Chapter 54
Chapter Fifty-Four
CHRISTIAN
“Is that everything, sir?”
“I have no idea, but I’m sure it will all be perfect.” I smile, signing the invoice. “Thank you for organising everything on such short notice,” I add, handing back the clipboard.
“You are more than welcome, sir. I hope you all have a wonderful wedding day,” the young man says before turning around and leaving out of the back door.
Embry starts whining in his cage, and I feel guilty about keeping him locked up. Considering I didn’t want a dog, the mutt has wormed his way into my heart.
“I know you want out, but there are too many people coming and going. Your mummy would kill me if anything happened to you.” Reaching through the bars, I give him a quick scratch behind the ear before heading back towards the sitting room, where we have all agreed to meet for a drink before heading down to the wedding tent.
Walking through the house, I can’t wipe the smile off my face. After months of planning and years of waiting, our woman is about to be legally bound to us forever. I may have referred to her for years as mine, but today, I will have a marriage certificate to back me up. After everything that’s happened, it feels like something is going right for us. Even though a small part of me is still waiting to hear that she's run away or something has happened. Let’s face it: nothing has ever been simple for us.
Walking into the sitting room, I spot Jason already there, his hands shoved in his pockets, as he looks out over the garden.
“Everything done?” he asks, not looking away from the window.
“Seems to be. If it's not done now, then it's tough.” I walk up beside him and look out where I can see the Donavons talking to McIntire.
“Did you know he was invited?” Jason asks.
“Not until this morning. Verity called and said Jasmine wanted to invite him to say thanks for all his help. But I think there was an alternative motive,” I admit.
“Abbi?”
I nod, looking at my brother. We all noticed she was drinking a lot when staying here and not looking after herself in many ways. McIntire saw in a message between Eddie and Mykela that it was easy to get info from Abbi; all they had to do was let her have a few drinks, and she was easy to manipulate. I know Jasmine has felt uncomfortable around her at times because of how much she drinks. But she would never say anything to her as she also knows she is grieving her father.
“Who’s stupid idea was it to wear fucking bow ties?” Maximas storms in, fiddling with the material around his neck.
“Told you we should have got him a clip-on,” Jason laughs.
“Fuck you, prick. I know you mean that as an insult, but next time, do it!” Maximus snaps, pointing at a smirking Jason. I smile, stepping forward and slapping his hands out of the way.
“I wear a tie nearly every single day; I wanted something different for today,” I explain as I go about tying it.
“Fair enough, I guess. I still hate the things.”
Stepping back, I take in Maximus’s suit. We are all matching today, probably for the first time in many, many years, as we always make a point of looking different. But today, we stand as one to promise our girl the world and more.
Jasmine hasn’t seen the suits. Jason decided that he wanted to surprise her. As usual, I left him to organise them, as the three of us can’t understand why he enjoys clothes shopping as much as he does. He had us try on nine different suits before deciding on this one. It probably would have been more, but Maximus threatened to stab him, with Sean offering to help. We settled on a navy blue suit with a waistcoat, white shirt, light pink handkerchief in the jacket pocket, and bow tie. Light pink is part of the colour scheme that Jasmine picked. The bridesmaids are wearing pink, except Luna, who is wearing a white dress with a pink sash around her waist, and Verity, who, as maid of honour, is wearing a slightly different shade of pink. Because the dresses have all been purchased online in the last few days, we have no idea what they are like. Not that we knew much about the last ones, other than the colours. I can't help wondering if Jasmine managed to get a white dress on such short notice. I know I speak for all of us when I say she could walk down the aisle in nothing but a black bag, she would still look beautiful.
“Mrs Brown is on her way down. She wants to speak to us,” Sean announces as he walks in, tugging at his shirt sleeves under the jacket.
“Who tied your tie?” Maximus asks, looking at his twin in shock.
“I did; it's not like they’re hard.”
Jason and I burst out laughing as Maximus glares at his twin.
“Fuck off, you’re all pricks,” he mutters, heading to the bar as the rest of us laugh. A knock cuts us off as we turn to see Gordon standing at the door.
“Hope I’m not interrupting.”
“What are you doing here?” Jason asks, walking up to him and pulling him in for a one-arm hug.
“Jaz called me last night and told me what's been going on. She thought that now the situation has been dealt with, you would like me here.”
“Too right I do; thank you so much for coming.”
I hadn’t realised how much Jason wanted him here until now. I should have seen through the lies and that he was just trying to keep everything as quiet as possible.
“Are you okay with this?” Maximus asks Sean while Jason and Gordon speak together for a moment.
“Yeah. Jaz called me yesterday to check before calling Gordon,” he replies, smiling. It seems our girl has once again outdone herself with how thoughtful she is. She really thinks of everyone before herself, and I can only hope that any children we have will take after her because I couldn’t be prouder of her.
I hear Jason saying goodbye to Gordon and look up to see him walking back over. The four of us each pick up a glass from the table where Maximus has poured us four reasonably small ones. I’m glad he hasn’t gone for his usual triple measure, as the last thing we need is for one of us to be tipsy and say the wrong thing.
“Can you believe we are actually doing this?” Sean asks, looking at us all.
“No, I thought there was no way she would ever marry us,” I laugh.
“Whatever, I knew Shorty would marry me, even without you three,” Maximus smirks, winking at us as we shake our heads.
“I’m still waiting for Terry or Layton to call and say she has run,” Jason laughs.
“The only place my girl is running, is down the aisle to marry you lot.”
We all turn to see Mrs Brown walking into the room.
“You look beautiful, Mrs Brown.” Sean smiles as he leans in and kisses her cheek.
“I love the hat, Mrs B. pink’s your colour,” Maximus smirks as she gives him the side eye.
“I’m sure it would look better on you, though; it would hide that big head.”
The rest of us laugh as Maximus places a hand over his heart.
“Not cool, Mrs B. Not cool at all.”
“You're right, you all look very handsome,” she smiles, cupping my cheek lovingly. “But something is missing.” She walks over to Jasmine's desk and opens the bottom drawer. “Right, here we go.” Mrs Brown stands up with two medium gift boxes in her hand before retrieving two more.
“What are those? And why are they hidden?” Jason asks, laughing nervously.
“These, young man, are gifts from your very thoughtful and beautiful bride.”
“What?” we all say in unison as we stand in front of the desk. Mrs Brown smiles, before pointing to us all.
“Line up in age order; it’s easier.”
We all do as she says, and she places a box in front of each of us after checking the tags.
“Everything in those boxes are gifts from Jasmine, things she has put together for each of you. I promised I would deliver them to you myself, as obviously she can’t.” We all look from Mrs Brown to each other before looking at the box.
“Can we open them?” I ask carefully.
“Of course you can.”
The four of us open the boxes and look inside.
A pink and white buttonhole is on the top of light pink tissue paper.
“Is that…?” I ask, picking it up carefully and looking at the added details.
“It’s a blackbird feather,” Mrs Brown confirms. “She had them delivered as soon as she heard about your mother and her singing that song for you.”
Looking at my brothers, I see we all have matching flowers and feathers. I can't stop looking at the beautiful, touching tribute to our mum.
Forcing myself to put it on the side, I lift the tissue paper to find a wooden gift box and letter.
Opening the box first, I find a beautiful pocket watch. It's engraved on the front and reads.
Daddy and his Baby girl
Glancing at the others, I can see them all holding similar watches.
“What does yours say?” I ask Jason, who smiles as he runs a finger over it.
“Daddy and his Jazzy.”
“Daddy and his Shorty,” Maximus adds
“Daddy and his Princess,” Sean says, blinking back tears.
“Open them,” Mrs Brown says softly. We open our pocket watches, and my heart stops. There, smiling up from the inside of the front, is a picture of Mum and me. It was taken a few months before she was diagnosed. Again, I look at my brothers and see them all barely holding it together.
“They were originally designed to hold pictures of Jasmine with each of you. But she decided you needed your mum here with you today. She spent hours searching the photo albums for the right ones.”
Blinking back the tears, I let out a slow, deep breath, desperate to regain some control over my emotions. Once again, I look at my brothers and know they are just as touched by our sweet girl as I am.
“Okay, one last thing from Jasmine,” Mrs Brown declares before pulling out a laptop and turning it around to face us. “Jason, be a dear and open my email from Jasmine, please.” Jason glances at us all, and we watch as he pulls up the email and opens a video.
Jasmine comes onto the screen, and I realise it must have been filmed yesterday at the hotel.
“Hey,” she giggles nervously. “Hopefully, you have your gifts now and like them; if it's too much, please don’t feel like you have to wear them. I just wanted to include your mum somehow and thought this may be a great way to do it.” How could she possibly think we wouldn’t love her thoughtful gifts?
“I originally wrote you all letters, which are still in the boxes, but things have happened since, so this is an appendix to the letters you can read later.” Even though I know it’s not live, I can't help smiling with her. She’s so nervous that it's adorable to watch.
“I wanted to take this chance before the day really starts because it’s going to fly by, and it's something I want to say before tonight, and that’s thank you.
“Thank you for supporting me, helping me grow, and showing me what it's like to be wanted.
“Thank you for choosing me and loving me in such a way I learnt to love myself too. Everything I am is because the four of you showed me that I haven’t been the problem; other people have.” She takes a small, deep breath before smiling at us.
“I love you so much and know that no matter what direction my life takes me, you will protect me from losing myself again. You will do what you always have and protect me from harm, even if that means protecting me from myself.” Jasmine is silent for a second, and I’m grateful I need that second to catch my breath. I am so thankful for this woman and all she has brought into not only my life but my brothers’ lives, too.
“I hope none of you mind, but I have asked a few more people to attend today. The first is Gordon. I know, Daddy Jason, you would have preferred it if he had come and were only being polite when you said you didn’t.
“The second is Molly Young. I know how much Geralt meant to you all, and if he had been alive today, there would have been nothing that would have stopped him from attending. Molly was over the moon when I asked her, and it was nice seeing her cry happy tears for once.” This woman has thought of everything, and I couldn’t be more thankful for her.
“I’ve always promised I don’t have a favourite, and I’ve meant it,” Jasmine continues as I struggle to watch through the tears which have filled my eyes. “I love all four of you so much, and I can't wait to start the next chapter of our lives together.
“We have so many plans, and if the last few months have taught us anything, it's that we are stronger together. You are the loves of my life, my biggest supporters, the reason I laugh freely and love feisty. Nothing in this world could ever take me from you, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
“From the bottom of my heart, I love you all, and I’ll see you soon.”
The screen goes blank, and no one says a word for a moment. We stare at the screen and try to process everything our girl just said.
“Well, now I wish I’d gotten her a present,” Maximus sighs as we all burst out laughing.
“You have already given her everything she has ever needed: a home and a family who loves her.” Mrs Brown steps from behind the desk, coming to a stop in front of me and picking up my buttonhole.
“You all have something very special in that girl. She has put so much love into everything she has created for today, and it will all be perfect, just as you all deserve.” She pats me on the chest and starts walking around my brothers, fixing their buttonholes, too.
“When she mentioned honouring your mother, I was speechless. She told me she understands why your mother sang that song before she died. It wasn’t just because of your nickname, Christian; it was because she knew that you would all be broken when she died, like the blackbirds in the song.” Mrs Brown pats Sean on the cheek before heading towards the door.
“You have all come so far and dealt with so much since her death, but I couldn’t be prouder of my four boys, and I will honour your mother myself today by being here watching the four of you marry that amazing woman who your mother would have adored.”
“Thank you, Mrs Brown,” I whisper, stepping forward to kiss her cheek. “For everything you have ever done for us,” I add as my brothers all kiss her on the cheek as well. “I’m sorry I was such a miserable, bossy arse, until recently. You have always been more than an employee to us. You have been our family for as long as I can remember and a mother to us since Ma died. We love you.” Mrs Brown blinks back the tears, whilst pushing her shoulders back. She looks around and smiles.
“It has been my pleasure,” she whispers. Taking her hand, I place it in the crook of my arm and smile at her.
“Let us see you to your seat; we need to ensure you have the best one in the house.”
* * *
After seeing Mrs Brown in her seat and saying a quick hello to everyone, including an emotional Molly, the four of us make our way to the front of the aisle, where the registrar, Lucinda, awaits us.
“I am so excited for this wedding; everything looks beautiful. How ever did you pull it all off after the hotel's flooding?”
“We have an amazing fiancée who doesn’t back down in the face of trouble,” Sean answers, grinning.
“She has lots of practice as she is usually the one causing the trouble,” Maximus grins as we all laugh together.
“Well, however she managed it, she has done a wonderful job.”
I’m about to agree when movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention. Layton walks into the tent, giving us all a wink before sitting beside a speaker and giving Lucinda a thumbs up. My heart leaps into my throat because if he’s here, then so is Jasmine.
“Looks like we are ready,” Lucinda says, smiling and looking from me to the brothers. “Are you all ready?” The four of us share a look, all looking a little more nervous than we did a moment ago. Taking a deep breath, my brothers follow suit and smile at each other.
“More than ready,” I smile as she lifts up a thumb.
Layton grins and mouths, “Good luck”, before fiddling with his phone.
“ I Get to Love You ” by Ruelle starts to play, making my heart swell and making me feel myself shake. Jason places his hand on my shoulder, but I can't bring myself to look at him, terrified I will miss her.
Little Luna comes into view first, beaming with a little basket. She’s skipping and spinning as she throws flower petals around her. I hear her father's giggle as I grin. She is so precious, and I can't help but wonder if our daughter will one day be just like her.
As Luna reaches the front and stands beside Calvin on the other side of the aisle, she waves and smiles at the four of us, and I know we all smile back.
Looking back to the entrance, Abbi comes into view, looking beautiful in a long, light pink dress with a small bouquet in her hand. Shortly after, Danielle follows behind. The girls have handkerchiefs in their hands, and I can see they have been crying but are smiling at us like they are barely holding it together.
“If Danielle King is crying, I don’t stand a chance,” I hear Maximus whisper from behind.
“That’s why we made sure to have extra hankies in your pocket,” Jason answers. I can't help but chuckle in agreement because I feel like I’m barely holding it together as it is.
Verity comes into view as Danielle reaches halfway down the aisle. Her dress is a few shades darker than the others, but the same style. She looks beautiful, and one look at her fellas tells me I’m not the only one who thinks it. Verity grins at them before looking at us. The second our eyes meet, I realise how close to tears she is.
Suddenly, movement behind Verity draws my attention, and I hold my breath as I watch Jasmine appear on Terry’s arm.
I forget how to breathe as I stare at my beautiful bride. Her hair is hanging down in loose curls, half gathered up, with a tiara holding it out of the way.
“Where did she get that dress?” Jason gasps behind me, but I can’t answer because I’m speechless.
I can hear my brothers whispering behind me about how beautiful she is, but I can't tear my eyes from hers. The only other thing I see is the way Terry has his hand on hers as he walks her proudly down the aisle towards us. It feels like it takes forever to get her to us, and I don’t think I take a breath. My face aches from smiling, but I can’t move a single muscle.
“Breathe, Christian,” I hear Jason whisper behind me, and I manage to force air into my lungs as the others chuckle.
For a brief second, I remember the way the nightmare felt and half expect to see Connor Grant standing in front of me, but I manage to push it down as Jasmine finally reaches me. Terry turns to place a kiss on her cheek and whispers something in her ear. Jasmine drags her eyes from mine and looks at him with a smile.
“Thank you,” she whispers to him. He turns to me, and I shake his hand.
“Look after her,” he warns, giving me a firm look before turning his attention to my brothers. “All of you.”
“Like you need to ask,” I smile. Terry nods and places Jasmine's hand in mine with a nod. He shakes each of the others’ hands before stepping back to sit beside Mrs Brown, who is a bubbling wreck.
I look deep into Jasmine's eyes as mine burn.
“You look … there isn’t a word to describe how breathtaking you are, Sweetheart.” Lifting her hand, I kiss her knuckles as her breath catches.
“You aren’t looking too bad yourself,” she teases before looking behind me. “All of you,” she winks as we grin further.
“Shall we begin?” Lucinda asks, reminding me of her presence. I force myself to look away from Jasmine, and we both look to the front as I keep her hand in mine.