My Choice, My Chance: Men Of Crooked Bend Book 2

by Taylor Rylan

  “Rhett told you and I told you, Dad. Because he’s an adult. He’s not a child. He’s a grown man and you can’t keep him here.”

  “Jasper, I thought you’d be on our side,” Papa replied.

  “Why would you think that? Like I said, he’s an adult. He gets to move if he wants to.”

  “He needs to be watched,” Papa stated.

  “Why? Why does he need to be watched? You said that the guys caught up with Mike. You said he’s not alive anymore. What’s the problem then?”

  “What if something happens to him? Huh? What then?”

  “I'd imagine the same thing if something happened to either me or Sean. He’s twenty-two. You can’t keep him here. You guys know that. You can’t protect him for the rest of his life. He has to be able to live, and from what I’ve heard, he’s not doing that here.”

  “What do you mean?” Papa asked.

  “Just think about it. Rhett wants to come to Crooked Bend. He’s going to make his own decisions and that’s it. I know you two worry about him, but he already left once, and maybe it’s time for him to leave again. He needs to live his life. He wants to be in Crooked Bend. Look, Sean, Liam, and I are all there. As are Simon and his family. I’m sure Rhett will be just fine. You’ve got to let him go or you’ll just piss him off. If you don’t let him, you risk losing him.”

  Dad crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me, impressed. “When did you become so smart?”

  “I don’t know that I am. It’s just the way it is. Seriously. You two might want to look for a house in Wyoming if you want to be closer to us because I don’t see any of us leaving there.”

  “Rhett’s just talking about moving. Do you think he might stay?” Papa asked. He seemed extremely distressed over the idea of Rhett moving away again.

  I hated to disagree with Papa, but Rhett was determined and had good reason. “Yeah, I do, Papa. He wants to open his own bakery there. I’m sure there are other reasons as well.”

  “I don’t like it. Look what happened before.”

  I hated where this conversation was going. Bad shit happened to good people all the time. The best way to get over something like what Rhett had been through was to go on with his life. I decided to try to change the subject. “Anyway, so you really didn’t need us to come a day early for anything?”

  “No, everything is taken care of. Why?”

  “No real reason.” I looked from one paternal figure to the other. “I’m going to take Liam out shopping later on. There are some things we need to look at and maybe pick up before we head back to Wyoming.”

  “Okay, so you going to tell us what’s going on with you and Liam?” Dad asked.

  I looked at Dad and shrugged. “Sure, what do you want to know?”

  “Is it serious?”

  “Hang on." I knew this was the moment. It was definitely the right time to tell them. Hopefully Liam agreed. I went to the patio door and called for him to come inside. He and Rhett were on one of the loungers by the pool talking. Once he joined me at the door, I threaded my fingers through his before I rejoined my fathers with my husband by my side.

  “Yes, it’s serious. It’s very serious. Liam’s the one for me,” I told them but I was looking only at my husband.

  We were interrupted by Papa’s phone ringing. It was Sean. He silenced the ringer, sending it to voicemail.

  “You were saying?” Papa asked when the distraction was eliminated.

  “As I was saying, yes, it’s serious. We…” I hesitated and looked back down at Liam. I was searching for something, but I didn’t know exactly what. He shocked me when he finished my answer for me.

  “To answer your question, Taylor, yes, it’s serious. It has been serious since I left in February to visit Jasper in Wyoming. While we were in Vegas for the bachelor party, we eloped. We’re married and not just dating. It’s that serious.”

  Rhett jumped up and down, laughing. He pointed at his dads and back at us. “Yes! Told ya! I so saw that coming! That’s why you two went missing that second day, isn’t it?”

  “Wait, what do you mean you told them? Told them what?” Liam asked my brother.

  “After our talk, I knew Jasper would end up being it for you, Liam. Then when things went the way they did in Vegas with you two going missing that second day, I was so sure you two got hitched while we were there.”

  “Is it true? Did you elope?” Dad asked, though he wasn’t as surprised as I thought he’d be.

  “Yeah, Liam isn’t just my boyfriend. He’s my husband.”

  36 — Liam

  Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. This was definitely not how I wanted to let my new fathers-in-law know that they were my fathers-in-law. Up until that point, we’d gotten along pretty well. Hopefully, they were still going to feel somewhat favorably toward me now that they knew I married their oldest in secret. Hopefully they wouldn’t hold it against me.

  “Let me get this straight. You two decided it was a great idea to jump into a wedding, elope, while you were at your brother’s bachelor party?” James asked while pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

  “Well, we were in Vegas and I figured why not? I didn’t want to go through all of the stress that Sean’s been going through just to have a big wedding. I knew Liam was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve been in love with him for months, Dad. From the minute I laid eyes on him, I think. I don’t see what the problem is.”

  James was completely in denial, and I knew it for sure when he replied to Jasper. “Your brother isn’t stressed, so you can try again.”

  Jasper sighed and shook his head. “You’re not with him on a daily basis, Dad. I am. Trust me, Sean’s stressed. So much so that Collin and I had to send him home several times over the past few weeks because he just couldn’t function. He’s stressed, Dad. He may not tell you, but he is. I refused to put myself through that much stress. Nor did I want to put Liam through it. You always told us growing up that when you knew, you knew. Well, I knew back at Christmas, the first time I saw Liam, that I was going to marry him. I wish you were happy for us instead of upset.”

  James’ demeanor changed like a switch. “Jasper, no! I’m not unhappy. It’s just that I wish you would've told us. Hell, we didn’t even know you were dating and then all of a sudden you’re married? It’s just a bit overwhelming. I didn’t get to see you get married. That’s something I’ve looked forward to doing with all three of you. I wanted to watch each of you get married to wonderful partners.”

  “We talked about it, a lot. We didn’t want to take away from Sean’s spotlight. He’s going through hell and Cammie didn’t help anyone. She added so much stress for both Simon and Sean about the wedding plans. First it was because they weren’t planning it fast enough for her, then it was because of the location for the ceremony. She put herself in the center of their wedding planning. Even after Sean secured a professional planner, she didn’t stop interjecting her own opinion. All of it really affected him. I sure as hell didn’t want anything like that. I was happy with just a small ceremony.”

  “Yeah, but what about what Liam wanted? Did you think to ask him what he wanted?” Papa scolded before looking over at Liam.

  I spoke up in defense of my husband. “Yeah, he did. I was there. I didn’t have to say yes. I didn’t have to say I do, but I did because I love him and have for a long time. I even talked to Rhett about it before I went back to Crooked Bend. I don’t see Sean as often as Jasper and Collin do, but living with the two of them the past month, I saw how much stress they were under because they both were not only doing their jobs but picking up Sean’s as well. I’m not saying anything about Sean not doing his job, just that it’s been obvious that he’s stressed. I’ve met Cammie several times. She can be quite forceful when she wants something and isn’t getting her way.”

  James looked from me to Jasper. He looked a little tired. After a moment, his face lit up. “Well, are you two willing to have a reception at least? Gi
ve me something here.”

  I felt bad for Jasper’s dads. They really were good guys and were really just thinking of their sons’ happiness. “Yes, we can have a reception. After Sean and Simon get back from their honeymoon, though, because we agreed to not tell them until then. Again, we don’t want to steal Sean’s thunder at all.” It wouldn’t be bad to have a small reception. At least, I didn’t think so.

  Jasper looked a little less stressed, himself. He added a caveat to the request. “A small one. Emphasis on the word small. Okay, Dad?”

  James nodded and agreed with Jasper’s request. “Alright. I’ll work on putting together a small reception for the two of you. I assume you’ll want to have it in Crooked Bend?”

  “Yes, please,” we said in unison.

  “Okay, now that that’s out of the way. Where are your rings?” Dad asked us.

  “It was kinda spur of the moment, to tell the truth. We don’t have any yet. We didn’t get any in Vegas and there isn’t a really good jeweler in Crooked Bend. We were planning on looking for something here. We won’t be wearing them until after the wedding. Again, I don’t want to take any attention away from Sean’s moment at all. He’s more than earned it and I don’t want to step on that in any way.”

  “There are several good stores around for you to choose from so I’m sure you won’t have any issues finding what you’re looking for,” Papa let us know.

  Jasper seemed to think the conversation was finalized. “Good. If we’re finished here, I’ll just take Liam and go ring shopping. That okay with you?” His tone was a little abrupt. He was clearly still a little annoyed by his dads’ insistence on being so involved in his life.

  “Yeah, sounds good,” James said.

  I tried my best to give both of Jasper’s dads a smile but I just couldn’t. I knew they were upset and it wasn’t something I wanted. The last thing I wanted was for them to be upset with us or about our marriage.

  When we got outside, and back into the SUV, I couldn’t take it anymore and broke down as Jasper pulled out of the driveway. I was a man, but I had no problems with crying. It happened. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. That conversation went better than I hoped but not as well as I wished. The way I saw it, all I could do was suck it up, avoid Jasper’s dads at all costs, and wish for the weekend to fly by quickly.

  Jasper looked at me with concern written across his face. “Hey, don’t worry, love. They’re just shocked. We knew they would be. They’ll get over it and it won’t be an issue. I promise. Trust me, I know my dads.” He patted me on the arm. “Now, completely changing the subject, have you thought about what type of ring you want?”

  I choked back a sob. “Something plain and simple. Like us.”

  Jasper feigned offense and put his left hand over his heart. “Ouch. I don’t know exactly how to take that.”

  “I didn’t mean anything bad by it. You know we’re pretty easy going and simple. We don’t really like a lot of frills so I thought a no-frills ring would work for us. Did you want something frillier?”

  “Frillier? Really? This is the man who asked you to elope at a moment’s notice in Vegas. You think I want frillier?”

  I loved my husband and he knew exactly what I needed and right then. Jasper found a way to make me laugh. I so needed that!

  Jasper gave me the sweetest smile I’d ever seen. “That’s better. Seriously, do you know what you want?”

  “Something fairly simple. Sean’s ring is gorgeous but I want something that is just a band. No stones.”

  “Alright. Let’s see what they’ve got.”

  We got out of the SUV and walked into the small jewelry store. Well, it looked small from the outside. It wasn’t wide, but we could see it was a long shop. An eager sales clerk greeted us. He was only too happy to help us. In the end, after spending almost an hour looking at more styles of wedding bands than I knew existed, we decided on a combination of platinum and yellow-gold rings, simple yet elegant. Both of our sizes were in stock but we were told it would take two days to complete any engraving we wanted. We told the clerk that was fine and that we would be back in a couple of days to pick them up.

  I was both anxious and nervous as we rode back to Jasper’s dads’ house. Like always, Jasper reassured me that things would be okay. I just wished I shared his positivity. It didn’t take any time at all for us to be back in his dads’ driveway and were headed inside. Too soon if you asked me. We found everyone on the back patio. I was incredibly surprised when James and Taylor both jumped up from their seats and walked over to us and enveloped us in a group hug. If the hug surprised me, I was even more shocked by what came next.

  James pulled back from us and looked from me to Jasper. “We’re really sorry, you two. We’ve been talking about it and we want you to know that we’re happy for you. We really are. We’re sorry if we came across as upset or disapproving or anything like that. We really are happy for the two of you and we understand the reason why you went about it the way you did. Yes, we would've preferred to have been at your wedding but we’re more than happy that you’ve agreed to have a small reception.”

  “Wow. I don’t know what to say except thanks,” Jasper said while looking at his dads. I didn’t know how he did it but then again, like he said, he knew his dads and he knew things would be okay.

  “Did you two pick out rings then? You’re not wearing them so I’m assuming they’re being sized?” Taylor asked while looking at our hands. We all moved to the loungers to sit down and talk.

  “Not sized, engraved. We were lucky that they carried a variety of sizes in stock. Liam picked out beautifully simple bands for us. We wanted them engraved and they said they would be ready in two days so we’ll pick them up after the wedding.”

  “If you think you’ll have issues with Sean finding out about you two getting married before him, just let us know. We can be there for you, if you want, when you tell him,” James told us.

  “Thanks, Dad. I think it’ll be okay. Sean seemed really happy when he found out that Liam had been the one I was dating for so long. I really think it’ll be okay. I’m hoping that he’ll be relaxed after he gets back from his honeymoon and will take the news better.”

  “Sounds good. Alright, who’s ready for supper?” Taylor stood from the chair he was in. We all agreed that it was time to eat so we headed into the kitchen. I’d gotten used to cooking dinner with Jasper over the past several months but it was a different story when you put the five of us in the kitchen making dinner. That took the term “family dinner” to a whole new level. I knew that Taylor was an amazing cook and that Rhett was wickedly good at anything that went into an oven so I just did my best to stay out of the way. I was happy to slice vegetables for the salad.

  We ate a wonderful dinner and the conversation flowed almost as freely as the wine. Before I knew it, we were headed up to bed. Things seemed to be looking up for us. That was, until I realized that the next day we were going to be going to the vineyard and would start the crazy, hectic chaos that'd be Sean’s wedding. I was so happy that we had eloped.

  The trip to the vineyard didn’t take long and there were so many different things to do and activities planned that before I knew it, we were getting ready for Sean’s big day.

  I loved Jasper no matter what. He looked great in anything he wore, but I had never seen him in a tuxedo until that moment. Jasper in a classic black tuxedo made me want to strip off my clothes and let him have his way with me.

  “What?” Jasper asked me when he realized I was staring at him.

  “You look hot. Like really hot. Like, I-want-you-to-fuck-me-right-now hot.”

  “We don’t have time for that. Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to fuck you right now. I promise I’ll do just that just as soon as possible, okay?”

  Groaning, I knew he was right so I adjusted myself and turned to leave the room before I did something irresponsible, like rip the tuxedo off of him. Would I ever get enough of him? I met Rhett in the
hallway and gave him a hug and then went on my way. I knew Rhett was meeting up with Jasper and then they were going to go get Sean and then the wedding would begin. I set about finding either of the fathers and taking my seat with them so I could watch Sean and Simon get married.

  The wedding was more beautiful than I imagined. The setting was gorgeous and the added flowers made for stunning scenery. Jasper walked down the aisle beside Graham and then Rhett beside Isaac. Then the grooms came down the aisle with both of their parents. After James and Taylor both walked Sean down the aisle they joined me to watch the ceremony. It was truly beautiful. When the grooms both finished reciting their vows, I don’t think there wasn’t a person who wasn’t crying. The love they felt for each other permeated the room. We could tell how much of a pair they were just by looking at them.

  Once they were pronounced husbands and they shared their first kiss as a married couple, I clapped and cheered along with everyone else. My heart skipped a beat when my husband winked at me as he walked back up the aisle beside Graham.

  After what seemed like a million pictures, we were finally able to join the reception. It was a loud and joyous event and I was so glad that I didn’t have to hide my relationship with Jasper because I was looking forward to getting out on the dance floor with him. He had some incredible moves and I wanted nothing more than to plaster myself to him and never let go.

  When The Calling’s Where You Will Go came on, my heart started beating double time because I had joked with Jasper before that I thought of it as our song.

  “Dance with me?” Jasper asked, reaching for me.

  “Always.”

  37 — Jasper

  I’ll be one of the first to admit that Sean and Simon’s wedding was beautiful. It definitely wasn’t for me though. I didn’t mind getting dressed up to celebrate with my twin. Hell, I wouldn’t have it any other way. He liked these things more than I did. Always had. I always thought that was odd because he was so much more shy and quiet. For the most part, he was the shyer of the two of us; a lot like Liam was around a bunch of people he didn’t know. Once he got to know you, he opened up and was quite friendly.