Chapter 34
ROXIE
I’ve always imagined my wedding day happening somewhere normal. Like a courthouse. Or a beach. Or one of those overpriced venues that masquerade as rustic because they have fairy lights strung over a barn that has never seen so much as a single cow.
Instead of any of that, though, here I am, twenty-something weeks pregnant, wrapped in a soft, stretchy white dress with long lace sleeves, about to get married in our own backyard on a mountain in early February, inside a tent so big it could pass for the world’s fanciest igloo.
And honestly, I wouldn’t trade a single thing about it.
Heaters hum quietly in the hall outside the master bedroom as Madison fusses with my hair for the fifteenth time. She’s declared herself my maid of honor slash emotional-support gremlin, which feels accurate.
“You look like a snow queen,” she says triumphantly, stepping back and biting her lip like she’ll cry if she even blinks wrong.
“Or a marshmallow,” I counter, glancing down at my very prominent baby bump.
“A sexy marshmallow,” she corrects, a massive smile spreading across her face. “One who’s marrying three men, no less. Babe, that alone makes you a queen. Own it.”
I laugh, pressing a hand to my belly as a baby rolls lazily under my ribs. “It really is wild, isn’t it?”
“Wild? Honey, it’s insane but it’s also kind of perfect.” Madison smooths a strand of hair behind my ear, squinting at it like she can glare it into submission. “Do you know what I love most about it?”
“That you’re getting a front-row seat to the chaos?”
“Yes,” she deadpans, then softens, her gaze warm as it moves between my eyes. “But also that I know you’re safe and loved, that you’ve found the family you’ve always wanted, and that you’re not running anymore.”
“You’ll always be part of that family. You know that, right?” My throat tightens, emotion clogging it as I exhale a slow breath. “You’re not wrong, though. Sometimes when I think about it, I barely even recognize the girl I was when I arrived here scared and alone.”
She reaches out and takes my hand, tears glistening in her eyes now, too. “And just look at how far you’ve come.”
I blink hard, trying to fight off the tears building in my eyes before they burst free and we both wind up ruining our makeup. “I really have come a long way, huh?”
“For sure,” she says, but then she pulls a face at me. “Speaking of families, are you ready for the rundown about how it’s going out there with the parents? My gossip circuits are primed and ready to go.”
I groan. “Please tell me Dillon’s parents are still okay with all this.”
“Okay with it?” She snorts. “His mom keeps whispering that she always knew he’d never settle down with just one other person. Apparently, he’s always collected people he loves like stray cats. His dad just nods like she predicts the stock market on the regular.”
I chuckle. “They really are the sweetest.”
“Yeah, they are but Chance’s dad…” She trails off, lowering her voice as if he can hear us despite the walls. “He seems really intense.”
“He is. But he’s a former Marine too, and Chance’s childhood wasn’t exactly peaceful. They’ve been through a lot. I think Mr. McShane is still constantly calculating the possibility of this whole thing exploding.”
“And you’re okay with that?” she asks.
I shrug. “It’s a valid concern for a parent to have, and he’s not against our marriage. Once he saw how steady Chance is now and how much gentler he is with himself, I think it clicked that this might not be how he envisioned his son’s future but that his son is happy.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense,” Madison says. “He told me this morning that he’s grateful for anything that keeps his boy alive and here. I wasn’t sure what he meant.”
I nod. “I don’t think he’ll ever be the hearts-and-flowers type, but he’s here. He wants to be here. That matters.”
“What about Boone’s mom?” she asks gently. “I haven’t been able to get much of a read on her yet.”
Ah. Yes. Mrs. Callaghan.
“She’s…” I exhale slowly. “Let’s just say that she’s trying.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.”
“No, she really is,” I say quickly. “She told me she supports Boone wanting to start over, that she respects that he’s choosing love, but she also says Tessa really messed him up and she needs time to learn how to trust me.”
“Wow, that’s honest,” Madison says. “Brutal, but honest.”
“I actually appreciate it,” I say. “I know she’ll come around. I can feel it. She hugged me when she arrived today. That felt like a win. The first time she visited last month, she barely said a word to me the entire weekend. I figure a hug and a chat mean we’ve made progress.”
Madison laughs. “Score one for Team Roxie.”
I wink at her, then turn back to the mirror as she glances out the window. Snow falls outside, dusting the mountains in white and making the entire valley feel like we’re inside a snow globe that’s been lovingly shaken.
“Are you ready?” she asks a moment later, her voice gentle now. “Because I made sure no one parked behind me. I can be the getaway driver if you need one.”
“You’re awesome. Thank you for thinking about it, but I won’t be needing your services behind the wheel today.” I place both hands over my very swollen belly, studying my reflection in the mirror for a moment.
I really do look like a marshmallow.
My hair is back to blonde, and I’m letting it grow out after cutting it short in an attempt to hide from Caruso’s men. At least that makes me feel like me again, but aside from my hair and my eyes, I don’t really look anything like me.
I feel swollen from head to toe, my belly as big as a beach ball already, and my face looks like I’ve been stung by a whole swarm of bees. Yet the guys make a point every day to tell me how beautiful I am and to show me how much they still want me.
In my entire life, I’ve never felt as loved or been as doted on as I do these days.
Madison watches me in the mirror’s reflection, smiling softly when my eyes meet hers again. “Let’s go.”
“Let’s do it,” I agree, and we leave the bedroom together, stepping into the hallway that’s been lined with candles in glass lanterns.
The soft hum of voices floats from the tent outside, the ceremony set to be small, cozy, and intimate. Madison squeezes my hand once more, then steps ahead to push open the back door.
Cold air rushes in, crisp and clean, but I barely even feel it because there, beneath the warm golden lights of the tent, stand my three men.
Boone’s tie is perfectly straight, Dillon’s boutonniere is pinned slightly sideways, and Chance looks like he wants to tackle anyone who even thinks about getting too close to me.
My breath catches at the sight of them, each one in a suit that fits him like a glove and shows off every hard line of their bodies.
Boone wears a tux, a full five-piece, pitch-black masterpiece that somehow manages to make him look even taller.
His dark hair is neatly swept back from his face, those stormy eyes more intense than ever when his gaze meets mine.
A slight smirk tugs at one corner of his mouth, something that looks a lot like relief softening his features. A flush spreads across my cheeks because he’s looking at me like that in front of their families and the few friends we have in town.
Chance stands beside him in a navy three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt.
His blonde hair is neatly styled, and in the warm light it looks almost like a halo, glittering golden strands framing his face.
He looks at me like he isn’t even aware there are other people in the room and wouldn’t care regardless of who they are.
Dillon is smiling like a maniac, a wide, almost unhinged grin on his lips as he whoops when I walk in.
I laugh, whatever tension or awkwardness might have been in the room evaporating with his shameless exuberance.
He isn’t even wearing a suit and instead opts for slacks and a black button-down, the top couple of buttons undone and his sandy hair long enough now that he tucks it behind his ears.
The officiant, a longtime friend of Dillon’s parents, smiles warmly as I walk down the aisle to Green Day’s “Last Night on Earth.” When I reach them, the music fades, and Boone takes my hands, his grip steady and warm as he tucks me between himself and Chance.
We all turn toward the officiant, Chance’s arm sliding around my hip while I reach behind him for Dillon’s hand.
Boone’s fingers stay linked with mine, his presence a towering comfort at my side.
The officiant smiles at us before welcoming the few people gathered, talking about how love is love no matter what it looks like.
“They’ve written their own vows,” he says once he concludes his opening.
My stomach swoops, but Boone is ready, lifting a hand to show he’ll go first. I turn to him, Chance’s arm still wrapped around my hips and Dillon’s fingers tight around mine.
“Roxanne,” he says, his voice a little rougher than usual but no less certain than he’s been since he first told me they didn’t really fit into conventional boxes. “You brought peace to this home when we needed it most.”
I arch an eyebrow at him, and he chuckles before quietly adding, “You did, you know. The mob might’ve followed you here that one time, but that’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”
I smile, tears brimming in my eyes as he continues. “You showed me I could trust again. Love again. Live again. I promise to protect you, to listen to you, and to build a life with you. I choose you, Roxie. Every day, for the rest of my life, I will choose you.”
He kisses my knuckles, and I tremble, but then Chance turns me toward him when the officiant nods the go-ahead. He cups my cheeks gently, those eyes tender and loving on mine.
“Sunshine, you saved me. Not from danger, but from myself. You taught me how to find light after darkness and family after pain. I vow to be your shield, your partner, and your safe place. I vow to love you with everything I have and with every part of me, even the broken ones.”
Tears stream down my face by the time Dillon takes my hands, smiling like he’s about to burst. “It never stops amazing me that you took one look at the chaos that is our life and said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll marry all three of these lunatics.’”
He pauses when the audience chuckles, then continues, “Seriously, as far as I’m concerned, that deserves a medal.
But you make everything brighter, Rox. I vow to make you laugh, to make you feel loved, and to help build a life full of joy, stupid inside jokes, and holidays the size of small festivals.
You’re my heart, and I’ll spend my whole life proving that you’re making the right choice today. ”
A sob rises in my throat as I look into his gorgeous blue eyes, but the officiant saves me from dissolving into a mess of tears when he nods at me. It’s my turn, and one of the babies kicks as if encouraging me.
“My loves,” I say, looking at each of them in turn. “When I first got here, I thought I was running for my life, but somehow, I ended up finding it instead. I found the life I had always dreamed of, the kind of love I never thought I would have.”
I inhale a shaky breath. “I’m so grateful to have found my family.
My true loves. And I promise to stand with you, to grow with you, and to raise our family with you.
I vow to love each of you wholly, fiercely, and endlessly, and to love all of us together no matter the challenges we may face in the future. ”
The officiant nods at Boone, and he kisses me first, his lips meeting mine in a bruising kiss that makes me forget where we are.
Chance is next, smiling as he guides my mouth to his with a hand on my throat, his lips gentle and loving, like he’s making another unspoken vow.
Dillon takes over long before I’ve had enough.
The tent erupts in applause when he sweeps me right off my feet, careful of the belly, and kisses me as fiercely as he ever has.
After we break apart, he takes my hand and leads me over to his parents, the first in the small crowd gathered to congratulate us. They embrace us all warmly, smiling just as wide as their son once they let us go.
Boone’s mom is a bit more reserved, but her gaze keeps flicking to my belly, and I have a feeling that once the babies are here, she’ll be around a lot more often. Chance’s dad draws me in for a stiff hug, excusing himself immediately after to get another drink from the bar.
We move from person to person while the caterers bring out canapés, the reception kicking off in a blur of laughter, congratulations, and more hugs and kisses from my husbands than I can count.
Eventually, Madison pulls me aside, champagne in her hand and mischief dancing in her gaze. “So, that happened. You married three ridiculously hot men, all of whom adore you. On a mountain. While glowing like a goddess. Maybe I should’ve come out to the cabin and left you to the wolves.”
I laugh. “Maybe, but you didn’t, so I guess we’ll never know.”
“True.” She lets out a deep, pretend sigh and winks at me. “Think maybe you could share the wealth?”
“Nope,” I say cheerfully, watching across the tent as Boone talks with his mother and Chance laughs at something Dillon says. “Sorry, but these ones are all mine.”
Madison chuckles. “That’s fair. But hey, you never know. My husbands might be around here somewhere. You guys don’t have any neighbors, do you?”
“Not as far as I know, but I’ll find out.”
She grins. “Thanks. Can I grab you another water?”
I nod, but as she flits off toward the bar, I take a second to myself just to soak up the moment. As I look around the tent, my gaze snags on the three center points of my universe.
My husbands. My family.
My chest swells with a warmth that has nothing to do with the heaters as I stare at them openly, not at all ashamed. This isn’t the life I expected.
It’s better.
And the best part is that it’s only just beginning.