Epilogue #2
“What’s this about a shotgun wedding?” Gina asked, giggling when Jack hooked his arm around her waist and planted a kiss on her mouth.
Jack nodded to his brother. “Deke was explaining in his typically tactless way how, technically, this is a shotgun wedding.”
“Well, my love,” Gina said as she gazed up adoringly at Jack, “you can never have too many shotgun weddings.”
Jack skewered her with a look that told Kyle his brother knew his fiancé was up to something, and Kyle had a pretty good instinct as to what that something was. “What are you getting at?” Jack asked.
Using both index fingers, Gina pointed to her belly. “I was going to tell you this in private”—she grinned at him—“but I just couldn’t wait any longer. Don’t ask me how it happened, but it did.”
Jack swept her up in his arms, smiling like Kyle had never seen before, and damn, were those tears leaking from his big brother’s eyes? Yep. They were.
“I know how it happened,” Deke muttered. “Do any of you guys know the meaning of the word protection?”
They all laughed.
One of the best things to happen to him in the last month was the fact he and Victoria hadn’t used protection.
When Jack released Gina, Kyle shook his brother’s hand. “Congratulations.”
“Yeah, congrats.” Deke shook Jack’s hand and kissed Gina on the cheek. “But me, just saying,” he continued, pointing to himself, “I’m buying stock in condoms.”
“You just wait until you hold your little baby in these big muscled guns of yours.” Gina poked Deke’s biceps. “You’ll change your mind about that in a heartbeat.”
“Don’t count on it.” Adamantly, Deke shook his head. “I’ve got no plans to be a daddy. I’m happy to let you guys give Ma all the grandchildren she wants. Lance, too, if he ever shows his face again.”
Gina parked her hands on her hips. “He better show up for my wedding. I will not have one of my bridesmaids groomless.” She uttered an exasperated breath and turned to Kyle. “By the way, Victoria’s ready. See you all in a few minutes.” She winked, then went back down the aisle.
Kyle’s mother took her seat in the front row with Tracee’s daughter, Ruby, sitting beside her.
Margo, Kinsey, and Annabelle took up the rest of the row.
The smile that had formed on his mother’s lips the moment he and Victoria had delivered the news she was going to be a grandmother still hadn’t left her face.
“Did I just hear the bride is ready?” Father Sergei tapped the thick, leatherbound bible already positioned on the lectern. “Gentlemen, please take your places.”
The small orchestra began playing an elegant, subdued version of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.
Deke stowed their glasses behind the arch.
With his brothers beside him, Kyle waited, his heart pounding faster but not from nervousness. From anticipation. He’d never expected another chance at life, love, and a family. Somehow, somewhere in his life, he must have done something worthwhile to have been blessed again.
Over a hundred guests stood as Victoria appeared at the doors. The smile she sent his way from across the room was indescribable. Like a rainbow on a misty day.
She’d asked her boss, Brad Evans, to walk her down the aisle.
With her arm hooked around Brad’s arm, she glided gracefully toward Kyle.
She was breathtaking, the same as she’d been in all his dreams. The satiny white dress hugged her body with only the hint of her pregnancy showing.
With every step, the long white veil fluttered behind her, and sunlight glinted off the sparkling crystals and tiny white flowers in the delicate crown atop her head. Behind her, came Tracee and Gina.
Deke was more than right. He was not only a lucky bastard, he was just plain lucky. After what they’d both been through, it was a miracle they’d managed to get to where they were today. About to be married.
When the bridal party reached the flowered arch, Victoria handed her bouquet to Tracee. “Hi,” she whispered, placing her hands in his. Two tiny tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
“Hi,” he whispered back, not caring that he felt tears leaking down his face, too. He was so happy he couldn’t have plugged the dam if he tried. He looked at the vision of unerring beauty his eyes beheld.
His love.
His future.
Soft fingers threaded with his. The white gold engagement ring with a marquis diamond and tiny surrounding diamonds adorned her right-hand ring finger, waiting to be slid next to the matching wedding band.
Moments later, they repeated their simple wedding vows. Before placing the ring on her finger, he held it up to the light for her to read the inscription.
Her voice choked with emotion as she gasped. “You remembered.”
“I never forgot.” His eyes never left hers as he slid the ring on her finger, and she did the same with his.