I grinned, “You like your man as a stripper, huh?”
She grinned and nodded, “Oh, yeah.” She said, “You can definitely keep this outfit and bring it out to play again.”
I just smiled.
We emerged from the room around an hour later. The rest of the guys had all gone off doing their own thing. Sam and Luca were propping up the bar together, leaning into each other and laughing about something. I was absolutely certain they were going to end up together one of these days.
Will and Tom were, as ever, slow dancing with each other and whispering sweet nothings to each other. I swear there had never been a more loved-up couple.
Tate and Maddie were sitting together, gazing into each other’s eyes. Cool. No one had missed us.
I turned.
Two pairs of identical, evil eyes in a matching pair of grinning faces was looking right at me, “You dirty bastard.” One of them said.
I frowned, “I beg your pardon?” Was it Trey? It was hard to tell in the dark lighting of the club and when he wasn’t wearing his glasses he looked just the same as his brother… I guessed at Trey because of the language. Toby was generally pretty inoffensive.
He grinned, “You and True got it on in a nightclub.”
I grinned, “You’re just jealous because you don’t have someone to get it on with.”
His face fell, “There’s no need to get personal.” He snapped.
Toby, who was definitely the other one, turned to me, “Take no notice of him, mate.” He said, “He’s just been dumped.”
I nodded, feeling a little bad for being insensitive.
I didn’t have much time to dwell on it because True wanted to dance.
I happily followed her to the dance floor where we slow danced for the rest of the evening. I breathed in her wonderful scent and thanked my lucky stars that I’d found her…
Chapter 10 – True
It had finally arrived. My wedding day.
I was so happy but I couldn’t help feeling that we’d been cheated out of having our parents there to see us marry the men and women of our dreams. They would have been so proud of all of us. I was sure of that.
Still, we all had each other and we’d all grown up to adulthood without going off the rails. Okay, so Tom had a little but he’d totally sorted out his life and was married to my best friend and was a wonderful husband and father to Millie now.
Mum would have loved the babies. I found my eyes welling up and I had to dab at my eyes with a tissue. There was no way I was going to rock up at the altar with red eyes and a nose to rival Miss Piggy…
“Pull yourself together, True.” I scolded myself in the mirror.
Maddie poked her head around the door, “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked.
I nodded, smiling at her. She looked amazing. Her hair and make-up had been done to match mine and her dress was similar to mine too, but in a beautiful shade of magenta. “I’m absolutely fine.” I said, “Is it time to go?”
She nodded, “Everyone’s arrived and they’re all in the barn waiting for you.” She grinned, “Sawyer looks adorable – and very nervous.”
Bless him. His parents had flown in last night with his sister and her partner. They’d been absolutely enamoured with Zsófia and had gone on and on about how wonderful Tom and Will were to have taken on Millie as their own.
It hadn’t really occurred to me that it had been a very selfless thing to do. We just looked after each other – that was what our family was all about. Looking out for one another and loving each other. We were totally blessed.
Will was giving me away and he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me.
He looked up and his eyes filled with tears, “Oh, my God.” He said, his voice thick with emotion, “You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart.”
I smiled at him, “Thank you.” I said. I knew I must look lovely because where Tom and Will were concerned, you were never told you looked good if you didn’t.
My dress was pretty damned perfect, though. It was fitted and even though I was beginning to show quite a lot, it looked absolutely perfect.
I’d opted for white with lots and lots of lace and I absolutely loved it. I hoped that my husband-to-be did, too.
I needn’t have worried. It was quite the most emotional day of our lives.
Sawyer’s eyes filled with tears as soon as he laid eyes on me and there were sniffs and tissues all around as I walked up the aisle towards him with Will.
“You look beautiful.” He said as I stood next to him. “I’m so lucky.”
I smiled, “It’s me who’s lucky.” I whispered back at him, “I’m marrying the man of my dreams, who is also the father of my beautiful daughter and father to be of these two.” I stroked my belly, “I couldn’t be any happier.”
He smiled, “Then let’s do this.” He said.
Chapter 11 – Sawyer
Our wedding was perfection itself. All of our friends and close family were in attendance and we had the most amazing time.
I felt True’s arm circle my waist from behind, “Penny for your thoughts.” She whispered, looking up at me with that beautiful, mischievous smile of hers.
I shook my head and smiled, “I’m just blissfully happy. I have a beautiful wife and daughter and I have another two on the way, maybe not both daughters – but whatever I get, I will always feel totally blessed to have found you.”
She smiled up at me, “We’re all blessed.” She said, “I love you Sawyer. I always have – and I always will.”
I nodded, “I feel exactly the same about you.” I said, “I fell in love with you the moment our eyes met in that ramshackle building I called my home.”
Her eyes filled with tears, “I know.” She whispered, “I felt it. Home hadn’t been home after my parents died for so long but then I saw you – and I felt it again. You’re my home, Sawyer. We could be anywhere in the world and it would be home because of you. You’re my everything.”
I gazed at her. She was my everything, too. I bent to kiss her, closing my eyes and savouring the kiss as much as I could in company.
Pulling away, I looked across to Tate and Maddie where they were slow dancing in each other’s arms. I smiled. I wouldn’t have been half surprised if they would be taking the plunge before long.
Looking around the room, my heart almost burst with love for everyone there. Trey and Toby were growing up into lovely young men, Tom and Will were blissfully happy with each other and their surprise daughter, but both had taken to fatherhood like ducks to water and absolutely doted on her.
My eyes alighted on Sam who was looking cosy in the corner with someone. I squinted in the half-light of the fairy lights that had been strung around the room to see who it was. Ahh, no great surprise. It was Luca. Those two were as thick as thieves most of the time.
I had no idea if they were more than friends and I figured that it really wasn’t any of my business. If they were – great. I just wanted everyone I loved to be as happy as I was and if Luca and Sam made each other happy, good for them.
“We’re all blessed.” I murmured, “All of us.”
The End
Tate and Maddie’s Wedding
Chapter 1 – Tate
I wasn’t one for a lot of fuss or for big fancy dress-up weddings like the one True and Sawyer had just had. I was pretty sure Maddie wasn’t either – and all I wanted was a quiet little affair, either at Riverside, like Tom and Will had done, or for us all to go away on holiday and get married on the beach. The beach where I proposed had been popping into my head every so often for months now...
It was a few weeks after True and Sawyer announced that their new baby was on the way. We’d all known, anyway – she couldn’t puke quietly if her life depended on it…
True was looking utterly radiant, as she had throughout Zsófia’s pregnancy and she was happily sitting with a beautiful sleeping Zsófia in her arms and Tom and Will’s daughter, Millie was fast asleep in the pram next
to her. She was the picture of motherly serenity.
I sighed, “So, I was thinking.”
She looked up, “What?” she asked.
“How long after the baby’s born would you be up for a beach holiday?”
She frowned, “Uh?”
I grinned, “We don’t have to go for long – a four-night break for us all. I want to marry Maddie on our beach.”
True’s eyes lit up, “Are you serious?” she asked excitedly.
I nodded, “Sure,” I agreed, “Emilio and Luca can run the place for a couple of nights – or we could close for a couple of nights instead or even get a couple of temps in or something. It can’t be that hard. The college down the road would probably be interested in supplying a couple of students to help out. It’s not like Josh and Leo will particularly want to come with us. They’re totally into their own thing and again – perfectly capable to run the show for a couple of nights.”
It was true. Sam adored Tom and could usually be found helping him out. I think he sought Tom out all of the time because he felt comfortable with him. He’d confided to me that he really fancied Luca but Luca was straight and therefore off-limits.
I wasn’t so sure myself. Straight guys didn’t kiss other guys like he’d kissed Sam during the spin the bottle game – and straight guys didn’t generally follow other guys backsides with their eyes out on stalks, either…
Still, he wasn’t coming out any time soon – not with that girlfriend of his sticking to him like glue, anyway.
True nodded, “Well, that sounds like a perfect idea and the babies are likely to be born slightly earlier than usual – being twins… Oh.” She clamped her mouth shut and looked up at me guiltily.
I stared at her, “Twins?” I asked, a huge smile breaking out over my face, “How long have you known about that?”
She grinned, stroking her belly, “Since the last scan. Sawyer’s still shell-shocked.” She chuckled.
I went over and gave her an awkward hug around Zsófia’s sleeping form, “Congratulations.” I beamed at her, “And we’re all on hand for baby-sitting duties. I’ve gotta go and find Maddie – she’ll be absolutely stoked!”
Chapter 2 – Maddie
I stared at Tate. “Slow down,” I said as he babbled on about True and twins and beaches and closing the restaurant for a few days, “Start again.”
He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that beautiful way that always made me smile. “Sorry,” he said with a massive grin plastered all over his face, “I got all excited, there!”
He went on to explain about his amazing idea of us getting married on the beach. “So, what do you think?” he looked at me hopefully, making him look about thirteen years old.
I smiled and nodded, “I love it!” I said, “Can I call Dad and see when he can get time off?”
Tate nodded, “We can’t do it before the twins are born anyway – so there’s plenty of time.”
I nodded, reaching for my mobile phone. Dad was probably at work, but unless he was on a call-out, he’d answer.
“Dad?”
“Hey, baby,” his happy voice came through the receiver, “how’s life at the Riverside?”
I chuckled, “Hectic as always but absolutely wonderful,” I said, “Listen – can you get some time off in October?”
Dad confirmed that he could undoubtedly manage that, “Do I hear wedding bells in the air?” he asked.
I chuckled, “Yeah, you do – but were not doing it here – we want everyone to come to Cannes with us. We’re gonna get married there – on the beach – at sunset.”
“Tate being an old romantic, huh?” Dad asked with a chuckle.
I giggled, “Yeah.” I agreed. Was he ever? Since we’d got back together, he’d never stopped surprising me with how loving and romantic he could be.
“Well, count us in, honey,” Dad said delightedly, “I can’t wait. I’ll clear the time with the guys this end. There’ll be no problem, I assure you.”
*
“Do you think we should have all gone on separate flights?” Trey asked, chewing his lip worriedly, “I mean – you know – just in case?”
Tom rubbed his head affectionately, “No, mate.” He said, “If we’re all gonna die – better to all go together than for a couple of us being left behind, mourning the loss of everyone else.”
Well, I guess he had a point, morbid as it was, “We’re not going to die, Trey.” I said, “We’re going to Cannes and we’re going to have the best time – and then we’re coming back home and living happily ever after.”
Tom snorted, “Yeah, right.” He chortled, “It’s only when you marry them that you realise Prince Charming snores like a rhino and farts all night in his sleep.”
Will, who had just ambled up behind his husband, cleared his throat, “Excuse me?” he enquired indignantly, “Who’s the Prince Charming in this scenario? And who are you saying farts all night?”
Tom’s eyes widened comically before he spun around, “No one, sweetie.” He said as innocently as he could (which really wasn’t very innocent at all) “We were just talking about Cinderella.”
Will frowned in confusion and Tom managed to successfully change the subject before he got himself into any more trouble.
We were in the departure lounge and there was quite a sizable number of us when we were all together.
There was True and Sawyer with their brood, Tom and Will with Millie, Trey and Toby were, as always, together and then there was Tate and I. My father and his new partner, Gwen, who was absolutely lovely and I loved her to bits, were coming out a couple of days after us, in time for the wedding and were spending a couple of days with us after the rest of Tate’s family returned home.
Sam had surprised me a little when he opted to stay behind at Riverside. He adored Tate – well, they adored each other, truth be known. Tate had rescued him from a terrible life and he was really happy since he’d been adopted into the family. I figured he’d be totally up for being at the wedding but that was before I knew about his terrible fear of flying. I wasn’t about to put pressure on him to come.
Besides, the restaurant still had to be run, so it made sense for the best ones in the kitchen to stay behind. The crew left were Emilio and Luca, Sam, Leo and Josh. As they like to remind us all of the time – they were the best ones...
Chapter 3 – Sam
I was torn. On the one hand, I really wanted to go and support Tate when he was marrying the love of his life – but the love of my life was staying behind, supporting the family in the way he did best by keeping the restaurant going. So, I was going to stay behind with him, Emilio, Josh and Leo – not least because I was absolutely petrified of flying and I couldn’t deny, the idea of spending a few days of quality time with the man of my dreams did wonders for me.
Luca was, depressingly, still dating Enid but to be perfectly honest, they really didn’t spend a whole lot of time with each other. He spent most of his spare hours with me. We shared a love of the X-Box and spent hours playing FIFA and other games on it – mostly sporty games, since neither of us were into the war games and I at least had no particular interest in Lara Croft and her impressive rack (so I was told by Toby and Trey).
The memory of the spin-the-bottle game was permanently etched in my mind and I revisited it far more often than I was willing to admit to. Not that it would ever likely be repeated. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience but I was certain I would remember it for all eternity.
I couldn’t help wondering if Luca ever thought about it the way I did. Sometimes I saw him looking at me with a bit of a strange look on his face but he’d always turn away quickly if he saw me catch him looking when he was looking my way.
Meh, it was more than likely all in my own imagination. I had a very colourful one when it came to thinking about Luca and I and all the wonderful things we could do together...
“Hey Sammy!” I jumped a mile. I’d been daydreaming about that kiss again. My bad...
&
nbsp; Luca chuckled as I juggled with the plate I’d just unloaded from the dishwasher, “What’s up with you today?” he asked, his beautiful brown eyes twinkling at me with amusement.
Feeling my face heating up and wondering what he’d say if I just blurted out that I was reliving the feeling of having his tongue in my mouth, I shook my head, “Uh, nothing.” I said, “I was just thinking about Tate and everyone going off to get married.”
He sighed and leaned on the counter with his chin resting on his hands, “You know, if you want to go, I’ll happily help you find some hypnosis tips online so you can... It’s only a couple of hours flight, you know...”
I shook my head. He was so adorable, “Nah, I’m good staying here with you.” I grinned at him, “We’ll keep the place going for them.”
He nodded, “Yeah, course we will.” He beamed at me, “What do you wanna do tomorrow? You’ve got the day off, haven’t you?”
I nodded, “Yeah,” I agreed, “I was gonna go into town and look for some new jeans.”
He grinned, “I’ll come with you.” He said, “I need some jeans, myself.”
I glowed on the inside. He was always spending his days off with me over Enid. I should feel bad for Enid. I’d met her a few times and she was a nice girl – but if she wasn’t willing to put the effort in to keep him interested, it wasn’t my problem...
Chapter 4 – Tate
“Is everyone here?” I asked, trying desperately to count heads.
Tomas grinned at me, “Yes.” He said, “Stop worrying, “Will and I made sure everyone was present and accounted for on the way out of Riverside.”
I nodded, “Good, good.” I agreed, “Excellent.”
He grinned at me, “It’s nerve-wracking, isn’t it?” he asked, “This falling in love and getting married lark.”
Riverside... The Weddings Page 6
