40. Chapter 40
Chapter 40
“This is so exciting,” Jane Bouvier said, sitting sweetly like a little princess in the back of the huge stretch limo Auburn had rented to accommodate all of us. Beside her, Sully and Jaxon were pretending to slap fight. Loudly.
“Boys,” Auburn said through gritted teeth. “If you don’t cut it out, you’re riding in the trunk.”
“That’s child abuse, Uncle Auburn,” Sully informed him.
The man lifted an eyebrow. “You wanna try me and find out?”
“Trust me, when he says that, you don’t,” Gianna said from beside me before whispering cheekily in my ear, “but I do it anyway. Every chance I get.”
The warning worked, and the little ones calmed down, though now they were alternating sticking their tongues out, trying to make the other laugh.
“It’s a shame Cruz couldn’t come today,” Kassie said from across the car.
“I know. He would have loved this, but he got called into work with the response team today,” I lamented, looking out the window. “Oooh, we’re here!” I sounded as excited as the kids.
The vehicle pulled up to the pier, and we all piled out… me, the Bouvier brothers, their wives and kids, Paul, Stella—who was, ahem, visiting again—Gianna’s dad, Tony, and his partner, Tora.
Gianna passed out tickets to each person as they emerged, and I let my eyes rise to the giant pirate ship docked in the harbor. This was so freaking cool.
Our entire group trooped across the gangplank and onto the ship, flashing our tickets at the young woman dressed in tan and brown. The creamy sails were artfully dingey, billowing with sharp snaps in the wind above us.
“Helloooo,” a man drawled in a fair approximation of Johnny Depp a la Captain Jack Sparrow. He stood on a wooden deck above us, leaning on the elaborate railing with a bottle of what looked like rum held loosely in one hand. “My name is Captain Hummingbird.”
Everyone in the crowd responded with laughter and applause as the guy swaggered back and forth in a fake stumble.
“Welcome to the Trinidad, my ship, hic . It’s a replica of one of Magellan’s ships.” The pirate sighed dramatically and lifted his eyes to the sky. “Ahhh, Magellan! How I do miss that rogue.”
Everyone laughed and he continued, swinging one leg over the other as he walked back and forth, addressing his rapt audience.
“My lovely maidens are circulating with a souvenir for our younger savages. But don’t you think for one moment that wearing them will make you the captain. I’m the boss on this glorious vessel.” He lifted his chin at a haughty angle and added, “And I’m obviously the best looking.”
That was met with a few good-natured jeers, and the man stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at the audience. Women in costume circulated around and handed out fabric pirate hats to the kids.
“This is so cute,” I squealed quietly to Gianna, and she nodded with a grin before helping Jane adjust her hat.
Captain Hummingbird lifted his bottle and slurred, “I’m in need of a saucy wench to help me with something. Are there any saucy wenches in this crew?” There was a titter of amusement, and a few women in the audience readily raised their hands. “Tell you what, everyone take a look at the back of your ticket. If you see a gold star there, raise your hand.”
Checking the back of mine, I nudged Monty beside me. “Mine has a star. Does yours?”
He shook his head and then pushed me toward the front of the crowd, calling out, “This wench has a star.”
I snorted out a laugh and smacked at Monty, but when I looked back up at the pirate, he wiggled his eyebrows at me and crooked a jaunty finger. Rolling my eyes, I made my way up the wooden steps to the next level to much cheering from the people in our party. The man snapped his fingers and called, “Maidens! See if you can find this woman something decent to wear.”
Two smiling women immediately surrounded me and led me through an oak door, introducing themselves as Amy and Melanie. “What the hell is going on?” I asked with a giggle.
“You’re going to help with the show. It’ll be fun,” Amy informed me, holding out a pair of chocolate-brown breeches for me to step into. She pulled them up over my leggings and tied them at the waistband.
Melanie handed me a cream shirt with puffy sleeves and ruffles on the chest. “Now put this on.” Then they turned their backs while I changed.
“I’m done.” They turned around and held up a brown leather vest that I stuck my arms into. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Just play along,” one of them said as she began lacing up the corset top. The other bent and changed my loafers out for pirate boots. When they were done, they tied a dark-red scarf over my hair and expertly knotted it on the side. “There ya go. All done.”
The whole dressing thing only took a couple minutes, and then they were pushing me back out the door and onto the raised deck. I took a little bow when the audience cheered, and my eyes met Gianna’s when she let out a loud wolf whistle.
And then my eyes narrowed on a young man in a red ball cap, holding a little girl wearing a pirate hat. Is that…
The thought was interrupted when something swung down from above and landed with a thud in front of me. Okay, more of a some one , really. Letting out a squeak of surprise, I stumbled back a step before he caught me by the shoulders.
“Careful, Tink.”
“Cruz!” I shrieked in delight. “What are… I thought you were at work!”
My boyfriend was decked out in full pirate regalia, looking sexy as hell in the dark leather costume. He hadn’t shaved, and his scruff added to the rakish look. “I came to save my wench,” he told me with a wink.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Captain Raven,” the Johnny Depp lookalike drawled, sauntering toward us.
Cruz, or apparently Captain Raven , turned and squared off with the other pirate. “Hummingbird, you old drunk. I heard you’re kidnapping women again.”
“Yeah, hic ,” he retorted with a hiccup, “what are you gonna do about it?”
Cruz put one finger on the man’s forehead and pushed with little effort, causing Hummingbird to fall comically to the ground, much to the hilarity of the crowd. Then a thick arm looped around my waist, binding me to my man.
“Hey, Tink.” His blue eyes sparkled down at me.
I was smiling so big my cheeks hurt. “What is all this? And how did you pull it off? And also, I may be crazy, but I’m pretty sure I just saw your brother Eli holding Noelle.”
“You’re not crazy; Eli’s here,” he assured me.
My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the guy in the red cap again, but froze when they fell on a grinning couple near the front. “Mom! Dad!” They waved, and my mother dabbed at her eyes as my mouth gaped open. I turned back to Cruz. “Why are my parents here?”
“I asked them to come,” he said simply, a smirk on his handsome face.
“But… why… and how did you get my dad out of Missouri?” My head shook side to side in confusion.
“Because I told him he definitely wouldn’t want to miss this,” Cruz said, dropping to one knee in front of me.
Oh. My. God.
Not even both hands covering my mouth could hide my smile. Unlike when whatshisface had proposed, I had no reservations about what was happening here. I was absolutely, one hundred percent, all in.
“Yes,” I shouted, and the entire crowd laughed, including Cruz, who was now holding a black velvet ring box.
Cruz’s dimples popped out on either side of his brilliant smile even as he rolled his eyes. “Would you let me ask the question first, please?”
“Okay, but then I’m going to say yes.”
“Good to know,” he chuckled before taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. “Lehra, the very first time I met you, when you called my lips pretty pillows and told me about puke coming out of your nose, I think I started falling in love with you.”
My cheeks flushed, and I. Could. Not. Stop. Smiling.
“But it was more than just your charming conversation that drew me to you,” he said with a wicked grin.
The happiest tears in the world slid down my face. My man was so sweet and funny. And hot. Good god, he’s friggin’ hot.
Cruz closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the back of my hand as his chest heaved with emotion. When he raised his eyelids again, his eyes were swimming with unshed tears.
“Lehra, you became my best friend, and that’s what you’ll always be. But I love you more than my own life, and I hope you’ll also do me the honor of being my wife.”
He lifted his brows, and I whispered, “Can I say it now?”
“Please.”
“Yes!” I shouted for the whole damn world to hear, causing raucous cheering from the crowd.
With a smile that could light up Manhattan, Cruz popped open the box. The ring was a halo style in a rose gold setting, and I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my life. Sliding it onto my finger, my fiancé stood and swept me up into his arms, twirling me around and around as we kissed.
My tears mingled with his, but they were tears of pure joy. Because I was marrying my best friend… the man of my dreams.
“Damn, bro. I’m glad your wench said yes since you rented out this entire restaurant,” Monty quipped. “This could have been a really awkward meal.”
“Would you stop calling me a wench,” I complained, hip-checking my future brother-in-law.
“Meh, probably not.”
We were at a fish and chips restaurant near the pier where the pirate ship had been docked. All our family and friends were with us to celebrate.
“That was the coolest proposal ever,” Artie said. “How the heck did you get a pirate ship to come to New York?” I’d been so flabbergasted to see my parents, and then with the whole proposal thing, I hadn’t even seen him and Nicolette in the crowd. But of course they were there.
“Actually, it was already scheduled to be here for the week,” Cruz explained. “I just contacted them and asked if I could hijack the proceedings for a bit today. When I told them how many tickets I was buying, they were more than happy to play along.” We looked around at the huge group of people mingling around the restaurant.
“It was fun. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day,” Captain Hummingbird said. We’d learned his real name was Bruce, and he had a thick Jersey accent when he wasn’t playing the role of a rogue pirate.
“We appreciate it,” I told him. “You were fantastic.”
He took a dramatic bow and then wandered off to take pictures with the other partygoers, with Artie hot on his heels. I think my friend had a bit of a crush on the pirate.
“Champagne?” a server asked, walking by with a tray laden with tall flutes of sparkling liquid.
“Yes, please,” I said, taking a glass for Cruz and myself.
“Could you bring my wife a sparkling water?” Auburn asked the woman in a low voice, and she nodded. I eyed Gianna, who avoided my gaze.
The woman smiled and held out the tray toward Monty and Kass. “None for us,” he said. “Could we get a couple Sprites?”
She headed off, and I raised a hand, palm out. “Wait a minute. I’ve never seen you two pass up champagne.”
“Oh, well, I just… I decided I needed to drink more water,” Gia rambled.
Kassie’s brown eyes were wide and nervous. “And Monty and I decided we should start, you know, drinking more, ummm, Sprite,” she said lamely, looking at her husband who just smirked down at her.
Come to think of it, Monty and Auburn both looked a bit smug. Like…
“Are you two pregnant?” I hissed. They looked at me and then at each other in startled realization.
“Are you?” Kassie asked, and Gianna nodded.
“Are you?”
Kass’s cheeks flushed pink. “Yes.”
“Oh my god!” I squealed, doing a little happy dance. “I’m so excited for you both.”
Auburn pulled his wife closer and looked down at her like she was the sun, moon, and stars, all wrapped up in one. “We were going to tell everyone, but then Cruz told us about his plans, and we didn’t want to steal your thunder.”
“Same,” Kassie said as Monty rested a hand on her flat stomach.
I shook my head. “That was really thoughtful of you, but this only makes our day better.” Setting down my drink, I pulled both of my future sisters-in-law into a group hug, squeezing them tight as the men all did the hand slap, bro hug, congrats on having good swimmers thing. “I promise, we don’t mind if you want to tell everyone.”
When we broke apart, Cruz pulled my back against his front and kissed the top of my head. “Lehra’s right. The more people to love, the better.”
Emotion swam in Gianna’s green eyes as she looked around our little circle. “Our family just keeps growing, and I love it.”
Monty smirked over at my new fiancé. “You’re behind, little brother. You and Lehra better get to work.”
Cruz’s lips twisted to the side, and he eyed Monty speculatively before nodding. “You know what? I think you’re right.” Then he lifted me, tossed me unceremoniously over his shoulder, and smacked me right on the ass.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked.
He started striding toward the restaurant’s front door with me hanging upside down, much to the amusement of everyone in attendance. “We’re getting started. Now. I may be the youngest brother, but I guarantee my sperm game is on point. Your eggs won’t know what hit ’em.”
My stomach hurt from laughing so hard, and I chastised him through my giggles. “Put me down, you lunatic. We’re not even married yet.”
He stopped in a little alcove, away from the view of everyone else, and set me gently on my feet before cupping my face. “I love you so much, Tink. You’ve made me the happiest man in the universe, and I can’t wait to marry you.”
I covered his hands with my own as tears of unadulterated joy filled my eyes. “I love you too. And I loved the proposal. It was so… us .”
“I was worried you’d think it was too soon,” he said, concern clouding his blue eyes. “But when I saw that a real pirate ship was making a stop in New York, I couldn’t help myself.”
“It was perfect. You’re perfect.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m rushing you. I want you to take your time and plan the wedding of your dreams. I thought we could get married in your hometown church in Missouri.”
Tears flooded my cheeks and he kissed them each away with tender brushes of his lips. “Thank you, Cruz.” He pulled me close, and I felt a familiar bulge throbbing against my stomach. “Good grief, tell your little swimmers to take a chill pill.”
He chuckled and copped a feel of my ass through my leggings. “Whenever you’re ready, my boys will be waiting.”
Looking up at him, I dragged my tongue along the small scar on his bottom lip and felt his cock jerk hard. “You looked really hot as a pirate. The costumes… um, did you borrow those…”
I let the implication hang in the air, and he picked up on it immediately, his grin nothing short of rakish.
“I bought them. They’re in the trunk of the car.”
Heat flooded my nether regions, and I grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the exit. “On second thought, let’s leave now.”
He pulled me back with a laugh. “Be patient, cari?o. We have family here we need to entertain, but later tonight, Captain Raven is all yours.”
As we walked hand-in-hand back to the party, I looked up at the man who knew me better than anyone—the man who loved me better than anyone—and my heart was incredibly full.
“Tell me your happy thing,” I requested, and his blue eyes lowered to mine as his lips curved into a sweet smile.
“You, Tink. It’s always you.”
And so the roguish pirate and the saucy wench lived happily ever after.