Ava, who was always impeccably dressed, visibly shuddered. “I guess I just assumed you’d plan something like a hog roast where you and my brother would wear overalls and grab each other’s crotches as you said, ‘I do.’”
The first margarita spray of the evening occurred when Ella spewed hers all over the table, and then begin frantically attempting to wipe it up. “Um, sorry about that,” she muttered. Then she slid her hand across to give Ava a high five. “Man, that was a good one.”
Even Emma, who had been the subject of the joke, couldn’t contain her laughter. “I don’t know about the hog part,” she gasped out, “but I’ll certainly have a handful of some part of Brant. I mean, Ava, have you actually stopped to look at your brothers?” Nodding at Ella, she added, “Chuckles over there is married to a man with that brooding, intense thing going on. And now, more often than not, he’s carrying his daughter around, which is holy freaking hot.”
Ella raised her glass saying, “Hear, hear!”
“Damn, I’ve missed you crazy bitches,” Suzy muttered contently. Far from offending anyone, her comment was received by the entire group like a compliment. To be appreciated and accepted by Suzy Merimon was no small thing. She was outspoken and never bothered to temper her words for anyone. She would always be the coolest kid on the playground. The one all the other kids would gravitate toward and hope to become a part of her inner circle.
“I know we’re not supposed to mention it, but how’s the pregnancy treating you?” Beth asked her sister. “Please don’t throw anything at me!” She ducked playfully before grinning at Suzy.
Suzy rolled her eyes as if she’d been expecting the question. “Well, you know that whole pregnancy glow thing?” When everyone nodded, she deadpanned, “It’s actually just gas.”
“Ugh!” Mia gagged. “Women aren’t supposed to admit to stuff like that. It totally kills our mysterious allure.”
“Wait until you have a kid lodged up in there,” Suzy warned. “I spent the first three months scared out of my mind that I’d miscarry, but this last month, I’ve relaxed enough that all of the gross stuff is finally getting through to me. For a while, something as simple as a gas pain sent me into a damn panic attack. Now I know I need to find some private place away from Gray and let ’er rip.”
Claire, Beth, and Gwen were laughing so hard, Lydia was afraid they would fall out of their chairs at any moment. Having children themselves, apparently they understood where Suzy was coming from. Claire even managed to choke out, “Boy, do I remember that. Jason and I hadn’t been together that long and then I was pregnant. So stuff like that really embarrassed me. The few times it slipped out, he’d be all cool about it, but I just knew he was thinking to himself, ‘Steer clear of her tonight!’”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a tough combination with the whole horniness so you’re panting after anything with a pecker,” Beth added. “I’d be wrestling Nick to the floor and have my hand in his pants before—”
“Must we talk about my brother-in-law?” Suzy gagged. “I’ve been lucky enough to avoid a lot of morning sickness, but you’re making me want to hurl.”
“I’m pretty sure that Dominic thought that was the best part of my pregnancy,” Gwen piped in. “Even when I felt as big as a house, I still drooled when he walked into a room.”
“Honey, everyone has a little saliva overload when he’s around.” Emma winked.
“Anyway,” Suzy continued, “there’s the gas, and yes, as you’ve said, I’ve been as horny as a whore at an all-girls’ school.” When a wave of laughter met her last statement, she shook her head and said, “You all really need to get out more. So, as I was saying, my tits hurt, it takes me like ten attempts to go poop, but I can pee every other minute. Everything I eat gives me heartburn, and I want to eat all the damn time. I made Gray go through the McDonald’s drive-thru last night so I could have a freaking snack on the way to dinner. I actually ate a cheeseburger before we got to the restaurant for our actual meal. And probably one of the weirdest things is I love to smell car exhaust now. No shit, I’ll be at a red light behind a big old monster truck and those fumes will be like flipping nirvana.” Shaking her head, she added, “That’s completely whacked.”
“Wait until you get a case of hemorrhoids.” Claire grinned. “That’s when the real fun begins.”
“Oh, hell no,” Suzy huffed out. “There is nothing else weird going on with this ass. I’m already at capacity for crazy stuff right now.” Groaning, she looked around the table and demanded, “Someone talk intercourse, please. I’ve never even enjoyed a good fart joke, so this stuff is killing me.”
Lydia couldn’t believe her ears when Crystal spoke up. “Mark spanked me last night, and it was so hot. He put me right over his lap.”
“And that was so not what I was expecting to hear,” Suzy said in disbelief. “It’s way more than I could have hoped for, though. Boy, you don’t play around, do you, Tinkerbelle?”
“Spanked by DeStudo,” Mia purred, “how poetic. I bet that man gives excellent hand.”
“Well, we don’t call him Mr. Big for nothing now, do we?” Lydia joked. Heck, hearing that from Crystal made her want to go home and ask Jake to put her over his knee. She had a feeling he’d really be into that. He certainly was a fan of changing positions multiple times during sex. This one would probably blow his mind if she suggested it—when she suggested it.
All too soon, several hours had passed and Brant walked in, followed by Mac. Then surprisingly enough, Jake appeared next and headed straight for her. “Hey, baby,” he whispered in her ear as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her upturned mouth.
“I didn’t know you were coming.” She smiled as she took in her sexy husband in his jeans and a T-shirt. The things she wanted to do to that man of hers tonight. She wasn’t sure if they’d actually get out of the parking lot before she had her way with him.
“I wanted to take care of my own woman,” he said possessively, which effectively set her clit on fire.
Jumping to her feet, then swaying slightly as the alcohol hit her, she whisper-shouted to her friends, “I’ve got to go now.” When Jake turned his back to say something to Brant, Lydia made a grabbing motion at his ass, causing the other women to howl in laughter. He flipped back around and gave her a questioning look, to which she replied innocently, “They’re drunk.”
Next to her, Emma appeared to be attempting a tonsillectomy on Brant, much to Ava’s disgust. Lydia had a feeling it was also mostly for Ava’s benefit. Those two certainly loved getting to each other.
Jake held her hand while she made her way around the room to hug each woman good night. Then he walked her to his truck and helped her carefully inside as if she were a breakable heirloom. When he clipped her seatbelt in place, she kissed his cheek before he could pull back. “I love you,” she murmured dreamily.
His answering smile was soft as he replied, “I love you too, baby. Let’s get you home and in bed.”
“Mmm, I’m going to do stuff to you when we get there.” Wrinkling her forehead in deep thought, she added, “I’m not sure what, but it’ll come to me.”
She heard him laughing as he shut her door and walked around to his side. He held her hand as they made the trip home. “It looked like you ladies had a great time,” he remarked in a voice filled with amusement.
“Oh, we did.” She giggled. “One of them is pregnant. It’s Beth. No, wait, that’s not right. Maybe it’s Claire. And she has glow gas. Like really bad.” Attempting to bring Jake into focus through her suddenly blurry eyes, she asked, “Would you still love me if I farted like a mule? Because someone at dinner does that.” Before he could answer, she snapped her fingers together clumsily. “It’s Suzy! She’s the one with something in her oven and she’s got gas.” She thought she heard Jake choking when she added, “And she’s horny all the time.”
“That’s um . . . tough,” Jake
said, still sounding wheezy.
“You bet your ass it is.” She nodded. “I want to ride your big stick all the time too so I understand that. When we get home, I’m totally doing that to you. Just wait, it’s going to be the hottest thing ever.”
Patting her hand, Jake said, “I’m sure it will, baby.”
They fell silent for the rest of the trip. At one point, Lydia thought she’d actually woken herself up snoring. She wasn’t sure how that was possible since she didn’t remember going to sleep. Wow, what is Jake doing? Why is the truck rocking so much? Back and forth, back and forth. “Honey,” she said weakly. “I’m not feeling too good. Could you please keep the vehicle straight?”
“Oh shit,” she heard him mutter.
One moment, she was sitting beside him on the way home, and the next, she was bent over a bush in the front yard as her two or maybe three margaritas staged a revolt. Through it all, Jake was right there with her. Holding her up and keeping her hair out of the way. He was her white knight and absolutely the one man she wanted around when she was tossing her cookies. In her drunken state, she had a startling moment of clarity. Real men—the keepers—weren’t there just for the good times or the amazing sex. No, they were there beside you in the trenches when you were at your lowest and they still looked at you as if they were the luckiest bastards alive. Any guy can be a husband, but only a real man will ever use his shirt to wipe your face after you’ve defaced the magnolia bush in clear sight of all the neighbors at midnight. And that same man will carry you in the house, brush your teeth even though your breath smells worse than a dead cat, and then hold you up while he stands in the shower fully clothed himself to clean you off. He will dress your limp body and tuck you lovingly into bed, where he will stay awake to check on you repeatedly throughout the night.
As she felt him kiss her forehead and say, “I love you,” Lydia knew that through all the heartache and loss in her life, she’d found it. The guy who had turned into a man just to love her. It wasn’t that he was better than Brett had been. It was quite simply that when God took one angel from her life, he blessed her three years later with another one. Their beginning might have been unconventional, but in the end, they’d gotten it right, and wasn’t that all any couple could hope for? Each love story takes a different route, but if you truly love each other, you’ll always reach your destination together, no matter what road you travel to get there.
Epilogue
“I thought your wedding was the social event of the year,” Lydia marveled as she stared at the setup for the sunset wedding on the private beach of the Oceanix–Myrtle Beach resort.
“Isn’t this gorgeous,” Crystal whispered in awe. “You have to give Mia credit. When she finally accepted Seth’s marriage proposal, she jumped in with both feet.”
“She’s been like bridezilla from what I’ve heard.” Gwen snickered as the three friends stood together waiting for the service to begin. The billowing white canopies and tents looked amazing against the setting sun as people slowly began to fill the chairs assembled in rows on the sand.
“Sweet man sandwich,” Emma hissed as she carefully navigated the shifting surface in her heels. “Have you seen the Jackson brothers and cousins?”
“Okay, point them out, but be discreet,” Lydia instructed, hoping that Jake wouldn’t notice their fixation on the handsome resort owners.
Emma lowered her voice and said, “Do you see that woman wearing the hideous mustard yellow polyester dress?” When they all cringed but nodded, she continued, “Okay, look to the left of her and back near the first set of torches.”
Crystal was the first to say, “Oh, yeah, I see them. Some of them were at our wedding, but I don’t really remember much from that day.”
“Sweet baby Jesus,” Gwen groaned as her eyes widened. “They sure are hot. I bet they have manly names like Rutherford or Brick.”
Emma giggled as she shook her head. “I’m not sure which name goes with whom, but you’re looking at Rhett, Asher, Dylan, and Luke. Those are Seth’s brothers. Now, the ones walking up on the other side are the cousins and they run resorts as well. I haven’t managed to get their names but look at them. Who in the hell cares? You could call each of them Bubba and they’d still be total studs.”
“You’re talking about the Jacksons, aren’t you?” Suzy Merimon laughed knowingly as she walked up. You would never know that she’d given birth to a daughter less than two months earlier. She’d regained her slim figure with an ease that would make most women hate her.
“You’re damned right we are.” Emma sighed. “I mean look at that man flesh. They’re rich, sexy as hell, and standing like they’ve got ten-inch cocks.”
“This is like a movie or television show,” Beth groaned as she came striding over. “I swear they look too good to be real.”
Before anyone could respond, Claire, Ava, and Ella came hurrying toward them, while darting glances over their shoulders. None too subtly, Ella nodded her head and said, “Did you see—”
“The Jacksons,” they all said together before laughter filled the air.
“I know it’s wrong,” Claire whispered, “but look at them. What kind of gene pool must that family have?”
“They’ve got the best teeth,” Crystal added, before shrugging when everyone stared at her. “What? They do. They’re so perfectly straight and white. Just imagine what a shame it would be if they had buck teeth.”
Ever loyal to her sister, Ella agreed. “That would be a tragedy. Although I’d think someone with their money could afford to make sure that never happens.”
Just then, the wedding planner indicated that it was time for everyone to take their seats. Seth and Mia didn’t have the traditional bridal party. They didn’t feel right about excluding anyone, so they’d decided to forgo that altogether. Since it was one of their own getting married, the ladies had arranged to sit together ahead of time with their husbands taking the row behind them.
Claire, Suzy, Beth, Ella, Emma, Gwen, Ava, Crystal, and Lydia joined hands as Mia made her way down the aisle holding the arm of her mother and her father to the song “Thinking Out Loud,” by Ed Sheeran. Her simple sleeveless white dress floated behind her across the sand, reminding Lydia of a fairy princess.
Seth stood under an arbor woven with lilies and white silk. He had eyes only for his bride as she kissed her parents and skipped the rest of the way to his side. Their vows were simple and heartfelt, and within moments, they were kissing each other and the officiant was proclaiming them Mr. and Mrs. Seth Jackson. As Mia reached their aisle with her new husband, she stopped and hugged each of her friends. Before she pulled away, she whispered, “Did you get a load of the rest of his family?” Before anyone could answer, she’d given them an impish grin and turned to embrace Seth.
The men descended on them then to claim their women and they all entered the huge tents where the reception was being held. Lydia found a quiet corner and motioned Jake toward it. They hadn’t been alone together in hours, and as always, she’d missed him. “Hey, baby,” he said softly before kissing her lightly on the lips. “I can’t wait to get out of here later so I can have some alone time with my wife.”
Lydia nodded eagerly in response. As usual, they were on the same page. “Mia said that they plan to leave in the next hour or so. We’ll be right on their heels.” Leaning her head against his shoulder, she added, “This has been such a magical night, hasn’t it?”
Looking at her intently, Jake asked, “Sweetheart, do you want a big wedding? I’ve told you several times that I’d be happy for us to do that. I know a wedding in Vegas isn’t exactly every woman’s dream. Just say the word and it’s yours.”
Giving a sigh of contentment, she shook her head. “It may have been different than I’d always thought it would be, but I don’t care. There’s no way I’m going back and rewriting history. That’s when we were married. We spent that first n
ight together then—well, kind of—and you put this ring on my finger,” she added, wiggling the sparkling diamond. “I don’t want a do-over because I’m blissfully happy with my life as it is.” That was such an understatement, she thought. Being Jake’s wife and Casey’s stepmother felt as natural to her as breathing. Jake had been granted joint custody of his daughter just a few weeks earlier, and she knew that he was relieved to have the whole thing behind him. Chris hadn’t attempted to block him in the end. Lydia felt sure it had more to do with possibly missing his generous support than not wanting to subject her daughter to an ugly court battle. After all, Chris continued to be—well, Chris. Thankfully, she was dating someone now, and even though she was rarely friendly to Lydia, she seemed to be too occupied with her new boyfriend to expend as much time on unpleasantness. God help them all if she was dumped.
“I love you,” Jake murmured then pulled her from her chair and tucked her on his lap.
Lydia knew she should be embarrassed that they were carrying on like teenagers, but looking around the room, she discovered that they were far from alone. Jason Danvers stood slowly dancing in place with his wife, Claire, in his arms. You didn’t need to hear the words because the love between them was obvious for all to see. A few feet away, Gray Merimon’s eyes were riveted on his wife, Suzy, as she spoke to another couple. Every few seconds, Gray’s hand would stroke lovingly up and down her spine and she’d get the softest smile on her face. Then there was Nick Merimon, curled around his wife and whispering something in her ear. Lydia could see the blush steal over Beth’s cheeks as she cuddled closer to her husband.
Curious as to where the rest of their friends were, Lydia looked around the room until she located Declan Stone sitting beside his wife, Ella. They were talking softly to each other as Declan twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. He laughed at something she said before leaning forward to drop a kiss onto the tip of her nose. Next, there was Mac Powers with his arm around his wife, Ava’s waist while they spoke to Ava’s brother, Brant, and his fiancée, Emma. Lydia wondered if the women knew that even as their men spoke to each other, their eyes never left the woman at their side. At one point, Mac rubbed Ava’s stomach, and Lydia had to wonder if there would be an announcement coming from them soon. And Emma lit up like the Fourth of July when Brant caressed her cheek with his finger. Just a few feet away stood Gwen and Dominic. They’d finally informed all of their friends and family that they’d been married for some time now. When Gwen stood on her tiptoes to throw her arms around Dominic’s neck and hug him close, he obliged her by bending lower and gently encircling her waist before straightening and lifting her off her feet. The honeymoon obviously wasn’t over for those two.