Of course not.
Sed grabbed someone’s arm and heard a yelp of pain from Trey. A knee landed uncomfortably close to Sed’s crotch, and he stiffened. Okay, destroying his junk would also ruin his day. He had big plans for his fifth appendage that evening.
“Off!” he yelled and then added, “Umph,” as an elbow connected with his stomach.
It took a while for everyone to feel as if they’d gotten in all the licks they were entitled to, but eventually they collected themselves enough to get into the Blake’s wheelchair-accessible van and head for the beach.
Through the windshield, Sed scowled at the dark sky overhead. He glanced at Eric in the driver’s seat.
“You don’t think it would dare rain on my wedding day, do you?”
“Rain on The Sedric Lionheart’s wedding day?”
“Yeah.”
“Rain on Mr. Lead Singer, Rock God, Control Freak, Boss of the Entire World’s wedding day?”
“It wouldn’t, would it?” Sed asked, scowling darkly at the rain clouds to put them in their fucking place.
Eric smirked. “Of course not.”
“That’s what I thought,” he said, but he wasn’t sure if the clouds had gotten his all-important memo.
Eric parked the van in one of the few disabled parking slots still available. The street in both directions was full of parked cars, as was the very small parking lot.
“Well, Dave,” Eric joked, “you’re good for more than mixing a live show after all. Premium parking!”
Sed reached over and slapped him for being an ass, but Dave just laughed.
“I’m keeping those plates even after I lose this chair,” he vowed.
Which Sed feared would be never. Dave had progressed in his recovery to taking a few steps when necessary, but not much farther. His physical therapy was continually disrupted by their tour schedule and while his sister, Rebekah, helped him strengthen his wasted muscles, she wasn’t a professional therapist. Maybe Sed should hire someone to handle that for him on the road. He didn’t have any issue with Dave’s inability to get around without his wheelchair and they’d had Dave’s sound equipment modified for accessibility before they’d gone on tour with Exodus End, but he knew that Dave wanted to progress, and he couldn’t do that on the road. This two-week-long break in the tour before they headed to Europe had been necessary to get all their equipment overseas. And for Sed to get married and have a decent honeymoon before getting back to work with a new wife in tow.
While he stood waiting for all the guys to get out of the van, Sed stared at the small beach house where he knew Jessica would be getting ready for the ceremony. A pang of longing set his feet in motion. He wanted to see her so bad, he couldn’t wait another moment.
“There you are!” His mother’s voice called from the beach. “I thought you were going to be late to your own wedding.”
He stopped abruptly. Part of him was glad she’d stopped him before he’d ruined everything by barging into the house and demanding to see his bride before the ceremony. Another part of him cringed at her intrusion.
“Oh my,” she said as she hugged him. “You look so handsome.”
Sed gave her a vigorous squeeze in return, lifting her onto her tiptoes.
When he released her, she dabbed at her teary eyes with her fingertips.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry today,” she said, “and here you come looking all handsome and grown up in that tuxedo. You’ve ruined any chance I have at keeping that promise.”
“What did you expect, ma? That I’d show up in leather and a T-shirt?”
She laughed and reached up to pat his cheek rather harder than necessary. “Maybe I did,” she said. “I wish your father could have been here to see this.” Fresh tears swam in her eyes.
Sed grabbed her in another hug so he didn’t have to see the sorrow in her tired blue eyes. She’d aged in the two months since his dad’s passing. “He’s here,” he whispered to her. “You know he wouldn’t miss it.”
She nodded and drew away, dabbing at her tears again.
“I think he’s up in those dark rain clouds causing me undue anxiety,” Sed admitted.
His mom laughed. “Exactly like something he’d do. He’d be proud of you today. He was always so proud of you.”
“Ma, if you make me cry, you’ll ruin my mascara.” He fluttered his mascara-less eyelashes at her.
She laughed again and looped her arm through his. “Come. I’ll show you where you’re supposed to stand.”
She peered over her shoulder at the tuxedoed rock stars goofing off in the parking lot. Trey was the only one not tussling. He had Ethan, one of the ushers, pressed up against the side of the van expressing his undying lust with deep passionate kisses.
“Guys,” his mom said, and they all looked at her for direction. Even Trey paused in his make-out session to see what was up. “Go into the house. They’ll give you instructions there.”
Trusting that his friends would do as they were told, Sed followed his mother onto the beach. They’d laid plywood in a strip between the white folding chairs and covered it with red carpeting that matched all the roses decorating every available spot.
“Is it normal to lay plywood?”
Mom shook her head. “We were worried Dave’s chair would get stuck in the sand.”
He smiled. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
She released a weary sigh and touched her fingertips to her lower lip. “I hope so. I want today to be perfect for you and Jess. If I hadn’t, I would have murdered her mother with a candelabrum and tossed her to the sharks hours ago.”
“You have more restraint than I do. And isn’t she supposed to be dealing with the reception setup? Why was bugging you?”
“Beats the hell out of me. She’s been here driving me nuts for the past two hours. Making changes when I’m not looking. Reserving seats for A-list actors you don’t even know. She had your grandmother sitting in the third row; she wouldn’t have been able to see a thing back there.”
“Memaw?” Sed craned his neck over the crowd and located his grandma’s distinctive blue-haired coif in the front row.
“I won that particular battle,” his mom said.
“I think I’m going to have to have it out with that woman today. Both Jessica and I have been beyond patient with her, but she’s overstepped her bounds one too many times.”
“Don’t start your marriage in a war, Sed. It will all be over soon, and she’ll go back to ignoring your existence.”
“We can only hope.”
His mother led him around the outer edge of the seated guests and toward the ocean. The waves were really churning and crashing loudly against the beach; apparently there was a heavy storm at sea. A strong frontal boundary held the blackest clouds just offshore—he could actually see the demarcation in the sky. Sed decided his dad wasn’t in the clouds, he was in that boundary, holding them back. “Thanks, Dad,” he whispered under his breath.
Sed greeted his guests—mostly family, road crew, and musicians who’d toured with him. It was a little off-putting to see rock stars in formal wear—suits and piercings, ties and tattoos. Sed didn’t have much time to spend saying hello to Jessica’s side of the makeshift chapel, though he greeted a few he knew by name. Her family and friends seemed a bit intimidated by the mix of hoodlums and everyday Joes on his side, though a few of the lawyers in her crowd greeted the less law-abiding musicians with familiarity. He thanked a couple of people that he recognized from television for attending the wedding, but he couldn’t put names to any of their faces. He wondered if Jessica knew them. She’d never mentioned knowing any television stars, but it wasn’t uncommon in Los Angeles to be friends with famous people.
He took his position next to the chaplain. He shook hands with the bored-looking Jesus look-a-like and then turned to face the tent at the end of the aisle where his bride would soon appear.
A hush fell over the crowd as the quartet of harp, flute,
cello, and violin paused and then began to play the song Jessica and he had chosen for the processional. She hadn’t taken to his idea of using “Bark at the Moon”, but at least she’d asked for his opinion before shooting it down. Sed wiped his hands on his pant legs, wondering why his palms were uncommonly moist. He wasn’t the type of guy who got stage fright, but his stomach was suddenly churning.
Sed’s heart leapt into his throat as the gauzy white curtains were drawn back. But it wasn’t Jess at the front of the procession, it was Jessica’s friend Beth and Dave in his wheelchair decorated with flowers and with red and white ribbons trailing behind. Sed smiled when Dave showed off some of his impressive upper body strength by doing a wheelie halfway down the aisle. This made Beth grin and blush. In fact, Dave seemed to be showing off for the cute brunette, which wasn’t like Dave. Sed wondered if there was any attraction between them. When they reached him, Beth and Dave separated, with Dave going to the far end on Sed’s side and Beth staying next to where Jessica would eventually stand. She smiled at Sed and he realized she’d seen Jess today even if he hadn’t. God, he couldn’t wait to see his bride. He was about to jump out of his skin with anticipation.
They’d taken a few liberties with the traditional order of the processional to make maneuvering easier for Dave, so next down the aisle was his best man, Brian, and his wife, Myrna. Between them they held a baby carrier decorated with red roses and sprays of little white flowers. Baby’s breath, Sed believed it was called. Fitting, since nestled in the carrier with a pillow on his lap—two gold rings tied to it with ribbons—was the cutest ring bearer to ever sleep through his duty. Myrna and Brian started toward Sed, carrying their son between them. He smiled at them both, knowing his dimples were showing, but for once he was glad for the added emphasis of his joy.
The wind whipped Myrna’s stunning red gown about her legs as she walked. Sed peeked at the dark sky and prayed for it to hold back the rain until Jessica was his wife. He wanted the moment to be perfect for her, and a downpour was no one’s idea of perfection. Unfortunately, the frontal boundary had moved ashore. Shit. If it would just wait another ten minutes, he could say I do and it could rain all it wanted. He knew how upset Jessica would be if her dream beach wedding was ruined. She’d worked so hard at planning the occasion and so hard to include him in all the arrangements. He would do anything to make the day what she wanted. But how did one stop the rain?
When Brian and Myrna reached the end of the aisle, they separated. Brian took the carrier with him and set it on the sturdy table to Sed’s left so the crowd could see the ring bearer and ohh and ahh over his adorableness. As usual, Malcolm’s coal black hair was standing on end. Sed couldn’t stop himself from reaching over and touching the baby’s tiny hand. God, he couldn’t wait to see his own firstborn in seven months. The baby growing in Jessica’s womb already owned him heart and soul. But until he got to hold his own child, he was content fawning over Brian’s young son.
Malcolm’s hand gripped Sed’s finger tightly. His other little fist went directly into his mouth and though still asleep, he sucked it in earnest.
“He inherited the grip from me,” Brian whispered, “but that strong suction is all on his mother.”
Sed laughed and glanced at Myrna, who was oblivious to her husband’s claims.
Movement at the head of the aisle caught his attention and his head snapped up. Jess?
No.
Not yet.
Eric and Rebekah were now making their way down the aisle. Where Myrna’s gown was long and elegant, Rebekah’s was short and sassy—like her. It was the exact same shade of red as Myrna’s and also matched the crimson splotches in Rebekah’s hair. Eric’s trademark lock of colored hair was also dyed red to honor the occasion. The pair of newlyweds had the audacity to share a lingering kiss at the head of the aisle before they separated to opposite sides. Eric shifted to the spot behind Brian and Rebekah took her place behind Myrna.
Aggie and Jace were next down the aisle. Her dress had a plunging neckline, with a short strap between her large breasts to keep them in place and draw appreciative attention to her substantial cleavage. Her long black hair did a better job concealing her porcelain skin than the red silk fabric hugging her curves managed. Aggie’s lipstick and red-tipped fingernails matched her dress, stilettos, and bouquet of red roses, as well as the blush currently staining Jace’s cheeks. Sed had no idea what the guy was embarrassed about at that particular moment. His woman was something to be proud of. Or maybe he was just hot and bothered by his fiancée. Couldn’t blame the guy. Aggie was sex on heels.
When the pair paused before Sed, Aggie pinched Jace’s ass and then patted it, her grin a bit devilish. She winked one bright blue eye at Sed before moving to stand behind Rebekah. Walking a bit stiffly, Jace moved to his spot behind Eric. Sed was pretty sure Jace’s stance wasn’t the only thing stiff about him.
He caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye and his head swiveled toward the head of the aisle. Jess?
No, damn it. Just the breeze blowing the gauzy fabric around the tent at the head of the aisle.
Sed clenched his hands into fists and blew out a steadying breath. This had to be the longest five minutes of his life.
Trey and Reagan walked the aisle next. Jessica’s female friends from college immediately started twittering among themselves as Trey charmed them with his on-your-knees smile. Reagan was wearing her trademark combat boots with her formal. She kept nervously sliding her hand over her retro fifties dress and glancing at the front pew, where Ethan, her other boyfriend, sat. Ethan had assured her time and again that he was fine not standing up for Sed since Sed and Ethan hardly knew each other. Trey was the one he and Jessica had asked to be in the wedding party, and Sed had made him pick which of his lovers he wanted on his arm. Trey had seemed to think that ex-cop, bodyguard Ethan wouldn’t appreciate having to wear a dress and standing on Jessica’s side as a bridesmaid. Though Ethan had readily agreed, Reagan hadn’t thought Trey’s joke was funny at all. Sed wondered how in the hell they made their relationship work. Awkward situations had to come up on a regular basis.
Ethan blessed Reagan with a wide smile, and she relaxed at Trey’s side. Maybe she just thought Ethan would have hurt feelings for being left out. Trey was oblivious to the dynamic. He just accepted the little hiccups as part of the relationship that made him happy. Sed wondered if the man was capable of not going with the flow.
As Trey passed him, Sed twisted to look at the four men standing behind him. He’d never doubted his band of brothers would be here for him. They were always there—come Hell or high water or crazy mother-in-laws. But to see them lined up that way—fidgeting in those stupid ties and fancy tuxes on his behalf—made him smile. There was no one he’d rather have at his back than these guys and no one he’d rather have at his side than his Jess.
Surely it was time for her to take her rightful place.
He sucked in a steadying breath and turned back to the aisle to wait for her approach. The anticipation was killing him. This was far more extreme than waiting in the wings to take the stage.
Elise came down the aisle next, on the arm of their cousin Wayne.
Oh for fuck’s sake. How many people were in this wedding party? A thousand?
Elise was smiling so brightly at Sed, she could have lit the heavens. And even though it meant he had to wait a while longer to see the star of his show, he was overwhelmed by the pride he felt at seeing her. He wasn’t sure when his baby sister had become a woman, but that red dress was showing entirely too much skin. He would have words with Jessica later about why Elise wasn’t wearing the dress he’d liked. The one with the high neckline and matching jacket. Elise winked at him before taking her spot. Sed actually groaned aloud when his other—usually more sensible—sister came into view. Kylie’s dress was even less nun-like than Elise’s. If any of those guys from Jessica’s law practice so much as looked at his sisters, he’d be having lawyer gonads for his wedding f
east. The guys in his band knew better than to make a move on his sweet sisters, though he was glad they were all hooked up with women of their own so he could let his guard down a little. But just a little. There were other rock stars in the crowd that could stand a close eye. Especially that Dare Mills character. Sed knew firsthand what Dare’s little brother was like and he didn’t want his sisters having any part of that.
The first notes of the wedding march sounded, and Sed straightened, his head whipping around to catch sight of the only person he needed to see today. His heart. His Jessica.
Two ushers swept the gauzy white curtains aside to reveal the bride to the standing crowd.
As he stared, Sed’s breath escaped him in a rush.
His heart shattered into a million pieces and all the light went out of his life.
Jessica wasn’t there.
Chapter Four
Jessica yanked her bouquet out of her mother’s hand. “I’ve had enough,” she said. “You have been making me crazy for months. If you want to watch the ceremony, fine, but this is my day, not yours. I don’t even want to look at you right now! I don’t give a flying fuck that Johnny Depp didn’t come, and no, we are not going to wait a few more minutes to see if he arrives late.”
In the brief pause of her tirade, Jessica heard the unmistakable sound of the wedding march scrambled by the blowing wind. Eyes popping wide with panic, she gathered her skirt in both hands and dashed into the tent where she was supposed to be standing before the march began. The curtains had already been drawn back, so her entrance had been completely ruined.
None of that mattered when her gaze landed on her groom.
Sed’s jaw was set in a harsh line, his stare fixed on the ground before him. She could tell by the look of devastation on his face that he thought she’d stood him up.
No. No, no, no. This was not how this was supposed to go.