22. An Unconventional Wedding
Chapter twenty-two
An Unconventional Wedding
WRAITH
Celeste, the eccentric officiant Ellie hired for the wedding watches my fiancée talking to her mom with a slightly unfocused gaze of benevolent interest.
When it looks like they're coming back, that gaze shifts to me before soft brown eyes sharpen. "Yes. I see."
I'd ask what she sees, but she'd probably tell me and it would be something about my chakras aligning with áine's, or the synchronicity of our energy.
One of the guys in my platoon at Basic talked like that. He got in trouble for wearing a bracelet with his power crystal encased in the leather. He sewed it into the hem of his OCPs. Don't know what it did for him, but he's still alive while other men who trained with us aren't.
Doesn't change the fact that the only thing I want to align with my soon-to-be-wife is my cock with her pussy.
And that can't happen until tonight.
Fuck, let it happen tonight.
I want to get my hands on all her luscious curves with no clothing barriers between us, but I told her I'd wait until she's ready. I meant it.
That doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to make her ready though.
áine's face goes slack with shock, then her eyes fill with first wonder and then worry. She looks at me but her gaze skitters away before I can make eye contact.
What did Maureen say to her?
Whatever it was, it wasn't don't marry the guy because they both head toward us, the confusion on áine's face morphing into determination.
She's going through with it.
The wedding.
Relief blasts through me and only then do I acknowledge to myself I wasn't sure she would.
"You stand here," Sadie says to Celeste, pointing at the center spot in front of the waterfall.
Looking like she's got no problem with getting instructions from a twelve-year-old, Celeste moves to stand where Sadie told her to.
"Now, mom, you stand here." She grips áine's arms and tugs her into a position in front and to the right of the officiant.
"Are you the wedding coordinator?" áine smiles at her daughter, no censure in her tone for Sadie's bossiness.
"Someone has to be." She grabs my arm and tugs me to stand opposite áine. "Right there."
áine stares up at me. "We're really doing this."
"Yes." All of it.
No way in hell is this going to be a marriage in name only. áine's family is now mine and I am their protector. áine is mine. In every way.
Her nostrils flare and she steps back, like she can sense my predatory intent.
I grab her hand and yank her closer, so she has to tilt her head back to see my face. When she does, I wink at my soon-to-be wife.
áine's eyes round and then narrow. "What was that wink for?"
I shrug.
She blushes.
Leaning down, I whisper for only her to hear. "My room has a king-sized bed, but we'll only be using half of it."
And if she wants to know where all the words came from, she only has to look down instead of up.
I angle her body so our girls can't see what the thought of marrying their mom is doing to me. Willing, my erection down, I breathe in deeply and release slowly to lower my heart rate.
There are a lot of hours and Disney characters to see between now and my wedding night.
Celeste clears her throat. "It looks like this wedding can't happen fast enough for any of you."
áine makes the cutest eep sound.
"We're ready," Sadie agrees before anyone else can say anything.
She's arranged everyone to her liking, which is all of the rest of them in a semicircle around her mom and me.
"Then let us begin," Celeste says with a wave of her hands.
"Can we go on rides after?" Joy asks in a loud whisper.
áine's hand tenses in mine. Because she doesn't want to? Because she's worried I won't?
Not going to happen.
"We're at a theme park, aren't we?" Ellie asks. "Of course we're going on rides."
I nod my agreement.
"Yay!" Joy's yell is expected.
Neeve's nearly as loud, "Cool!" is not.
áine's hand turns in mine so our fingers can lace together and she relaxes, like she really was worried I was going to deny our girls the chance to enjoy Disneyland fully.
I wouldn't do that. I'm not an asshole.
To them.
"We are gathered here to bring áine Gallagher and Kieran Lleshi together in the bond of marriage," Celeste says, unbothered by the minor interruption. "Sadie, Neeve and Joy, will you please step forward?"
What is she doing? I look at McLaren, sure she knows, but her focus is on Celeste and the girls coming to stand beside us so áine and I are sandwiched between them and the officiant.
"Do you Sadie, Neeve and Joy offer your support and approval for your mother to marry this man?"
"We do," Sadie says with conviction while both the younger girls say, "Yes."
This had to be Ellie's idea. But how could she know the girls would agree? I've claimed them as my daughters, but even I thought it would take them longer to accept that claim.
They want a dad though.
They need me.
Just like áine does, even if she doesn't realize it.
Without telling the girls to return to their spots, Celeste turns her attention on me. "Do you, Kieran, agree to take Sadie, Neeve and Joy as your daughters."
"I do," I say without hesitation.
"Do you, áine, agree to allow Kieran to become your daughters' father?" Celeste asks.
áine's hold on my hand constricts tightly. It takes her a second, but she says, "I do."
Celeste nods. "Do you, Kieran, agree to marry áine?"
"I do," I say with the same alacrity as before.
"Do you, áine, agree to marry Kieran, committing yourselves for a lifetime?"
How does Celeste know that it's áine who has reservations about this marriage? I appreciate the wording of commitment pledge though. I will never let áine go.
The pause before áine's I do is shorter than the last one, but it's there. Still, she said it.
I do.
Now we speak our vows.
"Repeat after me," Celeste turns a look of benevolent seriousness on me and recites the vows I am supposed to say.
I lock eyes with áine and repeat them. "I, Kieran Lleshi, take you, áine Gallagher, to be my wife. I promise to respect you, to support you, and to share my life with you."
"Now, áine—"
I clear my throat, stopping the officiant from continuing.
"I promise to keep you and our girls safe.
I will be faithful to you in every way. I will provide for you and our daughters in life and in death.
" I will never leave her to fend for herself if the violence in my world takes me from her.
"I will be the best father I can be to Sadie, Neeve, Joy and any other children you gift me with. "
Despite having my arousal completely under control and only touching her hand with mine, the words flow from me.
One of the girls gasps at that last promise. And áine's face takes on that mixture of wonder and worry it wore while talking to her mom.
"As it should be," Maureen says staunchly.
Celeste opens her mouth to continue but then looks at me like she's waiting to see if I have more promises to make. I jerk my head toward her, telling her to get on with it.
And then it's áine's turn.
"I, áine Gallagher," she says, using that name for the last fucking time as she repeats Celeste's words. "Take you, Kieran Lleshi, to be my husband. I promise to respect you, to support you, and to share my life with you."
Then she takes a deep breath and says, "I promise to protect you in all the ways that I can. I will be faithful to you in every way. I will share my daughters with you and provide for you all in the ways you need most."
What ways are those? Somehow, I don't think she's talking about sex and after sharing my situation with her, I know she's not talking about finances.
"I will not make you talk more than necessary," she promises, her expression intent. "But I will make you talk when it matters."
Something tightens in the back of my throat and I clench my jaw.
McLaren hands me the box with the wedding bands. I slide the one with a row of small diamonds designed to nestle against áine's engagement ring onto her finger. "This ring is a symbol of my respect and fidelity."
áine's throat moves and her eyes glisten, but she takes the plain, thick platinum band McLaren hands her.
Her hand shakes a little as she places it on my finger, saying, "This ring is a symbol of my gratitude, respect and fidelity."
I don't want her thanks. I want her loyalty. I want her passion. I want her commitment, but her gratitude rubs me the wrong way.
"I am grateful for you, Kieran," she says fiercely, like I spoke my thoughts aloud. "I always will be. And I expect you to be thankful for me."
That's all right then. "I am."
I didn't know I wanted a family, but now I know I need her, our girls and her no-nonsense mother. The future I always saw for myself is gone and it's replaced with dynamic possibilities I gave up hope on when my mom died.
Maybe even before then. When I realized how trapped we both were by Lleshi.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kieran and áine Veseli." Celeste says with the satisfied expression of a woman who has just witnessed something she considers the universe doing its job correctly.
áine stares up at me. "Veseli?"
"My grandfather's name." My mother's maiden name. The name from the best parts of my past and the future I want to build. "I want to share the legacy of a good man with you and the girls, not a bad one."
My stepfather was one of the worst and I don't know why I waited so long to shed his name, but what I did know was I wasn't giving it to my wife and new daughters.
"But how?" áine asks.
"We can both change our names when the marriage paperwork is filed." When McLaren told me that was possible, I figured she knew more about my past than anyone else on my crew.
"Veseli is a very nice name," áine says.
"It's yours now."
She nods.
"Can it be ours too?" Neeve asks.
I turn my head and nod at her. "Yes."
"You'll have to wait to file the paperwork for the adoption until you get confirmation of your name changes," McLaren says.
áine gasps, like the idea of me adopting the girls is a shock to her. What did she think was going to happen? I will offer them every protection I am able to, including my name.
"You may kiss your bride," Celeste says fast, before anyone can ask or say anything else.
I sweep áine up into my arms, her full skirt and fluffy stuff under it ruffling in the slight breeze. "You're a beautiful bride," I tell her before pressing my lips against hers with a reverence I've never felt before.
She doesn't respond at first, but then her arms wrap around my neck and she kisses me back, a soft sound coming from her throat as her lips part just enough for me to taste the interior of her mouth. So sweet.
It takes all of my iron self-control to remind myself that we are in a public place and surrounded by our family. I force myself to break the kiss.
Her mouth follows mine and I press our foreheads together. "Tonight, baby girl."
"Tonight," she whispers back.
It takes me a few seconds to make myself lower her to her feet again. I could get used to carrying her around. She fits my arms perfectly.
"Right! Congratulations, you two lovebirds," McLaren singsongs. "Let's go on some rides to celebrate!"