She lay there with him, their bodies tangled together, for a long time. Shawn stroked her hair lazily, smiling when she peered up at him. His lips formed words she was too tired to hear, but she knew what they were. She could feel them, whenever he was near. Whenever she closed her eyes and pictured him, such an important part of her life.
Now and in the future.
The one night she’d given him had turned into forever.
Chapter 38
Early July
* * *
The wind blew cool and crisp off the ocean, a balm from the heat of the sun glaring down in a clear blue sky. And with all the suits, the breeze was more than welcome. It was a perfect day, but Luke had a feeling Silver had made some kind of deal with the devil to make it so.
Hopefully the priest didn’t find out before the wedding, since she’d been baptized…Angelican? He couldn’t remember—just so she could get married here. It was a nice church, looked like a fancy white castle, but he was happy Jami wanted to get married on Halloween. Somewhere different.
Seb had vetoed a cemetery, but Luke had found an actual castle in West Virginia that their girl decided was perfect. He’d already reserved the spot and started the planning, without really telling anyone. He didn’t want to distract from Landon’s big day.
Might be unavoidable, but he’d done his best. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t been fired from the position of Best Man. At least Scott and Tyler would be close in case Richter decided he wanted Luke’s head on a platter for his wedding gift.
Scott grabbed Luke’s wrist, pulling it away from his tie. “Stop that, you’re making it all crooked.”
“You like me alive, right? Maybe I should go.” Luke tugged at the sleeve of his suit, holding still as Scott straightened his tie. “You tell Bower I came down with…like, rabies or something.”
Bouncing in place, close behind Scott, Tyler cocked his head. “You do look like you’re foaming at the mouth a little bit.”
Tyler is the man! Luke nodded, giving Scott his most charming smile. Scott had been put in charge of making sure the three of them were where they were supposed to be at all times. A job he was taking way too seriously.
Frowning at him, Scott shook his head. “Not happening, buddy.”
“What if I fall in the ocean?”
“Then you’ll be standing at Bower’s side, soaking wet.” Scott looked Luke over, then turned to inspect Tyler. “Damn it, Tyler. That’s not the tie you’re supposed to be wearing. It’s too small and…shit, is it a clip-on?”
“Maybe?” Tyler ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up all puffy on one side. “I was in a hurry, okay? And Laura was busy with Chicklet and Raif couldn’t…” Tyler’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
Sympathy filled Scott’s eyes. “Did you bring it?”
“Yeah.” Tyler pulled the tie out of his pocket and handed it to Scott. “Thanks, Scott.”
“No problem.” Scott quickly tossed the clip-on tie, flipping Tyler’s collar to fix the real one. All while using his super-dad power to keep an eye on Luke, which meant Luke’s window of escape was slammed right in his face. “Try it and I’ll tackle you, boy. And then I’ll tell Ramos you tried to make a run for it.”
Luke pressed his lips together and folded his arms over his chest. “Some friend you are.”
“Some best man you are. Did you make sure Bower remembers his vows, that his shoes are polished, that he’s not seeing how far out in the ocean he can swim?”
Snorting, Luke shook his head. “You think Richter hasn’t got all that covered?”
“It’s your job.”
“And it’s my neck on the line. He’s going to know. One fucking look at Jami and…” Luke groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. “Why couldn’t she tell him last week? Wait, don’t answer that. She was sick. I get her not wanting to tell him while she’s sick.”
Tyler chewed at his bottom lip, glancing over at Luke as Scott finished with his tie. “She’s better though, right?”
“Yeah, the doc has her on something new that seems to help her keep down food. He’s awesome. I’m glad Silver made her see him.” Luke laced his fingers behind his neck. “I don’t know why Silver hasn’t told him.”
“Because it’s not up to her to tell him. But she made sure the bridesmaid dresses were loose. Maybe he won’t be able to tell.” Scott didn’t sound too convinced of his own words. Of course, Jami was almost five months pregnant, and she definitely showed.
“I’m a dead man.”
“Demmy! Look, me and Amia have the prettiest flowers!” Casey ran up to them, stalling all talk of Luke’s eminent death. She was carrying Amia, who had an armful of flowers. Becky was close behind the girls, not looking too comfortable with her daughter holding her cousin. At least both girls were in jeans and small Cobra jerseys, rather than dresses.
Casey knew exactly how to sweet talk her uncle, and Silver had decided, if Casey didn’t want to wear a dress, all the kids should be comfortable. And match somewhat.
Which meant Casey was wearing a jersey with Scott’s number and a Cobra cap with Pearce’s. Amia’s jersey had Bower’s number. And the teeny tiny jersey Westy was wearing had Perron’s.
Concern for the kids’ comfort didn’t apply to the adults though. Which meant tuxes and fancy dresses everywhere.
“La-La-La!” Amia strained away from Casey, dropping the flowers and holding her arms out for Luke.
Grinning at the little blonde cherub, Luke swept her up into his arms. “How’s my Ami-bear?”
“Hey, I have an idea!” Tyler leaned close, offering Amia the end of his tie to play with, which got Scott muttering under his breath as he helped his daughter retrieve the flowers. Tyler ignored him. “If you walk down the aisle holding Amia, Richter definitely won’t murder you.”
Head shooting up, eyes wide, Casey stared at Tyler. “Uncle Dean won’t kill Uncle Luke. They’re family!”
“Of course he won’t, mon chou.” Becky glared at Tyler. “Uncle Tyler might want to be more careful about what he says.”
“He will be.” Tyler flashed Becky his most angelic smile. He crouched down in front of Casey. “You wanna go see Thora?”
Casey jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “Yes! Can I have a piggy back ride?”
“Sure! Hop on!”
“Tyler, your tux!” Scott sighed, his hands full of flowers, watching Tyler gallop across the churchyard with Casey on his back. “Silver is going to kill him if he gets dirty. When did he regress to twelve again?”
Becky wrapped her arms around Scott’s waist, tipping her head back when he bent down to kiss her. “He didn’t. You grew up, which makes him seem younger.”
Scott grinned. “Probably. Hopefully having his own kids will get this one to grow up too.”
Apparently Scott had missed Luke shaking his head and making a please-shut-your-mouth motion, which Amia copied. Very few people knew Jami was pregnant. Unfortunately, his best friends with big mouths were two of the people.
Pulling away from Scott, Becky spun around and stared at Luke. “Oh god, Dean is going to kill you. I thought Jami wasn’t pregnant.”
“Umm…well, seems like it didn’t show on the tests the first few times. She was really sick and the doctor did an ultrasound and…” Luke cuddled Amia close and shrugged. “You couldn’t tell looking at her, right?”
“Oh honey, I haven’t seen her in almost a month. She wasn’t showing then.” Becky moved away from Scott and held out her arms, drawing both Luke and Amia into one of those motherly hugs she was so good at. “I think she’s helping Silver get ready. Her father probably hasn’t seen her yet. And I doubt he’ll cause a scene during the ceremony.”
“So that gives me another hour or two before I have to make a run for it.”
“You’re not making a run for it.” Scott put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing supportively. “Though Tyler had a good point. If you hang on to the little one, Richter
will have to be careful.”
Becky shook her head and took Amia, blowing raspberries on her cheek and making her giggle. Then Becky gave both Scott and Luke a stern look. “We do not use babies as shields.”
“Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that.” Luke waved at Amia as Becky carried her away. There went his last hope.
Hooking an arm around his neck, Scott dragged him in the direction Tyler had gone. “Come on, it’s not gonna be that bad. Let’s fetch the angel before he gets grass stains on his suit. Silver will definitely kill him.”
Over by the stone benches in the shade, Tyler was dodging Zovko’s big dog, Thora, while Casey giggled and ran around in circles. Bran, Ladd’s little brother, sat beside Zovko, sucking his thumb and staring up at the man as Zovko spoke to him. Chicklet sat on Zovko’s other side, holding his hand and watching Tyler with a small smile on her lips.
Laura and Sahara had Kimber with them, and seemed to be trying to remove the very dark makeup she was wearing with wet wipes. Kimber sulked and said something that had Laura’s mouth dropping open and Sahara’s face pale. Mason watched them, rubbing his temples like he was getting a massive headache.
As Luke and Scott approached, Chicklet stood and gave Kimber a tight smile. She hesitated, looking over at Mason. “May I?”
“Please do.” Mason’s lips quirked as Kimber’s eyes went wide. His voice still sounded gravelly, but much better than a few weeks ago. “And remember, Kimber, honey. We still love you.”
“Yeah, right.” Kimber bowed her head as Chicklet led her off to the parking lot.
Poor kid. Luke knew most people hated the teen’s attitude, but she’d been through a lot. He had a feeling she expected Sahara and Mason to get sick of her and Bran, so she was pushing to make it happen now, rather than later.
She still didn’t realize, neither was the type to give up on those they loved.
He met Mason’s eyes. “Ladd should be back soon, right?”
“Yeah, he just had some things to take care of in Australia after his team in Russia was eliminated from the finals. Property he owns that his dad’s family is trying to take.” Mason’s jaw hardened. “Most of them have criminal records, which is why they didn’t get the kids. But they suddenly decided Heath was worth something. I’d be down there with him if my doctor had cleared me to travel.”
“So he’s there by himself?”
“No.” Mason rolled his shoulders, relaxing slightly. “His agent is with him. The man might have no clue how to handle kids, but he’s a bulldog when it comes to his clients. He has connections and a team of lawyers handling everything. Heath will be fine.”
Luke nodded slowly. “But you’re still worried.”
“Naturally, but the best thing I can do is make sure Bran and Kimber are all right.” Mason smiled, watching Bran hop off the bench, one hand in Zovko’s, his thumb leaving his mouth so he could pet Thora, who’d raced back to her master, sitting nice and wagging her tail. “Bran’s doing well. I found him a new therapist who suggested I socialize him as much as possible.”
Moving away from Laura, Sahara looked at Mason, smiling, then stopping suddenly and changing directions. “Akira!”
Bran’s head snapped up. A big smile spread across his lips. “Ford!”
As Bran went running, Ford bent down, throwing the little boy up in the air, then catching him. Sahara looked like she wanted to strangle the man, but Akira held her tight, laughing and shaking her head.
Cort joined Ford, putting an arm around him and giving Bran a fist bump.
Mason rubbed his temples again. “That child gets attached to the strangest people. Not that I mind, Cort’s a great man and Ford…”
“Is Ford?” Luke supplied, trying to be helpful. “Hey, Bran loves you. And seems closer to strong guys. Jami says he isn’t as comfortable with women though.”
“Yeah…” Mason’s expression darkened. “His therapist is concerned about that. Despite what Kimber’s told us, he shows signs of neglect and abuse. Likely at the hands of a woman. He hides food and stops speaking for days if Sahara so much as raises her voice. She never yells at him, but Kimber tends to try one’s patience… Anyway it’s been rough, but he’s doing better. He now has an obsession with motorcycles.” Mason snorted when Cort pulled something out of the pocket of his leather jacket—a small toy motorcycle—and handed it to the little boy. “Not sure why.”
Coming up to Luke’s side, Scott held up his phone. “Almost time. You ready?”
“No-pe.” Luke took a deep breath as Mason shot him an amused look. Where was Seb? He needed Seb. Seb wouldn’t let Richter kill him. “Where the hell is my man?”
Looking around, Scott’s attention went to the back of the church. He pointed. “Right there. And I think he might be just as worried about Richter killing you as the rest of us are. Proactive, isn’t he?”
Oh fuck. Luke winced when he spotted Seb and Richter. Richter’s face was red, and he was making really sharp hand gestures. And Seb…well, Seb looked real calm.
Scary calm.
Crossing the yard in long strides, Luke stepped up to Seb’s side. He knew Richter didn’t mind Jami and Seb being together. He was the issue. He wouldn’t let Seb take shit for the mess he’d made.
Richter didn’t seem to notice him at first. “Don’t worry? You can’t be serious, Ramos. The mother of my child had complications because of drug use. Do you really believe either you or that boy are ready to help Jami through this? Why hasn’t she told me herself?”
“She was worried you wouldn’t be happy for her.” Seb’s tone was dry. He folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at the GM. “Clearly, she was right.”
“I’m worried! Damn it, Ramos, how can you not understand? I just lost my brother, I can’t—I can’t lose her!” Dean backed away from Seb, taking a deep breath. “You should have waited. Made sure her doctor said it was safe—”
“We did.” Luke followed Seb’s example and kept his voice level. “What don’t you get, Richter? Our kids aren’t a mistake.”
Squaring his shoulders, Richter glared at him. “I didn’t say they…” His brow furrowed. “Kids?”
“Uh…yeah. Seb didn’t tell you that?”
Seb gave a subtle shake of his head.
“Ah… Well, now you know.” Luke was a little worried about that vein pulsing in Richter’s temple. That couldn’t be healthy. “Congrats, Grandpa. We’re having twins!”
Pain. So much pain, then stars. Grass on the back of his neck. There was yelling. Richter was growling, but someone was holding on to him.
Scott was suddenly kneeling beside Luke, helping him sit up. “What the fuck did you say?”
“Congrats?” Luke squinted. All right, there was Landon. Holding Richter. Looking down at Landon’s shoes, Luke grinned. “See, I told you he’d be fine. His shoes are all nice and shiny.”
“Get up, dumbass.” Scott pulled him to his feet. Held up one hand. “How many fingers?”
“Eight. And two thumbs.” The whole world spun, but there was a solid chest on his other side. A strong arm around him. Not Scott. Luke smiled, smelling Seb’s cologne. “My man is here. You can go away now, Scott. But I love you, buddy. You’re so fucking cool.”
Minutes later he was sitting on a bench with an icepack over his eyes. Seb was still close, so life was good.
But when he moved the icepack, he saw Landon. Frowning at him.
Luke groaned. Stared at the grass. “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
Landon shook his head. “You didn’t. Dean is fucking scared, and you paid for it. I’m sorry. Are you gonna be okay?”
“You’re worried about me?”
“Damn it, Luke. Of course I am. You’re my best friend. And my man just gave you two black eyes.” Landon took hold of his jaw, cringing as he looked at Luke. “You have five minutes. Keep icing them. Maybe Silver won’t lose her mind over you ruining the wedding pictures.”
“Now I feel loved.”
; “You should. I sent Dean inside. Once he calmed down, he couldn’t stop apologizing. I think he’ll be nicer to you now. I warned him if he keeps this up, his daughter will never speak to him again.” Landon rubbed his bent knees and sighed. “She loves you. She loves Ramos. She’s lost so much, I think this baby is…hope. A future for you all. Truly believing life goes on.”
“Did you tell him that?” Luke poked the swollen flesh by his eyes. Which hurt, but he did it again, just to be sure.
Seb grabbed his wrist and pushed it down to his side. “Niño, focus.”
“I am.”
Landon snorted. “I don’t envy you, Ramos. And yes, Luke, I told him.”
“Good.” Luke leaned against Seb and closed his eyes. “Ugh, can you put off the wedding for a few days? You’re right. Silver is going to be pissed.”
“She’ll be even more pissed if the wedding she’s spent so long planning doesn’t go perfectly.” Landon brought the ice back over Luke’s eyes. “Come on, Luke. It’ll be fine. I need you by my side.”
That was all Landon had to say. Luke pressed his lips together, took a deep breath, and brushed Landon’s hand with the ice pack away. He stood and hooked his arm with Landon’s.
“I’ve got you, man. Lead the way.” His head spun and Seb steadied him with a hand under his elbow. “I think your second fiancé broke me.”
“Can you walk in a straight line?”
“Yes. And I can recite the alphabet backwards. Z, T, L, Y—”
“Asshole.” Landon let out a nervous laugh. “Shit, is everyone inside already? Are they waiting? I think you need more ice.”
“I’m good.” Luke focused on Landon’s pale face. “Dude, are you scared?”
“No. Of course not!”
“You’re full of shit.” Luke laughed, his head feeling a bit better now. “Is it Silver or walking in front of all those people to condemn yourself for life?”
Seb let out a soft groan. “Niño…”
“Neither. Both. I don’t know.” Landon lowered his head to his hands. “I love her. I love him. This whole…thing is weird. Like it’s all traditional, and we’re not.”
Line Brawl: The Dartmouth Cobras #8 Page 44
