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Chairs lined the center of the square in front of the old gazebo for two hundred of our closest friends. The girls were getting ready upstairs, and if I wanted to keep my manhood, I promised Molly we’d be out of the way before they came down. True to my word, just as we lined up beside the town square gazebo, the door opened.
Tess was the first to appear. Lucy was tasked with sourcing the bridesmaid’s dresses since she had contacts with a few major designers in the state. All the girls would wear deep crimson, which I was told would complement the pageants of flowers. Julia came next, followed by Lucy.
Jackson stood by my side as best man while Ben and Knight rounded out the pack. Although Ben was my twin, Jackson and I probably had the closest connection.
The soft notes of piano faded away, and the stringed quartet began their rendition of Can’t Help Falling in Love. When the door opened again, I lost my breath and my vision at the same time. Something foreign dripped from my eyes, and I couldn’t make it stop. Wiping them away, I saw her. She was a vision sent from heaven in a winter white satin gown that clung to her hips and flared just below the knees, dropping to the ground. The lace of the long sleeves dripped like honey onto her wrists, and the netting of the high neck gave the illusion of a plunge between those two buds of paradise.
Her hair was down in flowing waves, just the way I liked it, with a few loose strands teasing her face. And in her hands were two single yellow flowers, Buttercups. Everything was perfect, but in this moment, nothing mattered but her. Not the flowers, the dresses, or even the people. All that mattered were the two of us. Everyone else disappeared into nothingness when I looked into her big emerald eyes, eyes I wanted to spend the rest of my life drowning in.
She was my redemption and salvation, and I wanted to run and rip her from her father’s arm before she could make it to the altar. It felt like an eternity waiting for her to reach my side, but when she did, my breath was restored, and my heart was complete.
We repeated our vows in an abbreviated ceremony considering the temperature, and thank fuck the reception was indoors at the Lux. No one was in the mood for frostbite or any other weather-related maladies.
We danced the ceremonial first dance, but after the father/daughter and mother/son ballads, we found our way back into each other’s arms and never let go.
Molly’s friends and my brothers lingered by the bar with drinks in hand as we swayed and waltzed through every tune on the playlist. When the last song was ending, I dramatically dipped her delicate frame and crashed my lips to hers. Bringing her upright, I broke the kiss and nuzzled into her neck, playfully biting and kissing the sensitive skin below her ear. “Buttercup, this is it, baby. You are my everything. End of.”
Molly
It was a night I’d never forget. My prince charming was real, and we were ready to begin our happily ever after. Just looking at him across the room with his family made my heart swell and my thighs ache. Everyone was happy and laughing, and I knew somewhere Michael was smiling down, giving his approval. So much has happened since the Halloween Festival last year.
I left Stone Creek and moved in with Courtland in his Manhattan penthouse, but we visited our parents every month and kept up with the crew through weekly FaceTimes. We spent every spare moment when we weren’t in bed getting reacquainted with each other’s bodies, planning this storybook wedding.
Ben spent most weekends with Julia in New York, and Tess and Knight were exclusively dating. Lucy and Jackson still hated each other, although we’re waiting for one of them to admit to a hate fuck. Something wasn’t right there, but time would tell. We had an under-the-table bet on who would crack first. Since redheads were known for their fierce stubbornness, my money was on Jack.
Courtland’s dad was still in remission and was consulting on a few of his in town projects. My parents still lived in Stone Creek, but after buying an RV, they spent half the year traveling the continental United States.
I missed playing piano regularly at the Lux, but whenever we make our monthly jaunt down south, Ben added me to the schedule, and Julia had me teaching a couple of classes each week. It gave me something to fill my time when Courtland was away on business.
I was sitting lost in thought when a soft hand touched my shoulder. Looking up, my three best friends stood beside me, tears filling their eyes. Lucy clutched my arm, and Tess and Julia tried to hide their emotion. “Hey, what’s going on?” My concern was genuine. I had been friends with these women for as long as I could remember, and never had the waterworks been this much in sync as they were at that moment.
“Molly, we are just so happy for you and Courtland. Everything was perfect.” Julia wrapped her arms around me, and suddenly, it was a tear fest for the four of us. After we all had a good cry, things turned serious. “You know.” Julia continued with her head cocked. “Robert and Olivia King sure know how to make the finest specimen of men.” She was practically eye fucking Ben from across the room.
Tess was quick to pipe in. “Oh my God, yes, Knight is the most handsome guy I’ve ever laid eyes on, and he knows how to do the laying, if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows as I rolled my eyes, and Julia smirked while she fanned her face dramatically.
When all eyes turned toward Lucy, she was biting her lip, trying to look disinterested in the conversation. “What?” She shrugged and pretended she hadn’t been listening to what we were saying.
“Oh come on now, Luce, don’t you wonder just a little bit about what Jackson King looks like under all that leather and chains? What’s under the hood of that F150?” I bit back a smile and pinned her with a stare.
“I guess Satan’s not that hideous looking.”
Everyone laughed until we noticed Lucy had gone stock still. She was looking down at her lap; the color had drained her face, and she looked like she was ready to throw up.
“What’s wrong, Lucy?” We all said in unison.
She didn’t speak; she just turned her phone so we could read the text.
“Evil Bitch, who’s that?” Tess was clueless.
“It’s her mom, long story.” I tried to be gentle with my words.
Evil Bitch: Lucy, darling. I just wanted to tell you that Don and I are coming for a visit in two weeks. We’re traveling south and couldn’t come that far without checking in with you. We have so much to catch up on. Don’t make any plans for the fourteenth. We want to take you and that handsome boyfriend out for dinner that night. You’ve told us so much about him, and we just can’t wait to meet Jackson King.
“I am so fucked.”
