Chapter 23
CROW
“Are you ready?” Pop asked as we watched everyone taking their seats.
The backyard that my parents shared with Gamma and Papa Smokey had always been big, and they’d expanded it even further over the years, adding a dirt track and other fun stuff for us.
Now, one corner of the yard held a stage where members of our family and extended family could play music and sing during our get-togethers.
That’s where we were going to stand today for our wedding ceremony.
There were chairs lined up in the grass, like there had been for so many other weddings I’d watched happen here.
I was proud to be married in the same space as so many happy couples before us, most of whom, like my parents, had been joined by my grandfather, who was set to officiate over our wedding today.
“I’m more than ready.”
“No nerves at all?” he asked.
“None,” I assured him.
“He’s had blue balls for weeks, so he’s ready for this party to be over so he can spend some time alone with Darcy.”
“Weeks?” Pop asked in horror.
“I told you that boy can’t do anything in the right order,” Dad chimed in.
“Leave the boy alone,” Mom ordered as she gave me one more kiss on the cheek. “I just talked to Darcy, and she’s not the slightest bit nervous, which tells me that you’ve chosen the right woman. It takes a certain kind of fortitude to handle this family, and I believe she’s got that in spades.”
I smiled as I watched Mom, the woman I measured every other woman against, grabbed Dad’s hand to pull him toward their seats. My Gigi, another woman I adored, gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before she frowned at Pop and said, “You’re going to behave, right?”
“Of course,” Pop lied. Gigi rolled her eyes and walked off to sit with Mom, so Pop called after her, “I don’t know why you’re worried, Sour Patch, it’s not like I haven’t done this a time or two already.”
“That’s why I know to be worried!” Gigi replied.
“It’s go time!” my sister Raven said cheerfully as she walked over and picked up her violin.
I watched as she ran her bow across the strings a few times to make sure it was tuned, and then was surprised when my friend Lucky sat down at the keyboard someone had set up.
I wondered what they were up to but knew it would be beautiful.
I turned my gaze to the back door of Mom and Dad’s house to wait for the girls to come outside.
Brighten stuck her head out and nodded, and the first notes of the song started.
I never thought to ask her what Raven planned to play, thinking it would just be something classic until it was time for the wedding march, so it took me a second to recognize the tune.
As Lucky played the piano part, Raven’s violin mimicked the lyrics of the song, and I smiled at the memory of the night I met Darcy and the note I left for her.
Phoenix was the first to appear in the doorway, and he was quickly joined by Tansy, who took his arm before they started walking our way.
I was surprised to see that she was wearing a formal gown, and the light blue shade complemented the color of the shirts that Darcy had chosen for me and my brothers to wear today.
They were halfway to the stage when Hawk appeared with Clancy, and I smiled when I saw Griffin peek out of the door behind them and then disappear.
Phoenix and Tansy split up when they got to the end of the aisle, and as they took their places on the stage, Brighten appeared in the doorway with Rev in her arms. Brighten was wearing the same dress as Tansy and Clancy, but Rev was dressed like a little princess, wearing a fluffy pink gown, complete with a tiara.
“That little girl is too damn cute,” Pop whispered.
Brighten made it to the stage and turned to stand on my side with the guys just as Lyric appeared in the doorway, wearing the same pink outfit that Rev had on, but since this was Lyric there weren’t cute little shoes on her feet.
Instead, she had on shiny pink Docs that I’d seen her wear when she rode with Ruf on his bike.
Lyric walked down the aisle, smiling and waving at people in the crowd, and only occasionally throwing out handfuls of petals she pulled from the basket on her arm.
Suddenly Griffin and Koda appeared in the doorway, and I was shocked at the sight of them dressed in matching outfits that looked a lot like . . .
“Who in their right mind gave those boys swords?” Pop hissed.
“She’s paying them a mint to wear those outfits, and she made sure the swords are made out of foam and not metal,” Hawk answered quickly.
“It’s still terrifying to see, but I feel a little better knowing that,” I whispered as I anxiously waited to see Darcy in the doorway.
Griffin and Koda walked sedately down the aisle and stopped before they got to the stage, then turned to face each other before they took a few big steps back and stood as still as sentries, waiting for the bride.
The song ended and there was a dramatic pause before Raven started the wedding march and everyone in the audience stood up and turned to watch the door.
Marcus walked out and stepped aside for the big reveal, and a split second later Darcy appeared in the doorway. I burst out laughing when I saw her dress, and her bright smile turned into laughter when she realized I got the joke.
My bride wasn’t wearing a poufy white gown like most brides dreamed of. Instead, she was dressed like Sleeping Beauty, complete with a poufy pink gown just like the pictures I’d seen from the cartoon movie.
I heard Pop whisper, “That explains why the boys are dressed like that.”
I glanced over at Koda and Griffin and saw that they had their swords out now, and were holding them up in the air for Marcus and Darcy to walk between them, and wondered just exactly how much she had to pay them to get them to dress like Prince Charming, complete with capes and puffy sleeves at their shoulders.
Whatever it was, it was worth every penny, just to give the woman I loved a wedding fit for a real princess, and to give us both a day we’d never forget.
I tried so hard to be patient, but their trek down the aisle seemed to take forever, and I couldn’t help but walk down the steps to the grass just so I could be a little closer while I waited for Darcy to get to me.
When she finally did, Marcus took her hand and lifted it up to kiss her knuckles before he rested it in mine.
“Sleeping Beauty, you’re a vision,” I whispered as I leaned closer so I could give her a soft kiss on her cheek.
“You look awfully handsome yourself, my prince,” Darcy replied as I turned and settled myself beside her, taking her hand in mine as I walked her up the steps to stand in front of Pop.
“Hey, Crow?” I smiled as I turned to face her and Darcy leaned closer to whisper, “Thanks for showing me the difference between a boy and a man.”
“It’s been my pleasure, Sleeping Beauty, and I’m going to keep showing you for the rest of our lives.”
“I can’t wait.”
“The best thing I ever did was take a drunk girl home.”
◆◆◆
DARCY
“Why are we still here when we could be at home alone doing all the things I’ve dreamed of since we met?”
I leaned back so I could look up into Crow’s face, and smiled before I explained, “Because we’ll only have one wedding party, but we’ll be spending the rest of our lives together, in bed and out of it.”
“It’s not just the bed where I want to take you,” Crow warned.
“Oh, no. The bed is just where we’ll end up. I’ve got plenty of other ideas.”
“Do tell.”
I pretended to consider my answer, when in reality I’d been thinking of all the ways I wanted to enjoy Crow’s body.
“The counter in the kitchen is the perfect height for me to sit on the edge and wrap my legs around you. So is the island. The kitchen table would be the perfect place for you to enjoy me like a buffet, and eat my pussy until I’m speaking in tongues and the only word you can understand is your name.
I’ve dreamed of having you beneath me on the couch again, minus the spider, and your shorts.
And every time I shower I wonder what it would be like to have you in there with me. And, of course, there’s our bed.”
“I don’t know how much longer I can last,” Crow whispered in my ear before he drew the lobe between his lips and nipped at it with his teeth.
“I’ve been thinking of all the things I want to do to that luscious body of yours, and right now I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it all the way home before I start. ”
The song over the loudspeakers came to an end, and Crow and I stilled as we waited for the next song to start. I was content to stand there with his arms around me forever, or at least until one of us broke and dragged the other to the truck so we could be alone.
“Congratulations, Crow and Darcy!” I looked toward the stage as everyone around the yard cheered, and realized that Crow’s uncles, Kale and Daughtry, were taking their places up there, along with Lucky’s dad, Sonny, one of the men in Crow’s extended family.
Lucky was seated at the piano now, and Rocky and Memphis, two of Crow’s cousins, were on stools holding guitars.
Roar sat down behind the drum set, and Kale, Daughtry and Sonny stood in front of him, each holding microphones.
I realized we were going to get a show like the ones Crow had described enjoying during cookouts like this when he was growing up.
He had always talked about his uncles and how well they performed together, but until tonight I hadn’t had a chance to watch.
Kale waited until everyone calmed down before he said, “We were asked to come entertain all of you for a little while, and because sometimes Crow is my favorite nephew I agreed.”
“Sometimes?” Crow yelled.