“Do either of you have any objections?” he asked Julian and Tori.
Both just smiled at the two people getting married. “No, we know that this is absolutely right, don’t we honey?” he asked her.
“There’s no doubt.” Tori was reminded of hers and Julian’s wedding day. The same love was present in the room.
The judge nodded. “Then, I guess you can call this a wedding and kiss your wife. You’re now a legally wedded couple!” He placed his signature on the wedding certificate and grinned.
Justin stepped closer to her body, and she went into his arms. The feel of her against him gave him so much hope for the rest of his life.
Here was his woman.
His wife.
His everything.
When their lips met, a miracle happened in both of them. The broken pieces mended back together, and they became more than one on paper.
They became one for the rest of their lives.
No one stopped them from kissing. They just watched as two people in love had their moment.
When they were done, everyone clapped for them.
“I can’t believe we’re married,” she said, laughing. “I’m a wife.”
Justin swept her up in his arms and waited for her to take the marriage license from the judge. “We are, and it’s time to go back home and pack.”
“What? Why?” She was confused again. Apparently, Julian and Tori weren’t, because they were laughing. Something was most definitely up.
Outside the office, he placed her on her feet and helped her into her coat. “We have to take a road trip to Red River,” he answered.
“We can’t! I’m in the middle of an investigation and so are you three.”
Some things superseded others and this was one of those times. “I have to tell my mother that I just married a woman who she’s never met.”
“Oh, and that you opted to not have a wedding on the Rez,” added Julian, laughing. “Despite knowing it would make her happy.”
“And that you didn't tell her that you were even in love,” tossed in Tori. “Clarissa is going to want to give you both the third degree.”
Vivian stared at them. “Clarissa is going to be pissed, isn’t she, Justin?” she asked. “Did you just paint a bull’s-eye on me with your mother?”
The man started laughing. “She’ll just try to intimidate you. I’m the one she’s going to hurt.”
Julian and Tori headed for their car, both of them snickering in response to that statement.
“Happy wedding night, bro!” Julian called over his shoulder as he waved nonchalantly. “I hope you actually get to consummate it and aren’t in the ER in a full body cast!”
“Thanks a lot, Jules!” he replied, laughing. God, he loved having a brother who was this close to him. Sadly, the cast was a very good possibility at this point.
Vivian was hoping that this was all still a joke.
He watched them pull away. “Well, are you ready to go get changed and then face my mother?”
She shook her head. “Not particularly, Justin Trevor Littlemoon.” Now that she knew his middle name, she was absolutely going to use it.
Justin grinned. “What if I tell you that you’re going to be safe, because I will always keep my wife protected?”
A little worry slipped away. “Maybe that might work.”
“What if I told you we were going to go stay at my cabin after we talk to Clarissa, and I was going to worship your body for hours, my lovely wife?”
The flush of heat crept up her neck. “That would definitely work.”
“Then there you go. We face Attila the mom, and then we go have sex like rabbits.”
She started laughing as he helped her into the truck.
When he climbed in beside her, she was still laughing. “Oh, and she’s going to ask you about kids. I hope you want lots of them.”
She stopped laughing. “Justin, haven’t I been surprised enough tonight?”
“Well, you’re about to meet my mother, so be prepared. This is the biggest ambush yet.”
Vivian stared down at her ring and then over at him. Immediately, she relaxed. There was no doubt in her mind that he would keep his word. She was completely safe at his side.
Besides, how scary could a little Native woman be?
Two Hours Later
Tori and Julian raced to the Rez. They figured they could be there at least forty minutes before the newly married couple. Julian had one stop to make beforehand, and it didn't have anything to do with his brother.
At that moment, Justin’s cabin was being filled with flowers, candles and champagne for the newly married couple. He’d made sure of it.
Now, he wanted to check on his girls and surprise his wife. It had been a couple weeks since they’d made it back home, and he knew she missed Weeko and Wakanda.
When they needed to find a way to help Tori over the battle scars, the horses had been instrumental in her healing. They gave her an outlet to let the pain free. Being around them and riding for hours had offered her solace and peace to the war that was still being raged deep down inside her.
Now, he wanted to revisit them and make Tori smile.
“That was some wedding,” Julian stated.
Tori took his hand in hers and moved her fingers over his knuckles. “It was perfect,” she answered. “I know that they’re going to be happy together.”
“Like us, Tori?” Julian asked, glancing over at her.
“I’m beyond happy. I wake up every day with the man of my dreams.”
His body warmed. “What about leaving your career behind to help me with this business?” Here was his secret fear, and once more he needed to revisit it to offer his conscience reassurance.
“There are no regrets. I love our company, Jules. It’s growing, and it’s full of people that I happen to like. Kane and Christina are cute together and work well with each other. There’s Justin and while Vivian is helping, we all have our perfect partner in this venture. You created something really great when you put this together. You should be proud.”
He laughed. “Honey, this was all you. I was okay with working out of my cabin. I never, in my wildest dreams, believed that we would have an office and four employees. This is all because of you, and I’m grateful.”
When he turned off towards his cabin and not his mother’s home, she got excited. “Are we…”
“Yep.”
She began bouncing. “Do we have time for a quick ride?” She hoped and prayed. It had been so long since she’d been on Wakanda.
“I thought a ride at night with my beautiful wife would be the perfect start to the evening’s festivities.”
“Julian Trenton Littlemoon, you’re full of surprises.”
He grinned at his wife. “I still have my moments.”
Pulling into the driveway, she was out of the car fast as she raced towards the back of the house. When she whistled, both mares came running.
When Tori stood on the fence, they butted her with their noses and she laid kisses on them. Julian’s heart flipped in his chest. Her love of his horses was one of the reasons he fell for Tori. She treated them like gold.
“Girls, I missed you so much!” she squealed, as the one horse began to chew on her red hair.
Julian joined Tori, at the fence and ran his hands over the mares. “Hello, ladies. Did you miss us?” He was glad to see they were healthy and happy. His nephew had wanted to earn money and was taking care of them. It looked like he deserved a raise. The girls were in excellent condition and the stalls were spotless.
“Can we take them out, please?” she asked, already moving towards the storage shed for her gear.
“The first one ready gets to lead,” he said, pulling off his suit jacket and grinning.
Tori winked at him. “You’re on!”
Justin would be lying if he said that he wasn’t as nervous as hell. The only thing that was keeping him calm was the fact that Vivian was his wife and really
couldn’t run.
It was sad that he was even thinking about that, but with his mother, anything was a possibility.
He sent out a silent prayer to the Great Spirit that Vivian would hold up under the interrogation and wouldn’t bolt.
The mere thought was making his stomach a ball of nerves. All he could hope was that his mother wouldn’t be too hard on Vivian. If she wanted to crucify him, so be it, but his wife was off limits.
“What’s your family like?” she finally asked. Her nerves were acting up, and the two hour drive wasn’t helping. It was making her more and more anxious.
“We’re just like any other family. Claire is away on a ship in the gulf, Connor is an office drone with a bunch of kids, and my baby sister Liana is a mom.”
“I always wanted siblings.”
Justin figured it was time to ask. “What happened to your family, Viv?”
She squeezed his hand reassuringly. “It’s okay, Justin. I can talk about it now without it hurting too much.”
He glanced over. “I should probably know, being that I’m your husband.”
It made her smile, despite the pain in her heart. “When I was born, I was premature. I guess I was in a hurry to come out.”
He stroked her wrist with the pad of his thumb, urging her to continue.
“Well, my mother didn't survive. She bled to death before they could get her to the hospital. She got to hold me and name me, but other than that, she left this life a long time ago.”
He kissed her knuckles.
“My dad raised me. He was an attorney and loved his job. I had a good life as a kid. I didn't have a mother to raise me, but we managed.”
“You can tell you’re well educated. When I first met you, I immediately picked up on your refinement.” Justin prayed that he didn't just insult her, but she definitely came from a family with class and money. This was just one more thing that worried him. They were on their way to the Rez, and that just screamed… poverty.
“I went to really good schools and had a nanny. She was British and very proper. I was fortunate to have an easy life.”
Vivian glanced over at him. “Why are you suddenly nervous?” She wasn’t getting why the energy in the truck had changed.
How did he put this delicately? “I’m from a reservation, baby. It’s not going to be a pretty sight.”
Vivian unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the seat to sit beside him. When he dropped his arm over her shoulder, Vivian cuddled into his body. “I’m smart enough to know where this conversation is going, and I can tell you right now that I don’t care about where you came from. I only care that we found each other.”
He relaxed marginally. “Did you really have a nanny?” he asked.
“Yes, I did. She’s a sweet woman. When I moved here to work, I gave her the family house. It just seemed right. The woman, in my opinion, did a good job raising me. I have my place, so I don’t need a second one.”
“That was sweet of you.” He knew that Vivian had a huge heart, and this confirmed it.
She shrugged. “I figured it was like her retirement plan. If she wants to sell it for cash, so be it.”
This brought him to the touchy subject once more.
“Want to talk about your dad?” He knew how painful that was for him, but he could only imagine losing his only parent would be a million times worse.
“He was working on a volatile case for the state as lead prosecutor. When he came out of the courthouse, he was gunned down on the steps. They never found his killer. The night before, I had a dream. I told him about it, and he was worried. Not about his life, but my sanity.” She began laughing. “His last words to me were, ‘you’re under too much stress at college. You need to take a couple weeks off’, and I didn't push the issue. You just didn't with my father. He was tough, and I didn't try to stop him from going to work.”
“You aren’t to blame.”
She shrugged. “I know, but I feel like I disappointed him. He never got to see me finish college or become a cop.”
Justin squeezed her fingers. “He’s watching, and I’m sure he’s proud.”
“I believe that.”
Justin shared his own past. “My dad was murdered too, so I understand how painful that is for you.”
She wanted to ask, but didn't know how to do it.
As if he knew what she was thinking, he started to explain, “When we were young, he was running for head of reservation council. The man who wanted the job ambushed him in the woods and stabbed him in the heart. Until a few months ago, we all believed it was a hunting accident. Julian and Tori were working the ‘Skinwalker’ case for the FBI and found the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Justin,” she said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.
“It was hard on all of us, especially when we found that our mother hid the truth. She knew that it wasn’t an accident for over twenty years and never told us. It caused so much pain to know that she violated a trust.”
“Clarissa was probably trying to protect you all,” she answered honestly. “I probably would have done the same thing if I had five young children.”
Justin glanced over. “We all forgave her, and the FBI caught the man who did it.”
“I hope he’s rotting in jail.”
He shook his head. “No, he knew that the Feds were close, and he took his own life.”
“Sometimes that’s justice enough,” she answered.
“I agree.”
“Is your mother going to hate me?” she finally asked. “I don’t mean because you surprised her with bringing home your wife. For the record, if you ever pull anything like today again, I’ll kick your ass personally.”
He laughed. “We’re married under three hours and my wife already has threatened to inflict bodily harm. That has to be a record, even for a Littlemoon.”
Vivian started laughing. “I mean it. Tonight was the biggest surprise that I ever want.”
“I think I can agree to that. Although, I was going to…”
“Justin!” she warned.
He loved being with her. Just the joviality that she brought to their union made his heart soar. “Think of it this way. We get to discover this journey from the start. Some couples go years without knowing all the details about their partner.”
It made her think about Tawny James and the man she was dating. Had she known that her boyfriend was cheating?
“Did you hear me?” he said, suddenly.
“What? Sorry. I was thinking about the case.”
He shook his head. “Tonight, we think about us and marriage. Tomorrow, we will worry about work.”
Two could play at that game. “Great. Then answer my question. Is your mother going to hate me?”
“No, she isn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“That’s simple. I love you, and I believe it shows. If my mother really cares about me, she may torment us, but ultimately, she’s going to want me to be happy.”
“Are you?”
He looked over at her like she was crazy. “Have you seen my wife? She’s absolutely beautiful, kind, and caring. I’m the luckiest man in the world, next to Julian. We both found amazing babes.”
She snickered. “Babes? Really?”
“Yep, you heard me right. You would be my babe, and Tori is Julian’s. We both scored.”
“Yeah, we’ll discuss the use of that term later.”
He went back to her question. “She’ll love you, Vivian. I promise.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“Can I ask you something?” He couldn’t believe that he was going to even be bringing up this topic.
“Sure, what?”
Ever since meeting her, he’d wanted something he never thought he could have.
A family.
“How do you feel about kids?”
Vivian thought about it. “I don’t dislike the idea, but before now I never really thought about it. I always assumed I would be alone fo
r my life.”
“Me too,” he replied honestly. “I would watch my brother and wonder if I would ever have a woman like Tori.”
She teased him, “Did you just covet your brother’s wife to your new wife? Should I be worried?”
He started laughing. “Please. She would kill me. I do have to admit that I love Tori a lot. I don’t think of her as my sister-in-law. She’s the real deal when it comes to family. Plus, she’s been in battle. When I came home, she was already fighting to assimilate back into society. When I feel like I can’t make it anymore, she reaches back and pulls me with her. Soldiers have a special bond.”
She stroked his arm with her fingers. Vivian was glad that he had that camaraderie. Justin had a big heart, and she wanted to ensure that it was healed any way possible.
“I never believed I was worthy of a family. Now, I find that I might even get to have a few kids with my beautiful wife. Today, I hit the jackpot.”
Vivian stared at him. “I don’t know how to be a mother, Justin. I didn't have one of my own.” She wanted to warn him that this might be something that she screwed up along the way.
He heard the pain in her voice, despite her telling him that it didn't hurt anymore. “I didn't grow up with a father, so, we can figure it out together. I’ll teach you about mothers, and you school me on fathers.”
She laughed, instantly relived. “Deal.”
Vivian’s attention was drawn to the sign that stated they were now on Native land. “It’s pretty,” she said softly. “There are lots of trees. I bet you could camp here a lot.”
Justin nodded. “I love camping.”
“So do I.”
“This marriage thing is getting better and better.”
Where she should have laughed, he could feel the tension emanating from her. “Are you okay?”
“Are you sure Clarissa will be okay with us just popping in on her? Maybe we should call.”
“No, she loves company and there’s always someone there.” Then, he realized that wasn’t what had her worried. “She’s going to love you. I know it.”
“Are you sure?”
Blood Red Rage (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 1) Page 27
