Chapter 21 #2
We made the trade, and Boss laughed before he said, “We’ve come a long way from trading ramen and soup packets.”
“Haven’t we, though? We’re all guests at a fancy wedding joining this town’s elite and the New York mafia,” Sarge said. He looked at Santa’s old lady and winced before he said, “No offense, Frankie.”
“None taken, Sarge, but I’m not sure Bella would appreciate being called Rojo elite. She’s not some kind of snob.”
“I’m not saying she is, but look at this neighborhood. And did you know they built all this shit just for tonight?” Sarge asked.
“Her family is in construction. They built each of these houses together. Each kid has to draw out the plans and get them approved and then they work together to put it up,” Tiny explained. “It all started with that big house at the end. That belonged to the parents.”
“Are they still here?” I asked.
“I don’t think so,” Tiny answered as he shook his head. “I don’t know the whole story, but there was some kind of accident a while back, and they died together.”
“That sucks,” I muttered as I looked around.
The server took my empty plate and the others from the men and women at my table before he hurried toward the back where I assumed the kitchen was located.
Another server brought a fresh pitcher of tea and another of water for our table, foregoing the need to take our glasses for refills after having gone through this with us quite a few times since dinner started.
As she walked away, I caught sight of two women I had met before.
“Well, look who’s here,” I muttered to myself as I caught Flora Tempest’s eye. Her face lit up, and she waved me over to her table. I was out of my chair in the next heartbeat without saying a word to my friends.
I heard them teasing me, but I didn’t care. I’d met Flora and her sister ages ago at Rooster’s place, but something came up that kept me from acting on all the ideas I had or the promises in Flora’s eyes when she accepted a ride on my motorcycle. I couldn’t wait to reconnect.
Maybe coming to Rojo for a wedding between two people I didn’t know would be worth my while after all.
◆◆◆
REBA CONNER
I looked around the room and found Mace talking to the DJ who was in charge of the slideshow presentation and shook off the nervousness I felt on behalf of my husband.
He did not like public speaking for any reason but knew that Finn wouldn’t be able to give a toast that expressed what the brothers wanted to say, so Mace had stepped up to the task.
He’d been working on his speech for weeks. I knew he had it memorized at this point because I did too. Not only had he been rehearsing it for a while now, but he’d run the different versions by me over and over as he tweaked what he wanted to say. I was excited to see everyone’s reactions.
Yes, it was going to be emotional for everyone who had known Mr. and Mrs. Conner, two people I’d never met but had heard so much that I felt like I knew them. It also mentioned Bellamy, Finn’s twin, and her husband, Dylan, as well as the other Conner sister Mace had loved so much, Greer.
Lorna, Bellamy, and Greer were who Bella was named after. Dylan was named after his grandfather and father who had died in the same accident that had taken the lives of the women in the family.
Mace took the mic from the DJ and cleared his throat before he lifted it up to begin speaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Conner family, I’d like to thank you for spending your evening with us as we watched our Bella marry Matteo.
As I’m sure all of you do, we hope that they have a happy future together.
No matter where their lives take them, from New York to Texas and anywhere else they might end up, I know that they’ll be happy as long as they’re together. ”
There was a smattering of applause before the lights above dimmed so it was easier for everyone to see the screen that was off to the side. A picture appeared of the Conner family at Bellamy and Dylan’s wedding, not long before they died.
“As many of you know, Bella and her brother Dylan became part of our lives when it seemed like there wasn’t much to live for.
We’d lost our parents, two beloved sisters, and one of our best friends, but we suddenly had two babies who needed us.
The thing is, we needed them even more.” Mace cleared his throat again before he said, “Finn and Lena raised the twins as their own, but all of us had a hand in raising them. They are our last remaining connection to a part of our lives we’ll never get back.
Looking at them makes us remember the people we lost. Hearing Bella’s laugh reminds all of us of Bellamy’s, and seeing her smile is like watching our sister all over again.
” Slowly, the slide changed to pictures of Bella with different members of the family through the years.
Mace paused and I saw him take a few deep breaths before he said, “Bella and Dylan have always known that their parents were incredibly dear to our hearts. They were even named after the people we lost that day. Over the years, we’ve shared stories about them in the hopes of keeping their memories alive.
I knew we’d been successful when Bella told us where she wanted to get married.
She didn’t just say she wanted to do it close to the house where she grew up - she wanted to exchange her vows with Matteo in the exact spot where the original Dylan proposed to Bellamy and where she had maternity pictures taken to show off the pregnancy she was so proud of.
So, to honor both the family we lost and the family we’re gaining today, we worked together to build a structure for the people who hold Bella and Matteo in their hearts. ”
I dabbed at my eyes with my napkin and saw that there were many doing the same thing, but Mace was steadfast. The only sign of the emotion he was feeling was his shuffling from one foot to the other nervously.
“Bella and Matteo have one thing in common - they were raised by families who love them with their whole hearts, even though they may not share DNA. Tonight, we celebrate the love we have for them, and that will start with a special dance we’d like to share with the lovely bride.
Please bear with us as we take one last spin with our sweet Bella before her father relinquishes her to the man of her dreams.”
Mace walked over to Bella and extended his hand, and even though her face was already wet, I could see that she was sniffing back tears. She took his hand and let him lead her to the middle of the dance floor where he smiled down at her with tears in his eyes.
I’d been part of many discussions between the Conner brothers as they searched for the perfect song for this moment. I knew the second I heard the lyrics that this one was it.
The song “Tough Little Boys” started playing, and as soon as the artist sang, “But when tough little boys grow up to be dads,” Mace spun Bella into Angus’s waiting arms and smiled as Gary Allan sang, “They turn into big babies again.” Soon, it was Royal’s turn.
He took her hand and pulled her close for a few bars, tugging on one of her curls when the song mentioned them.
Royal spun her into his twin’s arms, and Ronan mouthed the words about giving the little girl away before he handed her off to Tavin.
Tavin danced her into Chess’s arms, and when the song wound down, he bent forward and kissed the back of her hand.
Bella threw her arms around him and held on tight until Finn walked up and rested his hand on her lower back. She turned toward him, and he pulled her in for a hug as the next song started.
The song Alan Jackson had written for his own daughter’s wedding, “You’ll Always be my Baby,” started to play as Bella and Finn slowly swayed.
While the song played on, Finn did what he’d always done best when Bella was upset - he made her smile and then made her laugh.
As he twirled her around the dance floor, the mood lightened considerably until the song faded and Matteo walked out on the dance floor.
Mace had the mic again and announced, “Congratulations, Matteo Russo. We’re entrusting the baby we loved, the girl we encouraged to dream, and the woman that we’re so proud of to you.”
Finn kissed Bella on the cheek before he handed her off to Matteo, who was smiling proudly.
As the next song started, he held Bella close, and they smiled and whispered to each other as the people who loved them watched, knowing that this was just the first of the many adventures they would share together as a married couple.
Mace sat down in the chair next to mine, and I reached for his hand before I leaned in close and whispered, “You did it.”
“No, sweetheart, we all did it.”