by Taryn Quinn
Whoops.
She drew back to breathe lightly against my lips. “I sort of hate you right now, but I’d bang you like a screw if we were alone.”
“Nail. Why let that stand in our way?”
“Nail what?”
“You. Let me take you into the confessional and make you praise Jesus.”
She snorted out a laugh and jerked back to glance at her brother. “What?” she demanded. “I slipped.” Then she grabbed a handful of her dress and swished away, gorgeous long hair swinging.
Noticing everyone had turned to look at us, she made a revolving gesture with her fingers. “Face forward. The bride’s about to appear. C’mon, Thor. Get in position.”
As if she’d hit the music herself, a New Agey version of the wedding march begun as she flicked a look at her brother. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“That sounds positive,” I muttered to Rhett before he slunk into the nearest pew.
“That’s Ging. Hey, did you really just propose to her?”
“Ask me later. Still working on it.” I dropped my coat in Rhett’s pew and walked toward the front of the chapel toward Caleb, who only now looked the slightest bit nervous.
I decided to do him a solid and make him feel less antsy as I took my place at his side.
“Tish is pregnant,” I said under my breath as a look of pure astonishment replaced his worried expression. “You didn’t hear it from me.”
Twenty-One
As the music swelled louder, Caleb jammed his fingers in my ribs. “I’ll get you for that later,” he whispered, “but wow, congrats, man.”
“Thanks. You, too. Don’t tell anyone. Secret.”
Also, not confirmed, except by afternoon sickness. Whatever. I was excited. I wanted to tell people.
Maybe possibly I also wanted to see what Ruby’s style of punishment consisted of. Either or.
I caught the eye of Caleb’s parents and Caleb’s little sister, Ivy, and her husband, Rory, and gave them a quick salute.
The bridesmaids finally began filing out at just about the same moment Luna’s bestie, Ryan, appeared with Preston. Ryan was dressed in a red, official-looking robe, though she was currently kissing her guy in a way that didn’t belong in a chapel. But hey, I couldn’t exactly talk since I’d just done the same.
After Ryan joined Caleb and I, I leaned in close. “Hey, officiant, can I marry you and the suit? I’ll take notes today. Unless there’s some kind of course I can take.”
She choked, flushing the same color as her robe.
Caleb started laughing. “Same way I reacted when he said he was going to be my kid’s godfather.”
At my sharp look, he cleared his throat. “From joy, I mean.”
The short parade of bridesmaids swept to the side of the front of the chapel, and Tish walked out, tugging at the front of her dress as if she had an itch. Then she realized all eyes were on her and straightened up to her full height, moving slowly and regally down the aisle.
Our gazes connected. For once, she didn’t shoot mental darts at me. If anything, she almost looked…tender. Her cheeks were rosy with an internal glow, and her smile felt like it was just for me.
And when she took her place on the opposite side of Caleb and I, I almost forgot I was at my buddy’s wedding. It felt like this was ours. Like I could open my mouth and say I do and it would be real and last forever. How could it not when I was so utterly mad for her?
But then Luna appeared at the head of the aisle, and gasps sounded around us. I was pretty sure even I did, and I know Caleb did. She was glittering, her gray dress glinting with faceted crystals that shot off light with every step she took. Her hair was swept back from her face and topped with a circlet of flowers and more crystals. But her wet blue eyes were all for Caleb, as his were solely focused on her.
When she joined him, he pressed his forehead to hers, whispering something that made her giggle and a tear to slip out of the corner of her eye. Then he lightly touched the swell of her belly and she gripped his fingers, holding him there as she turned her teary face toward her best friend. Ryan was crying openly too, and I was shocked to find my throat was too tight to swallow.
On the other side of Luna, my girl stood tall and proud, but her dark eyes were damp as well.
Ryan let out a sniffly laugh and started to speak about the bonds of love. I kept my gaze on my Ruby the entire time.
Luna and Caleb each had written vows for each other, and laughter and tears flowed in equal measure. Rings were exchanged after they both said, “I do”, and then it was time for the big celebratory kiss before officiant Ryan pronounced them married “as hell.”
Whatever worked.
Caleb lifted his bride to spin her around, but the minute he put her down, I gave him a big hug and a smacking kiss that made everyone laugh. Then I aimed for Tish, who must’ve sensed my next move and was already backing away.
“Lucky,” she warned, waving her finger. “Haven’t we created enough of a spectacle for one day?”
“Have we?” I pretended to think before I bum-rushed her off her feet and tipped her over my shoulder. “Nope. Guess not,” I said cheerfully as she laughed and pounded on my back.
But I didn’t leave her suspended for long. With a laugh, I let her slide down my body to the floor, fully expecting her to make me pay for my hasty decision.
Instead, she worked her fingers through the snarls in my hair from the wind. “Were you serious about the confessional?”
“No, but I could be.” My dick was intrigued already.
The devil danced in her eyes as she undid my jacket and slid her hand beneath the patterned vest I wore underneath. “Any closet or alcove will do. Preferably one indoors, so nothing important freezes.”
“That’s a sound plan.” I traced my finger over the worry lines between her brows. “How are you feeling?”
“Horny.”
I slid a surreptitious look around to make sure no one was paying attention to our conversation. “You know what I mean. Can you eat? Do you want a snack? Or if everything is still sloshing around, I could get you some ginger ale from the general store in the main building. Or how about—”
“How about you rail me into next Tuesday, and we’ll think about dinner after that?”
My lips curved. “I think that could be arranged.”
But alas, it was not to be. At least not right now.
Rhett appeared behind Tish and slung an arm around her waist. “So, sis, let’s chat.”
She rolled her eyes. “Can’t you let a girl get laid in peace? Especially a girl who has spent months getting my place ready for you heathens, and now you’re here early to wreck everything?”
“I have wrecked nothing.” He rubbed his scruff. “Yet.”
Tish frowned and I clamped a hand on her hip, keeping a hold on her in case she decided to bolt. I didn’t know what Rhett intended to tell her, but I could tell from the tightness of his jaw that Ruby wouldn’t like it. And if she wouldn’t, neither would I.
“What are you talking about? Why are you here?”
Rhett slipped his hand in his pocket and glanced over his shoulder where our friends were still milling around, talking and laughing. “I hate doing this here, but somehow I got nominated. Ez is a damn pussy.”
I cocked a brow. “Watch it, dude. From where I’m standing, dicks aren’t too awesome right now.”
Tish shot me a grateful look as I moved my hand from her hip to her shoulder. It felt good to be standing at her side when it seemed like she appreciated the support.
Rhett shot me a rueful glance before aiming it at his sister. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. This is a damn wedding, so I should’ve known better than to intrude. I just didn’t think it would be this cozy. And here I am, swinging in here like Captain Pecker, the wedding party wrecker.”
I didn’t get that reference, but it wasn’t pertinent right now.
“Tingle, stop dilly-dallying and get to the point.”<
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“Seriously? Why do you have to call me that in front of non-family members?”
“Oh, you’d be surprised how much family he is. Now get to the freaking point before I tell every one of your secrets with glee.”
I considered it a victory that I managed not to bruise her shoulder with the pressure from my fingers. She’d called me family. It had to be the baby. Maybe it had to do with hormones, or that she wanted more sex and what the hell, she was already knocked up. We obviously had heat and affection between us, and we worked well together as the house project proved.
And I was in love with her. No doubt there.
The doubts portion of our program belonged solely to Ruby. But if she was calling me family, that meant something. Talk about a weighty word.
I was part of Caleb’s family because he’d been gracious enough to invite me into it. But I’d never had my own space just for me. I’d never imagined I could have a family period, never mind be the head of one. Well, joint head.
I was now a parent. Possibly. Probably.
Whoa.
Someday I’d get used to the concept. I hoped seeing those two lines on the pee stick would nudge me along. Or did they use actual words more often now? I’d prefer that. I wasn’t steady enough to trust myself to not see lines that weren’t there.
Lines I might want to will into existence, now that I was starting to wrap my head around the idea of fatherhood.
Tish and Rhett had not stopped their conversation while I pondered the meaning of family and my actually having one of my own, holy fucknuts.
“Look, it’s not my fault he doesn’t want to talk about this shit, Ging. The guy is hurting. You know how he gets. Add in Ezra being Ezra and probably having the subtlety of a bulldozer, and can you really say you’re surprised Co opted to stay home rather than do some big crazy Burns holiday scene?”
“I’ve been working for months to make that scene happen.” Tish’s voice broke at the end, and I had to fight every urge that demanded I tug her behind me. I’d face every threat for her. Battle anyone that might do her harm—even if it wasn’t intentional.
But that wasn’t what she needed from me right now. I had to stand with her and wait to see how I could help.
Rhett shoved a hand through his hair. “I know you have. Ez does too, which is how I drew the short straw to tell you about Co. He didn’t want to hurt you. None of us do. But our brother is frigging stubborn as hell.”
“Which one?”
“All of us and you too and Dad. It’s a Burns trait.” Rhett glanced between us, his brow sliding into a lazy arch. “Back to that thing about this one being family too. Did I miss something? Though he did propose back there, but he seemed as surprised by it as anybody.”
“He what?” Tish sent a look over her shoulder, her expression a mix of confusion, shock, and annoyance. Those were probably three of the ingredients in her special blend coffee from Macy, along with an extra dollop of snark topped with a little sweetness.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“So, no one is gonna tell me—”
“Tish might be—”
“Nope, no one is going to tell you.” Tish’s expression could’ve killed me where I stood if I wasn’t well used to her dynamic death rays. “Some things need to be verified before people go around telling people stuff.”
“Some people already told some people because some people think they should have a right to since the stuff is theirs too.”
“Who did you tell? Ugh, damn motormouth. You’re lucky you’re cute.”
“Is that what the name comes from? I assumed it was a nickname for scoring with chicks.”
I had a moment’s gratification when my girl turned her irritation on her brother.
“You are not funny or cute and I’m mad at you.”
“Why? Because I’m the messenger of bad news?”
“No. Because I don’t see you enough and I miss you.” She tugged on a lock of his dark hair and he drew her into a hug that apparently signaled the skirmish was over.
As we were trudging back to the reception room in the main building, I realized it was over between the siblings but not with us.
She waited until Rhett walked ahead and was busy on his phone to dip her hand into the back pocket of my trousers. And not for a celebratory ass rub either. More like a reproachful pinch.
Which my traitorous dick didn’t mind.
“Who did you tell?”
“Just Caleb.”
Her look of pure horror couldn’t even be obscured by the fat flakes drifting down in the oncoming twilight. “Him? Why not take out a freaking billboard? And if Luna starts groping my belly—”
“Can I watch?”
“You are such a male.”
“Guilty as charged.” I puffed out an icy breath when Ruby sped up despite the snow-covered sidewalk. I gripped her elbow to make sure she was steady, maintaining my hold even as she flashed me a stare cold enough to grow icicles on the tip of my nose. “Stuff should be verified soon is all I’m saying.”
“I know that. And I will.”
“We will.”
I expected her to argue. “Yes, we will. I want you there.”
“You do? I mean, of course you do.” I took advantage of the rare almost warmth in her voice and moved closer to kiss the top of her head.
“People didn’t know we were dating.”
“Is that what you call it? Me at your house almost every night?”
She ignored me. “Now look at us. Everyone keeps winking at me and congratulating me and saying that I landed the biggest player in town, har de har. I didn’t try to land you.”
“Exactly why you did. You act like you’d rather clean gum off your shoe rather than be seen in public with me.”
She came to a halt on the sidewalk and crossed her arms over her chest. She was shaking slightly from the cold, and I immediately started to remove my coat so I could drape it over her shoulders.
“No, wait. I’m fine. And that’s not true. I’m not ashamed to be seen with you. I’m not,” she insisted at my silence. “I just didn’t know where this is going, and if it wasn’t going anywhere, then we shouldn’t—Tingle, scram.”
Rhett flashed the peace sign over his shoulder and continued walking. Not very fast in my opinion, but I was curious what she’d say next too, so I couldn’t blame him.
“How are you feeling about that whole ‘where this is going’ thing now?”
She gazed up at me in the near darkness with snow gathering on her thick lashes and dusting her pale cheeks and my heart raced as if I’d just run a two-minute mile. So much hinged on her giving us a chance. Now more than ever.
“I like being with you.”
“Sorry, can you speak up?” I made a show of leaning toward her and cupping my ear. “Didn’t quite hear you.”
The corner of her mouth kicked up. “We have fun, Thor. But it’s all moving so fast. I don’t want you to regret anything when reality descends, and you see the stretch marks. Because they are coming, dude, and my cocoa butter cream can only do so much.”
“I will never, as long as I live, regret a single second I will spend with you or our baby. The only thing I’ll regret is the ones you won’t let me share.”
Lost in her dark gorgeous eyes, I almost missed how her lower lip trembled. But I definitely couldn’t deny the rush of relief as she stepped toward me and circled her arms around my waist. “I’m trying,” she whispered. “You probably can’t tell that I am, but I swear it’s true.”
I wound my arms around her so tightly that she gasped. “I love you. And I kinda love saying it. So, maybe let me love you tonight, and we’ll see how we both feel about it in the morning.”
She tipped her face up to mine and for an instant, I would’ve sworn a tear glimmered on her cheek. I smoothed my thumb over it and came back with a snowflake instead.
Nodding, she gave me a tentative smile. “I can do that. But I still want that railing.”
It was so easy to return her smile. “I can do that.”
Twenty-Two
Everyone was having a darn good time at this reception. Other than me, and I was fully aware that was probably my own fault.
I wasn’t much of a drinker other than at social events where I was expected to talk and be friendly, usually with people I barely knew. Then a beer went down smooth and also gave me something to do with my hands other than tug at my hair like a girl on the sidelines at a junior high dance.
But that whole puking thing earlier along with the recent recognition of my enlarged breasts and absent period—a bit late there, Burns—had squashed my desire for a drink. Well, not the desire, but I wasn’t having one. I wasn’t taking any chances.
Sure, I might’ve just put on some early winter weight. Maybe my period was late due to stress. I could have the flu.
One that also made certain things smell really strange—like frosting.
“Here, have a cupcake. Look at the tiny Caleb and I.” Luna poked the little plastic figures atop the frosting and beamed so brightly that I didn’t have the heart to tell her the smell of that gooey white confection was going to make me hurl.
Then again, if I could avoid doing it on her wedding dress, that would be a win for us all.
“No, sorry, thanks. I’m dieting.” It was a miracle I didn’t pinch my nose. I could still smell it even if I turned my head.
What was in that thing? Had Tabitha flavored it with preggo lady repellant or what?
“You, dieting? Why? You are perfect just as you are. Especially in these dresses today. Lucky must be having a hard time keeping his hands off you.”
“Again with that stuff? You didn’t even see the kiss.”
“No, but I saw him holding you and rubbing your—” She stopped, her eyes widening.
“Rubbing my what? Because I definitely don’t remember anything like that. Hey,” I said when she set aside her cupcake on the tray it came from and cupped my belly as if it was a crystal ball she could peer into and see her fortune.