Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included!

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  “Don’t you dare,” Colleen scolded. “You’ll leave that on and get your behind up to the rooftop.”

  As everyone filed out of the space, one by one, Felicity extended a hooked arm. “Come with me and find out.”

  We rode the elevator to the top of the building while butterflies danced in my belly. I didn’t know what was going on or what I’d done to deserve this, but I was having a hell of a time enjoying it. It felt normal…well, sort of, and I felt normal. It was a nice change from the typical day in and day out of the past handful of months.

  When the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened, everyone quickly moved along and exited. I stepped out alone to the sound of soft music and the light hum of chatter. There were candle lit lanterns hanging from the pergolas and lining the ground with flower petals sprinkled about. It was dreamy. It was moody. It was romantic.

  13

  I still do…

  “Are you ready?”

  I looked up to see Luke standing there, hand extended. “For what? What is all this?”

  “This would be your wedding,” Luke said, escorting me to the end of the walkway. “That would be your groom, and I get the pleasure of walking you down the aisle.”

  As we turned the corner, there was a long aisle lined with mismatched chairs filled with our family and a few close friends on each side. This certainly wasn’t how I expected my day to end, but it was perfect.

  “Did you draw the short straw and get stuck with me?” I teased.

  Luke guffawed. “Hardly, I won. We fought over you, and it’s my pleasure.”

  “This is pretty impromptu. I gather my parents couldn’t make it? Hence you stepping in?”

  Luke laughed. “Nope, they’re up there in the front row somewhere. Your dad lost. Pretty pissed about it at first, but then he went on about how he got to do it first and that’s what mattered.”

  I laughed at the scene brewing in my head, until I saw something rather odd. “What’s Dace doing? Is he…the flower girl?”

  “That he is. He drew the short straw.” Luke waggled his brow. “He sucks at being a flower girl. He’s just making a mess.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle, especially when Dace heard Luke and flipped him the bird. “Why didn’t Reagan do it?”

  “She had…other plans. You’ll see.” Luke nodded to his right where Reagan popped out from behind Liam.

  She twirled in fluffy pink dress as she held her daddy’s hand, a Hello Kitty pillow tucked under her arm. “What’s with the pillow?”

  “She taped the rings to it. Well, the bracelets,” Luke said as we began to walk.

  “Bracelets?”

  “Just roll with it. She’s five, Cass,” Luke scolded in jest. “It’s not too late, you know.”

  “Too late for what?”

  “Ditching my nerd bro and marrying me instead,” Luke teased.

  Laughter escaped me. These guys always kept it interesting. “Technically, I’m already married to that adorable nerd. But you’d be a close second if I wasn’t already head over heels for your twin.”

  “The geeks always win the girl,” he joked.

  “You’ll find your special someone, and she’ll be the luckiest girl in the world.” My voice cracked, overcome with emotion from the day my husband quickly threw together and knowing I wouldn’t be there to see the day Luke’s special girl entered his life.

  “Hey,” he whispered, “none of that. Today is all about you…and the nerd.”

  “I really don’t understand why he did all this. It’s lovely, but I just don’t…”

  “He’ll fill you in,” Luke said as we approached the makeshift altar. With a sweet kiss to my hand, Luke passed me along to Liam.

  “We were going to do this at ten years, but I didn’t want to wait,” Liam said with a smile.

  I knew the real reason — we weren’t going to make it to ten years. My husband was kind and thoughtful, even very romantic at times…like this day.

  “You look stunning,” he said.

  “Can I say it now, Daddy?” Reagan interrupted.

  “Not yet, baby. I’ll tell you when.”

  I offered a confused look, and whispered, “When to do what?”

  “You’ll see,” Liam said, holding my hands in his.

  That’s when I noticed. He had hot pink fingernails. My surprise must have been obvious as he lifted a hand to show me up-close what had been done.

  “Your daughter,” he said. “While you were getting ready, she got all of us ready.”

  Liam’s brothers all held up their hands, as did both of our fathers. Hot pink fingernails all around.

  “Oh my…” I laughed. “They’re so…”

  “Fabulous!” Reagan finished for me.

  “They are indeed. I bet you had a lot of fun.” I couldn’t stop giggling at the vision that must’ve been.

  “We did, Mama. We all made these for you and Daddy!” Reagan held up her Hello Kitty pillow to show me the two very large bracelets she’d taped to it. “The rings!”

  “Oh? They’re rings?” I asked.

  “Yup!” she deadpanned. “But they’re kind of big, so you can put it on your wrist instead.”

  “I think that’s a lovely idea. You did a great job, honey.”

  “Oh, I didn’t make them. I was the one in charge.” Reagan didn’t finish her thought, just went back to twirling, enjoying her fluffy dress.

  “Yeah,” Declan said. He stood at the head of the altar with Dace and Wylie. “Apparently, when you draw the short straw, you go to work for the squirt. She’s kind of bossy.”

  The brothers nodded.

  At that very moment, I had no doubt my daughter would be just fine. She had all the men in her life wrapped tightly around her little finger and wasn’t ashamed. Good for her.

  “And you three are up here because…”

  “There wasn’t time to get a real officiant,” Wylie started. “So, whoever did the quick online certificate to become ordained first got to do it.”

  “And you all finished...at the same time?” I asked.

  “Not exactly, but everyone kept trying to pull rank,” Wylie explained. “Dec said he was the oldest so it should be him, but I’m the youngest, and it only makes sense if I do it.”

  I looked to the front row where Dace stood with his flower basket in his lap. “How’d he end up…with the basket?”

  Wylie laughed. “He said since he’s the prettiest, he gets to stand up here, and we decided the prettiest gets to be the flower girl.”

  “Was their wrestling involved?” I cringed.

  “He lost,” Liam whispered, and we both laughed.

  This was my family. This was why I loved them so much. These were the things memories were built on, and they’d started a grand one. Surely nobody would forget the day Reagan painted everyone’s nails hot pink and bad boy Dace, with all his tattoos, was a flower girl.

  “Let’s get on with it, shall we?” Liam said. “I know how important renewing our vows was to you, and after the way the day started, I thought this was the perfect way to end it.”

  I nodded, the tears already threatening.

  “Since these guys aren’t really ordained,” Liam started.

  “Yes we are. We paid the $49.99 and everything,” Wylie interrupted.

  “You’re not. You basically just handed some random guy on the other side of a website a hundred bucks between you. But it’s okay. You can stand there, front and center.”

  “But we prepared something,” Declan said.

  “If you start singing, you’re going to ruin this,” Liam chided.

  Declan gave Liam a side-eye glare and proceeded without permission. He didn’t need it. “As the oldest, we agreed I would speak on behalf of the family.”

  “Pffft,” Dace sneered.

  “Cassidy, for some reason none of us have figured out yet, you chose this guy to be your husband, and he’s damn lucky because I don’t think anyone else could love him the way you d
o. I’m not one for feelings and emotions, but for you and you only, I’ll share what we see when we see you two together.”

  “Oh geez,” I said, dabbing at the corner of my eye. “You’re going to make me cry, aren’t you?”

  “Well, that’s what you girls do at weddings, so I’d imagine so. Here,” Declan said, handing me a tissue from a box behind him. “We’ve known you a long time, we knew this was coming.”

  “Ha ha,” I said.

  “We’ve all known you longer than we haven’t known you. You’ve been in our lives almost forever. I’m pretty sure our brother has loved you since then, even if he did call you Sassy Cassy back then. We’ve all watched you love and support him through everything. I think you wanted him to achieve his goals more than he wanted to at times. That’s who you are: everyone’s champion, a shoulder when we need it, the one who always held everything together. You’ve made Liam a better man — you’ve made all of us better men. The way you love him, the way you love each other, is right out of one of those romance books Ma reads. It’s almost too good to be true, but it is. The two of you have taught us what to strive for and not to settle for anything less.”

  “That’s probably why none of you boys are married yet,” Colleen heckled from the first row, earning a round of laughs. “You ruined them.”

  “Nah, Ma,” Declan said. “We’re just waiting for something as great as this.”

  Declan’s words went right for the feels. I didn’t stand a chance and let the tears roll. These big, broody men grunted more than they smiled, so to hear something so sweet, so eloquent, and know it’s how they all felt meant the world to me.

  “Well, you all deserve nothing less than the absolute best. I’m glad you all know that.”

  I meant that. I found a little peace in that, knowing my marriage wasn’t just special to Liam and me, but to them as well. I was proud to be an example and hoped it was enough for them to find whatever they each desired.

  “Thanks, brother,” Liam said. “Just so you know, trying to win her over isn’t going to work. She’s already mine.”

  “It was a good try,” I whispered.

  “Cassidy,” Liam’s tone took a serious note, “loving you has been the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know if I say it enough, but it’s true. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me. You’ve taught me patience, perseverance, faith, and that word you like to throw around — joy. The best days of my life have been because of you. You’ve taught me how to fight for everything worth fighting for because it’s the stuff worth having. You made me a husband, a father, a good friend, and a better man. Everything I have is because of you, especially Reagan. You’re her perfect role model and everything I have no doubt she’ll strive to be one day. Your passion is fierce, your laughter contagious, your joy comforting, and your strength beyond measure. You really are the strongest, bravest, smartest, and prettiest O’Reilly of the bunch, Sassy Cassy. For that, I love you more than anything. I’d marry you a hundred times more, just to prove that to you.”

  As if on cue, Wylie held out the box of tissue, and I grabbed several. Liam was sweet, and said I love you often, but this was his whole heart, and he shared it in front of our whole world. The timing of it all was obvious. This was a little bit of closure — the beginning of our goodbye. I tried to push that down and focus on the now. I was up — it was time to say what I needed him to know.

  “Now, Daddy?” Reagan asked.

  “No, honey, a few more minutes. I’ll tell you when.” Liam chuckled.

  “I don’t know how I’m supposed to follow that, Liam. Your words mean everything to me. You always know what I need, when I need it, and how to fix everything, even my heart. You’ve turned my worst days into my best, supported me through thick and thin, and been right by my side, through sickness and health. You are loyal, you are kind, you are the best man I know, and I’m confident that one day, whoever the man is our little one chooses will have to measure up to the great man her father is. I cherish you and the life we have. You’re my heart, my soul, and my love. You’re the other half of my whole. They say love lasts a lifetime, but ours will last longer. I love you forever, Liam.”

  My heart was so full, it was going to burst. The tears and sniffles around me confirmed what we’d just shared was beautiful and so deep. I wish we’d done this under different circumstances and the limited time left hadn’t been the motivator, but I’d take every last memory we could create as a family.

  My husband was real, he was vulnerable, and he loved me to his core. If I ever doubted that, which I hadn’t, today would be proof. Liam arranged a vow renewal in a matter of hours, simply because I was feeling down and defeated. He didn’t just tell me he loved me, he showed me with this grand gesture, and I felt at peace. With everything. In that moment, I felt at peace.

  “Now, Reagan,” Liam whispered.

  She stopped twirling in her fluffy dress and gave him a twisted look. “What?”

  “Your rings,” he said.

  “Oh! And then I can say it?” she asked, full of newfound excitement. In one quick move, she ripped her bracelet sized rings off the pillow and put them in Liam’s hand.

  “Thanks, squirt.” He winked.

  “This is how much I love you,” Liam said, sliding the bracelet on my wrist. “I’ll wear a hot pink and purple beaded bracelet with unicorn heads and hearts for you.”

  My head fell in laughter as I took the second one and placed it on his wrist. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. We stood there, lost in each other’s gaze for a moment, until he finally looked to Reagan.

  “Now,” he said.

  “Huh?” She continued to twirl.

  “Your line. The bracelets are on, say it.”

  “You mean the rings?” she asked honestly, eyes still fixed on the flowing skirt of her dress as she moved back and forth.

  “Sorry. The rings. Yes. Now, say the thing you’ve been waiting for.”

  With a tiny gasp, she quickly stilled, tossed out her arms, and shouted, “You may kiss my mommy because she’s the bride!”

  Everyone laughed at her declaration. She’d tried to say it right, and that was what counted. Liam did just as he was told and kissed me long, hard, and so full of heart, it nearly brought me to tears again. It almost felt like a goodbye, but we weren’t there yet, even if we were close.

  Our family clapped until we’d been lip locked a little too long for some, and started to shout, “Get a room.”

  Upbeat music started, and drinks were passed around as a long table began to fill with buffet style food. I recognized the faces making the delivery. It was one of the cooks from O’Reilly’s Pub and his wife. How they made this kind of spread in such a short amount of time was beyond me, but I was so deeply grateful.

  It was a testament to who this family really was. Admired and loved by so many, in the spur of a moment, they’d have all the help they needed to pull off an impromptu wedding. From my dress to the hair and makeup ladies, the photographer and catering…I was in awe. I was lucky. I was loved. I was blessed.

  I was starting to realize my idea about blessings and curses were skewed. I’d been dealt a really shitty hand, but it wasn’t a curse. It in itself was a silver lining. I could see that now. The inevitable outcome was devastating and hurt like hell to face, but the journey to get here has been magical.

  I’d witnessed beautiful moments I may have otherwise not experienced. I’d met people who came into our life and became family that may not have filled the roles they had otherwise. And it wasn’t just about me, or for me, but for those around me. It wasn’t just my life touched by all of these experiences, people, and circumstances, it touched and influenced anyone in close proximity.

  I was lucky. They were lucky. We were all lucky for one another.

  The party was in full swing. Liam and I had our first dance as husband and wife…again. I guess that was a thing for vow renewals too. I didn’t mind, though. It had
felt so good to be in his arms, moving to the music. It’d been so long since we’d done that.

  After standing on my feet while exchanging vows, I felt the fatigue settling in, as it always did. My energy was lacking more and more. Liam sensed my tiredness and held me around the waist so I could just rest in his arms as he moved us from side to side. It was these tender moments that comforted me.

  It wasn’t long before we snuck out of the after party and went back to our place to relax. It had been a long, but joyous day. Felicity was keeping Reagan for a sleepover so she could stay and enjoy the party and I could rest.

  Liam drew a warm Epsom salt bath for me. It usually helped with the joint and muscle pain so I could go longer between pain meds. I could hear him rifling around in the bedroom. Who knew what he was up to. I loved that man.

  There was a subtle knock at the door before Liam stepped in. “You doing okay in here?”

  “I’m just fine. The bath was exactly what I needed. Thank you.” I smiled and reached for him.

  He sat at the edge of the bathtub and took my hand. “You want to stay in here a little longer or see the surprise I have for you?”

  I quickly sat up, causing a bit of a splash. “Oops. Sorry,” I said with a giggle. “You had my attention at surprise. What is it?”

  “Well, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  “Liam…” I pouted. “A hint?”

  “Nope. It’s just on the other side of that door. If you want to see it…”

  “You play hardball, O’Reilly. Hand me my robe,” I said.

  “With pleasure, darlin’. Do you need help getting out?”

  “Are you flirting with me? Why do I think you just want to look at my boobs?”

  “Because you know me well.” Liam held my hands and gently helped me to my feet. He pulled me against him, soaking his shirt. “I like your boobs.”

  His lips met mine, and his kissed me while lifting me from the tub and placing me on the rug just in front. I squealed at the bold move. It was nice to see him act this way, flirtatious and sensual, but still gentle.