Julian Lodge had been a real father to him. And now Julian was standing beside him on his wedding day.
He would never tell Julian that he thought of him as a father. Julian would very likely punch him in the face or pay someone to do it.
But he suddenly felt an overwhelming need to do something he’d never done before. He stepped close and put his arms around his mentor.
Julian was perfectly still. “Leo, there’s seems to be something wrong. You’ve fallen and you don’t seem to be getting up.”
“It’s called a hug, Julian. Give me a minute.”
Julian sighed a little, and then there was a little pat to Leo’s back. “I’m very proud of you, Leo.”
Fuck. He was not going to cry. He stepped back and took a long breath. “Back at you, man.”
The door opened again and Wolf stepped in. “Hey, brother, I believe it’s time. Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet.”
His feet weren’t cold. They were eager. Eager to begin his new life. Eager to see the whole world again, this time in the right way, with his family by his side.
Leo stepped out and joined his brother on the most important day of their lives.
The day they truly became a family.
* * * *
Wolf felt his heart clench the moment she stepped into the church on her brother’s arm.
This was why people spent god-awful amounts of money on weddings. This was why they waited and went through all the trouble. They did it because there was something deep and meaningful about standing at the end of the aisle and watching the woman he loved walking toward him.
Shelley was choosing them. She was forsaking all others.
And he had his brother beside him. Oh, Jamie was his best man and Julian was Leo’s, but at the end of the day, his brother had become his best friend, his partner. His brother was the one he could count on. They shared a life. They shared a past and a future. No one would ever know him the way Leo did.
The music swelled and Shelley walked toward him, Trev leading her. His ma was in the front row. Sure, there was a beet attached to her hat, but she was smiling serenely, perfectly happy with the proceedings. A little tear came to her eye, and Mel slid an arm around her.
Crazy love. Who could fucking ask for more?
“God, she’s beautiful,” Leo said, his eyes on their bride. “Have I thanked you, brother?”
“For what?”
“For bringing me here.” Leo slid a hand to his shoulder, patting him like he had when they were children and Leo had been forced to play all the roles in Wolf’s life. “We wouldn’t be here without you. Shelley would still be searching. I would be alone. You brought us here, brother. Never forget it.”
Shelley made it to them, a smile on her gorgeous face. “Hi.”
Such a silly to thing to say, but “hi” was a beginning. And that’s where they were. The beginning. A whole future lay in front of them and Wolf couldn’t wait for it.
“Hi,” he replied, and took his bride’s hand.
“Dearly beloved,” the preacher began.
But Wolf was lost in his bride’s eyes.
* * * *
“And now,” the preacher was saying, “Leo and Wolf and Shelley would like to invite their friend Lexi O’Malley up to say a few words about love and marriage.”
The whole congregation seemed to stop and stare, but Lexi was ready for it. She’d worried for days about what she should say, but it had come to her the night before as she lay between her men. In the still of the night, when peace was all around her, she’d known exactly what to say about love and marriage and something equally important.
Lexi smiled as she stood, making her way from the pew to the front of the church and the small podium to the right of the altar.
She stared out at the crowded church, familiar faces everywhere. Aidan and Lucas looked completely delectable in their suits. The fact that each gorgeous man was holding one of their children just made them all the sexier in her mind. Jack was climbing up Aidan’s leg, trying to crawl over the pew to get to his grandmother while Chelsea was sleeping peacefully in Lucas’s arms.
They were balls of chaos, and she wouldn’t have it any other way—except one. She wanted more babies. She’d told herself she was done, that she needed to focus on her career, but there was a whole life to be had and it wouldn’t wait for her. It wouldn’t put itself on pause and hope that she got back to it. It would move on with her or without her.
She would find a balance because nothing was more important.
A sweet sense of belonging swept over her. It wasn’t just her immediate family she belonged to.
“I suppose Shelley thought the romance writer would get up here and talk about romance and sexy nights spent with the ones you love. All the things you can count on right before and at the beginning of a marriage. I probably should talk about how weddings symbolize the joy of love, but I think we all know that a wedding is just the beginning. It’s an acknowledgement that you’ve decided to take the next step, to share a life together. What’s waiting for you, my friends? What’s at the end of this journey you’ve chosen to take together? By saying ‘I do,’ what do you gain? I believe you gain something more than a lover, more than a friend, though both of those things are necessary. What you gain is a family. Look around you. Most of these people aren’t your blood.”
She looked out at her stepfathers who hadn’t raised her, didn’t share an ounce of DNA with her, but they’d been there for her from the moment they’d fallen in love with her mother. They’d become her fathers. “Blood, I’ve discovered, is pretty meaningless in the face of real love. For some of us, our mothers and fathers and siblings are wonderful, but if there’s one thing this group of people have taught me, it’s that we choose who we love. Even when blood relations let us down, we can form our own families and they can be just as tight.”
Julian came to mind. He didn’t have to care about her, but he loved Jack and so he’d taken Lexi in as well. He’d taken them all into his heart. It was difficult to believe that once she’d thought he didn’t have one. Julian’s heart was so big, he couldn’t seem to stop bringing people into it. She owed the man so much, and there was nothing between them but the choice to be family.
“So what is waiting for you, my sweet friend Shelley, is a very large family. It’s so big, it covers two states, and you have a home with any of us should the need arise. We promise to annoy you, to bug you, to push you, to love you and stand by you. We promise to choose you. Every day. Marriage, family, life, they’re all hard and require work. Happily ever after is a choice we have to make every day. You think you’re making your choice today, but I challenge you. I challenge every single one of us. Start the day by choosing. Skip the good morning and say something infinitely more important. I do.”
She looked at her husbands, her loves, the joys of her existence. “I do, and I do. Every single day. I choose this life and these loves and I choose my family. Welcome to my family, Shelley.”
Lexi looked over and Shelley was crying. Hell, most of the women in the Feed Store Church were crying.
Shelley looked and mouthed the words “I do.”
Everyone looked out, reaching to their loved ones, reaffirming the choices they made long ago.
Lucas winked at her. “You know I do.”
Aidan put his hand over his heart. Right before he had to save their son from almost certain death as he nearly went over the top of the pew.
“Momma,” Olivia was heard whispering loudly. “I think baby Jack is saying I do to climbing on top of you, but Uncle Aidan says no. Why does my family say no so much? Lexi just told us we should all say I do and I think that means yes.”
The whole church erupted in laughter.
Her family. They were loud and obnoxious and sometimes they completely worked the system so she couldn’t even buy a new cell phone.
And she would choose them. Every time. Every day.
I do.
Chapter Twenty-Three:
The Funeral of Hiram Jones, Mayor of Bliss
Two days later, Rafe turned his face up, letting the sun shine down on him, warming his skin, reminding him that he was alive and in the company of people he loved.
Of course, most of those people were crying.
“Hiram was a great man,” Rye Harper said. He stood at the head of the party, his role as leader in this mournful act clear. Hiram hadn’t wanted a preacher. He’d wanted a short service led by Rye and Max and he’d wanted a party at Trio. In his will he’d left money for beer. “He had a vision for Bliss. He wanted to make this town something special, something we could all be proud of. Hiram knew what it meant to be from Bliss. It might not always be easy. We might face hardship, but we do it together. He knew that a town is really just another word for family. He was like a dad to us all and his passing leaves a mighty big hole to fill.”
Yes, he had big boots to fill. Enormous ones. He’d been named the mayor of Bliss just days before. He’d stood in town hall and sworn to protect this town and to fulfill his office to the best of his abilities.
He knew just how important the role was now. And he could spend a lifetime trying to live up to his predecessor. The good news was, he had a lifetime.
He looked around the cliff-top gathering spot at the highest point of the Mountain and Valley Naturist Community. The entire town had turned out for the celebration of Hiram Jones’s long life. They all stood, huddled together. Callie and Nate both held a baby while Zane had his arms around Callie. Jen was leaning on Stef while Stella cuddled her grandbaby and Sebastian stood close. Holly had a hand on both her men. Caleb had been pulled into their little conspiracy and Alexei had just gotten sniffly and talked in Russian. Gemma and Jesse and Cade stood beside Long-Haired Roger, Liz Two and their weird baby dog. The funeral seemed to have brought about a truce between long time rivals as Polly stood near Long-Haired Roger and not once did she attempt to kill him. Even Roger, Liz One and their whole brood had turned up, though they were carrying shotguns in case the apocalypse happened. Marie and Teeny stood with Seth and Logan and Georgia.
But Nell and Henry were standing apart. And Henry had a dark look in his eyes. After this was done, it was time for that meeting Cam had promised.
The mayor needed to know what the hell was going on.
But that was for after. For now, he held Laura’s hand and comforted her while Rye spoke and Max held on to his wife and baby girl. For all his stubborn craziness, Max Harper wasn’t a man who buried his sorrow. He loved Hiram and it showed on his face.
“Hiram Jones was loved and he loved and he would say that was enough. He helped build this town into something we’re all proud of, and it’s a sad day when we have to let him go.” Rye held an urn in his hands. “In his will, Hiram asked that the new mayor say a few words.”
Rafe’s breath caught in his throat. Wow, Hiram had wanted to push him. Well, it was time to open himself up, but this wasn’t a political speech. He would make enough of those. It was time to honor a man he admired by following in his footsteps and speaking from his heart.
Laura gave him a little push and Cam smiled, bringing Sierra’s hand up in a playful wave.
Rafe nodded, acknowledging that he might speak alone, but they were here with him. “I’ll just say a few words about Hiram because he would be deeply insulted if I spoke for too long. He would want to get on with the party, so to speak. We should mourn the fact that he’s no longer with us, but we shouldn’t mourn his life. His life was full and rich. I’ve been a person who counted success in terms of money and power, but Hiram taught me something different. Hiram’s success came from how well he loved the people around him. He was a builder—a builder of towns and families and friendships. He didn’t look outside his world for recognition. He knew that the best world possible is the one we build in our hearts. He knew that when the outside world says no, we do not have to accept it. When the outside world lays down roadblocks, we build a new road, a better, more inclusive road. We control our destiny and we build toward it with love and compassion. And we build it together. I will honor Hiram by learning the lessons he had to teach.”
He had already moved into the mayor’s office. The business of the town was never done. In his days as mayor, he’d already arbitrated a fight between Roger and Long-Haired Roger, had a fight with Hal the cook from Stella’s over whether or not the town’s health codes allowed puffer fish to be on the menu as the special of the day, and helped Noah Bennett start up an animal shelter. The days had been busy, and half the time he worked while Sierra kicked her legs in a playpen in his office.
It wasn’t what he’d expected from life.
It was so much better.
He turned to Rye and nodded. Max stepped up. This was their job.
Max took a long breath as Rye opened the urn. “Good-bye, Hi. Don’t think I don’t know why you did what you did. And don’t think she didn’t know it. I hope like hell you find her wherever you’re going. Find her because I think Momma knew she should have chosen you. Maybe you get another chance.”
Tears slipped from Rye’s eyes. “Thank you for being there for us. We love you, Hi. Happy journey.”
They released the last earthly remnants of Hiram Jones’s body on the mountain he loved. The wind picked up some of his ashes and took them down the mountain, a piece of Hiram to forever remain where he loved.
But another wind swept upward, to places unknown.
A man’s journey was never really over.
Rafe joined his family, his whole family.
His journey had just begun.
One Night in Bliss
A special gift to my fans…
At the Talbot estate, the night of Leo, Shelley, and Wolf’s wedding…
Abby Barnes-Fleetwood looked up at her husband. She sighed every time she saw those damn Dom eyes of his. “Hey, Jack.”
Her husband shut the door to their room. “Hey, baby. Did I mention how lovely you were tonight?”
She was still dressed in her St. John suit, but there was a little bit of sadness that draped her now. She’d swelled with pride as her Lexi had given the speech of a lifetime. And then she looked around her and realized that Lexi was on the upswing of life. She and Livie had their whole lives before them. Lexi had figured out her love and herself at such a young age. It had taken Abby years to realize the same truths.
It hadn’t been until she’d come home and faced all her demons that she’d found her real world. Her Jack and her Sam.
“Thanks, hon.” She tried to put some emphasis behind her words. She just didn’t feel them tonight. She’d looked at all the youth and beauty around her. Everyone was twenty years younger than her, it seemed.
“Abigail, I know that tone of voice. Talk to me.” Jack always saw through her.
Jack was just getting better looking. The years had been more than kind to her husbands. She stared up at him with his emerald-green eyes and pitch-black hair. There was the lightest dusting of pure silver at his temples, but it just made him all the more dominant.
“I’m fine. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” His gorgeous mouth frowned, leaving a sexy crease around his lips.
“I said thanks,” she tried. She had to because she wasn’t sure she was up to a spanking tonight. She was tired in a way that had nothing to do with her body and everything with her soul.
“What are we thankful for?” Sam asked as he walked into their room. A broad smile covered his face, lifting his lips up. Such a sensual man. Sam Fleetwood oozed sexuality. At forty-two he was in his prime and Abby couldn’t help but damn near drool as he pulled his shirt over his head and uncovered perfect abs and those notches at his hips that always got her motor running.
She wasn’t forty anymore. She would always be older. She’d thought a lot about surgery, but Jack always said no. He said he loved her the way she was. How long would that last?
“Abb
y is doing that thing where she says all the right words but I hear another meaning behind it,” Jack explained.
Sam clapped his hands together. “Thank god. She’s been so good this whole trip. I’ve been dying to watch you spank her. Let’s get going.”
Sam was an optimist. Abby didn’t have any intention of letting that happen. She’d gained weight recently. “I’m fine. I don’t know what Jack is talking about.”
Jack’s hand came out, tilting her chin up. “No. You’re not fine and I want to know why. Tell me now, Abigail.”
She hated it when he did that. He just commanded, but she heard the words beneath it. Tell me now because I love you and I have the right to know.
Because they shared a love and a life and babies. Because she’d promised him long ago to share all of her burdens. All of her joys. In some ways, the burdens meant more.
“I felt old today, Jack.” Tears pierced her eyes. “I looked around at all those twenty- and thirty-somethings and I felt so old.”
A low chuckle started in the back of his throat. “Oh, my darlin’, that is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while.”
She frowned his way. “Thanks for understanding.”
She hadn’t expected that. Abby turned away. She started to work the jacket off. If Sam was in the room, then Livie and Josh were in bed. It was time for her to turn in, too. They were going back to Dallas in the morning. They would sit in Julian’s jet and talk and laugh and she would be in comfortable company. Maybe she could forget how young these people were, how their whole lives were in front of them.
Probably not.
She just needed a good night’s sleep. That was all. Tomorrow she would get up and head home and everything would be normal again.