Chapter 36
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Cleo
“I’m going to kill him, but that’s only if my buddies don’t kill him first.”
Jax’s hand gripped the steering wheel after what he said, and I took one of his hands. I was mad too, but I knew I had to be the voice of reason for my husband.
Placing Jax’s hand in my lap, I rubbed it. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’ll be okay if my friends and I make it to Vegas in time,” Jax grunted. I’d never seen him so red. The flush actually made its way to his dark hairline.
Despite his anger, my husband looked so handsome.
His hair was moussed, and he wore a suit he purchased for the last charity event we both attended.
I’d found a formal gown in my closet that sparkled and complemented his suit.
I’d even been able to fashion my hair into a nice chignon despite how rushed we’d both been leaving the house.
Jax bared his teeth. “Royal and Ramses are furious.”
I didn’t blame them. It was their children getting married.
Jax and I knew Wells had been up to something tonight.
Even still, this particular something surprised us.
It was only by the grace of God Jax happened to be scanning our bank accounts this evening.
Wells had made the transaction to his bank card only recently.
He purchased not one but several tickets to Las Vegas, Vegas!
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why, when the number of airline tickets he purchased matched how many close friends he had.
It was well known Royal’s son, Dorian, and Ramses’s daughter, Sloane, had gotten engaged recently. We obviously couldn’t guarantee that was why the kids were hopping a last-minute plane to Las Vegas, but them doing so was too coincidental.
Jax and I were silent the rest of the way to the airport. Well, I was silent and Jax was doing all he could to keep the cursing at bay. He knew I didn’t like it.
I couldn’t help but smile, seeing him so angry.
Nothing about this situation was funny, but what the kids were doing was kind of sweet.
Wells’s role in it all showed me what kind of friend he was.
He knew his dad and I would be angry, but he was okay making the charge for his friends, even though his dad hadn’t cut him off and that was a serious risk to take.
But he did it for his friends, so it was hard not to be proud of the man his father and I had raised.
Seeing Wells had found happiness with not one but two people made me happy as well.
Anyone with eyes could see how in love with Rainbow Reed he was, and I knew that even when they’d been kids.
Wells was a veil of protection for Bow, but I knew things changed after that terrible summer they both had.
I didn’t know how that all played into his and Bow’s relationship, but I did know they stopped being so close after that.
My son had gone through a lot of therapy and healing after that summer, but, even so, he never was completely himself again.
In fact, it wasn’t until recently that Jax and I started to see that boy he used to be.
The one who was happy and carefree, light.
Bow and Bru were so good for Wells. Ramses and Brielle had a good son, and I knew in my heart that all three of them would take care of each other.
“I’m going to kill your kid,” Royal said, pointing at Jax as soon as Jax and I arrived at Maywood Heights’s Airport.
Royal’s nostrils flared. “But that’s only after I kill mine. I knew Dorian was up to something. I freaking knew it. Especially after he purchased that new suit from Armani.”
Apparently, all our boys had purchased suits from Armani. It was something all us parents realized after we checked our credit card statements and bank accounts.
December, Royal’s wife, was calming Royal down just like I was calming Jax.
December was lovely and reminded me of Snow White.
She had dark hair and fair skin which was the exact opposite from Royal who was blond and had the tan/physique of a Ken doll.
Together, the two looked like a prince and princess out of a fairy tale.
December frowned at her husband. “We’re going to make it in time.”
“Dorian better hope we do. It’s one thing to do this to us, but to do this to Ramses and Brielle? For them to miss their daughter’s wedding?” Royal said, and I understood.
“We’re actually kind of excited,” Ramses said, chipper as he entered the conversation. He and Brielle had just arrived; Knight and Greer, Thatcher and Bow’s parents, were right behind them.
The men of the group wore suits while the women were in lovely gowns of various colors and lengths. We all definitely looked like we were attending a wedding. In an airport where everyone was wearing sweats and neck pillows, we were the outliers.
Ramses touched Royal’s chest. He was a tall man who resembled Aladdin from the movie. The only difference was that he had shorter hair, and Brielle definitely looked like Princess Jasmine. Ramses grinned. “Come on, Prinze. Our kids are getting married. It’s a happy time.”
Honestly, I wasn’t surprised to see this reaction from Ramses. He was always more glass half full, like me.
Really, everyone else looked mad for him, but even Brielle didn’t appear angry.
“Is it weird that I am excited?” Brielle asked me later, on the plane. We were seated across each other in first class. The husbands had made sure all the wives were comfortable, so basically the entire first-class section was all us parents.
I bit my lip, fighting a smile. I nodded. I was only really upset for her and the Prinzes’ benefit. I obviously wasn’t thrilled my son lied, but Dorian and Sloane were like my own kids. I was happy to see them happy and tying the knot.
I took Brielle’s hand across the aisle. “I’m excited too, knowing you are.”
“I think we all are,” December said from in front of us. She spoke between the seats and had to whisper because Royal was sleeping. Funnily enough, all the men were knocked out beside us. I think they’d exhausted themselves in anger. December snickered. “I can’t believe my son is getting married.”
It really was crazy. All our kids were no longer kids. They’d always be our babies, but they were growing up.
Brielle reached over and took December’s hands. “We’re going to be in-laws.”
This made December smile. They both looked really happy, which made me happy.
“I can imagine it’ll be my kid next,” Greer said from the aisle seat across from December. Greer grinned. “Thatcher is head over heels for Aspen. Or maybe Bow, Wells, and Bru will surprise us.”
It was weird to think Greer, Brielle, and I could be family one day. I wasn’t sure about the logistics of all that, but our kids did have a way of surprising us.
I think all us moms loved surprises. We loved our children, and the four of us held hands before we lay back and closed our eyes.
When we woke up, we’d be in Vegas, and I knew we all had a lot of people to report back to.
Our kids had so much family. They had so much love; my son’s god-dad, LJ, and his wife, Billie, would be joining us in Vegas as well.
The couple had headed out of the country after the kids’ graduation for business, but they were hightailing it back after we told them the situation.
The first of our children were getting married.
And so the next adventure began.