The music starts, and Riley leads Cheyenne and Shiloh up the aisle, all three throwing flowers and so damn cute in their dresses. Then comes CJ with the rings, and he stands next to his mom. He was supposed to stand next to Colby, but CJ does his own thing. Sound familiar? I have Colby, Mitch, and Dustin standing up for me. Brielle, Cambree, and Kayleigh will stand next to Addison.
We have our friends, Colby’s parents, and Amelia here. When we talked about our wedding and ceremony before, we both agreed our parents weren’t welcome. Too much history, and they cannot take any credit for how we turned out. I blamed my childhood and parents as to why I kept running from Addison, but I have since learned that it cannot control me. I have to write my own way in life, and I want that with Addison and our family. She thinks she has nobody to walk her down the aisle, and she isn’t as big of a statement maker as Brielle was when she walked herself down the aisle to Colby. I have a plan for that.
Once the music starts I look at Brielle and silently thank her. She just nods her head at me. “Marry Me” by Train starts, and I make my way down the aisle to get Addison. When I see her for the first time at the end of the aisle, I forget how to breathe. She is stunning. Her chestnut colored hair is swept up off her neck and piled up high on her head. Her olive complexion is radiant against the stark white of the dress. She is so damn tiny. I still want to put her in my pocket, just like the first day I saw her. Her dress has thin straps across her shoulders, and the top hugs all her curves. It fits all the way down the torso and then flairs like the princess she is. I look in her eyes and see my future.
I whisper to her, “You are simply stunning, Lil’ Bit. You are making me the happiest man alive today.” She just smiles up at me, and I can see the tears shining in her eyes. “I am walking down the aisle with you to our forever. You will never have to take a step in life without me by your side.”
She takes a deep breath so she doesn’t cry. I reach my hand out to her, and she eagerly takes it. I start laughing at her, “Anxious, baby?”
“You have no idea, Tyler. I still feel like this is a dream.”
I know I have created that doubt in her mind, but never again. “Addison, you are my dream, my happily ever after. Let’s get married.” As we walk up the aisle, I look around and see our friends and select family. The pride on their faces is overwhelming. Most of them know our history, our mistakes, but mostly they know how much we love each other. I look up at Brielle and Cambree, and they are both crying. This has been a long time coming for all of us.
We stand in front of the minister, and he begins welcoming everyone. Then he throws a wrench in my plan when he announces he had a request from the bride that we not go the traditional route. He explained that Addison and I were going to speak from our hearts to each other. Damn, I should have paid attention in English class, so I knew some of those sappy poems. I don’t know what to say to her, I have three words for her, and I tell her every day. I take a deep breath and look at her face, and I see how much this means to her. It is like a clean slate, the words we say today will be our promise for our future. I can do this.
I begin, “Addison Leah Parker, I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. I will love you until the day I die. I am flawed, and I am human, but I promise every day to give you the best of me. You give me strength when I need it, and a reality check when you need to. I love your patience, your pure heart, and the way you make me better. Our story has a beginning, but it has no end, just like my love. I don’t know what I did to have you in my life, but I thank God for it every day. I want to be the man you turn to when you need strength or reassurance, and when you have a bad day, I want to make it better. You have always been my heart, but today I am thankful I can call you my wife.” I take a deep gulp of air, needing it so I don’t break down. I need to continue, but I don’t know what else to say to her. I feel too much to put in words. “You are my heart, my soul, and the love of my life. You have given me two amazing little girls, a creation of our love, and I cannot put into words how grateful I am for that. To put it simply, and the only way I know how, I love you. It is that simple.” I reach up and wipe the tears that have escaped from her eyes and kiss her nose. I breathe her in, and that calms my racing heart. Her touch does that to me, it can calm me and give me grounding.
She reaches up and cups my face, “Thank you.”
Chapter 32
Addison
His words brought me the peace I needed. When he walked down to me and told me I would never take another step without him by my side, I swear I was in a fairytale. We have definitely had our obstacles, but Tyler is my prince charming, my happily ever after, and today that fantasy becomes my reality.
“Tyler Marcus James, you are my heart. We haven’t had the easiest path, and we didn’t always choose the correct fork in the road, but through it all, we always made our way back to each other. That is what matters, today and always. You are one of the strongest men I know, and while we aren’t perfect, we are perfect for each other. You give me hope when I feel hopeless, peace when it is chaotic, but mostly you always give me your love. I, along with our girls, am lucky to have you. I vow to spend every day showing you how much you are loved and what a huge part of our family you are. You are the backbone of this family, and with your quiet strength and presence, we are able to flourish. Romance isn’t about the giving, it is about the gestures, and you sweep me off my feet daily. You aren’t afraid to show the world you love me, that you need me. If we ever have a son, I pray he is just like his father. You don’t care if I am in my sweats or dressed up, you look at me like I am the only woman in the world. You make me feel secure and loved. Your arms are my home, my forever. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for always coming back to me. Thank you for never giving up on me. I love you.”
We are just staring at each other. The minister clears his throat and draws us back to the ceremony. When he announces us husband and wife, I think I black out for a minute. This finally happened. Tyler is finally my husband. I am so thankful for all our trials and tribulations, because they make moments like this so much sweeter. He bends down and gently cups my face, holding it in his hands. The kiss he gives me is sweet, hot, panty-melting, and seductive all in one. I don’t know how that boy does it to me every time, but I hope it never stops. As he pulls away from me, I am sure I have stars in my eyes. He finishes by whispering in my ear, “I love you.” Everyone immediately congratulates us and gives us hugs, and I admit I am a bit overwhelmed. He reaches and grabs my hand drawing my focus back to him, and I can relax again.
He reaches down, hands Cheyenne to me, and scoops up Shiloh, and we make our way to the reception. I walk into the tent that has been set up, and I am taken aback. It is beautiful with white and blue lights twinkling around it, beautiful tables with pink roses as centerpieces, and a full buffet. But on the other side is a damn kid’s fantasy. I look at him questioningly.
“Baby, it is our girls’ first birthday, so along with our reception, we have their party, too.” How does he do this? Just when I think my feet are firmly back on the ground, he sweeps them out from under me.
As everyone makes their way in, they drop off presents at the kids’ station. They are going to have so many damn toys. We may need to add on to the house. Nothing is too good for his princesses, though. When I catch Brielle watching me from the other side of the room, I immediately start for her.
We meet in the middle, and I grab my sister. Without each other’s guidance, I don’t know where we would be. She is one of the strongest women I know. She has had to overcome so much, and finally she has her family that is so deserved.
“Addy, you looked so beautiful, and I am so happy for you. I want you to always remember, you deserve the fairytale. Never settle for less.”
“I won’t, Brielle. If he gets out of hand, I will tell you.”
“Hey, woman! I heard that, and you know I am scared of your sister,” Tyler booms from behind me. I can’t help but laugh at his stateme
nt, not because it is funny, but because it is true. He adores Brielle but is terrified of her at the same time.
“You two go to your table and enjoy. We will start this party in a little while,” Brielle tells us.
We make our way over to the table and enjoy talking with various people, and I see Amelia taking the kids back to her house. They have to be exhausted. I lean over and tell Tyler, “I want to go put the girls down. I will be right back.”
He stands up and announces to the crowd, “We will be right back. It is Cheyenne and Shiloh’s bedtime, and we are going to say goodnight and tuck them in. Enjoy, and we will see you soon.” I just smile up at my husband. Damn, my husband. That is honestly something I never could have imagined a year ago. I had a lot of patience, a lot of faith and hope, and it happened. Also, the fact that Tyler never gave up definitely helped. He didn’t leave.
After putting Shiloh and Cheyenne to bed and just enjoying this quiet moment, we make our way back to the full-blown party going on. I notice Cambree is avoiding Adam, and glaring at Dustin. Dustin has some girl on the dance floor, and Colby and Brielle are wrapped around each other in the corner. Mitch and Kayleigh are dancing and look to be in a serious conversation. The DJ stops playing and announces our return, and the hoots and hollers that follow are never ending.
Brielle makes her way to the stage and takes the microphone. “It was requested that I sing their first dance song, so without further ado, Addison and Tyler James, please take the floor.” Once we make our way to the center of the floor, she starts speaking again, “I have something to say first. I had a front seat throughout your relationship, and I can say, I have never seen a purer love than what you have. Thanks for being a role model to me. John Lennon said, ‘A dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together, THAT is reality.’ Your reality starts now.” That girl has me all misty-eyed, and she hasn’t even started singing. Her voice is like an angel and brings me to tears almost every time.
Tyler turns me to face him and pulls me to his chest as Brielle starts singing, “Never Gonna be Alone” by Nickleback. I stare into Tyler’s eyes and tell him, “I love you. Forever and always. You are it.”
“I told you, never leaving. I couldn’t imagine a minute without you,” he whispers in my ear.
After the dance and cake cutting and dancing some more, Cambree and Dustin walk over to us. Tyler hugs Cambree and then pulls Dustin into a hug, too. He whispers something in his ear, and Dustin steps back and just nods at Tyler. Those kids have suffered and missed out on a lot, but we always tried to be everything they needed. Dustin turns to me and hugs me. “I love you, Addison, and I am so glad this is your future.” I kiss him on his cheek. He is a man of few words, unless he is trying to pick up a girl. They hand us a beautiful plaque and as I turn it around to read it, I am speechless again.
“You are the poem I never knew how to write and this life is the story I have always wanted to tell.”
-Tyler Knott Gregson
Those simple words speak of our whole relationship. I know I will put this above the fireplace, and it will be the focal point of our family. After thanking them and wiping more tears, it is time to go home.
“Take me home, husband, and make love to me all night long.” I don’t even get a chance to move away from him before he is sweeping me up in his arms and carrying me out. The catcalling starts as we make our way to our home. I am so happy right now, I try and remember another time I have felt like this.
Chapter 33
Kayleigh
With Mitch holding me, seeing one of my best friends marry the love of her life, and knowing I am carrying his baby, nothing could be better. Well, I would love it if Mitch told me what is holding him back, but I am not one that will ever push him. He is a wonderful man. He is sensual and sexy. He always goes out of his way to make sure I know how much he loves me, and I know, when he is ready, he will tell me. Nothing he tells me will change my feelings.
He pulls away from me and looks at me, “Kayleigh, you know I love you. I don’t ever want you to doubt my feelings. I hope you know that you changed my life . . . and made me feel again. After Hope died, I never thought I would want to feel pain again, and I thought if I didn’t love I would never feel pain. You changed that. I couldn’t have stopped myself from falling in love with you, and I am so glad I didn’t try.”
Wow. I don’t know where that came from, but I decide now is better than later. “I love you too, Mitch. So much. I have a surprise for you.”
“Is it under that dress, baby?”
“Yes, sort of. I am pregnant.” I watch my beautiful man’s face crumble. I don’t know how to react to that. I thought he loved me enough, that we were each other’s forever.
He looks back up at me, “We need to go. We have to talk.”
I am not sure I want to go anywhere with him. I just told him we created a life, and I didn’t get the reassurance I needed that everything would be okay. He turns and looks at me, and I know fighting him would be useless. I make my way to the door, nodding good-bye to the people I encounter. The car ride is silent, and we don’t speak, but I am thankful for him reaching over and holding my hand. “I do love you, Kayleigh, and I am sorry.” Oh God, does he have a secret life I don’t know of? What is he sorry for? I know he can feel me trembling beside him. He looks at me concerned, “Baby, it will be all right. I promise.”
Mitch
I can’t believe that she is pregnant with my child. I am so fucking over the moon happy, but just don’t feel like I can take the next step without all the secrets out there. I have to tell her tonight, but I wish I would have told her months ago, so she would be my wife by now. If she can handle what I am about to tell her, we will be married by the end of next week. Kayleigh is all I want and all I need. I can tell she is apprehensive about my mood, and I didn’t mean to make her feel scared to tell me.
We make it into my house, and she still isn’t looking at me. I walk over and take her in my arms, “It will be fine, Kayleigh. I just have to tell you everything before I can let myself shout my love for you from the fucking rooftops. Don’t doubt my love. Ever.”
“Okay . . .” she whispers. Her doubts are killing me. I can’t blame her because I was an asshole back at the reception. I pull her hand and lead her over to the chair. I sit down and pull her down to me. I need her close when I explain this to her.
“Baby, I told you about Hope. When she found out that our real dad was out there, and it wasn’t the man that raised us, it did something crazy to her. She had to seek him out. I didn’t care. I had a dad who raised me, and I never wanted to open that can of worms. Finding him and trying to talk to him is what ultimately killed her.” Damn, this is hard. I should have never gotten involved in this case after Hope. I couldn’t let it go, and Ma told me I would regret keeping secrets. She was right, but I had to make sure the others were safe. The guy we are dealing with is a sadistic asshole.
She leans back into me, offering me comfort. Fuck, how can she be so perfect? “What I am about to tell you is not something that leaves this room. Essentially, you will have to lie.” She shakes her head in understanding. “It will be hard for you because of your friendship with Addison.” Her eyes go wide, and I know where her mind is going.
“No, nothing like that, baby. We were never like that, I promise.”
“Mitch, just tell me. My mind is going crazy, but I promise I will stand with you. Not knowing is killing me.”
“Kayleigh, I am not going to get into the whole case, because it is pretty deep. But, it has to do with all of the Parkers. When I told you Hope searched out our biological father, I didn’t ever tell you his name. It is Franklin Parker. Addison, Brielle, Cambree, and Dustin are my half-siblings.”
She is shocked. “How? Why? I am so confused.”
“My mom worked for him at his law office. She made a mistake and gave into lust. She got pregnant with Hope and me, and he basically wrote her off. By that time, he had political aspir
ations and soon after got involved with a shady guy, Brent. He has done some sick and twisted things, but that is not my story. Brent paid my mom a visit when we were a few years old and warned her never to breathe a word, and she was scared. By that time, she had met my dad, John, and he adopted us shortly after they got married. Then they had Max. Hope got sick and needed bone marrow. When the whole fucked up story came out, Hope became obsessed with finding him. Brent intervened and hurt her. He fucking raped my sister, let a few other guys have a turn, then warned her not to say a word and stay away from the untouchable Franklin Parker. She suffered in silence until she killed herself. That is when I decided to dig into the past. I found that all the Parker siblings had uprooted and moved to Tennessee, and the reason was kind of sketchy. I went to my chief, and he helped me dig. I cannot tell you what we found, not my story, but it was bad. We tapped into Brent’s computer and found he still kept close tabs on them, so I have been watching from afar. Recently, some things have come to light . . . criminal stuff with money laundering and bribes . . . so I am officially undercover and watching my siblings.” I am searching her face for any kind of emotion. When she finally speaks, my heart explodes with relief and love.
“Mitch, what a clusterfuck. Seriously. I am sorry that you have had to keep this in. I know how much family means to you, so I know it is killing you not to claim your siblings and protect them. I hope you don’t think this changes how I feel about you. I am more in love with you knowing what you have sacrificed, and yet you didn’t even know them but wanted to protect them. I know you are doing what is best, but baby, they will love you. They already do.”
Her reassuring helps some. I guess I am afraid they are going to shut me out, and these last months, being a part of the family has meant the world to me. Seeing Addison and Brielle for so many years at the race, and yes that was staged as a just in case measure, and it worked, has made all of us pretty close. Then seeing Addison so broken, then seeing her today so in love. Brielle is by far the most challenging. I don’t know what I would have done with her if we had grown up together. Knowing her story and what Brent did to her makes me feel more protective over her. Cambree, she is darling. She has captured my heart, my brother’s, too. She is the perfect blend of Addison and Brielle. Dustin, sometimes I want to kick his ass, and other times I want to hug him. He is really struggling right now, and he is reaching out to his parents more and more. That could be a dangerous situation.
Parker Sibling Series Box Set Page 30
