Chapter 39
thirty-nine
. . .
FINN
Friday passed in a flurry of activity. Mainly, I did what I could to avoid helping with last minute wedding stuff by putting in some much-needed time at work.
Reagan had taken a lot of my focus in recent months, and while I knew my foreman, Abel, and the rest of my ranch hands were happy to pick up the slack—and extra hours—I had always been a hands-on business owner.
I didn’t enjoy not being in the loop. Before the sun had fully risen, I kissed a still-asleep Reagan goodbye and headed to the barn.
First, I fed all the animals and spent some time grooming them.
I let the goats and two Highland cows out to roam in the paddock while I did the same for the horses.
Next, I collected eggs from all the chickens and brought them up to the house for Mama, refusing her offer of breakfast for the first time in my life.
I knew if I stayed, I’d be roped into hanging ribbons or arranging flowers, or some other stupid shit I wanted no part of.
When that was all done, I took a couple hours to work with the one rescue horse we currently had stabled.
Though still a bit skittish, she was far more sociable than she’d been when we’d taken her in the month before.
Abel and the team had done great work on her so far.
However, we all agreed the Arabian mare, whose name was Capricorn, would be better suited away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding festivities, so I took her with me when I headed home shortly after eight.
Then I made love to my girl—on the bed and in the shower.
Around midday, I left to help my brothers haul the archway West and I had built ages ago out to Crew and Aspen’s ceremony spot.
We dicked around out there far longer than was necessary, none of us keen to return to the mayhem back at the big house and big barn.
That evening, rehearsal dinner passed in a blink of good food—catered, though, so not as amazing as Mama’s cooking—drinks, and time spent with the best family a guy could ask for.
Since Crew and Aspen would be spending the night apart in observation of the old and, in my opinion, antiquated tradition, the girls and Jace were staying at the big house while the rest of us retreated to West’s.
I pulled Reagan aside before we left.
“You gonna be okay?” I asked her.
She rolled her eyes in a way that had me wanting to fuck the attitude right out of her. “I’m fine, Finn.”
I sighed, knowing she was right; she was safe here. “I just hate being away from you. If something happened…”
“Nothing is going to happen,” she assured me. “This place has more cameras on it than a casino floor, and I don’t doubt Trey will be keeping an eye on us no matter what you guys get up to tonight. The only place safer is our house.”
Our. Damn, I loved the sound of that.
“What exactly do you think we’re going to do?”
She smirked. “Get drunk and talk about your feelings?”
“Nah, baby. We’ll save that shit for you guys.”
“Finn!” Owen hollered. “Let your girl go and get your ass in the truck!”
Groaning, I bent and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “Duty calls.”
“I love you,” she murmured against my lips.
“I love you.”
Before we knew it, Saturday had arrived.
Crew and Aspen’s wedding day.
Thankfully, the weather was perfect. Though it rained for a bit in the morning, by the time we finished getting ready, the sun was shining brightly, the temperature hovering in the low seventies.
I was grateful we were wearing linen pants and shirts, though I was no stranger to working in higher temps in heavier clothing.
Because Aspen’s only sibling had passed away long before she’d ever met Crew, who had more brothers than he knew what to do with, they opted not to have anyone standing up for them.
Once the ceremony was complete, Owen and Aria, as the oldest and youngest of our siblings, would serve as witnesses on the marriage certificate.
The ceremony was taking place at three, so my brothers and I spent most of the day bumming around.
It’d been a minute since Owen had been back to Dusk Valley—in fact, one of Delia’s sisters had been here more recently than our oldest brother—so West showed him around the dude ranch.
My twin was proud of how he’d taken this section of ranch land that sat unused for ages and turned it into a thriving, authentic western experience. And, of course, we were proud of him.
“I have to admit,” Owen started when we returned to West’s house. “I didn’t think you had it in you.” He clapped West on the shoulder. “But you’ve done an amazing job.”
“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or offended,” West said.
“Definitely offended,” Trey piped up.
Owen shook his head at our antics in that way he always had, but his expression quickly turned serious.
“All jokes aside, I’m proud of you.” He studied each of us in turn. “I’m proud of all of you.”
Awkward shuffling and throat clearing followed Owen’s statement, but I knew without words that each of us appreciated it more than we could ever say anyway.
After Dad died, Owen kept our family afloat.
Mama…she’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known.
And she did her best. But dealing with the unbearable pain of losing her soulmate while also trying to keep four boys and a little girl fed, clothed, and with a roof over our heads hadn’t been easy.
By then, both Owen and Trey had graduated and gone to college—but Owen was the one who stepped up.
As the oldest, he became “the man of the house” overnight.
Even while finishing up his final semester of college in Eugene before moving halfway across the country to Michigan to start his NFL career, he made time for us.
FaceTimed us regularly to check in. Came home when he could.
And, of course, provided for us financially.
As far as brothers went, there wasn’t one better in the world than Owen Lawless, and we were fucking lucky he was ours.
Trey broke the silence—by completely changing the subject.
“As much as I love this little emotional moment we’re having, I’ve got some news.”
“You’re dying,” West said, jokingly lifting his hand for a high five, which I obliged.
Owen smacked us both upside the head.
“You wish,” Trey told my twin with a grin. Then he looked at me. “Actually, I finally located the footage from that day at the Swallow seven years ago.”
“Holy shit!” This time, I raised my hand for a five from Trey.
“Way to bury the lead, brother!” Lane shouted, clapping Trey on the shoulder and shaking him, like a teammate celebrating a touchdown in a big game.
“Well, I debated saying anything at all, because I don’t have anything to report yet. The place opens at an ungodly hour, so I’ve still got several hours to comb through. But…we’re close.”
“Why the hell aren’t you working on it then?” Lane asked.
“Uhh…hello?” Crew said, joining the conversation for the first time. “Your baby brother is getting married?”
Lane rolled his eyes. “Please. There are five of you. We’ll catch the next one.”
Crew pouted.
“How much longer will it take?” I asked Trey, steering us away from an argument.
“Less than a day once I have the chance to sit down and work on it.”
Glancing at my watch, I clocked the time, realizing we had to leave shortly to make it out to the ceremony location on time. Which was perfect, in my opinion, because I couldn’t wait to tell Reagan we were one step closer to finding her sister.
Unsurprisingly, Crew and Aspen’s wedding ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt. The love between the two of them radiated out over the family and friends gathered. I had to admit, I wasn’t immune.
With Reagan at my side in the front row, watching as my little brother vowed himself to the woman he’d been through hell and back with, who made him a better man, it was easy to imagine myself doing the same one day with our twins at our sides.
Because now that Trey was so close to uncovering the identity of who had taken her, I was confident Lainey would be home in no time.
On my right side was Lane, his arm draped across the back of the chair next to him, where the infamous Addie Caldwell sat.
She was about what I expected: tall, tan, and brunette, with bright, almost honey-colored eyes that cut right to the core when she looked at you.
I supposed that was part of what made her a good agent.
Despite her beauty, she gave off a no-nonsense air that assured you she was not someone to fuck with.
Sutton sat somewhere behind us, and the one time I turned around to check out the crowd, she’d been staring at the back of Lane’s head.
No, glaring. But the expression was edged with pain too.
Lane’s life was his to do with as he pleased, but he was certainly making a mess of things.
At Reagan’s side opposite me was West, his arm similarly placed around Tyler Atwood.
Tyler was a decorated barrel racer, so she wasn’t home much, but when she did come back, she blew through town like a tornado, twisting West up in knots it would take me weeks to untangle.
Personally, I thought he should tell her he was in love with her and let the chips fall where they may.
Past them sat Trey and Wyatt Saunders, who wasn’t exactly his date but here as his best friend—though I knew my big brother would change that in a heartbeat if she gave him the green light.
Given the fact that her mother was responsible for the deaths of eleven women, a man, and had nearly killed both Aspen and Crew, things between them were complicated.
It had only been a year since the explosion that took Kelly’s life and landed Crew in the hospital, and I could imagine Wyatt was still dealing with the fallout.
All that to say, each of my single brothers had some shit to figure out. I squeezed Reagan’s hand tighter, grateful I’d found her.