Chapter Twenty-One #2
Blake, the older, was tall and broad-shouldered, like his dad. He also possessed Carl’s easy smile and steady demeanor as he shook Seth’s hand with a genuinely warm greeting. There was something protective and proud in the way he stood near his father—a son watching his dad step into new happiness.
Catherine—who asked everyone to call her Cat—was a surprisingly poised nineteen-year-old college student. She had striking dark hair and her father’s blue eyes. When she hugged his mom, her smile was warm and genuine, as if she embraced her new family with open arms.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Cat smiled.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” his mother whispered. “Aren’t you lovely?”
Cat blushed. Then his mother’s attention was quickly diverted by a question from the chapel’s wedding coordinator. Of course, Mom had the answer.
Situation handled, she hugged Blake next, talking rapidly about how wonderful it was to finally have everyone together. Carl stood beside his children, beaming with love and pride.
Minutes later, the rehearsal began. The wedding coordinator walked them through the processional, explaining positions and timing. Seth stood at the back of the church with his mom on his arm, waiting for their cue.
“Thank you, for doing this,” she whispered, her hand trembling slightly where it rested on his elbow. “For being here. For giving me away. I’m guessing it’s not easy—”
Seth swallowed down his emotions. “You don’t need to thank me, Mom. I’m happy for you, and I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Her eyes turned misty. “It feels so strange to be a bride again. Your grandfather walked me down the aisle when I married your father. And now you’re doing it for me. It feels...different, but still right.” She sniffled. “Listen to me, blathering on.”
Seth’s throat and chest tightened. His dad had loved her completely. Together, they’d built a life and filled it with five boys, chaos, and laughter. Michael Cooper never would have wanted his wife to spend a decade and a half alone.
He smiled at his mother. “You’re not. You’re a beautiful bride.”
She gave him a watery laugh. “I’m a nervous one, too.”
“The boys and I are happy for you. And Dad would want you to be happy, too.”
Mom choked on a sob and dabbed at her eyes. “Don’t make me cry. I’ll ruin my makeup.”
Finally, Father Heasley gestured them to walk down the aisle, then again for good measure. She relaxed a bit with each step, growing steadier with each beat. By the third run-through, she was confident and practically glowing.
But then Seth noticed that Jack and Connor had positioned themselves out of their mom’s line of sight…
and right next to Cat. They sent Carl’s daughter heated glances in tandem, in what appeared to be a well-practiced seduction.
The girl seemed startled, like she wasn’t sure how to handle identical twins—and her soon-to-be stepbrothers—piling on the flirtation.
Seth grimaced. Goddamnit. He was going to have to shut this shit down.
While Father Heasley gave Mom and Carl some last-minute instructions, Seth grabbed both twins by their collars and dragged them into an adjacent hallway.
“Ow—hey!” Jack protested.
Seth smacked them both upside the head with just enough force to convey his annoyance. “What the hell? Are you two trying to ruin this wedding? Or incapable of thinking about anything but sex for more than two minutes?”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked.
“Don’t play stupid. Stop staring at Cat like you want to tumble her into bed between you.”
“We’re just being friendly,” Connor said, all innocence.
“Stop bullshitting me. I know exactly what you’re doing. I’ve seen you two in action.”
“What? We’re just welcoming her into the family and all,” Jack insisted.
“Not with your dicks, you’re not,” Seth bit out. “Back off, horndogs. This is Mom’s wedding rehearsal, and Cat is about to become your stepsister.”
Jack grinned unrepentantly. “We know. But she’s hot, and we’re not related by blood.”
Seth struggled not to punch him in the mouth. “You will not cause drama by trying to tag-team Carl’s daughter or I will beat you black and blue. Do you understand or do I need to speak in smaller syllables for you to get it through your thick skulls?”
Connor had the decency to look sheepish. Jack was less moved, based on his I-don’t-give-a-fuck shrug. “We haven’t actually touched her. Hell, we’ve barely even talked to her.”
“Keep it that way. And keep it in your pants.”
“Oh, so you’ve kept it in your pants since you brought Beck and Heavenly here for Mom’s wedding?”
“No, but I also haven’t whipped it out near Mom. So unless you want to piss off Carl and start their marriage off on a really shitty note, treat her the way you’d treat Anna.”
“Like a baby?” Connor rolled his eyes, then grumbled. “Fine.”
Seth turned his glare to Jack. “Did you hear me?”
“Hard to miss, Dad. Whatever.”
“Not whatever. Just remember, you won’t get much pussy in the future if you’re missing all your fucking teeth.”
“Oh, don’t let Mom hear you say that in a church,” Jack drawled.
“Can it, smart-ass. Get back to the gathering. And behave.”
He left the grousing twins in the hallway and returned to the sanctuary. When he looked up, he spotted Hudson coming toward him, wearing neatly pressed khakis and a collared shirt…with a knowing smirk.
“I can guess what Jack and Connor are thinking.”
Jesus, who else had seen? “They didn’t try very hard to hide it.”
“If they thought they were being subtle—”
Seth scoffed. “You’re assuming they were thinking at all.”
Hudson flashed a half smile that quickly faded. “Um… Do you think sharing women is hereditary or something? I mean, there’s you and the twins…and I didn’t hate the night with Casen and Brielle.”
His son’s keen awareness gave Seth pause. Not much got past the kid.
He glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot.
“It’s a fair question given…everything, but I don’t think there’s a ‘prefers ménage’ gene, son.
When I was your age, sharing a woman never even occurred to me.
I was much older before I tried, but you have both experiences.
You’ll need to think that through, preferably when you’re older. ”
“Too late. I’m already thinking. It’s cool that Jack and Connor want to be…happy like you, Beck, and Heavenly.”
Seth scoffed. “If that’s what they were doing, I might support them. But there’s a big damn difference between the twins looking to get laid and my relationship with Beck and Heavenly.”
“So you’re saying their ‘emotions’ don’t reach above their waist?” Hudson snickered.
“Clearly. But sex is way better when you care about the person—”
“Or people.” Hudson raised a brow.
Seth hated to concede this point to a sixteen-year-old, but he couldn’t be a hypocrite. “Yeah.”
“Did you…ever care about my mom?”
Of course the kid wanted to know, and Seth was surprised he hadn’t asked sooner. Seth had grown up, knowing his parents had been mad about each other. Poor Hudson must have wondered for most of his life if everyone considered him a mistake.
“At the time, I had a huge crush on your mom. I really wanted her to like me, and I was more than a little heartbroken when she abruptly quit her job and I didn’t hear from her again. Now I know why, but…”
Hudson nodded. “She’d talk about you sometimes, you know. Not your name or anything, but every so often when I bugged the shit out of her, she’d say you were tall and handsome and funny. That I looked just like you. Then she’d clam up. But…I think she had feelings at the time, too.”
“Water under the bridge now. I’m just sorry you and I lost so many years. If I’d had any idea—”
“I know.” Hudson smiled at him. “It would have been cool, but…yeah.”
“Don’t blame your mother. She was young and scared.”
“I know. I can’t imagine… If someone told me I’d have a baby in the next year or two, I’d flip out.”
He clapped his son on the shoulder. “Exactly. She did the best she could. That’s all any of us can do.”
Hudson nodded.
After yesterday’s crushing reminder of Tristan’s loss, he was so fucking grateful that he had this moment with Hudson. That their bond seemed to grow more each day. And maybe it was all the turmoil, the change, the future coming at him fast, but he found himself blinking back tears.
“I’m glad you’re here now.” Seth clapped him on the back as they strode to the parking lot.
“Me, too. Even if this family is a little crazy.”
Seth laughed. “They are, but they mean well. And Grandma loves you already.”
The kid’s smile widened. “I know. She’s actually pretty cool.”
“She is. And speaking of moms, yours is meeting us in the morning, before the wedding. At ten.”
“Yeah, I know. At that diner off the turnpike. She’s bringing Ted and the baby.”
Completing the official paperwork naming him Hudson’s father would give him some assurance and rights. Then, after an upcoming court appearance and a couple of minutes with a notary…Hudson would be his son legally. “I’m really glad you came to find me. And you chose to stay with me. Honestly.”
Hudson kicked at a rock, like the emotion was a bit too heavy to face head-on. “Me, too.”
The others joined them outside, organizing rides to the country club for the rehearsal dinner.
Mom still glowed as she talked animatedly with Carl.
Beck and Heavenly stood with Seth’s brothers, maintaining careful distance—practiced, deliberate, and completely unnatural for people who loved each other as much as they did.
Seth watched them, the weight of this pressure-cooker situation pressing in on him.
A couple more days and nights. His mother deserved a wedding day full of joy, without his romantic drama overshadowing it.
But after that? He wasn’t wasting another damn moment pretending to be something he wasn’t.