Chapter 16 Michael #2
I glanced at Liam, but smiled at Mrs. Bennett. Bailey didn’t have a cold. She just didn’t want to be in the vicinity of my brother, and his misery showed even when he was trying to hide it.
“Well, I’m glad you could make it. But if you’ll excuse me, I see my beautiful bride.”
“Oh, of course. Give her a kiss for me. On the cheek, not the lips,” she corrected.
“I will.”
When I was finally able to walk away, I let out a deep breath, beelining for my bride. But I didn’t make it even ten feet before I was intercepted again.
“That was just beautiful, Michael,” Ma gushed. “Finally, one of my boys is married. I would say that I expect grandchildren, but you’ve already got that covered.”
“We do.”
“Although I’m not quite sure about these men you used to work with,” she said, eyeing the whole of Reed Security and their wives/husbands, taking up an entire section of the tents all on their own.
“They’re a good group.”
“I’m sure they are, but there was so much swearing, and what was with that musical number they did after the wedding? Are they gay?”
“Nope, just…” How did I describe them? “Odd.”
“And that one man, pulling out his gun and shooting into the air? I thought Mrs. Abernathy was going to have a heart attack!”
“Mrs. Abernathy is tougher than she looks.”
“Of course, Bea was over the moon. Did you see the way she was eyeing the men? I’m pretty sure they’re going to regret coming when she gets enough alcohol in her.”
“Ma, I really—”
“And that man who pulled the gun? I went to introduce myself to him, and he refused to shake my hand. Something about it being dangerous. Honestly, I’m not sure where you found these people.”
“It’s more like they found me,” I sighed.
“Well, either way, I’m glad you’re back home with us. Your father is so lost. I wish you could pull him out of this haze he’s in. He needs a purpose.”
“The ranch is done, Ma. I can’t bring that back.”
“No, but maybe you could talk to him—”
I laughed at that. “Pop and I have never gotten along. There’s nothing I could say that he would want to hear.”
Pursing her lips, she finally relented. “I can see I’m keeping you from your bride. You should go dance with her.”
“I fully intend to. If only I could get to her.”
Chuckling, she took my arm and led me across the tent to my wife.
The strains of an upbeat song were replaced with something slower.
I was just about to ask her to dance when her father stepped in, taking his turn with her.
Sighing, I sat down and waited my turn while Ma chased after Jeff for eating all the food.
“Enjoying your party?” Liam asked, slumping in the seat across from me.
“I would if I actually got to talk to my wife.”
“Well, weddings always seem to be more about the people who attend rather than the bride and groom.”
I eyed my brother, how his shoulders slumped and his eyes were all glazed. “Are you holding it together okay?”
“Of course,” he snorted. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re attending a wedding when all you really want is to go get Bailey back.”
“Well, that’s not gonna happen,” he chuckled.
“It could. If you just give it time—”
“I’m not like you,” he snarled. “I don’t have the luxury of just running away until things get better.”
“Is that what you think I did?”
“Isn’t it?”
Man, he was never gonna let me forget that I left him behind. “I didn’t mean to leave you with all that shit.”
“I know. It’s just…I put off everything, thinking it would still be there for me. And what have I got now?”
“The threat is gone. That has to mean something.”
“Yeah, to you and me, but not to Bailey. She won’t forgive me for what I did.”
“Have you tried talking to her again?”
He shook his head, his eyes drifting off into the distance. “She doesn’t want to hear it,” he croaked. Sucking in a ragged breath, he downed the last of his drink and snagged another from Jeff as he was passing.
“Hey, I was drinking that!”
“So go get another,” Liam drawled.
“Listen,” I sighed, hoping to pull him out of his funk. “You can’t just sit around waiting for her to come back.”
He huffed out a laugh. “She’s definitely not coming back. I fucked that up big time.”
“Maybe, but—”
He interrupted me, rambling on about something to do with Bailey, but my attention was focused on Blake and the pleading looks she was shooting me.
She was cornered by Mrs. Abernathy and Bud Carson.
One was probably lecturing her about getting pregnant before she was married, and the other was most likely giving her tips on medicines she could use while pregnant.
I held up my finger, then pointed to Liam, and motioned drinking.
“What the fuck would you know of it, though? You’ve got the girl. You’ve got the perfect fucking life,” he huffed.
“Uh…yeah,” I said, barely listening.
“Well, you don’t have to rub it in,” he snapped.
I didn’t even know what he was saying. I was too busy planning my escape. Luckily, Jeff strode by again, and I snagged him by the arm and shoved him down in my chair.
“Don’t you dare move. I will give you anything you want if you just stay here and keep him occupied so I can go see my bride,” I hissed.
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll start working on my list.”
I knew I was going to pay for that later, but if it meant I could get away from the most depressing person at the wedding, I’d take it. I worked my way through the crowd, avoiding every piercing gaze in order to get to my bride.
And I was almost there.
“No, you don’t,” Doug said, grabbing my arm. I jerked free, only to be surrounded by Todd, Adam, and Matt also.
“Guys, seriously, I’m trying to get to Blake.”
“Right, we figured, but before you get that far, there are a few things we need to discuss,” Matt said.
“Such as?”
“Such as your intentions with our sister,” Todd barked out.
Confused, I opened my mouth, only to snap it shut.
“You idiot,” Matt slapped him upside the head. “He’s already married her.”
“Well…yeah, but what about in the future?”
“We’re having a baby. I’m not sure what more you want to know.”
“How do you intend on taking care of her?” Doug asked.
That made me laugh. “First, no one takes care of your sister. Second, I’m now working at the sheriff’s office. We both have plenty of money, so that’s not an issue.”
Adam stepped forward, his gaze menacing as he ground his teeth. “See, the thing is, this all happened pretty damn fast. After you nearly got her killed with that virus, we thought things might fizzle out. But then you got her knocked up, and we’re left wondering if this is all for real.”
This was odd. “Isn’t that something you should have asked before we got married?”
They all looked at each other, slowly relenting that they had waited too long.
“Look, guys. I’m not gonna hurt your sister.
I love her more than anything in the world.
She means everything to me, and now we’re gonna have a baby.
I mean, I’m gonna be a dad!” I laughed. “A year ago, I never thought anything like this would ever happen to me, so you can be damn sure that I will not do anything to screw it up.”
“I really hope you mean that, man. Because we’re not really the ones you have to worry about. Sam should be coming soon. And trust me when I tell you that he’s the worst of all of us.”
Yeah, I had heard about Sam. Professional boxer with a nasty temper. But he was a good guy, from what Blake said.
“Well, I’ll keep that in mind. And thanks.”
“For what?”
“Threatening me,” I grinned. “It was cute.”
“Cute?” Todd snarled as I walked away.
I glanced over my shoulder, shaking my head. “If you really knew what you were up against, you never would have approached me.”
It took another hour to reach Blake, and another two hours to extract ourselves from the guests who just wouldn’t leave us alone. By the time the festivities were over, I was fucking exhausted.
Blake leaned heavily on me as we made our way up the steps of the porch. The daunting idea of carrying her across the threshold nearly had me choking, but I wasn’t about to wimp out now.
Swinging her up into my arms, she didn’t giggle like a new bride. She groaned in agony.
“My feet are killing me. Remind me to never wear heels again.”
“Noted. I’ll give you a massage.”
Fumbling with the door, I yanked my hand back with a yelp as I was shocked.
“What the hell was that?”
“Knight,” Blake groaned.
“Fucking perfect,” I grumbled. “Who knew getting into your house on your wedding night would be so fucking difficult?”
I flipped the case open on the doorframe and pressed my hand to the screen. After getting the green light, I hoped that would be the end of it, but then a retinal scanner popped out, further complicating the issue.
“I’m gonna have to set you down.”
“Fine,” she muttered.
“We’re almost in,” I promised. Pressing my chin into the little rest, I waited for the scanner to complete. “Done!” I grinned.
“Wait, wait,” Blake laughed ironically. “There’s more.”
“What—”
Another screen appeared, this one waiting for a code. “Seriously? How the hell am I supposed to know the code when nobody told me?”
“It’s gotta be something we would both know,” Blake reasoned. “Try today’s date.”
That actually might work. Punching in the date, I was surprised when the door unlocked, popping open.
“Well, you’re a genius, Mrs. Parker.”
“I always knew that,” she grinned. “Now, bed. I don’t care about anything else. I’m very sorry, but sex is definitely off the table. I’m too fucking tired.”
“Oh, thank God,” I laughed. “I was working myself up to pull out the big guns, but after that reception, I just don’t have it in me.”
Hoisting her into my arms, I stepped across the threshold, grinning for the first time in a long time tonight. “Welcome home, Mrs.—”
A loud alarm sounded. “Danger! Danger!”
“What—”
I spun just in time to see a robot surging toward us on the ground, a red light blinking rapidly.
“That can’t be good,” I said just before a puff of something smoky shot out at us.