The music began. Serena shot a smile over her shoulder to Zoey before turning the corner and walking down the aisle. Next was Jasmine, who blew Zo a kiss, before following Serena’s lead.
Once Jazzy was out of sight, I turned to my sister, took her hands in mine, and gently kissed her cheek.
“I’m so happy for you,” I said, my brown eyes taking in her matching ones. “Enjoy every second of this day, Zo. You deserve it, and Gabe is so lucky to be marrying you today.”
“I love you, Chlo.”
“I love you too,” I said, then spun around and left her and my father so that I could take my walk down the aisle.
I turned the corner to see the rows of guests, sitting happily on their planks of wood, while four gorgeous, smiling guys stood waiting underneath the white arch.
Christopher was smiling broadly, but I could tell he was nervous, because his hands were fidgety. Still, I knew how honored he was to be standing up there with his dad.
Dillon, whose dark-auburn hair had grown out a bit and was starting to curl at the ends, looked dashing and just a touch wicked, with his lopsided smile.
Reardon was gorgeous. Tall and sure next to his cousin. Gabe’s best man, defender, and friend no matter what, he caused my breath to catch and hold as I took in the sight of him in a tux that was tailor made for his unusually tall and toned form.
I could have looked at him all day, his gaze appreciative on mine as I moved toward them, but I pulled my gaze from him to focus on Gabe.
The man who had at one time been my craziest memory, my greatest mistake, and the creator of the best thing that had ever happened to me.
Now, he was going to be the brother I’d never had, as well as the father our son could look up to and depend on.
Gabe had always been handsome, but his obvious excitement over marrying my sister made him glow like a man who was about to receive the greatest treasure known to man. And the fact that he knew he was, and I knew that he’d treat her as such for the rest of their lives, had me smiling broadly at him and tilting my head in a slight nod.
Gabe grinned back and shot me a wink, then, as I took my place, everyone stood and turned to watch Zoey walk the aisle toward her Superman.
Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Reardon
The ceremony had been beautiful, and both Gabe and Zoey were still glowing, looking happier than I’d ever seen either of them.
Dinner was delicious, the barn was decked out per Zoey’s wishes and dreams, and everyone was starting to loosen up as the champagne flowed freely. The open bar had a constant line of people.
I was ready to let loose and hopefully talk Chloe into some dancing, and maybe an incognito make-out session, but first, it was time for me to give my best man speech. As a lawyer, I was obviously no stranger to speaking in public, and often enjoyed having all eyes on me. For some reason, this time, I was extremely nervous.
It was probably because Gabe had been my best friend since birth, and this was such an important moment in his life that I didn’t want to let him down.
I wasn’t sure how to approach the speech.
Should I be funny? Sentimental? Tell embarrassing memories?
I’d agonized over this for months, and now that it was time to give it, I decided to go with my heart.
I tapped my knife against my glass as I stood up to full height. I could feel the eyes of the rest of the wedding party hit me first, followed by the gazes of the rest of the guests. I flashed my best grin and cleared my throat.
“Good evening, everyone. I hope you don’t mind if I take a few moments of your time to say a few words to the bride and groom. I promise to keep it short, and please, feel free to refill your drinks as needed, I won’t be offended. First, I’d like to be the first member of the Lewis Clan to officially welcome Zoey to the family. Your kindness, wit, creativity, and loyalty are just of the few of the attributes that make you the perfect person for my ugly-ass cousin. Your ability to school him on Tolkien, Rowling, and Stan Lee, make you my new favorite cousin. Don’t let him put you off with his talk of drafts, MVPs, and standings; just smile, nod, and hand him another beer. That’s what the rest of us do.”
I paused for laughter, taking a breath before raising my glass to Zoey and finishing with, “But seriously, you’re the piece that was missing to the puzzle that is my cousin. I know you will make him tremendously happy, and if he ever does anything to upset you, just come to me and I’ll sue the pants off him.” Zoey wiped a stray tear off of her cheek and mouthed, “Thank you,” and I turned my attention to my cousin.
“And, Gabe, where do I even start?” I took a second, begging myself not to get emotional and end up looking like an extremely large baby, then looked Gabe in his eyes and spoke from the heart.
“You’re my cousin, best friend, and brother from another mother, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. Now, I’m not gonna lie, when Zoey came stumbling out of the woods that day, like a gift from the forest itself, I thought about stabbing you and taking off with the girl, but the second you guys locked eyes, I felt it. Call it chemistry, love at first sight, or fate … It happened that day. And you deserve it, brother, that love, that happiness, that you’ve found with the woman you were meant to be with.”
I paused and counted to five when I felt my throat begin to burn.
“You’ve lived an awesome life. In high school, college, the NFL, and with your camp … It seemed like your life was perfect, that you had everything a man could ever wish for, but it wasn’t.”
I cleared my throat again and raised my glass.
“Now that you have Zoey, Chris, and a baby on the way, now you have everything, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I love you, man.”
I raised my glass high and looked out at the guests.
“To the bride and groom,” to which they all responded with the same.
Gabe stood and pulled me in for a hug.
“Love you too, Rear,” he said in my arm, and I used my free hand to pat him on the back.
Ready to have the focus off of me, I leaned down to one of the cowbells that had Ring for a Kiss painted on them and gave it a pull, much to the delight of the other guests.
Gabe obliged by bending down to his bride and cupping her cheeks in his hands before kissing her soundly on the lips.
Everyone cheered, and I sat with relief, happy that my moment was done and I could now focus on the goodness that came next. Namely, cake, shots, and Chloe.
I leaned forward and looked passed Gabe and Zoey to where Chloe was sitting, and smiled when I saw her looking back at me. She raised her glass and gave me a thumbs up, her grin lighting up her face.
She was absolutely stunning.
When I first saw her walking down the aisle, I’d fought the urge to shove Gabe out of the way and offer myself at the altar to her.
I downed my champagne, then turned the glass upside down with a frown and jerked my thumb toward the bar, asking her if she wanted to go get a drink.
She nodded and started to rise, and I did the same. We went opposite ways, then I rounded the table, weaving through some of the guests. I had to stop to say hello to a few random family members, looking up to flash a finger at Chloe to let her know I’d just be a minute before I could make my way to her side of the barn.
“Hi,” I said, realizing that other than the few seconds it had taken us to walk side by side down the aisle after the ceremony, this was the first time we were close enough to actually speak to each other.
“Hi, yourself,” she said sunnily, causing me to grin back at her.
“Champagne smile?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Chloe replied. “Great speech by the way.”
“Thanks,” I said, turning and offering her my elbow. “I’m glad it’s over.”
“Really, why?”
“Well, I’m hoping to get to spend the rest of the evening with the most beautiful woman in the barn, other than the bride of course.”
“Of course. What will you do
with her?”
“Eat some cake, do a couple shots, and dance until our feet ache,” I started, then leaned in so only she could hear me and added, “And maybe do some necking behind the barn.”
Laughter erupted out of Chloe as she turned to me, eyes shining and said, “Well, I’m down for the dancing, and definitely the cake … I may be persuaded to do some necking, if the right guy asks, but as for the shots,” she shook her head and said, “I don’t know, I’m kind of a lightweight.”
“Perfect,” I said as we approached the bar. Then I told the bartender, “Two shots of Cuervo, please.”
Chapter Twenty-Four ~Chloe
“Oh God,” I moaned, the light sound of my whisper reverberating within my head as if I’d shouted at the top of my lungs.
Everything hurts.
I attempted to open my eyes, cracking them slightly, then slamming them shut when the bright morning light threatened to blind me. My stomach clenched uncomfortably, and I worried I’d throw up, which would only result in my throbbing head hurting more, if that was even possible.
How much did I drink last night?
I thought of the shots with Reardon, the shots with Gabe and Zoey, the shots with Jazzy, Rena, and Laurel, and cursed my foolish self.
Feeling the weight of my bladder when I shifted, I gingerly stuck one foot out from beneath the covers, then scooted over until it touched the ground. Taking a deep bracing breath, I sat up, my hands falling to steady myself on the mattress as I willed the room to stop spinning.
I was about to push myself up and attempt to make it to the bathroom, when my hand slid and bumped into something solid.
Eyes flying open, I turned my head as quickly as I could without vomiting, and froze when I saw a long figure under the covers next to me, a tell-tale shock of blonde hair sticking out from the top.
My hand came up to cover my gasp, as my mind raced to catch up to the evidence that was before me.
What happened last night? I wondered as I eased myself off of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping Viking next to me.
When cool air hit my naked tush, I squeaked and looked down, horrified to find that although my pretty lavender bra was still in place, that it was the only piece of clothing on my body.
With one hand covering my mouth, and the other covering my vagina, I kept my eyes on his still form as I sidestepped away from the bed. When my foot touched something soft, I squatted to pick up Reardon’s discarded undershirt, and slipped it over my head. When my gaze landed on my lavender panties, I reached for them and slid them on, never taking my eyes off the bed as, mostly clothed, I snuck out of the room.
Not taking the time to think, feel, or rationalize, I moved purely on instinct and fled.
Once I got out the door and reached the driveway, I put my hands on my aching head and closed my eyes. Flashes came to me as I struggled to figure out what was going on.
My lips on his neck as he leaned against the wall of the barn.
His large hands running up the length of my thighs beneath my dress, my body quivering.Laughing and gasping as we ran to a waiting cab, barely able to keep our hands off each other on the ride home.
The way his salty skin tasted beneath my tongue, the hard ridges of his stomach clenching as he moaned.
Reardon’s blue eyes on mine as he moved inside me.
The sweet way he kissed my temple as I passed out on top of him.
“Oh my god,” I muttered, then, realizing I was outside, I looked around.
“Shit!” I exclaimed when I realized we were at my house.
Where the hell can I go?
Where is Chris?
I fought back nausea as the questions plagued me.
Zoey and Gabe didn’t leave until Tuesday, but still, last night was their wedding night. I couldn’t go to their place. Reardon was in my bed, so I couldn’t go back in there. Not yet, at least.
I couldn’t face him until I figured out what in the hell I was going to say to him.
A relieved sigh escaped me when I recalled Chris asking to sleep over at his grandparents’ house.
With no purse, keys, or shoes, I couldn’t exactly go anywhere, and the only person I knew in the neighborhood was Reardon.
“Fuck,” I said finally, realizing I had no other option but to be a grown up and go back into my house. Face the situation head on, rather than avoid it.
I tucked my chin to my chest as I pivoted back toward the house, then, once I had my bearing, I lifted my head and began to walk. I stopped short when I saw Reardon leaning against the door wearing his tuxedo pants undone and low on his hips, with a smile playing on his lips.
“I’m glad you decided to come back in,” he said softly, and I felt my cheeks redden at his perceptiveness.
My body was in a riot. Head pounding, stomach heaving, and heart skipping a couple beats.
God, he looked gorgeous, all rumpled from sleep, that satisfied expression on his face.
I walked past him into the house and headed straight for the coffee maker. Once a cup was brewing I turned to find him leaning against the countertop behind me.
“I may have panicked,” I admitted softly.
“You think?” he asked with a laugh.
“How long were you awake?”
“From the first, ‘Oh God,’” Reardon replied. “You seemed to need some time to adjust, so I decided to pretend to be asleep. Plus, I really wanted to see what you’d do.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, totally embarrassed. “It’s not that I regret anything, or that you weren’t … that it wasn’t…” I sighed, unable to put my thoughts into words. “I just don’t remember everything. I had a lot to drink.”
“That makes two of us,” Reardon admitted. “But what I do remember was amazing, and I don’t regret anything, except maybe to wish that I hadn’t had a drop to drink, so I could remember every detail.”
I melted a little at his words, but needing to be honest I said, “I’m not sure what to do now.”
“I can see that,” he said, then his eyes heated and he added, “That’s the only reason I’m not taking you back to bed so that we can have a do-over.”
That made my pulse pick up, but I was too hungover, and too worried about what this big step meant for us, to take him up on the offer.
“I just need a little time, to figure things out for myself. You mean a lot to me, Reardon, and I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Promise to come to me when you’re ready to talk?”
“I will,” I promised.
He nodded and said, “Then I’ll get out of your hair and leave you to it.”
Reardon walked back to my bedroom, presumable to get his things, as I grabbed my cup of coffee and added cream. I was still in the same place, sipping gingerly when he came back in, wearing his tuxedo jacket, his naked chest, abs, and tattoos on display.
“Jesus,” I said without thinking. “You’re about to make the neighborhood women really happy.”
Reardon grinned at that, then stepped closer to kiss me sweetly on the corner of my mouth, before pulling back slightly, eyes on mine.
“Looks like slow is out the window.”
I made a hum of agreement, then unabashedly watched his ass as he walked away.
My teeth sunk into his taunt ass, causing him to laugh as he flipped over and took control. “You’re going to pay for that,” he’d said, as his head lowered between my knees.
“I need a cold shower,” I whispered as I heard my front door close, then padded down the hall to my bathroom, coffee mug in hand.
Chapter Twenty-Five ~ Reardon
“Looking lovely today, Mrs. Dingle,” I said, pausing to smile at the older woman as I made my way down Main Street, heading to the diner for lunch.
“Hello, Reardon, lovely wedding this weekend,” she replied easily as she lifted her hand to fuss with her so-white-it-was-almost-lavender-hair.
“It was, wasn’t it,” I responded with a smile.
“Hopef
ully you’re next.”
Rather than reply to that, I just kept smiling and said, “Have a great day,” then moved past her.
I knew that Chloe shouldn’t be the first thing that popped in my head at the mention of my turn down the aisle, but she was. She’d been taking up permanent residence in my mind since I walked out of her house yesterday morning.
Leaving her had been the hardest thing for me to do, but I could tell she was freaked. Her jumping out of bed and fleeing as if she were in the middle of a crime scene being my first indication. I knew in that moment that I’d do more harm by staying than by giving her space, so I’d curbed my instincts and left.
I still hadn’t heard from her, but the knowledge that I’d see her tomorrow when we left for Comic Con kept me from worrying too much. We’d have the whole trip to talk about what happened and figure out what came next.
I knew what I wanted … The two of us together. Officially and fully.
I just hoped she was working her way around to wanting the same thing.
Memories of our night together kept me satisfied as I waited to see her again.
The look on her face as she’d taken the pins out of her hair, eyes hot on mine as the dark curls fell free around her shoulders.
Her head thrown back, mouth slightly open as she’d gasped and moaned as I moved inside of her.
The sweet smell of her surrounding me, her limbs doing the same as I drifted off to sleep.
With my mind full of her, and a small smile still playing on my lips, I opened the door to the diner and called out happily, “Hello, Dolores,” as I walked through the dining room toward the table where Dillon was already waiting.
I was halfway to him when I caught sight of my favorite brunette sitting in a booth by the window, and froze in my tracks when I realized she wasn’t alone, but was talking happily while sharing a meal with Shane.