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Chapter Seven
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Willa
"Hell yeah, I did!" Payton hugs me tight. "He pulled us aside during the rehearsal and asked and, of course, we told him abso-fucking-lutly." All of my sisters are ringing around me, hugging me. The guys are all over with Peirce slapping him on the back and congratulating him. I see dad shake hands with him and my heart melts a little bit.
Peirce did good. This was the best way to propose to me. He brought my whole family in on the process and made it something I can share with them forever. I love it all. Mom hurries over and squeezes me tight. "We'll have a whole new wedding to plan soon. Have you thought about what kind you want?"
Oh shit! No, I haven't. I have the idea of what I thought my dream wedding would be when I was a little girl but to be honest I haven't thought about it in a long time. I shake my head but she's not deterred at all. She just smiles at me and pulls me back into her arms. "It's not a problem. You have time to figure it out."
Do I? Do I have time? I'm pregnant. I have a caveman for a future husband and I just told him I want to change professions like some women want to change shoes. I'm still thinking about everything and getting more and more overwhelmed when I hear Payton call for me. I find her in a little room off the hall of the main room we are in. When I come into the room, Teddy is sitting in front of Payton breathing fast and hard.
Oh shit! I turn to yell at whichever sister followed me, "Get Reef. Go find him."
I hurry over to Teddy knowing that Charlie will find Reef. Thank God it was her that followed me. Not that Hadden wouldn't have done anything for Teddy, because she totally would. I just think Charlie is a bit more levelheaded in matters like this one. Hell, I don't know if I'm going to be alright. Teddy looks scared shitless and isn't breathing the way she should. Quite frankly, it's scaring the shit out of me. I step back and right into the arms of Peirce when Reef comes through the door. He asks for us to give them some privacy and I want to - I really do - but I've never seen Teddy like that before. Payton doesn't seem to mind. She presses her ear up to the door. If she's going to do it, it won't hurt if I do it too.
Charlie creeps closer to us and finally gives in too. All three of us strain to listen to what is going on with our sister. We hear them mumbling and then the door comes open with our combined weight spilling us onto the floor. Arms pick me up and start checking me out. I hate to say it, but Charlie broke mine and Payton's fall. We jump up and go running to our sister and another newly engaged James sister.
"Get married with me!" Payton stops the conversation cold. Teddy puts up a fight but she's going up against our most hard-headed sister. Payton always gets what Payton wants. "Can I do it with you too?"
Heads turn in the room, including Peirce's. "It's just, I've made Peirce wait for so long," I catch his eyes so he knows even though I am addressing the room, I am talking just to him, "I don't want to wait any longer."
It's literally like everything in my head fell in place during the fall through the door. I want to marry Peirce before my baby bump pops. I want to do it because I can't wait to be his not because I give a shit about what I will look like in a wedding dress. I would marry him naked but I really don't think Peirce would be okay with that.
"Hell, yes you can!" Payton is running from me to Teddy and back again, hugging both of us.
"Me too?" Charlie holds up her hand showing us a blue engagement ring. What the hell is happening right now? Is it the island or something in the water? Or maybe it's just our family. We've always been so close, maybe fate decided to step in and make sure we will always remain close since we're about to share this special day together.
"What the hell is going on? Why is everyone standing around in here?" Hadden comes through the door.
Hadden, she'll be the only unmarried sister.
Payton rushes over to tell her what is going on. "Oh, um...got room for one more?"
The room goes quiet and everyone waits. Payton breaks the silence. "Who?"
Hadden's cheeks pinken and she drops her eyes. I don't think I have ever seen her this...tame. "Dirk."
I let out a loud whoop! He did take her home and handcuff her to his bed just like I thought he did.
"Oh my God! We have so much to do. We have to figure out how all five of us are going to fit down the aisle." Payton hugs all of us.
"Maybe I can help with that." Peirce's voice cuts through the room. Everyone turns to stare at him but he's got eyes just for me. He walks over to me and hands me a piece of paper with my name on the bottom. I don't look at the paper, I just keep my eyes focused on him.
"I...," he twines our hands together and brings mine to his lips for a kiss, "bought the Castle. For you."
All the blood rushes from my head and I sway a little. "Did...did you just say, you bought the Castle?"
"I wanted to give you something old besides the legends. I can tell how important that place is to you. I want it to be the place that becomes important to us, a place to raise our children and grow and love one another." His hand falls to my stomach where our little one rests inside of me. He turns to look at the rest of the people standing around me. "And given its history, I think it would be the perfect place to have a wedding where sisters marry the men they love."
"Out on the bluff where they got married." Teddy speaks up and her voice is thick with the romantic notion of following the first man and woman to find love and live life here. Her writer soul is coming out for everyone to see. I love it. I give a big grin to Tripp. I think he makes her feel safe enough to show that side of her confidently.
"So, what do you say Willa?" Tripp asks. "Do you think you could open your house up for five sisters to get married at the bluff and have the reception in your new house?"
I grin back at him and turn to look at Peirce who has given me more than I could ever hope for. "I think we can do something like that."
