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Present Day
Having his three older brothers with him in the room at the back of the country club made the space go from small to damn near claustrophobic. The necktie, which suddenly seemed far too tight around his throat, certainly wasn’t helping the situation.
He’d barely managed to get it on because his hands were shaking so much. Tanner’s penetrating stare only managed to contract the iron grip of nerves holding onto his stomach. Dean swallowed several times then tried to smile as effortlessly as possible. “What’s that look for?”
A small half smile transformed Tanner’s serious face. “For as much shit as we’ve given you over the years, I never actually thought the day would come when you and Jillian actually got married.” He clapped the younger man on the back. “Hell, I didn’t really think you’d ever make a commitment.”
Everyone other than Wyatt believed the fictitious moment to be real and Wyatt not only knew the truth of the arranged marriage, but Dean’s feelings for Jillian as well. That meant that Dean could speak all the things he’d hidden from Jillian.
All the things he knew damn well he should have said before today arrived, but with each perfectly good opportunity he’d managed to chicken out.
“It’s Jilly.” He spoke her name with a reverence he hadn’t before thought himself capable of, but like everything else, she changed it all. “I’m pretty sure I’ve actually been in love with her since I was seven years old, I was just too stupid to recognize it.”
Wyatt settled deeper into one of the few chairs lining the room, kicked his booted feet up on another seat and crossed his ankles, pulling his ever present cowboy hat down over his eyes and leaning his head back. “So you’re an idiot, this isn’t news.”
Shit. His brother was coming dangerously close to…
Why the hell had he trusted Wyatt?
Instead of actually saying that, he arched a brow and pointed at his brother, even though Wyatt couldn’t see the action. “Me? You bailed on Georgia and barely pulled your head out of your ass far enough to win her back.” He turned an accusatory finger to Tanner. “You nearly lost a frickin’ Norman Rockwell idyllic life.” He moved on to Connor. “And I don’t really think you actually did anything wrong with Kelsey, but you get lumped in with those two assholes because you’re here and share DNA.”
Wyatt straightened in his chair, righting his hat enough to shoot Dean a dark glare. One mirrored by Tanner. Connor smacked the heel of his hand to his forehead.
“Nice inspirational speech, little brother.”
Dean sighed and folded his arms in front of his chest. “All I’m saying is that we’ve all screwed up. Hell, Dad even screwed up once upon a time.” Jillian flashed in front of his mind’s eye. “And I wasted a lot of years, but I’ve gotten a second chance with her and I’m not going to lose the opportunity to prove how much I love her.” His gaze swept over the three other men in the room. “I would think if anyone could understand that, it would be my brothers.”
The tight lines at the corners of Tanner’s eyes softened and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Basically all the Carlisle men are idiots who are lucky as hell we have very forgiving women.”
Dean grinned. “Yeah, basically.”
Tanner flicked his wrist then motioned toward Connor and Wyatt. “All right. Time for us to take our places.”
As the other men got into position and waited for Jillian’s attendants to arrive and take their arms, Dean took a moment in the silence of the small room and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose and slowly exhaling through his mouth. He was about to utter some very genuine vows to a girl who thought it was all a hoax to save her asshole of a father, her entire family.
Shit. He was just as big of an asshole for not opening his mouth and telling her sooner.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” he whispered to himself as he finally left the room and took his place in line behind Connor just before his older brother stepped out onto the aisle.You got yourself into one hell of a mess, now you just got to hope you can somehow find your way out of it without losing her.
Dean took careful, measured steps down the white satin material the covered the ground between the two groups of seats. He plastered a smile on his face and did his damnedest not to wince when he saw the tears streaming down his mother’s cheeks bracketing either side of her own broad grin.
He barely had a second to breathe when every atom of oxygen disappeared from his lungs. Jillian stood less than thirty feet from him in a gorgeous and—dammit all to hell—body hugging gown. Every delicate curve was accentuated in mouthwatering detail.
His knees nearly buckled beneath him as his gaze traveled up the front of the dress and his eyes feasted on the two small, pert orbs discreetly, but definitely noticeably showcased by the dip in the neckline.
Relief washed over him as she glided closer and he didn’t see a trace of the concern or worry in her eyes he was so certain would greet him. Instead her emerald irises sparkled back at him and a smile that rivaled his own nearly blinded him.
Just as Jillian and her father stopped a foot in front of him, the magistrate that golfed at the club with her father said something just over Dean’s right shoulder, but he couldn’t recite a word of it if someone held a gun to his head. Mr. Monroe nodded and spoke and the next thing he knew the other man was giving her a hug, then sliding her hand into Dean’s.
She lifted onto her tiptoes and put her lips close to his ear. “I know you’re only doing this because you’re frickin’ amazing and you’re bailing my ass out, but I wouldn’t want to do something this stupid with anyone but you.”
He grinned and winked as she pulled back and took her place by his side in front of the magistrate. “Right back atcha.”
The truth niggled at the back of his mind, but Dean squashed the voice down into oblivion when the magistrate turned to him, waiting for him to recite his vows.
He took both of her hands in his and held firmly, a small measure of surprise crackling through him as she tightened their hold even more.“Jillybean, I love you.” He poured every drop of sincerity he had into the handful of words, hoping she could somehow hear what he hadn’t actually said. “You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.”
It was a vow that was a slight variation on the traditional, but neither of them were very traditional anyway. And it was absolutely perfect for the girl who had already been his best friend through three roller coasters’ worth of ups and downs.
