Chapter 24 Fireflies
The Leeman threats and organization had been eradicated without question but the Dorien brothers could never be too careful or too trusting.
The guests’ chairs lined the driveway in two halves, creating an aisle in the middle, leading up to the large garage door where Tyler was waiting with the minister.
His all-black suit made him look dangerously dapper in the slowly setting September sun.
The guests were an eclectic mix of the bride and groom’s closest. From Nicki’s Chicago family, to Tico’s wife and daughters from Albania, to the Mexican cartel family, paying their respects.
Nancy sat in the front row in the spot typically reserved for the mother of the groom.
She sat with the burned-soup cook, unable to hold in her tears.
“I knew it. I knew it all along,” she whispered in her cry, dabbing her eye with a flowered handkerchief.
Aunt Marge and Uncle Ron sat beside them, just as touched and happy that they could make it. Renee from the brothers’ group home was also happy to attend and sat with Cliff, looking proud in his powder-blue suit. Sasha, beside him.
Nicki’s grandmother, also in the front row, was having a hard time understanding why Nicki was getting married in front of a beige garage.
“I just don’t see why they would waste such an extravagant backyard, right on the lake, to do the ceremony on the driveway! Who planned this wedding?” she murmured to Nicki’s mother. She fanned herself and looked around judgingly.
“I think it was Nicki, so let’s try to give her some grace, mom!”
Raymond was kicking his little legs over the seat in the excitement brewing, until his dad put him up on his lap.
The crew was looking dangerous in their suits and handsome as ever. Amelia was sitting with Trevor, holding his hand.
Tico’s daughters; Dafina, nine, and Gresa, eleven, kept twisting back in their seats, eager to see what Nicki’s dress will look like.
There was no sign of her yet.
Tommy walked out from the side of the estate with a freshly groomed Boon wearing his fancy bowtie collar.
Rings attached. He was excited to join the festivities and his tail wagged happily.
Tommy got a fresh haircut for the occasion too, revealing the tousled mullet that got lost into his outgrown hair these past few months.
But his freshly faded sides and gelled back hair made him look cooler than ever and back to his old, smiley self again.
Tommy approached Tyler at the front.
“You ready, bro?” he asked, shaking his hand.
“Yeah, man. Where is she?”
“Don’t worry, buddy, she’ll be here, relax,” Tommy whispered.
The brothers nodded at Chase and his wife coming in, taking their seats.
After several more minutes of whispers and anticipation, a car pulled up to the Compound. The lovely Tanisha got out.
“There’s my cue,” Tommy said, handing Tyer the dog leash.
He walked down to get his maid of honor.
“Hey, darlin’,” Tommy said, holding out his elbow. “Don’t you look gorgeous,” he said flirtingly.
“Don’t you look handsome!” Tanisha replied.
Tanisha and Tommy made their way down the aisle slowly. She wore a peach-colored silk dress and her hair worn down in an elegant old Hollywood wave with a side part. She carried a small bouquet of white roses and smiled brightly as she got closer to Tyler.
“There’s mommy!” Raymond shouted from his father’s lap.
“Hi, baby!” Tanisha whispered, and gave him a little wave.
Tyler gave Tanisha a grateful smile, scanning her face to see if there was any worry she was trying to mask about Nicki and her impending arrival in the next car.
Tanisha winked at Tyler, calming the last remnants of his fear of abandonment, seared into him since childhood.
They hugged at the front and Tanisha took her place, standing on the other side of Tommy.
A black limousine pulled up next. The guests quieted.
Nicki’s father stepped out, looking handsome in a three-piece suit and held out his hand for his daughter.
Both brothers swallowed slowly.
Nicki stood up and shot her disarming smile at everyone.
Cream silk adorned her body, in a fitted mermaid cut dress, with long, sheer, embroidered bell sleeves that cuffed at the wrists.
She held a bigger bouquet of white roses with green ivy that hung below it, tied with a single peach sash.
Her hairstyle, matching Tanisha’s, was classic Hollywood, and the chocolate brown locks laid over the cream silk beautifully.
The gold lion’s tooth necklace was proudly displayed, although her grandmother insisted that it didn’t go with the dress.
Nicki walked down the aisle, with her father by her side, toward two proud brothers.
Tico’s daughters gasped as she walked by, in awe of her dress.
Tyler stepped out to shake Mr. Carter’s hand before turning to his bride.
“You look like an angel, baby,” Tyler whispered to Nicki.
Nicki blushed looking at Tyler, so handsome in his black weapon suit, eyes sparkling, unable to hide his smile.
She turned to hand her bouquet to Tanisha, but she was too fixated on darting Luca her scrutinizing eyes as her sister cuddled up next to him.
Luca put his arm around Sierra and they looked like two school children with a crush.
“Tanisha!” Nicki whispered.
“Sorry!” Tanisha replied, taking the bouquet and refocusing.
Nicki giggled.
“Don’t worry, Tanisha, Luca is the best guy out of all of us,” Tyler stated proudly.
Luca put his sunglasses on.
The Minister began.
“We are gathered here today, to witness the holy matrimony of Tyler Dorien and Nicole Carter. It was right here, exactly one year ago today, that they met when Tyler smashed Nicki right into this very garage door, in order to protect her from this very dog.”
Boon barked right on cue.
The guests whispered and giggled.
Nicki’s tear-filled grandma nodded her head. “Well, that’s just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!”
The Minister continued with a lovely sermon about family and honor before he got to the vows at the end.
“May I have the rings?”
Tommy approached with Boon and Tyler removed the ring pouch from his collar.
“Awwww,” some guests were heard saying.
“Do you, Tyler Dorien, take Nicole Carter to be your lawfully wedded wife—”
“YES!” Tyler shouted.
The guests giggled. The Minister cleared his throat.
“To have, to cherish and honor, to love and protect, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do you part?”
“I do. And after death, too,” Tyler replied, slipping the wedding band onto her finger. It nestled into the yellow engagement diamond ring perfectly.
“And do you, Nicole Carter, take Tyler Dorien to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have, to cherish and honor, to love and protect, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health until death do you part?”
“I do!” Nicki exclaimed.
She slipped his ring on his finger and looked up eagerly to a beaming Tyler that couldn’t hold in his excitement anymore.
He grabbed her face with both hands and directed her against the garage door, kissing her passionately to a barking boon.
“Uh, I guess you may kiss the bride!” the Minister shouted.
They kissed against the garage door, among the standing ovation and emotional cries from the guests, as their love story came full circle.
Boon kept barking excitedly, held back by Tommy.
“Relax, buddy!” he exclaimed, laughing.
“I now pronounce you: husband and wife, Alpha King and the Lioness Queen!” the Minister announced.
The couple ripped themselves off of the garage door to more applause and congratulations from Tommy and Tanisha.
Vinnie stood up on a chair. “Alright, everyone! Let’s go party in the backyard! I’m DJing, let’s go!” he yelled.
The guests migrated excitedly over to the backyard, set with white high-top tables, flowers, and a makeshift clear dancefloor overtop of the pool.
A stunning art deco bar and catering tent was fitted with tiny lights throughout and staffed by barmen in tuxedos.
All with the beautiful backdrop of the setting sun over the glass lake.
The guests wasted no time getting into the celebratory mood with Vinnie’s beats and the warm ambiance of the late summer air. Even Nicki’s nephew found a friend his age in Raymond and the two raced around the lawn together.
“Hey, guys! Don’t go too close to the water! Stay on the lawn where we can see you, please!” Nicki cautioned the boys.
“Look at you, mothering already,” Tyler said.
“I think I need all the practice I can get; they’re coming! Look!” Nicki exclaimed, pressing the silk dress against her tummy. A little bump rounded through.
“God, that’s so gorgeous. And so cool. My love, you’re going to be the best mother in the world, I’m so fucking stoked for our boys, you have no idea.” Tyler put his hand on her stomach and kissed her cheek.
“My wife,” he whispered as they walked around the catering tent.
“We did it, baby, fast and furious.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, baby. You know what I’m going to do to you tonight, right? I’m going to fuck you so good. I can hardly wait. Let’s go upstairs right now, I have a raging hard-on already from not seeing you for 24 hours—”
“Shhh! Be quiet! And no, we can’t, we have our oceanfront hotel suite waiting for us for later, we will consummate the marriage there, you crazy lion!” Nicki scolded.
“No, I can’t wait that long, baby, I need you now. Let’s just go upstairs for a few minutes, I promise, I’ll be quick. Please, baby, feel this.”
Tyler discreetly took Nicki’s arm and grazed it over the rock-hard cock in his pants.
Nicki’s mother rounded the corner to meet them.
“Mom!” Nicki shouted.
“Mrs. Carter, you look beautiful!” Tyler added.
“Oh, Tyler, please, call me Barbara! What are you doing back here? There is a lineup forming, you two, it’s time to greet your guests!”
The newlyweds embraced the lineup of guests eager to share their well wishes with the bride and groom. Tyler’s erection was painful but he braved it like a champ. Months of practice being around Nicki before they got together served him well.