CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“Hi, beautiful,” he said smiling to himself.
“Are you okay? Is everything going alright?” she asked.
“Just a waiting game right now. I wanted to tell you something because I don’t ever want to hide anything from you.”
“You know where my mother is, you know that Natalia was bribing Greene, and dozens of others, and you hope that I’ll give Tony a chance,” she said. He could hear the smile in her voice and grinned.
“I didn’t realize that you were fitted with your comms piece,” he chuckled.
“Oh, definitely. I have a cute little bracelet, a necklace, a little something behind my left ear, and access to you and your conversations. For now. I won’t listen in all the time. I promise.”
“Priscilla, I have nothing to hide from you. You can listen to my conversations all day every day if you want.”
“No, that’s not what I want our relationship to be. We trust one another and I don’t want that to change. If I have to ask to see your phone or listen to your voicemails, we don’t have much of a relationship.”
“Man, I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ve been wedding planning while you were away. I have to say, your female relatives are almost as scary as the males,” she laughed. “And Claudette, Erin, and the senior wives, they are definitely pushy when it comes to committing to things.”
“I’m sorry, babe.”
“No. No, don’t be. This is wonderful! I have a custom dress from Gwen, more food than I ever dreamed possible at a wedding feast, and the cake they designed is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Well, it sounds like you’ve got it under control.”
“One thing I need. Someone to walk me down the aisle,” she said with a sad hint to her voice.
“Well, you could choose anyone from Belle Fleur. They’d be happy to do it for you. It’s totally up to you.” She didn’t say anything and waited patiently for her to speak first.
“I’ve got a few ideas,” she said calmly. “I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I’ll be dreaming of you tonight while I’m naked in our bed.”
River growled, low and filled with need. He could feel his cock rising just at the thought of her naked body between their bed sheets. Priscilla laughed.
“I love you, River. Be careful. If Morris is anything like his step-sister, he won’t stop.”
“We’ve got it under control, babe. Stay safe and warm. We’ll be home soon.”
“Oh! I forgot to tell you that I did get to see a wedding this morning. On the property.”
“Who the hell got married?” he asked, confused.
“Hawke and Tara. They walked into breakfast and announced that they were going to be married. Before I could even ask any questions, there was a priest, a cake, flowers and a celebration like I’ve never seen before. That’s when I knew that my wedding planning was in the right hands.”
“It definitely is,” he laughed. “Well, I’m happy for the two of them. I don’t know her very well but Hawke has been with us for a while. He’s a good man. Did he, uh, tell you about his skills?”
“He did,” she said with a smile in her voice. “I didn’t believe him at first but then of course, he showed me. Absolutely remarkable. All of them that were exposed are remarkable. You don’t have any unusual skills I should know a about, do you?”
“Only in the bedroom,” he said seductively.
“Hmm, well, I’ll have to put those skills to the test when you get home. I spent some time with Forrest and Maddie, helping them with the kids.”
“You did?” he grinned to himself.
“Yep. Poor kids are really sick and mom and dad aren’t feeling all that great either. But it did teach me something very important.”
River wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what she’d learned. Being around multiples was taxing on anyone, even those that had multiples. But for someone not used to being around kids, it could change their perspective quickly.
“What was that?” he asked hesitantly.
“That having four at one time, might not be so bad. Sleep well, River. I love you.”
The phone went dark and he stood on the deck, smiling down at the blank screen.
“Satisfied now, asshole?” asked Cole from the upstairs window. River turned and saw a dozen faces grinning at him from various windows and doors. He could only laugh, nodding.
“Yes. Very satisfied. Thanks for asking.”