Chapter Twenty
Tank
“Do you, Abigail Turner, take this man, Chad Davis, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“I do,” my beautiful girl answers.
“And do you…”
“Fuck yes,” I answer immediately, making the entire church erupt in laughter.
“Tank,” Abigail whispers, her eyes wide. “We’re in a church.”
“Saying it out loud is no different than what I say in my head, babygirl,” I chuckle. “God hears me either way… and my answer stands.”
I nod to the man officiating our wedding to continue.
Chuckling, he shakes his head.
“Very well then,” he says. “By the power vested in me, and witnessed here today by God, family, and friends, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
He smiles at me.
“You may kiss your bride.”
I don’t hesitate.
I pull Abigail into my arms like I’ve been waiting my entire damn life for this moment.
Which… I guess I have.
Her laughter melts into the kiss as I press my forehead to hers.
“Mrs. Davis,” I whisper.
Her smile could light the entire world.
“Finally,” she breathes.
Behind us, the church explodes into cheers, whistles, and a few loud shouts that sound suspiciously like Skip yelling something inappropriate.
But I don’t hear any of it.
Because the only thing that matters in this moment…Is the woman in my arms.
***ABBY***
We’re back at the compound finishing our packing before heading off on our honeymoon.
My honeymoon.
Holy freaking cow.
“I’m about to go on my honeymoon,” I mutter to myself, still in shock.
“Are you panicking?” my brother asks as he lifts my suitcase into the back of Tank’s BMW.
“A little,” I admit.
I glance up at Spike and hesitate.
I am freaking out… but mostly because of one very specific reason. And I’m not sure my oldest brother is the right person to talk to about it.
But he’s standing there, eyebrows raised, waiting.
“Tank and I haven’t had sex yet,” I blurt.
Spike nods calmly.
“I’d expect nothing less,” he says. “He wants to do right by you.”
“Well…” I swallow. “The thing is…apart from that one time when that guy…you know. Anyway, apart from that, I’ve never had sex. What if I’m so bad at it that he wants to divorce me?”
Spike presses his lips together, trying very hard not to laugh.
At least he doesn’t look horrified talking to his baby sister about sex this time.
I can deal with the laughter.
“One,” he says carefully, “what that man did to you wasn’t sex. It was rape. Plain and simple.”
My chest tightens, but I nod.
“Second,” he continues, “and I say this as a man who deeply loves a woman… There isn’t a single thing you could possibly do during that time that won’t drive Tank absolutely crazy.”
“Really?” I ask uncertainly.
“Absolutely, baby sister,” he says with a grin. “Hell, you could decide not to make love at all, and he’d still be so in love with you that he’d give it up completely if you asked.”
Oh my.
“Trust me on this, Abigail,” he says gently. “Nothing you do will make that man want to divorce you.”
“Thank you, Bubby,” I say as I step into his open arms. “You’re the best brother a girl could ask for.”
“Ouch.”
Laughing, I turn and run straight into my other brother’s arms.
“You know I love you,” I laugh. “I’m just sad you won’t be here when I get back. I miss you, Sammy.”
“I’ll come visit soon, little sister,” he says. “Actually… I was going to wait to tell you both this, but I’ve decided to leave the company I work for and start one of my own here in Palm Springs.”
My eyes widen.
“Really?” I ask hopefully. “You’re not lying?”
“No, little sister,” he laughs as I practically bounce on my toes. “I already bought the building. Now I just need to find a house.”
“I’m so proud of you, Samuel,” Bubby says as he pulls Sammy into a hug.
I roll my eyes.
“You know, for someone who goes by the name Spike, you still refuse to call us Sammy and Abby,” I tease.
“That’s because you two caused so much trouble growing up that I got used to calling you Samuel and Abigail,” he shoots back.
“Not true,” I protest. “I was an angel. Sammy was the one always dragging me into trouble.”
Mom died when I was five.
Dad had been gone for years before that. I don’t remember ever meeting him.
Spike was only nineteen when the courts gave him custody of Sammy and me. And while Sammy was almost seventeen at the time, he was still technically a minor.
And very much a bratty teenager.
“Touché, little sister,” Sammy laughs. “And thank you, Ethan. I found a place about twenty minutes from here that looks promising. I’m thinking of putting in an offer.”
“You could always stay here with us,” I offer. “We have plenty of empty cabins. I’m sure Bubby wouldn’t mind.”
“I know he wouldn’t,” Sammy says warmly. “But you know I’m too soft for this lifestyle.”
“It’s not as bad as you think,” I smile. “Bubby makes sure his men follow all his rules. There aren’t parties and naked women everywhere like in the movies.”
“I prefer my women modest and my home quiet,” Sammy grins. “But thank you, Abby.”
“Well, I’m really happy you’re moving up here,” I say.
“Me too,” Spike adds. “And the real estate market around here is booming. You’re going to do great, Samuel.”
“Ready, baby?” Tank asks as he walks out of the clubhouse.
I turn and watch my new husband stride towards me, and my heart does a little flip.
He pulls me into his arms the second he reaches me.
“Brother,” he nods at Spike before looking at Sammy. “Nice seeing you again, Sam. It’s been too long.”
“You too, Tank,” Sammy replies. “Take good care of our sister.”
“You have my word.”
Tank squeezes my hand and turns toward the car.
“Maverick’s jet is waiting for us,” he says. “If we don’t leave soon, he’s going to start charging us rent.”
“Then we'd better go,” I laugh.
I hug Spike one more time.
Then Sammy.
Then Riley, Sunny, Lila, Eli, Cody… and about ten other people before Tank finally pulls me toward the car.
“Alright, alright,” he laughs. “If we keep hugging everyone, we’re never leaving.”
He opens the passenger door for me.
I slide inside, still smiling like an idiot.
Tank climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.
As we pull away from the compound, I look back at the place that has been my home for so many years.
At the people waving.
Tank squeezes my hand.
“Ready for the honeymoon, Mrs. Davis?”
My heart flutters.
“Absolutely.”
And for the first time in a long time… I let the nightmare of my past go and look to the future.
And I’m freaking excited.