Chapter 94 Derrick
DERRICK
The first thing I’m aware of when I wake up is that Charlie isn’t beside me, and the second thing is the snow.
It’s falling in soft white sheets outside the window, settling over Moonlight Falls like the whole town is being dusted in magic.
November here feels like stepping into a Christmas postcard.
The third thing I’m aware of? I’m getting married today.
The words hit me in the chest all over again. Warm. Heavy. Right.
I’m getting fucking married. Me. To the man of my dreams. In one of the dreamiest locations with all our family and friends around us. I can’t believe it. I never thought it would happen, but it is.
I swing my legs out of bed, pull on a sweatshirt, and walk into the cabin.
Once Charlie’s parents found out we wanted to have the wedding here, they went out and ordered all these prebuilt Amish cabins to dot around the property for friends and family to stay in, because there wouldn’t be enough places to stay in town for such a big event. It was so generous of them.
My brothers shared my cabin last night, so I’m surprised to find so many people in the kitchen when I wake up.
The place is buzzing. Just the low hum of people laughing quietly and preparing breakfast. It seems like the caterer, Sebastien Sanchez, dropped off some breakfast platters for us.
The pop of a bottle of champagne catches my attention.
“I’m getting married, bitches,” I call out, which makes the entire cabin erupt.
Sienna comes running over to cuddle me. “Good morning, groom.”
“Here, you’re going to need this,” Vanessa says, sliding a mimosa into my hand.
“Can you believe it? I’m getting married.” I squeal.
“Did you sleep?” Isla asks.
“Barely. I’m just too excited.”
“You look good for someone who hasn’t closed their eyes,” Stacey says, wobbling past me to grab some food.
She is ready to pop in a month, and I can’t believe she made the trek out here for me.
Everyone is on standby in case the baby comes early.
The Dirty Texas jet is fueled and ready to go, and a doctor is on hand at the event just in case.
“You need to eat, D,” Sienna tells me, dragging me over to where the food is, my brothers already devouring it.
“Morning, team,” Camryn says, strolling in looking very determined. Her eyes land on me, and she rushes over, pulling me into a hug. “Derrick, it’s your day. I’m so excited. And don’t worry, I have everything under control.”
“Of course you do. You’re the fucking best.”
“I am.” She smirks before she launches into her run sheet of what is happening today. Thankfully, it’s not going to take me long to get ready, so all the girls have to leave, heading back to their cabins to get their hair and makeup done before returning here to get ready.
Toby appears, rushing through the door, clutching a garment bag like it contains state secrets.
“The suits are steamed. The hats are accounted for. Do not ask why they were not accounted for ...”
“I wasn’t going to.” I’m in my Zen era this morning.
“Good,” he says, then bursts into tears. “I’m just so happy for you.”
“No,” I interrupt. “Not yet. Save it for after the ceremony.” I feel my own eyes shimmer with emotion.
He wipes his face. “Okay, but you look beautiful already, and you’re not even dressed.”
“Get this man a mimosa, he needs to calm down,” I call out to my brothers who laugh and usher Toby over to the bar where they sit him down, hand him a glass, and then make him stuff his face with pastries.
A little while later, the Dirty Texas boys come strolling in, all pressed and dressed looking hot in their get-ups.
The theme for the wedding is black tie cowboy, no jeans.
I shut that suggestion down real quick when Charlie suggested it.
You can take the fashionista out of the city, but you can’t take the fashionista out of the boy.
I wanted elevated country as it is the weekend after Thanksgiving, which we hosted here on Thursday with all our families getting together for the first time.
We all had the best time ever, it made the holiday feel so special, and we were so much more thankful.
So, we kept with the theme for our wedding and used all those gorgeous fall colors throughout our wedding.
I chose this gorgeous white tuxedo jacket and black velvet pants, a white tuxedo shirt underneath with a black tuxedo tie.
I have no idea what Charlie is wearing, but I did send Toby shopping with him so I know it will be Derrick Jones approved.
The Dirty Texas boys are all wearing fall-colored tweed three-piece suits in mixtures of greens, copper, and bronze with cowboy boots. While I asked my brothers if they wouldn’t mind wearing their kilts with the Sinclair tartan, which they were so excited to do.
“Think this calls for shots of whiskey, don’t you?” Christian asks.
“Hell yeah, we can pop the Sinclair whiskey we brought over,” Callum adds, which the boys all agree excitedly.
“Not too many,” I warn them.
“Never.” Evan winks, and they start pouring out shots for everyone.
Thankfully, before they get too wild, the girls start coming back in from hair and makeup to get changed into their dresses, thanks to my wonderful designer friend, Yvette Sanchez.
They are all in various color spectrums of copper, greens, champagne, and burnt orange, and each dress matches the color combination of their husbands.
Tears well in my eyes as I see my girls, one by one, come out dressed.
“You all look so beautiful.”
“D, no crying,” Sienna tells me.
“I can’t help it.” I sniffle.
“Wait until you see the kids,” Vanessa chuckles, “you’re going to lose it then.
” And she isn’t wrong, as the grandparents escort all the Dirty Texas kids out of the rooms they were getting dressed in, I gasp.
They all look so beautiful. The boys are in mini versions of their dad’s suits with little cowboy boots, and the little girls are in floral and lace fall-colored dresses with flowers in their hair.
The older girls, Stacey’s nieces, are dressed like the other bridesmaids.
I lose it. I can’t help it. I can’t contain myself any longer and let it all out.
Everyone hugs me, but I’m so overwhelmed.
“It’s your turn now to get dressed, D,” Camryn tells me. I nod and sniffle my way to the bedroom with Sienna and Vanessa on my heels. They help me get dressed and clean myself up.
“I’m so happy for you, D, getting your happily ever after,” Sienna says, putting the boutonniere on my suit.
“He means getting your Dirty ever after.” Vanessa chuckles.
“You’re not wrong there.” I smirk.
“We’ve come so far, D.” Sienna sniffles as she pats down my suit jacket. “I love you with all my heart.”
“Me too.”
“Me three,” Vanessa says, walking over and standing beside me. “I have something for you, D.” She hands me an envelope.
I take it from her and open it, and when I read what’s inside, the letter falls to the floor.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No. No. No.”
“Yes, Derrick. Christian and I have discussed this at length, and we want to do this for you.” I keep shaking my head. This is too much. “Christian and I have agreed that we are done having kids. That our two girls are all we need.”
“Ness …”
“I have so many eggs on ice, Derrick. They are just going to be destroyed, and for some reason, that doesn’t feel right,” Vanessa explains.
“But …”
She shakes her head. “You can talk to Christian, but he said that there is no one else in this world who he would allow to share his wife’s DNA.”
“Ness, won’t it be weird seeing your child running around?”
“It’s not my child, Derrick, it is yours and Charlie’s. It might be my egg, but it’s not my baby.”
“Ness, this is too much.”
“You don’t have to decide yet or even at all. I just wanted you to know that the option is there for you and Charlie. Especially as the eggs are already there waiting.”
I wrap my arms around her tightly. “Thank you. This gift is too incredible.”
“I love you, D. You are my brother. You’re family,” she tells me.
Vanessa wipes her eyes first, then mine, and Sienna steps in behind her, squeezing my shoulder before pulling both of us into a hug. “We are a mess,” she murmurs.
I laugh, just a soft, shaky sound, and step back, taking a breath to steady myself. Today hasn’t even started, and I’ve already cried twice. What am I going to be like when I see Charlie?”
“Derrick, sweetheart, it’s time,” Camryn says, popping her head into the room.
Just hearing the words makes my stomach flutter. Sienna and Vanessa guide me back out to where everyone is, and as soon as we exit my room, everyone erupts with excitement and congratulations.
“The wagons are here, D. Are you ready?” Camryn asks.
We are taking wagons up to the old barn, which has been converted into our ceremony venue.
Thankfully, we went for an inside event, otherwise, our guests will be blocks of ice by the time we get there.
Charlie and I have decided to have a first look together alone before we walk down the aisle together.
We didn’t want a traditional-style ceremony because that’s not us.
Our families will walk down first, that being the Sinclairs, Charlie’s parents, and Sienna and Vanessa’s.
Then the children will be sent with the teens.
Then Everly, Faith, and Jackson. Then my brothers, and finally my Dirty Texas family, each one of them walking down with their own partner.
We all pile into the wagons, and the girls are wrapped in furs and blankets for the short trip to the barn. Then we all get out and have our photos taken, thanks to Charlotte and her photographer friends.
“Okay,” Camryn says quietly, “go stand by the barn. He’ll come from the opposite side. No kissing.” Her eyes narrow on me like she knows exactly what I’m capable of.
“Are we really a no-kiss couple?” I murmur.
“Today? Yes. It’s bad luck before the wedding.” She points her pen at me.
I walk across the snow-dusted path to the side of the barn where lanterns glow soft gold against the snowy light. My breath fogs in front of me. My heart thuds like a drumline.
Then I hear the crunch of boots in snow.
He steps into view from the other side of the barn.
Charlie.
My world.
And my ridiculously handsome fiancé.
He looks hot.
Black suit. Silver bolo tie. Stark white suit shirt. White cowboy hat. Black boots. And eyes, fierce evergreen eyes, fixed right on me.
“Oh my god.” I gasp as tears start to well in my eyes.
He lets out a shaky laugh. “Don’t start, D. I’m barely holding it together.”
We meet halfway, both of us stopping at the exact same moment, staring at each other like we forgot the rest of the world exists.
“You look …” He exhales. “Derrick, you look unbelievable.”
“So do you,” I whisper, eyes burning. “Holy shit, Charlie.”
He reaches for my hand, hesitates, then does it anyway, warm fingers wrapping around mine.
We lean in.
Instinct.
Habit.
Home.
Our noses almost brush.
“Don’t kiss,” he whispers.
“I want to kiss you,” I whisper back.
We both laugh, our foreheads almost touching, breath mingling in the cold air. Charlotte makes a quiet sound behind us, something between a gasp and a prayer. I hope she captured the moment because I want to be able to relieve this feeling forever.
Charlie squeezes my hand. “This is real.”
“Yeah,” I say softly. “We’re really doing this.”
“Derrick,” he murmurs, voice low, “I love you.”
My chest tightens. “I love you too.”
We don’t kiss. Even though I want to so badly. We just breathe each other in while the snow falls around us like the universe blessing this exact second.
Camryn appears, wiping under one eye even though she’ll deny it later.
“Okay, lovebirds. Processional time. Everyone else is already lined up.”
We follow her back to the main path leading toward the opening of the barn.
The doors to the main area are closed, but I can see the soft glow of the lanterns marking out our aisle.
Two large fall-inspired bouquets stand on either side of the entrance.
They are spectacular, I can’t wait to see what the barn looks like inside.
Camryn and Kimberly open the barn doors, and everyone turns as the Gypsy Sisters start playing on their guitars, the sound echoing all around us.
The wedding party begins to move. Charlie’s parents first, arm in arm, smiling proudly.
Then the Sinclairs, and then it’s Sienna and Vanessa’s parents.
Next is the young kids being pulled by a miniature pony on a wagon with Becca holding the reins, making sure the pony does as it’s told.
Everyone laughs when they see the kids come out as they throw eucalyptus leaves instead of rose petals, a nod to my home along the aisle.
Then the rest of Stacey’s nieces and nephews follow.
“The barn looks amazing,” Charlie whispers to me.
We’re able to take it in while we wait, the fairy lights hanging everywhere, fall-colored garlands hanging over the aisle, soft candlelight, the rows of wooden benches, and the flower arch at the end of the aisle, with the cascading florals and fabric.
It’s beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
Next is my Dirty Texas family, each one of them arm in arm walking down the aisle with their partners.
And then, the music changes. A soft swell of strings.
Everyone rises.
Charlie looks at me.
I look at him.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
I nod. “With you? Always.”
We step forward, hand in hand, walking down the aisle together.
The crowd blurs.
The music fades.
All I feel is his hand squeezing mine.
Two grooms.
Side by side.
Walking into our future.