jack, then their wolves were probably protecting each other, even in the womb.”

  “I told Jack he would have it hard with one girl, but two identical firebrands who will probably take after Julia? Oh, he’s not goin’ to sleep for the next eighteen years, worryin’ about them.”

  “Well, the elf king and queen have practically become surrogate grandparents to the girls, and now that Connor and Olivia have bought a house across the street from Jack and Julia, that should help too.”

  McHenry chuckled. “I guess Connor was in the dogho
use for a bit after the girls were born.”

  Darcinda rolled her eyes. “What did he do this time?”

  “After the twins were born, he told Olivia they would need to try for triplets.”

  “Oh no.”

  “Oh yes. Jack told me Connor slept on the couch for three days.”

  Darcinda laughed.

  “It was good spendin’ time with everyone. Did you see little Melissa dancing with Charlie?”

  “It brought a tear to me eye. She talks nonstop now. It’s Mommy this and Daddy that, and I’ve never seen Sheila and Charlie so happy.”

  “You did that for them, Darci-girl.”

  Her heart warmed at his comment. “Even with all of that tonight, the biggest surprise was when Peggy showed up with her date. Alex and Sheila knew she was dating someone seriously, but she wouldn’t tell them anything about him, so Alex snuck into her office and snooped around.”

  McHenry sighed. “Of course she did.”

  “The only thing she found was a note on her calendar about dinner with Rick. So they have been trying to figure out who Rick is for months.”

  “Well they know now. Roderick looked pretty smitten if you ask me,” McHenry said.

  “They both did.”

  “Andrew told me Peggy and Roderick argued the whole time they were plannin’ Selina and Andrew’s wedding.”

  “Sounds a little like us in the beginning.”

  “Agreed.” McHenry kissed her forehead. “It was a perfect day, love. But then every day with you is a perfect day.”

  She leaned back, and he kissed her lips gently. And that giddy feeling bubbled up again.

  “I got a new T-shirt.” Over the months she’d bought him different T-shirts with her crazy sayings to surprise him with. She loved getting a reaction out of him.

  He chuckled. “What now?”

  She climbed out of bed, her heart thumping like mad as she went over to the dresser and opened the top drawer, reaching down under some clothes to pull it out.

  She turned to him and unfolded the tiny shirt. Confusion flashed across his face when he noticed the size…until she turned it around and let him read it.