I slowly rose out of the chair and stood in front of the full-length mirror. I stared at my reflection and could hardly believe I was looking at myself. The dress fit my curves in the right place and hid the flab over my stomach. It made me seem taller somehow. Trinity applied spray tan to my shoulders, and it looked like I laid out in the sun all year.

  Trinity came behind me and hooked the pearls around my neck. “I wore them on my wedding day. Now you’ll have something borrowed.”

  I smiled as I touched the necklace. “Thank you.”

  The girls stood off to the side, and they were fanning their faces as they stared at me. Moisture welled up in their eyes and they looked like they were on the verge of tears.

  Clementine could barely get the words out. “So…beautiful.”

  “Awe.” Silke fanned her face. “Cayson is going to cry his eyes out when he sees you.”

  “Cry?” Trinity asked. “He’s going to rip that dress off and take her right in the middle of the aisle.”

  I chuckled as I listened to them. “Thank you. I’m so glad you guys are here with me.”

  They circled around me as I stood in front of the mirror. They stared at my reflection in the mirror, and together we had a moment of silence.

  “I’m so glad you’re going to be my sister,” Clementine said. “I was afraid Cayson would end up with a bimbo.”

  “You guys are so meant to be together,” Silke said. “This day is a long time coming.”

  I listened to their praise and felt anxious. My hands fidgeted together and I kept shifting my weight.

  “What’s wrong, Skye?” Trinity asked with a voice full of concern.

  I released a loud sigh. “I want to get married already.”

  ***

  I was too anxious to eat anything, so I just sipped water while I stayed in the room. Everyone was in and out while they took care of the venue and supplies. The caterers came in with the food, and I saw them through the window.

  There was a light knock on the door.

  Everyone had just been coming in and out, so I knew my visitor wasn’t one of my bridesmaids or my mom. “Come in.”

  The door cracked and my dad poked his head inside. “Are you busy?”

  “No.” I rose to my feet and put down my glass.

  He entered then shut the door behind him. When he turned his gaze on me, his eyes widened slightly before they narrowed again. He examined the sight of me in my dress. He noticed every bead and piece of lace. His eyes watered slightly, a thin coat of moisture just on the surface. “You look so beautiful, pumpkin.”

  The emotion in his voice made my throat dry. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He put his hands in the pockets of his suit as he came closer to me. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks.” I looked down because his gaze was too intense. “I didn’t think this day would ever come…but it finally has.”

  He turned his gaze to the window and looked over the horizon. The sun shined in his eyes and made them brighter than usual. His mind seemed to be in a different place. Then he turned back to me as he came closer. “Cayson is a very lucky guy.”

  “I’m the lucky one.”

  “And it makes me very happy to say that’s true.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and examined it in his fingers. “I’m very happy for both of you but I admit this is hard for me. I don’t expect you to understand until you have your own children.”

  I already knew this would be difficult. Dad had always been protective of me, even years after I became an adult.

  “In a few hours, you won’t be my responsibility anymore. Another man will look after you, and I have no doubt he’ll do a good job.” He opened the box and a thin bracelet was inside. “But I’ll always be your father and I’ll always be here for you—no matter how old you are.” He held my gaze as he spoke. “And it would mean a lot to me if you wore this…for your mother and I.”

  My eyes grew moist so I blinked the tears away. “Of course.”

  He pulled it out of the box then flipped it over. My parents’ names were engraved in the medal, and below that was Roland’s name along with mine. And Cayson had been added as well. “You aren’t leaving the family and it isn’t getting smaller. It’s only getting bigger.” He slipped the bracelet on my wrist and clasped it.

  “Thank you…that was very sweet.”

  He nodded then returned his hands to his pockets. “I should let you finish getting ready.” He stepped back and headed to the door.

  “Dad.”

  He stopped and turned to me.

  I moved into his chest and hugged him. “I remember crying when you dropped me off at preschool. I was so scared…”

  His hand moved down my back and he rested his chin on my head. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

  “And I remember how hard it was for you.”

  “It was…”

  “It’s hard to let go now. But you really aren’t letting go at all.”

  He kissed my forehead. “You’re right.”

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  He took a deep breath while he held me. “I love you too, pumpkin.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Conrad

  “We got the cake,” Roland said. “I made sure it was the right one this time.” He held a list in his hand as he looked over it. “Now we just need to get a head count on the chairs and tables…”

  I wasn’t listening to him. “Have you seen Lexie?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I haven’t seen her around…” I wanted to see her in that bridesmaid dress. I wanted to stick my hand up her dress and take her the way I wanted.

  “You could call her.”

  “She isn’t answering,” I said. “She must not have her phone on her.”

  “Well, you’ll see her around.” He stuffed the list into his pocket. “So, let’s go check on the tables.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  We headed to the lawn then started placing the name cards on each table. Skye and Cayson made a seating arrangement, and we were using that to determine where the cards would be placed.

  Arsen approached us, wearing his suit and tie. “Have you seen Pastor Dave?”

  “Why would I have seen Pastor Dave?” I asked.

  Roland set a few cards down. “Don’t we look busy over here?”

  “Maybe you should be checking on the cake,” Arsen jabbed.

  Roland released an irritated sigh. “When will people let that go?”

  “Never,” Arsen and I said together.

  “It’s not like there was no cake and it was a disaster,” Roland said. “We just had several different ones.”

  “And none of them matched,” I jabbed.

  Roland rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

  Trinity came outside, pulling her dress off her feet as she moved. She was walking fast like she was in a hurry.

  If Trinity was here, then where was Lexie? I wanted to see that sexy lady. Maybe we could sneak off and get it on in the backseat of my car. I knew she loved it back there.

  “Have you seen Pastor Dave?” Trinity asked when she reached us.

  “I’ll trade you,” I said. “Have you seen Lexie?”

  She narrowed her eyes in irritation. “This is serious. Have you seen him or not?”

  “I’m being serious too,” I said. “Have you seen my lady?”

  Trinity held up her hand to me then turned to Roland. “Have you seen him?”

  “No,” Roland answered. “Why?”

  “He should have been here an hour ago.” Trinity looked beautiful but she also looked flustered.

  “I’m sure he’s around,” I said.

  “Shut up, Conrad,” she snapped. “I’ve called him a few times and there’s no answer.”

  “What do you want us to do about it?” Roland asked.

  “I’ve got to take care of Skye,” Trinity said. “Can you handle this situation?”

  “Hey,” I said. “You’re the maid of honor.”

  “Matron of honor,” she snapped. “And I can only do so much.” She turned to Arsen. “Make sure they handle this.”

  Arsen saluted her. “You got it.”

  Trinity gathered her dress and left.

  “Maybe he’s just running late,” Roland said.

  “To a wedding?” Arsen asked. “That seems unlikely.”

  “I’ll give him a call.” I pulled out my phone then made the call. It rang a few times before he answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, this is Conrad Preston. We just wanted to check on your whereabouts for the wedding.”

  He released a loud sigh. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. I got sidetracked and completely forgot.”

  “To officiate a wedding?” I blurted.

  “My daughter got into a very bad car accident…I’m at the hospital now.”

  Now I felt like a dick. “Oh…I’m sorry.”

  “Everything happened so fast…I apologize but I just can’t make it.”

  “No, it’s fine,” I said quickly. “I hope everything is okay.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “Please apologize to Cayson and Skye for me.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly. “We’ve got a backup anyway.”

  “Oh good,” he said. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Goodbye, Pastor Dave.”

  “Bye, Mr. Preston.”

  After I hung up I turned to Roland and Arsen. “We have a situation.”

  “He’s not coming?” Roland asked.

  “And we have a backup?” Arsen asked. “Who is this backup?”

  “Okay…we don’t,” I admitted. “But his daughter got into a bad car accident and I didn’t want to make him feel worse.” I rubbed my temple. “Shit, what are we going to do?” I checked my watch. “The wedding is in like two hours. If we don’t get someone, they can’t get married.”

  Roland ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit.”

  ***

  We barricaded ourselves in a room and started making phone calls.

  “Pastor Simon can’t make it on such short notice,” Arsen said.

  “Father Richard can’t make it either,” Roland said. “He’s an hour and a half away.”

  “Cayson and Skye aren’t catholic,” I snapped. I didn’t do well under pressure, at least not pressure like this.

  “Whatever,” Roland said. “The guy is still an officiate.”

  “We have to figure this out,” Arsen said. “It could ruin the wedding if we don’t.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” I wanted to throw my phone at Arsen’s head.

  We continued our search and found a few names, but those didn’t lead anywhere. No one was sitting around doing nothing on a Saturday, and they certainly weren’t prepared to perform a wedding ceremony with no notice.

  Roland made a few phone calls, and one finally sounded promising. “Yeah, it’s in an hour. I know it’s short notice but can you make it?” He listened to his response. “Please, I’m begging you. Our officiate had an emergency and couldn’t make it.” He listened to the receiver and crossed his fingers in anticipation. Then he fist-pumped the air. “Yes! Thank you. Thank you so much.” He hung up.

  “You found someone?” I asked.

  “Yep,” Roland said with a cocky grin. “I’ve saved the day twice in a row.”

  “Twice?” Arsen asked. “Wasn’t the cake thing your fault to begin with?”

  “No!” Roland grew red in the face. “I’ve said that a hundred times now.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “We found someone so we’re out of the woods. Good job, Roland.”

  “I’m awesome,” Roland said. “I know.”

  “You did good.” Arsen clapped his shoulder. “Now this wedding should be smooth sailing from here on out.”

  “Now excuse me.” I headed to the door. “I have to find Lexie.”

  “Why?” Roland asked.

  I gave him a smug look. “You really need to ask why?”

  ***

  When I finally saw Lexie walking down the hallway, I snatched her by the wrist and pulled her into a spare bedroom.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she asked as I dragged her inside.

  I shut the door and locked it behind me. When I turned to her, I took in her features. Her blonde hair was in big curls, and her make up looked like someone sprayed it on. She looked flawless and beautiful.

  Fuck, I wanted her.

  “Conrad, I have a million things to do. Now is not the time.”

  I pushed her on the bed then lifted up her dress. “I need to be inside you right now.”

  “No.” She swatted my arm away. “The wedding is starting soon.”

  “And I’m going to have a boner the whole time.” I grabbed her underwear and pulled it down.

  “I said no.” She swatted me again but it was half assed.

  “Baby, I’ll make it quick. You can’t expect me to watch you walk around without wanting to make love to you.”

  Her resistance was waning. “I can’t mess up my hair.”

  “That’s fine.” I turned her around and bent her over the bed. Then I leaned over her with my hands on either side of her. My dick found her entrance like a magnet and I slipped inside her. My lips moved to her shoulder and I let out a small moan. “You always feel so fucking amazing.” I bit her shoulder gently.

  Lexie immediately started riding my cock, backing her ass into me.

  I loved it when she did that. “Ride that cock, baby.”

  She moaned quietly as she worked it.

  I continued to kiss her shoulder as I moved into her. We didn’t have a lot of time because someone was bound to notice we were missing. So I moved my hand to her clitoris and rubbed it aggressively. I didn’t like to rush her orgasm because drawing it out was so much more satisfying, but time wasn’t on my side at the moment.

  She didn’t scream when she came, but she tightened around me and became a million times wetter. Her hands dug into my forearms, and she slowly moved her ass up and down my shaft.

  I dug my face into the crook of her neck and released. Filling her was always so satisfying. She was my woman, and I loved claiming her repeatedly in such a carnal way. It made me feel alive.

  When I was finished, I pulled out of her and immediately dressed myself. “Well, thanks.”

  “Thanks?” She stood up and adjusted her clothes. “That’s all I get?”

  I did my belt then grabbed her hips. “It was amazing. Let’s do it again sometime.”

  “By sometime, you better mean tonight.”

  “I mean in a few hours.” I gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Alright, I gotta go. Love you.”

  “Love you.” She gave me a small wave before I walked out.

  ***

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I stood beside Arsen as the rabbi left his car and approached the house. He wore a suit with a white sash around his shoulders. The Star of David was clear in his clothing, and on the top of his head he wore a kippot. A long black beard reached down his chest, and round spectacles sat on the brim of his nose. He carried a bible under his arm and walked with a slow gait.

  “Fuck me,” I whispered under my breath.

  Roland approached us from behind. “Good. He’s here.”

  I grabbed him by the front of his suit then almost strangled him. “You got a Jewish Priest?”

  “Jewish?” he asked. “No. He said he was a rabbi.”

  Arsen covered his face with his palms. “A rabbi is a Jewish priest.”

  “Oh.” Roland clearly didn’t think that was a big deal. “Oh well. He can still perform the ceremony.”

  “No, he can’t,” I hissed. “Because Skye and Cayson aren’t Jewish.”

  “Don’t they believe in the same thing as Jewish people?” Roland asked.

  Arsen cringed.

  “I’m not going to debate religion with you right now,” I snapped. “He can’t marry them. Now we only have thirty minutes before the wedding starts. You’re such a damn idiot.”

  “I didn’t know,” Roland said. “Honestly.”

  “You can be the one to send him away.” I snapped my fingers. “Now go.”

  Roland’s jaw dropped. “I can’t just kick him out.”

  “We don’t need his services, so yes, you’re going to kick him out,” I hissed.

  Roland rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever.” He walked away and left Arsen and I alone.

  “Now what do we do?” Arsen asked.

  “Fuck, I don’t know,” I said. “We’ll have to tell Cayson. I would tell Skye but that would be stupid.”

  “Yeah,” Arsen agreed.

  “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Cayson

  I stood in front of the mirror and examined my appearance in the suit. It fit me perfectly because it was specially tailored for my measurements. I felt like a million bucks—and I hoped Skye would think the same thing.

  Slade sat in the chair by the window. “So, what’s the last thing you’d like to do as a bachelor?”

  I left the mirror then sat in the chair across from him. My fingers drummed on the armrest as I considered his words. “Nothing in particular.”

  “Want to talk about your crazy bachelor life and all the women before Skye?”

  “Not in the least,” I said as I shook my head. “There were others before her but…it doesn’t seem like it ever happened.”

  He nodded. “I know what you mean. When I fell in love with Trinity, my past seemed to disappear.” He lit a cigar then took a puff.

  “You’re smoking now?”

  “Yeah, it’s what bachelors do.”

  I smiled slightly. “You aren’t a bachelor anymore.”

  “Well, for the next hour I am.” He lit one and handed it to me.

  I never smoked cigars but I thought I would do it this one time. I took it from him and inhaled. “These are terrible for you. It’s like having seven cigarettes.”

  Slade shrugged. “We’re going to die anyway, right?”

  “But later rather than sooner.” I took another drag then blew out the smoke.

  “One isn’t going to kill you.” He drank his scotch then poured me a glass.

  “I can’t get drunk before the ceremony.”

  “Just have a few sips to take the edge off.” He took another drink before he set his glass down. “Nervous?”

 

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