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Fun fact: punt-kicking a chicken was never a good idea.
Yeah, I killed a chicken at our first wedding. I’d had no goddamn clue my brothers had hidden her in my room as I was getting ready, and she’d scared the shit out of me.
And yes, I paid Henry a thousand dollars for the goddamn chicken that went missing. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that I’d kicked her across the room out of fear.
“I like to think Mrs. Cheep is up there with Mr. Snuffles,” Finn said.
“God bless Mr. Snuffles,” my brothers and I murmured in unison. That fucking possum.
“Do you have Nolan on the phone?” I asked softly when I turned back to Declan. For as much as we all wanted Nolan at the wedding, he wouldn’t leave the apartment. He never did. The kid was barely surviving the aftermath of what the hunter had done to him. Physically, he was fine. Scarred but fine. Mentally, he had shut down on all of us. He didn’t text, didn’t call, didn’t want visitors. We all rotated shifts to bring him food, pick up his apartment, and take care of his cats. All the while, Nolan never left his room.
“One way,” Declan told me as he held the phone out of hearing range. “I got him to agree to watch the ceremony, but he won’t allow two-way video. I don’t know that he’ll stay on the whole time.”
I understood that. I hated it, but I understood it. I nodded and gestured for him to bring the phone closer.
“Love you, baby brother,” I said when Nolan could hear me. “Just know Genevieve and I both are thinking about you today. We love you, and we’ll be by later with cake and dinner for you.”
I waited for some kind of response. It usually took him a bit to do so.
“You don’t have to,” Nolan replied, barely audible.
“I know, kid, but I’m not giving up on you,” I promised gently. “None of us are.”
He said nothing, but I didn’t expect him to. The kid was slipping away from us. It worried the hell out of me—out of all of us.
“I got him,” Declan whispered. “You just worry about you and Ginny today.”
“Thank you. Just make sure you and Raven get out of here in time to beat the snow to East Havenwood.”
“We have three old men waiting to play cards, and I’m going to piss off Mrs. Ward tonight.” He laughed. “I’ll make sure we’re out of here in time.”
“Killian!” a little girl shrieked before I could reply. I grinned as I recognized Lizzie’s voice and turned in time to see her racing down the aisle.
“It’s my favorite muffin thief!” I exclaimed as I caught her, hoisting her lanky little self off the ground. She laughed as she hugged me, and I got a face full of blonde hair saturated in glitter. “Girl, you’re getting big.”
“That’s what I keep telling her.” Grant chuckled as he walked toward us. The man looked ready for work in what I would’ve guessed was his work suit. I kept that comment to myself. “I keep trying to put bricks on her head, but it hasn’t done a thing. How are you doing, Killian?”
“I’m good,” I said and shook the hand he offered. If there was ever anyone I looked short next to, it was Grant with his six-foot-five linebacker frame. However, anyone looked short next to him. “I’m glad you two could make it.”
While we had a pack full of kids we could’ve relied on, I wanted Lizzie to be the flower girl. The kid meant more to me than any of the pack kids ever had.
“Are you kidding?” he scoffed. “She had our whole trip planned before we even hung up the phone.”
“I like to be prepared,” Lizzie replied.
“And that’s what your dad needs,” I told her. “He’s so unorganized.”
“So unorganized.” She rolled her hazel eyes with more attitude than should’ve been legal. The fucking sass on this child.
“Okay, see that woman over there? With the blue hair?” I pointed across the church, and Lizzie nodded. “She’s got her son with her. He’s six. Real cool kid. His name is Walker. I know for a fact he knows where all the secret snacks are because I told him. Why don’t you go say hi until we’re ready to begin?”
“Okay!” Lizzie practically bounced off the carpet when I set her down. Fuck, it warmed my heart to see her happy. As soon as she was gone, I turned to Grant.
“His mom is named Danica Stone,” I said. “Quiet, no-nonsense type.”
“Is she one of you?” he asked.
“Yes, but Walker is her everything, so that’s where her focus is,” I replied. “I think you can understand that. Single parent and all.”
