Beautiful Bride

  He laughs and takes my hand. “You want to marry me, right?”

  I look into his eyes. “More than anything.”

  He smiles and kisses the backs of my knuckles. “You want to have babies with me?” he asks softly.

  I almost think I didn’t hear him right.

  “Yes.” I don’t even need to think about it. “Yes.”

  “Soon?”

  “Can we get married first and then talk about it?”

  He nods and pulls me so that I’m facing him. He kisses the tip of my nose. “Go to sleep.”

  “You sure you don’t want to have sex?” I ask. “Because I kind of want to have sex.”

  “You’re charming the pants right off me, princess,” he says. He pulls me closer and I put my head on his chest. I can hear his heart beating, and I close my eyes, never having felt safer in my life.

  Pete

  I wake up to someone bouncing on my bed and I crack my eyes open. “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask Sam.

  He leans down and grins in my face. “Dude, get the fuck up. You’re getting married today.”

  I scrub the sleep from my eyes and look around. “Where’s Reagan?”

  “All the girls are at John and Patty’s, where she’s getting dressed.”

  I sit up. “Why is she over there?”

  He shakes a finger at me. “Bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”

  “Is she okay?” I ask.

  “They’re all sick as dogs this morning. So her mom popped a bottle of champagne to make them all feel better.” He laughs. “If Reagan looks anything like her mom when she gets older, you’re going to be one lucky bastard.”

  I already am.

  “Speaking of lucky,” he says, and he cups his hands around his mouth and whispers loudly, “did you hear the banging coming from her parents’ room last night? I had to get up and go outside.” He makes a crude hip thrust while holding my headboard, so I kick his hip to get him off my bed. But I’m laughing. Sam always makes me laugh. “Get up,” he sings out loud. “You need to get dressed, because I have to leave soon and I want to see you tied in a knot first.”

  “Tie the knot,” I correct.

  He shrugs. “Tie the knot. Tied in a knot. Same thing.” He grins.

  “Fuck you.”

  He sobers suddenly. “Are you scared?”

  I shake my head. “Not really.” Actually, I’m scared shitless. Not of marrying Reagan, but about what comes next.

  “You’re a fucking liar,” he says. Then he starts to jump on my bed again. “Get up,” he sings.

  I get up and walk to the bathroom, and slam the door in his face when he tries to follow me. “Go away,” I yell.

  “But I’m the best man!” he calls back.

  I open the door and look out at him. “Who asked you to be the best man?”

  “Dude, we shared a womb. Of course I’m the best man.”

  I get in the shower and hear the toilet lid close behind me. I peek out and see Sam sitting there. I know the best way to get rid of him. “So,” I call, “what are you going to do about Peck?”

  I hear the toilet lid squeak and look out. He’s gone from the bathroom, and that makes me laugh. I do want to hear what he’s going to do about Peck, but I assume he has no idea. That doesn’t surprise me.

  I shave, and get dressed in a pair of light trousers and a white button-down shirt, which I leave untucked. I slide my feet into some flip-flops and walk out into the living room. All my brothers are there with the kids.

  Paul grabs me and pulls my head into the crook of his arm, and then gives me a noogie. I have to wrap my leg around his and try to take him down to the ground before he’ll let me go.

  I run a hand through my hair and try to fix the mess he just made when he finally turns me loose.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?” he says.

  I nod and follow him to his room. He opens a suitcase and pulls out a box. He holds it out to me. “What’s this?” I ask.

  His cheeks redden. “Well, I wanted to see if you want it. For Reagan.”

  I open the box and look inside. It’s a sapphire necklace on a simple gold chain. “This was Mom’s,” I say. And I pull it from the box and hold it up.

  Paul nods. “She would love her as much as we do. And I know she would be happy for Reagan to have something of hers on this day.”

  I lay it back in the box and hand it back to Paul. “Why don’t you go give it to her?” I say. “She needs something blue before the ceremony.”

  He shoves it back toward me. “It should be from you.”

  “Go give it to her. For me. Please.”

  Emotion clogs my throat and I turn toward the mirror and fuss with my hair. But Paul wraps an arm around my throat and stares at me in the mirror. “I’m really proud of you,” he says quietly. “I just want you to know that.”

  His voice is gruff, and he stops to clear his throat.

  “Thanks,” I croak.

  He holds up the box. “I’m going to go and see Reagan.”

  I nod.

  I’m still a little choked up when someone else knocks on the door. I look up and see Mr. Caster in the doorway. “Good morning,” I say. My face heats up when I remember what Sam was going on about this morning, but I try to push it to the back of my mind.

  “I need to say something to you,” he says. He closes the door behind him and starts to pace across the floor.

  “What is it?” I sit down on the edge of Paul’s bed.

  “I love that little girl more than anything in this world,” he says.

  “I know.”

  “And when I met you, I promised you that if you ever hurt her, I would chop your nuts off.”

  “I remember.” I adjust my stance, because my balls are shriveling up into my belly.

  “And I just want you to know that still stands, even when she has a ring on her finger.”

  “Yes sir,” I say.

  He stops pacing and stares at me for a second. I lift a brow at him. I can’t fault him for his comments. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll do the same thing.

  “I didn’t get to pick the man my daughter fell in love with,” he says. “But if I could, I would have picked you. That’s all I wanted to say.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  He leaves the room, and I sink down on the edge of the bed. Damn, they’re determined to make me cry today.

  After a minute, the door opens again and Friday jumps on top of me. “Why are you on my bed?” she asks.

  “I was trying to fondle your panties without anyone knowing. Thanks for ruining it.” I blow out a sarcastic breath.

  “You’re such a Pervy McPervypants,” she says. Then she giggles.

  “Have you been drinking?”

  “No. Not a drop.” She shoves me. “Did you send Paul over with a necklace?”

  “Maybe. Why?”

  “Reagan is crying,” she admits, her face going soft.

  “Like I’m-really-happy crying, or I-hate-his-guts crying?”

  “Happy crying.”

  “Oh, whew,” I breathe out. I can take crying, as long as it’s happy crying.

  “Are you ready?”

  “For what?”

  “To get married, dumbass,” she cries.

  I get to my feet. “Now?”

  She nods.

  I nod too. “I’m ready.” I am so ready. I’ve been ready since the first time I ever saw her, I think.

  I walk to the deck and look out, and I see the chairs have been set up, and Emily is perched on a stool playing her guitar as I walk down the aisle. I walk by Gonzo and he grins at me, and then reaches out to bump knuckles with me. Henry is smiling at me from the front row, where my parents would be sitting if they were here. He’s right beside Paul and Friday, and my brothers and their wives are in the row behind him. Sam is standing up by the altar, and he’s waiting for me. I pat my pockets looking for the ring. But then he pats his and nods his head. I go
t this, he tells me without words.

  I go and stand in front of the preacher, and Reagan’s mom smiles at me and wipes a tear from her eye. I fidget, because I need Reagan up here beside me.

  Then the sliding glass door opens and she walks out on her dad’s arm. I stop breathing. I can’t help it. She’s so beautiful that my heart trips a beat. She’s wearing a white flirty short dress and it’s perfect for the beach. It’s perfect for her. For us. For this. For me.

  She stops beside me, and her dad kisses her on the cheek. I hear him say to her, “Not too late to back out.”

  “I don’t want to back out, Dad,” she says. She kisses his cheek and he wipes a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Thank you.”

  He looks at me for a second and stops to shake my hand. “Thank you, sir,” I say.

  Then I take her hand in mine, and I try to remember this moment. I want to cement it in my head. She’s not carrying flowers. She’s wearing a circle of daisies like a crown on her head, and it’s so fucking awesome that I can’t stop looking at her.

  “You okay?” she asks. She fingers the necklace that used to belong to my mom. “I really love this,” she says, looking down at it.

  “She would like that you have it,” I tell her. I believe that with all my heart.

  The preacher clears his throat, and begins his “dearly beloved” speech.

  When it’s my turn to say my vows, I clear my throat and blink past the tears. “Reagan, you have more strength than anyone I have ever met. I knew I loved you when we were sitting around a campfire and you begged me not to kiss you. You might not like that memory, but I love it, because it was the first moment I knew in my heart that you could be mine. And my feelings haven’t changed since.” I rub a hand across my nose and laugh. “Then you punched me in the face, and I knew I would do anything to win you over.”

  I look at my family, and see the girls all wiping their faces.

  “Then I brought you home and my family loved you as much as I did. You can kick ass, but you also know how to love, and that’s all that’s required to be a Reed.”

  My family laughs.

  “So, Reagan, I promise to take care of you, to treat you with respect, and to love you with all my heart.”

  Reagan sniffs. “I met you on the worst night of my life,” she says. “Then I spent two years trying to figure out how I could get to see you again.” She laughs. “Two years of scheming, because I knew you were something special. You had my heart long before you probably wanted it, and I hope you hold it forever. I begged you not to kiss me, and I’m so glad you took your time, and kissed me when you meant it. You taught me to trust you, and you earn my trust more and more every day. So, Pete, I give you my heart, and I take yours, and I plan to keep it until the day that I die.”

  We trade rings, and then I finally get to kiss her. Finally. I draw her to me and kiss her, and I never want to let her go. But then I hear her dad say, “Go get my hatchet.”

  I lift my head and chuckle. “I love you,” I tell her. I kiss the tip of her nose.

  The preacher introduces us as Mr. and Mrs. Peter Reed, and everyone stands up and claps. We accept congratulations from Patty and John, but Patty’s looking tired, so she doesn’t stay long. Carrie and Nick hang out with us, though, for a little while.

  I hear a thump on the microphone in front of Emily, and we turn toward her.

  “I have a little present for you guys,” she says. She blushes. “So, if you can give me a minute…”

  She fiddles with her guitar, and then she starts to play.

  She’s a ninja in a pair of heels,

  A corner piece of the puzzle.

  She’s everything he never knew he needed,

  And everything he ever wanted.

  She’s a sweetheart of a lady and

  An ass-kicker when he needs it.

  She’s fiercely protective,

  And soft as cotton when he holds her tight.

  She’s got him,

  Heart and soul.

  She needs him,

  To have and hold.

  He’s the breath that she breathes,

  And the thoughts in her head,

  He’s the light in the darkness

  When she’s feeling lonely.

  He’s a rose in a bed of thorns,

  A bad boy when it’s needed.

  He’s everything she never knew she needed,

  And everything she ever wanted.

  He’s a tatted piece of art,

  A softie beneath the shell.

  He’s the purr beneath the growl,

  And hard as nails when he holds her tight.

  He’s got her,

  Heart and soul.

  He needs her,

  To have and hold.

  She’s the breath that he breathes,

  And the thoughts in his head,

  She’s the light in the darkness

  When he’s feeling lonely.

  Someday when they’re older,

  And their mouths refuse to talk,

  Or they falter in their walk,

  They’ll look back on this day

  And remember what brought them here.

  And it’ll take them there,

  Because a love like that never fails.

  It flies.

  It jumps.

  It flips.

  It fights.

  It loves.

  It’s theirs, and it’s all they ever needed—one another.

  My heart is in my throat when Emily stops. She sets her guitar to the side and Reagan pulls me forward to thank her. She hugs Emily. I don’t even know what to say.

  “I’m awesome, right?” Emily says, and she opens her arms for me. I hug her, holding her tight.

  She whispers in my ear, “Logan will write the lyrics down for you so you can keep them.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  She nods.

  Logan walks up and wraps his arm around Emily. “That was perfect,” he tells her.

  “I’ll play it for you again in a few weeks,” she says to Logan. “After.” She looks at him and he nods.

  “After what?” I ask.

  “After she’s naked, dude,” Logan says.

  Reagan laughs.

  We mingle with my family for a couple of hours, with people going in and out of the house. Until Friday says, “Oh, crap. We’re supposed to be doing tats tonight!” Paul looks at his watch.

  We’re supposed to be doing tattoos at the open-air festival tonight. There has been a lot of press about it, and it’s all for charity. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to raise a bunch of money for the charity Emily has earmarked. She wants to give money to the shelters in New York City where she stayed before she met Logan, so she organized this event, and we brought the camera crews because it seemed like a good opportunity.

  “Why don’t you take tonight off?” Paul says, clapping me on the shoulder. “We can do it without you.”

  “Fuck no,” I protest. “I’m going.”

  “You just got married,” he reminds me.

  I look down at Reagan. “Do you want me to take the night off?”

  She shakes her head. “No. I want to go, too.”

  “Well, go and change clothes.” Paul makes a motion like he’s pushing us out of the room.

  I take Reagan’s hand and pull her to our bedroom. I close the door behind us, and I kiss her, and that’s all it takes. I go hard immediately. I press her against the door and hold her there. “We have time for a quickie?” I ask.

  She nods, and she starts to unbutton my pants. I spread my legs and let her put her hand inside, and I groan as she takes me into her fist. I’m ready, and she’s not, so I pull her hand out of my pants and drop to my knees in front of her. I lift her dress and pull her panties down, and place my mouth on her. She looks down at me and nods.

  I used to be afraid to hurt her, but she’s proven that she’s made of stronger stuff than I’ve ever given her credit for.

/>   I slide two fingers inside her, and lick across her clit, over and over, until her legs begin to tremble. She threads her fingers into my hair, and I look up at her. Her mouth hangs open and her eyes are closed. Then she comes on my face. She looks down at me, her eyes going soft as she comes, and she stares at me, until I’ve drawn every last quake and quiver from her body.

  “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “You’re welcome, Mrs. Reed.” I stand up and turn to go and get a condom. But she pulls me back to her. “I need to get a—”

  She cuts me off. “I don’t want one.”

  She doesn’t want one of what? “Huh?”

  Her eyes search my face. “I thought maybe we could try it without a condom.”

  We found out early on that Reagan couldn’t take birth control pills, so we have religiously used condoms since we got together. I’ve never been inside her without one.

  My heart thuds. “Are you sure?” I ask.

  She nods. “I’m sure.”

  I lay my forehead against hers and breathe. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” she says quietly.

  I lift her dress over her head, and stare down at those perfect breasts once I have her bra off. I hoist her up and she wraps her legs around my waist. I lay her gently on the bed.

  “I’m not going to break, Pete,” she says.

  “I’m not worried about you breaking,” I say. “I’m worried I’ll forget what this day feels like if I go too fast.”

  She cups my face and kisses me. She spreads her legs and I settle between them, sliding inside her in one solid thrust. She’s wet from where she just came on my face, and so, so slick.

  I know what this means, and she does too. It means she could get pregnant. It means so much.

  I hook her legs over my arms, because I know she likes it deep and rough, but I can’t last for shit like this, not without a condom. A drop of sweat slips down my nose. Or is that a tear? I’m not sure which. Either way, she brushes it away.

  She cries out, and the way gets even slicker. “Now, Pete,” she urges. “Now. Please.”

  I come inside my wife for the first time ever. I press deep, spilling all I have inside me into her. She holds me close while I fill her up, until I let my weight fall on top of her.

  “Well, that’s an odd feeling,” she whispers.