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“Didn’t Uncle Maddox put you down for a nap?” Her ‘Uncle Maddox’ was really the other top in her MFM dynamic.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Then why are you up, naughty girl?”
“I’m… uh… sleepwalking?”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.
He shot me a grin over her head before bending his head and whispering something in her ear. She buried her face in his neck. I imagined he had promised her some kind of punishment.
He closed the space between us and pulled me in for a hug. “It looks nice. I was curious to see how Dallas would pull off a Victorian Gothic Wedding.”
“It does look great. Your staff has been really helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Having a staff at the Bridal Bar is new for us, but we just couldn’t handle the growth of the business alone.”
I nodded. The bridal bar had only been open a year, but it was popular due to its charm. I imagined it was bringing in a great deal of business.
Reagan whispered something in Travis’ ear, making him smile.
“Yes, but then you’re going to take a nap. Understand, Little girl?” He set her on her feet.
“We did something special for you and Dallas. Do you want to see?” She asked me.
“I would love to see it, little darlin’.”
She grabbed my hand and led me through the ceremony area and into the room where we would have the reception. She pulled me into a dressing room and flipped on the light.
“We thought that this would make your day extra special,” Reagan explained. She took a step back as I stepped closer to the framed photo.
A picture of River had been placed in a gorgeous gold frame. The frame was sitting on top of a small table that had been covered with a cloth matching our wedding colors. To the right of the frame was a matching plaque that read ‘This light burns in honor of those who are watching today from heaven.’ On the bottom of the plaque sat a small candle.
“Oh, Regan,” I said before I pulled her into a tight hug. “You have no idea how special this makes our day.”
She grinned up at me, clearly happy with my reaction.
“We have a special chair saved for his photo to sit on during the ceremony and then we’ll move it to this table for the reception. It will be sitting close to the bridal party table.”
“Tell him who’s going to move it, Little one.”
“Me. I wanted the job because it’s so super ‘portant.”
“This was such a sweet idea, Reagan. Thank you,” I said, placing my hand over my heart. “I know you’re the perfect person for the job.”
She blushed. Travis took her hand and led her from the room. “I’m going to put this one down for a nap in my office. Let us know if you need anything.”
I appreciated that he was giving me some time alone to process the gesture. I picked up River’s photo and stroked my thumb across his face.
“It never gets easier, River. I had this stupid notion that as more time passed, it would hurt less, but I was so wrong. Planning this wedding without you was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Dallas has cried more this week than she did the weeks after you passed. We are so excited to start our lives together, but celebrating without you just feels so wrong. You were supposed to be my best man and you’re not here.” I wiped at the rapidly falling tears. It was no use, more just fell in their place.
“I actually don’t have a best man. I couldn’t let anyone else hold the position. Onyx, Travis, Maddox, and Axel are my groomsmen. I still can’t believe I let Axel be in the wedding. You remember Axel, that mean as shit bartender I hired? He sucked as a bartender, but he’s an excellent monitor for the play parties, so I kept him employed. I just know the bastard is going to trip over his feet or forget to wear underwear or something. The Littles love him, though, and Dallas specifically asked if he could be a groomsman. I have to admit, he grew on me over the years…” I trailed off. I knew I was rambling. “I miss you so fucking bad, River, but I promise you, I’ll love and protect Dallas with everything inside of me until my very last breath.”
***
Dallas
“You look beautiful,” Emily assured me as she straightened the bottom of my wedding dress.
