Chapter 30
The church was decoratedwith red and white roses, and the wooden pews were adorned with white satin bows. Viper stood at the altar with the minster. He had on a tie, but he was also wearing a leather cut. Raze was next to him as his best man.
Bones placed his hand at the small of my back and ushered me forward. We took the pew with Willa, Duke, Sailor, Waverly, and her boyfriend Dylan.
I slid in next to Waverly.
She looked at me and grinned. “Well, hey there, Hayden. How’s it going?”
My gaze narrowed at her. “You be quiet.”
“I’m not saying anything,” she said with a smirk. She leaned forward and peered at Bones. “Hi.”
“You don’t have to be everyone’s annoying little sister,” I told her.
“Uh, yeah, I do. It’s kind of my job. You know how I keep thoughts to myself?”
“How?”
“Bribery.”
“I’m not paying you money,” I said with a laugh.
“I don’t want money, I want hard candy. Butterscotch,” she said.
“I don’t have any candy in my purse.” I held up my teeny tiny clutch. “It wouldn’t fit. Can I offer an IOU?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
“You guys sound like you’re making a business deal,” Bones said. “What’s all this about anyway?”
The string trio in the corner of the church struck a chord and the crowd fell silent. We turned to the back of the room and watched a girl with a mop of blonde curls wearing a pink dress throw rose petals as she walked down the aisle. Mia trailed after her. I saw Colt watch his wife. His eyes tracked her, and not even the baby smacking him in the face with her hands distracted him.
Sutton took her place at the back of the aisle, and then began to stroll toward her waiting fiancé. Though she was beautiful, I was much more interested in Viper’s reaction to her, so I turned to look at him.
His face was stoic and he had no outward reaction to his bride. But in his eyes, I saw the truth.
This is forever.
Bones wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. I looked up at him and he was staring down at me, looking at me the way Viper was looking at Sutton; the way Colt looked at Mia.
My breath caught.
Maybe I can have forever too.
When the string trio ceased their tune, and Sutton met Viper at the altar, the moment between Bones and I was broken.
Everyone sat.
Boxer gestured to the flower girl and she ran to him and hopped up on his lap.
“We are gathered here today…” the minister began.
A baby cried and Brooklyn immediately stood up from the pew and hastened to the doors. Unfortunately, that set off another baby crying, and Joni quickly rose and all but ran in the direction Brooklyn had gone.
“The beauty of His creation. A reminder of why we enter into holy matrimony. Let us continue,” the minister said.
“Where do babies come from?” the flower girl asked, interrupting the service again.
“Doc, you want to answer that one?” Kelp called from the other side of the aisle.
“Hmm, that’s for Darcy to answer,” Doc said.
“Great,” Darcy said. “Foist if off on me.”
“She’s your daughter,” Doc said with a laugh. “I could give her the clinical version if you want…”
“What’s clinical mean?” the flower girl asked, looking around, completely oblivious to the ceremony, and instead hoping someone would answer her questions.
“Hush, Lily. You’re interrupting the wedding,” Darcy admonished.
Sutton pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. Viper leaned in close to the minister and whispered something. The man nodded and began speaking again. I could see his lips moving, but he was being purposefully quiet.
“Waverly,” the flower girl called.
Darcy groaned.
“Yeah, Lily Burger?” Wavery replied.
“Where do babies come from?” Lily asked again.
All eyes, except for the bride and groom, turned to look at Willa’s younger sister.
“You wanna know where babies come from?” Waverly asked Lily.
“Yes.” Lily nodded her head eagerly.
“Waverly,” Willa warned.
“I’ll tell you where babies come from.” She gave a dramatic pause. “They come from Cleveland.”
Lily frowned. “What’s a Cleveland?”
“It’s in Ohio,” Sailor clarified.
“What’s an Ohio?” Lily asked.
“Crisis averted,” Darcy said. “Now maybe we can get back to the wedding?—”
“You may now kiss the bride,” the minister announced, loudly this time so all could hear.
“That’s the strangest wedding I’ve ever witnessed,” I said as I washed my hands in the women’s restroom. “We missed the vows entirely.”
Brooklyn was sitting on a red couch nursing her newborn daughter, Palmer. Joni had just finished changing Everett’s diaper.
“So did we,” Brooklyn said.
“That’s kind of how things go around here,” Joni added. “Nothing goes according to plan. You should’ve been there for Doc’s wedding. It was a riot.” She quickly told me what had happened.
“Anyone else noticing that Lily is the center of all the shenanigans?” I asked with a laugh.
“Yeah, she definitely is,” Brooklyn agreed. “But she’s so cute no one can ever be mad at her.”
“She’s our little biker princess, and she knows it,” Joni said.
“Now we rage,” Brooklyn said. “And by rage, I mean I’ll drink a mocktail, have some food, and pass out at seven thirty.”
“Don’t tempt me with a good time,” Joni said, laughing.
Brooklyn sighed. “Come on, let’s get to the clubhouse. Brielle and Jazz took care of everything and I want to see their splendor. They wouldn’t let me help.”
I met Bones in the sanctuary where he was talking to Smoke and Logan. When he saw me out of the corner of his eye, he reached his hand out to me. I slid into the spot next to him, and he wrapped his arm around me and tugged me close.
Logan’s gaze darted between me and Bones and settled on me with a smile.
“We’ll see you at the clubhouse,” Bones said, slapping Smoke on the back.
Bones kept his arm around me and we began to walk toward the exit. When we were in the parking lot, he said, “Have I told you you’re beautiful today?”
“Twice.”
“Well, I’m saying it again.” He slid his hand up to my neck and touched the pearl necklace. His promise from yesterday had been simmering in the back of my mind the entire day.
My dark hair was down and in big waves. The dress I’d worn was burgundy, with a full skirt, a lace bodice and open back. My heels were four inches tall, though they didn’t do much to put me on an even playing field with Bones.
A dark-haired boy who looked on the verge of entering his teenage years loosened his necktie. He held Lily’s hand as they walked with Darcy to her car. “Mom, can I ride with Silas?”
“That’s fine with us, Cam,” Mia said.
Darcy ruffled her son’s hair. “Go for it.”
“Mom,” the boy whined, trying to fix his hair that his mother had messed up.
“Mom,” Darcy parroted in the same tone, but she grinned.
“Cam no!” Lily yelled, squeezing his hand tighter and not letting go. “I want you to stay with me!”
“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he promised. “We’re all going to the same place.”
“No! You can’t leave me!” She let go of his hand, but then launched herself at her older brother, wrapping her arms around him like an octopus and refusing to let go.
Cam looked at his mother.
“Your choice,” Darcy said to her son.
Lily whimpered.
“Okay, I’ll ride with you, Lil,” Cam relented. “Don’t cry. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Keys, please,” Bones asked me quietly. “I’ll drive so you don’t have to drive in heels.”
I fished my car keys out of my clutch and handed them to him. He unlocked the car and then opened the passenger door for me.
When the doors were closed, I said, “Wow. That was about so much more than Cam riding with Silas, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Losing their father has been rough on the kids—especially Lily. She’s got major separation issues now. Not really surprising, but even though she’s seeing a kiddie shrink once a week it’s not getting any better.”
“And Darcy?” I asked as Bones started the car. “What about the brawl she almost got into two nights ago?”
“The Old Ladies are gonna stage an intervention.”
“An intervention? I know you said she’s been hitting the booze hard since the death of her husband… Is she a full-blown alcoholic then?”
“I mean, it’s going in that direction. So something’s got to be done.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “When is it happening?”
“This week. They’re waiting until after the wedding. They didn’t want to put a damper on the couple’s happiness.”
“Oh.” I looked out the window as we drove out of the parking lot of the church.
“What were you and Waverly talking about?” Bones asked.
“Nah ah, no way. My lips are sealed. And that reminds me, I owe her butterscotch candies to ensure silence on her end.”
“Come on, tell me, I have to know.”
“Okay, but you promise you won’t laugh at me?”
“No.”
“Then I’m not telling you!”
“Fine. I won’t laugh.”
I looked at him. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying. I have no intention of laughing.”
“No intention? So, you still might laugh?”
Bones’ tone was light when he said, “You know what? It’s not worth it. Keep your secrets, Duchess.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“I’m a tits man.”
“Great, but that’s not the question I was going to ask you.”
“You’ve got a great ass too.”
“Thanks.”
“But your pussy… God damn, it’s perfect. Pink, gorgeous. I just want to bury my head between your thighs and let you suffocate me.”
“I’m game if you are,” I said, breathless.
He shot me a wicked grin. A grin that shot straight to my core.
“It’s hot in here,” I said as I reached for the air conditioner controls, which only made him laugh.
“What’s the question you wanted to ask me?”
“It’s about Savage.”
He raised his brows. “Throwing me over already? For someone younger?”
I rolled my eyes. “He and Charlie have been…”
“Playing Animal Planet?”
“Charming way to put it.” I snorted. “But yeah. Has Savage said anything about her?”
“I don’t know, Duchess. Want me to ask him when we have chemistry next period?”
“Bones.”
“Duchess.”
“He really hasn’t said anything about her?”
“Not to me,” Bones stated.
“Was he mad when he found out she wasn’t with me even though she said she was?”
“I don’t know. Third base,” he quipped.
“Abbott and Costello? You’re quoting Abbott and Costello?”
“You know Abbott and Costello?”
“I watch black and white movies. Of course I know Abbott and Costello. Why are you quoting Abbott and Costello?” I asked.
“Because you’re not making a damn bit of sense.”
“Was he mad when he found out she lied to him about where she was?” I clarified.
“No. He wasn’t mad. He didn’t care.”
“He didn’t care?”
“Savage never cares. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. He might’ve been intrigued by the mind games, but mind games never last with him. Women never last with him.” He glanced at me. “Is she catching feelings?”
“No,” I lied. “Charlie doesn’t catch feelings either. I was just curious why he didn’t invite her to the wedding.”
“A wedding is a place to bring a date. Dates have expectations.”
“What sort of expectations?” I asked.
He gave me another panty-dropping smirk. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“Weddings seem to bring out the dirty flirt in you.”
Bones settled his hand on my thigh and began to hike up my dress.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing if I can give you an expectation before we get to the clubhouse.”