Chapter 27
twenty-seven
. . .
Brinkley
It was a beautiful day for a wedding.
I couldn’t believe it was finally here. I’d spent the last week finishing my article about Lincoln, and I’d never been so proud of anything that I’d written.
Maybe it was because I was madly in love with my client.
Maybe it was because he had such an interesting life.
Maybe it was because his stats were off-the-charts impressive.
I wasn’t sure why this one felt so different. It was the article that was going to breathe new life into my career.
I was proud of the work we’d done together. Of the story he’d allowed me to tell.
Hell, maybe I was just emotional because the first Reynolds sibling was getting married today.
I was in the primary bathroom with all the girls, getting our hair and makeup done.
We were at Georgia and Maddox’s house, where the ceremony was taking place in the next hour.
The guys were all gathered in Maddox’s man cave, most likely having drinks and giving Hugh a pep talk.
Lincoln was in there with them, as they’d all grown close.
Georgia and I were both bridesmaids. The maid of honor was Lila’s best friend, Del. Her mother was currently dating Lila’s father, and the two were gushing about how cute their parents were together.
“Well, you two always wanted to be sisters. I didn’t think it was possible, but at this point, who knows?
” Sloane said with a laugh as she wrapped her hair around the barrel of the curling iron.
She was a bridesmaid along with Rina, as the four of them had always been thick as thieves since they were kids.
“I think Tate and Bernadette make the cutest couple.” Shay held her hands to her chest. She was married to Travis, Lila’s brother, and she was also a bridesmaid.
“I’m guessing there’s a lot of sex going on with them since they’ve both been single for so long,” Sloane added.
“Ewwww,” we all said in unison.
“Why do you always have to take it there?” Delilah rolled her eyes.
“Someone’s got to take it to dirty town. You can count on me.”
My mother helped Lila attach her veil to her long, dark waves that ran down her back. She looked so stunning that a huge lump formed in my throat.
“I wanted to give you these earrings that were my mother’s,” Mom said as she handed Lila the pair of pearl earrings. “This is your something old, sweetheart.”
I glanced over to see Georgia smiling as two tears streamed down her face. Lila was like a sister to both of us, and Lila and my mom had a very close relationship.
“Thank you,” Lila said as she fanned her face with both hands, trying hard not to cry.
“Don’t you dare cry,” Sloane said as she swiped at her own tears. “I just did your makeup perfectly.”
We all wore strapless light pink gowns that ran down to the floor, aside from little Gracie, who wore an adorable white dress, and her hair fell down her back in dark spiral curls.
Everyone was sniffling when a knock came at the door. Georgia hurried to open it, just as all my cousins came flooding in. Some with babies in their arms and toddlers at their sides.
“Hey, happy wedding day,” Dylan said as she sauntered in first. She was wearing a floral maxi dress, and her gorgeous hair was pulled back in a long ponytail. My eyes couldn’t help but move to the small bulge in her stomach.
She turned to hug me as Lila pushed to her feet to greet each one of them. When Dylan pulled back, she smirked. “Yes. My hot husband put a baby in me. I was waiting to tell you when we were all together.”
Georgia squealed, and my mom hurried over to hug Dylan.
“I thought you were waiting?” I asked.
“We were. But we’ve traveled so much this last year, and I don’t know. We like being home. We finished the house we were building in Honey Mountain. And the thought of a little Wolf running around was suddenly all I could think of.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. We’re really excited. Wolf’s still pouting that it happened so quickly. He was looking forward to months of practice.” She waggled her brows before turning to hug Lila. She gushed over the gorgeous princess-cut wedding dress with tulle for days.
I hugged Everly and bent down to give a squeeze to her adorable little toddler, Jackson. Her little girl, Emerson, was a perfect mix of both Everly and Hawk.
Ashlan’s girls, Hadley and Paisley, were both wearing beautiful matching sundresses, with their hair tied up in little buns. They were holding on to their mother’s hands and whispering about something.
“What’s going on?” I whispered back. Both girls looked up at their mama with big smiles.
“Well, I’m going to say it if she won’t.” Dylan shrugged, and Ashlan gave her the slightest nod. “This one got knocked up, too. We’ve been waiting to tell you today, but we were supposed to wait until after the wedding.”
“Are you kidding? Hugh and I love babies, and we’re both thrilled to hear you guys are growing your families. That’s what today is all about, right? Family and love and all being together.”
“Damn it, Lila Mae James. I mean Lila Mae Reynolds,” Delilah said as she swiped at her face. “Why do you always have to make everything so sweet? Sloane, you need to fix my makeup.”
“All right. Are there any more baby announcements before I clean up this mess?” Sloane said with her hands on her hips.
Charlotte chuckled. “Nothing to report over here. The twins keep me plenty busy.” She glanced at the stroller with her two sleeping little angels.
“Hey, if I got lucky enough to have one of each on my first try, I think I’d be done,” Sloane said before turning her attention back to her makeup sprawled on the counter.
“Um.” Vivian winced. “I haven’t even told my sisters yet because we literally found out yesterday. But baby number three is officially on board. I knew something was up when I was craving all those cupcakes these last few weeks.”
There was lots of squealing and laughing and hugging going on.
“What in the world are they putting in that Honey Mountain water?” I teased, and we took turns hugging one another all over again.
It was exactly how it should be today.
The love in this room was impossible to miss.
Vivian, Dylan, Ashlan, Everly, and Charlotte all grabbed the little ones and made their way out the door. They wanted to go see Hugh before they found their seats.
We finished getting ready, and Lila stood up when her father knocked on the door.
Delilah shook out Lila’s long train, and we got emotional at the sight of her.
“It’s time,” Sabrina, the wedding planner, said. “Let’s get you all lined up.”
Georgia and I kissed Lila’s cheek as my mom whispered something in her ear and hugged her one last time. The three of us headed out first to go find Hugh.
Lincoln and Wyle were just walking outside to take their seats when he saw me. He tugged me close and kissed me. “You look fucking stunning.”
“You look pretty good yourself, handsome.”
He held on to my fingers before pulling away and winking. I watched him walk off in his black suit beside Maddox’s brother.
I had a vision of this being me and Lincoln someday.
I’d never been the girl that sat around dreaming about my wedding day. I was always so focused on volleyball and school and then on my career. But lately, I thought about it.
This was the first man that I ever saw myself with long-term.
I wanted things I’d never wanted before.
And it was making it difficult to choose where I wanted to accept my next position. Football Live had interviewed me remotely, and they’d offered me a great job. I’d be focusing primarily on football if I signed with them, and they’d come with a very impressive package.
But now, Audrey from Stride Forward was also in the mix, and I’d had such an amazing experience working for her when I was in college.
Sports Today was the holy grail in the world of sports.
I’d dreamed of working for them someday and never thought in a million years that it would happen this quickly.
They were having me come to the city next week for an interview.
It was the place every sports journalist wanted to work.
I wasn’t as certain about the package, as the man I’d been in touch with was very focused on the story I’d written about Lincoln, but he insisted it would be wrapped in a full-time offer.
Well, I’d know soon enough where I’d be living for the next few years.
I turned my attention to my brother as he and all the guys walked out.
Hugh looked so handsome in his black tuxedo, his long hair wavy and resting on his shoulders, just like it always did.
Lila wasn’t the type of bride to demand he cut it off for the wedding or pull it back in an elastic band.
She loved my brother exactly as he was, and he loved her just as fiercely in return.
Cage was Hugh’s best man, and then Finn, Lila’s brother Travis, Brax, Dylan’s husband Wolf, and Maddox were his groomsmen.
Hugh walked over to me and Georgia as Wolf strode beside him. We took turns hugging and turned our attention back to our brother. “You both look gorgeous. Did you see the girls? We’ve got more babies coming into the family.”
“Yes. We’re so excited,” I said, squeezing Wolf’s hand.
“Congrats.” Georgia beamed.
“Thank you. I couldn’t be happier.” Wolf nodded.
“Did Dylan tell you what they’re naming the baby?”
“No,” we both said at the same time, looking from our brother to Wolf.
Hugh reached into his tuxedo pocket and pulled out a onesie. “They gave me an early wedding gift.”
He held it up, and it read: I’m named after my Uncle Hugh!
“Oh my gosh. Two Hughs, huh?” Georgia clapped her hands together. “That’s amazing.”
“He’s a pretty cool dude to be named after,” Wolf said with a nod. “And Dylan said she liked the idea of having a Wolf and a Bear in the house.”
We all shared a laugh.
“Pretty special,” Hugh said, and he used the back of his knuckle to dab his eye as if something were in it. But we knew better than that.
“That’s an honor. Your name lives on.” I pushed up to kiss his cheek. “Happy wedding day, brother.”
“Thank you. And thanks for standing up beside Lila. She loves you both like you’re her own sisters.”
“We feel the same,” I said, with no hesitation.
“Okay, Mama. I’m going to walk you down to sit with Dad.” Hugh wrapped his arms around our mother before offering his arm for her to hold on to, and he led her out the door to where everyone was seated.
There were rows of chairs with a walkway between them. The views of the water were breathtaking, and a gorgeous arch wrapped in pink and white flowers with greenery threaded all around it sat at the end of the aisle.
Once Hugh returned, he nodded at their wedding planner.
“All right. Let’s do this,” Sabrina said as the violinist started to play.
One by one, we each walked down the aisle.
Georgia and Maddox.
Me and Brax.
Rina and Wolf.
Shay and Travis.
Sloane and Finn.
Delilah and Cage.
Gracie made her way down the aisle, dropping flower petals along the way and looking like a little princess. She took her seat beside my parents, and my mom pulled her onto her lap.
Every time I looked over at Hugh, he’d smile at me, and I was unable to hold back the tears. My brother was one of my best friends, and seeing him find his happily ever after did something to me. He was the first of the five of us to get married, and he’d found his forever in Lila.
They were made for one another.
I searched the crowd and found Lincoln and Wyle sitting with my cousins. And Lincoln’s gaze locked with mine.
Just like it always did.
The wedding song began to play, and I pulled my gaze from him as Lila made her way down the aisle. She looked like a princess, with her dress swooshing around her.
The sun was just going down behind the clouds, and the sky was a mix of yellow and orange. A slight breeze moved around us, and it was a perfect evening for an outdoor wedding. I glanced over at the ocean in the distance. The cove was a special place for all of us.
My attention returned to the gorgeous woman making her way toward my brother.
Hugh moved to stand in front of her as he shook hands with Tate James, Lila’s father, and smiled down at Lila. Tears were streaming down her face, and he used his thumbs to swipe them away.
“They’re happy tears, Bear,” she croaked.
“I know, baby.”
They moved to stand in front of Father Davis, who was marrying them today. They said their vows, and Ever and Hawk’s son, Jackson, waddled down the aisle with a pillow holding the rings.
They were pronounced husband and wife, and everyone cheered.
My gaze found Lincoln’s once again, and in that moment, I knew that this man was not only my right now… he was my forever.