It was a damn miracle that we were still standing…let alone standing here. Tate Dilton was dead. Duncan Hugo was in custody. I hadn’t lost my job. And everyone I loved was safe and here. Some of us were a little banged up. But we were here and that was what counted.
My brother’s backyard was decked out for the occasion with a little help from Mother Nature. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. Fall leaves showered the guests in showy colors as the creek burbled over rocks and around bends, adding a familiar music to the lively guitar.
The rows of rustic benches full of excited guests faced the wooden arbor Knox and Lou had made together.
My brother was facing down the pumpkin-lined aisle, looking like he was about to puke all over his suit and tie. He had a cut on his forehead, a bruise under one eye, and several knuckles bandaged. I myself was rocking a few new bruises and a sore-as-hell shoulder.
Under the arbor ready to officiate was Justice St. John, who cleaned up nicely for the occasion, trading in his usual coveralls for a charcoal-gray suit.
Lucian, with a smirk, and Jeremiah took their places next to me. Together, we had my brother’s back.
Naomi’s mom, pretty in gold, flashed me an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the front row. Across from her, Liza J pulled a flask out of her shit-brown cardigan and took a nip. Beside her, I was surprised to see our dad. He looked…good. Healthy. Present. He was decked out in a suit and tie that he kept fiddling with. Next to him was a man I didn’t recognize.
I didn’t have time to draw any conclusions because the music changed and there she was.
Lina appeared at the end of the aisle in scarlet that draped over her like paint from the brush of an enchanted artist. She had a black eye not quite hidden by makeup, ruby-red lips, a bandage on her arm, and a halo of flowers in her hair.
I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life.
My throat closed up on me as she sauntered my way. And I knew for certain I couldn’t wait for her to be walking down a different aisle to me. Our aisle.
I wanted to go to her. To touch her. To drag her up to Justice and make it official. But there’d be time for that. After. We had all the time in the world now.
Her eyes were on me, and that sly, knowing smile of hers warmed every corner of my soul.
Mine.
She tore her gaze away from me and stopped in front of Knox. “Congratulations, Knox,” she whispered. He reached out and pulled her in for a hard hug, his throat working hard to swallow.
The crowd “awwed” as my brother managed to whisper a broken, “Thanks, Leens.”
She pulled back. “They’re both so beautiful,” she added. And then she was standing in front of me.
“Looking good, hotshot,” she said. It was lily of the valley in her hair. For the first time in a long time, I felt the presence of both my parents.
I shocked the hell out of her and everyone else by hooking her around the back of her neck and pulling her in for a fast, hard kiss. The crowd twittered with sighs and laughter.
“Right back at you, Angel,” I said after breaking the kiss.
She grinned up at me with a thousand promises in her eyes before she moved on to high-five Lucian and Jeremiah. Lucian made room for her between the two of us and I felt her hand stroke my back.
Fi strutted down the aisle next in a fitted gold dress like it was a runway. She wore her thick, dark hair down in wild curls tamed by a headband of flowers. She blew Knox a kiss before peeling off toward the opposite side of the arbor. Stef and Sloane were next in the processional. Stef, in a suit, tossed Jeremiah a flirty wink before pointing two fingers at his own eyes before pointing them at Knox.
Sloane, in a rust-colored gown with a full skirt, floated toward us looking like a forest fairy. Her blond hair was swept up and back. A headband of white blossoms perched on her head. She kept her eyes straight ahead until she got to us.
Then she gave Knox a watery smile filled with so much love and hope. I heard Lucian’s sharp intake of breath behind me and wondered if seeing that smile had pierced through his armor somehow.
And then there was Waylay. That brave, beautiful girl was happier than I’d ever seen her as she all but skipped down the aisle in yellow tulle. Her hair was curled into princess ringlets with daisies woven throughout.
In front of me, Knox’s shoulders shuddered once as he fought back a wave of emotions. He held out as long as he could, breaking rank when his daughter reached the front row. Knox picked her up in a crushing bear hug. Waylay’s arms came around his neck and held tight. Two tears slipped down her cheeks before she buried her face in Knox’s shoulder.
After everything the kid had been through, it was the first time I’d ever seen her cry.
Amanda let out a hiccupping sob and started handing out tissues like they were candy.
“Love you, kid,” Knox murmured, his voice cracking.
He set her back on her feet and she swiped the tears away. “Yeah. I guess I kinda love you too and stuff.”
Fi blew her nose noisily while Sloane stared up at the trees and tried not to blink.
“You and your aunt are the two best things that ever happened to me,” Knox said, tipping her chin to look up at him.
For a second, I thought she was going to burst into tears, but Waylay mustered an inner stubborn strength and smothered the emotion. She was going to make a fine Morgan. “Don’t get all mushy. If you get all mushy, this is gonna take forever, and I want cake,” she instructed.
“Got it,” Knox croaked.
She started to move away from him and then gave in to some impulse and wrapped her arms around his waist.
I wasn’t sure if I heard her correctly, but it sounded like she said, “Thank you for loving me.”
Lucian, Jeremiah, and I took turns clearing our throats in a manly attempt to suffocate any feelings.
“Shit.” Lina sniffled behind me. I pulled a wad of tissues out of my jacket pocket and handed them to her. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “Thank you,” she mouthed.
My girl cried at weddings.
Lina Solavita was full of surprises.
When Waylay finally let go of Knox and took her place, my brother looked up at the sky, trying to get control of himself. Dad tentatively rose from his seat. He hesitated—twice—then made the short journey to the arbor and pressed something into Knox’s hand before returning to his seat.
It was a handkerchief. For once in his life, Duke Morgan had shown up when he was needed.
Knox looked down at it, then nodded his thanks.
Comedic relief came next in the form of Waylon in a doggie tux galloping down the aisle as the official ring bearer.
Once the dog plopped his ass down at my feet, courtesy of the fancy dog treat I bribed him with, the music changed again. As the guitarist strummed the first chords of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” the crowd got to its feet.
I heard the sigh run through the guests as Naomi, a vision in white lace, appeared on Lou’s arm.
Knox took one look at her and dropped to a crouch, his hands shaking as they clutched the handkerchief to his face.
From then on, there wasn’t a dry fucking eye in the yard.
Even Liza J had to wipe her nose on her sleeve between nips from her flask. When Knox all but wrestled Naomi out of her father’s grip, when he held her to him like she was the most precious thing in the world, I had to turn around to thumb away a stray tear.
Lina was waving her hands in front of her eyes as if the breeze would help her tears dry.
Lucian stood with red-rimmed eyes, looking like his heart had been shattered into pieces. But he wasn’t looking at the bride and groom. He was looking past them at Sloane, who was openly crying.
“Don’t you dare fuckin’ cry, Daisy,” Knox ordered his bride.
Naomi grinned through her tears of joy. “Too late, Viking. I love you so damn much.”
The muscles in Knox’s jaw and throat worked. “You’re everything I always wanted and never thought I deserved.”
Naomi’s broken sob was echoed by Lina and Sloane. I couldn’t take it anymore. I shifted and put my arm around Lina, pulling her into my side. The delicate blooms in her hair tickled my face like a caress.
Naomi looked up at Justice, who was brushing away a tear or two of his own, and grinned. “I always knew I’d get you to marry me somehow, Justice.”
With the I dos said, the tears dried, and the drinks served, there was nothing left to do but enjoy the day.
Waylay held court next to the creek with a huge slab of cake, her friends from the soccer team, and the dogs.
Lina was in the photo booth again with Sloane and Fi. The photographer was still frantically looking for Naomi and Knox, who had been suspiciously absent for the last twenty minutes or so. No one had the heart to tell her the bride and groom were probably getting it on somewhere in the house.
“Wanna push an old lady around the dance floor?” Liza J asked, appearing at my elbow when the band shifted into George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” It was one of Mom’s favorites, which made it one of mine.
“I’d be honored,” I said, offering her my arm.
We found a spot on the dance floor surrounded by friends and family. I knew every single face here and recognized what a miracle that was. What a privilege it was not just to be part of this town but to serve it.
“So I’m just gonna get this out,” my grandmother announced. “I was thinkin’ during the ceremony when everyone else was bawling like a bunch of babies. If things had worked out differently, there wouldn’t have been a wedding today without you. If that Dilton asshole had better aim, we wouldn’t be standing here watching your brother marry a woman who’s so far out of his league he’d better never quit trying to earn her. You taught Knox how to be brave. To do the work. And I’m real damn proud of both of you.”
I was so taken aback I actually missed a step. Morgans didn’t talk about feelings, especially not to other Morgans. “Well, shit, Liza J.”
“Shut up. Not done yet. Your mom wasn’t yours to save, Nash. It was her time. Nothing you or anybody else could have done to stop it. She lived as big and loud and colorful as she could in the short time we had her. We were damn lucky to get those years with her. And I’m damn lucky to have the grandsons she made. I don’t know if you know this, but when she was little, your mama wanted to be a cop. Eventually, real life got in the way. But I know for sure Jayla’s up there tickled pink watching you serve and protect down here.”
For the second time that day, my eyes went cloudy.
“Mind if I cut in?” Wraith in his formal motorcycle leathers offered his hand to Liza J.
“Yeah, we’re definitely done here,” my grandmother announced. She danced away with the burly biker before I had the chance to say another word.
“You look like you could use a drink.” Lina came into my line of sight.
“How about a dance instead?” I reached out and pulled her into my arms.. “You look happy,” I observed, moving us to a quiet corner of the dance floor.
“I mean, you’d kind of have to be a heartless monster not to be happy today,” she said, swaying with me to the beat of the music. “I just got off the phone with Nolan’s ex-wife.”
“Oh, really?” I spun her out, then pulled her back to me.
She laughed. “She’s at the hospital with him. He’s gonna be fine. And I think there’s a possibility that they’re gonna be fine. Especially since he told her he’s moving to the private sector.”
“Lucian offered him a job. I still don’t know if he did it just to keep Nolan from dating Sloane.”
Lina took a fortifying breath before confessing, “He offered me one too.”
“Did he now?”
“It’s with his research team. It would mean a bigger paycheck. No time in the field. The only travel would be between where I live and DC once or twice a week.”
“Sounds like quite an opportunity,” I said.
Her eyes sparkled. “Naomi and Sloane also asked if I’d be interested in helping with their new venture.”
“Really? What are you gonna do?” I asked.
“I think I might take some time off first. I have a boyfriend I’d like to get to know better before I commit to another job.”
“A fiancé,” I corrected.
“No second thoughts yet?”
I shook my head. “If you’re planning on sticking around, I guess we’d better start looking for a house,” I drawled.
Lina blanched and stepped on my foot. I grinned down at her and hoped I never lost the power to rattle her.
“You want to buy a house together?” she squeaked.
“There’s no way your entire wardrobe is gonna fit in my closet. Might as well find a place that’ll hold all those nice bags and shoes.”
Her eyes narrowed as she rose to the challenge. “You know, if we’re buying a house together I guess a wedding might be kind of fun,” she mused.
“I think so,” I agreed amicably.
“And after seeing Knox and Waylay…maybe one kid wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”
“One kid definitely wouldn’t be the worst.”
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “How can you be so blasé about all this? This is your entire future we’re talking about. Real estate and marriage and babies.”
“Angel, as long as you’re by my side, none of that scares me.”
She shook her head and looked up at the canopy of trees and sky above us. “Well, I’m pretty damn terrified. What if you change your mind?”
I dropped her into a dramatic dip and reveled in the way her arms tightened around me. “Too late for that.”
“No, it’s not. In fact, now’s the ideal time for you to change your mind before we do anything permanent.”
I righted us both and cupped her face in my hands.. “Let me show you exactly how permanent this is right now.”
“Lead the way,” she said.
I was towing her away from the party when someone called my name.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
I turned and found my father standing there. The man who’d sat next to him during the ceremony was behind him.
“I just wanted to say goodbye,” Dad said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He had his jacket slung over his arm and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. The 0522 was still visible, though faded to a grayish blue on his skin.
“This is Clark, by the way. He’s my sponsor,” Dad said, making the introductions.
Surprised, I offered my hand. “Good to meet you, Clark.”
“You too. Your dad’s been making some positive headway,” he said.
“Glad to hear it.”
Dad looked past me and offered Lina a small smile.
“Dad, this is Lina. My fiancée.” I couldn’t wait to change that word to wife. My wife.
“I figured that one out during the ceremony,” Dad teased. “Congratulations to you both.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Morgan. Your sons turned out pretty great,” Lina said, shaking his hand. She looked down at his arm at the number inked into his skin, then looked at me, her gaze going soft.
“Call me Duke. And I can’t take credit for my sons. All the good in them came from Jayla.”
I hadn’t heard my dad use Mom’s name in years. Maybe there really was hope.
“Not all the good,” Lina countered.
He gave her a small, grateful smile. “Well, figured it was time to hit the road. Don’t think I’m quite ready to face an open bar,” he said.
“It was good to see you, Dad.”
“Good to see you too, Nash. Nice meeting you, Lina.” He started to leave, then paused. “I’m real proud of you, Son. Real proud. I know that probably doesn’t mean much. But I also know your mom would be over the moon.”
I couldn’t find the words so I settled for a nod.
We watched them go.
“You okay?” Lina asked, scratching her nails against my back.
“Yeah. I am. Come on.” I led her into the house and up the stairs. There was a cheer that went up in the backyard, and I guessed that Knox and Naomi had just made their post-wedding-sex entrance.
“Where are we going?” Lina asked.
“Gotta show you something,” I said, opening a door and pushing her inside.
“Oh my God. Is this your room?” she asked, taking in the small bed under the checkered comforter, the shelves of trophies, and other boyhood knickknacks.
“It was. I told Naomi she could redecorate, but I guess she hasn’t gotten around to it.”
I closed the door and locked it.
“Sex at your brother’s wedding?” she said coyly. “My, my, hotshot. I’m impressed.”
I unbuckled my belt and she wet her lips. That peek of pink tongue and wet lips was all it took for me to go hard.
“Been thinking a lot lately.”
“When have you had time to think? We spent most of the last twenty-four hours dodging bullets,” she teased.
“Every waking moment since I found you in my stairwell.” I nudged her until she sat down on my old bed.
“That’s a lot of thinking.”
“You’re a complicated woman. It takes a lot of thought and planning when it comes to figuring out how to convince you to make a life with me.” I slid my pants down my thighs.
Her eyes were on my groin and I felt the pulse and throb her attention ignited in my dick.
I hooked my thumbs in the band of my boxer briefs.
“If you think your cock—magnificent as it is—is going to count as some kind of grand gesture that proves you’re in this for the long haul, you’d better go back to the drawing board.”
She was already parting her knees on the edge of the mattress. I longed to push all that silk up around her waist and take her. To show her how much I needed her. To remind her how much she wanted me.
But first I had something else to do.
I turned around.
“I might be willing to accept your ass as a grand—”
Her words cut off as I shoved my underwear down.
“Nash!” she gasped.
I tried to peer over my shoulder at her to get a sense of what she was feeling. “Damn it, this was stupid. I should have gotten it someplace else. Somewhere I could see you.”
What had I been thinking? A woman like Lina deserved a midnight proposal on safari with fireworks and fucking lions. Not—
“Angel wings,” she whispered, stroking her fingers over the fresh ink.
I winced.
“Poor baby,” she teased. And then I felt her lips brush my ass cheek.
My cock responded accordingly.
“I can’t believe you got a tattoo for me. On your ass. You realize this makes it official. Your ass is mine. Every woman in town is going to be devastated. Because I’m absolutely telling them about it. In fact, I need my phone. I want a picture of this.”
“Angel,” I said.
“What?”
“It’s not done yet.”
“I can see that.”
“Someone had to get herself kidnapped in the middle of the inking. But that’s not what I meant.”
“What’s missing?” she asked.
“Our date. The happiest day of my life.”
She was silent so long, I turned to face her with my pants still around my thighs. “Knox got today’s date done over his heart. Family tradition,” I said.
Those beautiful brown eyes were glassy with tears. Her full, red lips trembled.
“Make a life with me, Angelina. You can be as scared about it as you want because I’m not. I’ll be strong enough for the both of us.”
She nodded and a single tear spilled over. I crouched down in front of her and thumbed it away, then moved in to kiss her.
But she stopped me. “I still get a ring though, right?” There was joy and mischief sparkling in her eyes, mixing with the tears.
I grinned. “Already have an appointment with the jeweler scheduled for tomorrow.”
She leaned in closer until our mouths were just a breath apart. “Then I guess I’d better schedule my appointment.”
“Your appointment for what?”
“My Nash tattoo. I was thinking maybe your badge might be appropriate.”
I surged up, pinning her to the mattress.
“I fucking love you, Angel.”
“I love you, Studly Do-Right,” she whispered, stroking a hand over my face.
A loud knock rattled the door, and for a second, I flashed back to my teenage years.
“Lina? Are you in there?” a voice called.
Lina jackknifed into a seated position. “Is that my mother?” she hissed.
“Shit.” I stood, frantically trying to pull my pants up.
“Lina? You in there? That Knock guy said you were probably up here.”
“Dad?” she squeaked, looking shell-shocked.
“Maybe they’re having sex,” her mother suggested from the hallway.
“Why do you have to say shit like that, Bonnie?” her dad said.
“Why are my parents here?” Lina demanded as she frantically straightened her dress.
“I forgot to tell you. I maybe kind of invited them…after I asked them for their permission to marry you…after I already proposed.”
She put her hands on my chest and looked into my eyes.
“Prepare to be smothered for the rest of your life.”
I was looking forward to it.
