Ambushed
FIVE
Jake
The whole county turned out, sending a clear message: don’t miss a Wylde wedding.
As the oldest of the sisters and first to wed, Daisy married Knox in the heat of summer, in the middle of the orchard, under a new white gazebo he’d built for her himself.
The same place he’d taken a bullet for her one fateful night year.
“Look at her, Jake. So pretty,” Autumn whispered in awe as Daisy passed us, smiling.
But you’re prettier. I kept that to myself.
The bride walked down the aisle, holding a bouquet of white daisies. Her gown flowed in the summer breeze, but the daisy in her hair didn’t shift. Her sisters—all in sage green with red cowboy boots and also holding white bouquets—were in tears at the altar by the time she reached them.
Knox damn near lost it himself, supported by his brother and sister beside him, each of them tastefully wearing tan colored linen suits.
Too much pomp and circumstance for my tastes, but then I’d never pictured myself getting married—until lately.
“That’s the sheriff officiating, Harper’s husband, Avery’s stepdad,” I pointed out to Autumn, shifting the baby to my other shoulder. This wedding was timed right about nap time. He slept through it all, his tiny snores only loud enough for my ears.
Knox’s vows ran a full two minutes, if anyone cared to time him. I couldn’t remember a word of it, except the ending: “I knew the minute I saw you that you’d be mine. It took you a long time to get there. But now, you’re the apple of my eye, Daisy. And you always will be.”
Not a damn dry eye existed when he lifted her veil and kissed his bride.
I glanced at Autumn beside me, her green satin shining in the late afternoon sun, the red highlights bright in her hair, dabbing her tears with a baby wipe she’d pulled from the bag at her feet. So beautiful I forced myself to look away.
One word invaded my thoughts: someday.
Fuck. That one was fully loaded. I sucked in a breath and carefully set that word down or I’d scare the poor woman off.
The gathered guests whooped and hollered as the newlyweds processed down the aisle together, and I couldn’t help but join in, fingers in mouth, whistling. I woke Stetson in the process.
Oh well. He’d had enough of a difficult life up until now. Let Stetson see how happy two people could be together.
“Everything is so elegant, very unexpected,” Autumn commented as I handed her a flute of pink champagne.
Her red lips sipped from the glass and my eyes zoomed in right there.
How she managed it, I didn’t know, equally appealing whether in a messy bun and tee with baby dribble on it, or all dressed up like this, elegant as fuck? “And such a beautiful day.”
“Yeah, Ivy seems to have stepped up the event planning.” Certainly this was the most upscale thing I’d ever attended here in Montana, where most of the time there were hay bales and barbecue involved.
This struck a whole other level. A quartet of students from Bozeman State played string instruments on the patio of the farmhouse, sending music across the orchard.
The cocktail hour ran between the tree rows where people congregated around various tall pub tables eating finger foods and drinking specialty cocktails.
Later, we’d all gather in the white tent on the front lawn for a buffet dinner and dancing.
I sipped the bubbly, pacing myself. It’s not really my drink of choice. I’d have one beer at some point as well, but that was it, as the designated driver. The protective side of me wouldn’t have it any other way.
As people drifted by, I whispered to Autumn who they were.
“Do you know the whole town?” She asked.
“Not everyone. I grew up here, but spent almost twelve years away in the military. People changed. The town got a little bigger.” I shrugged. “Oh and that’s—” I stopped cold mid sentence, about to point out a guy I’d gone to school with, but he was standing next to my twin sister.
Of course she’d be here. I’d been so busy between working and being there for Autumn that I’d completely forgotten how Jamie had gone to school with Sage Wylde. And if she’s here, then where were my parents?
I quickly scanned the crowd. Not that I didn’t want them to meet Autumn yet, but Mom would swoon over Stetson and label them as family before I could get introductions done.
Jamie spotted me with a complete double take. Then her mouth dropped to the ground, setting her eyes on the baby in my arms and his mother next to me.
“Uh, Autumn, will you be okay here on your own a minute? There’s someone I need to talk with.”
She took the baby. “Jake, you don’t need to stand by me all night. Go on.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’ll be back.”
Jamie started across the grass to us with purpose. I cut her off halfway.
“Jacob. Aaron. McCall.” Her hands planted on her hips. “I was just telling Mom last week how you’ve been a little more quiet than usual this summer. Of course I didn’t tell her the rumor I’d heard in town about you and a single mother. Not until I’d confirmed it myself. And now…”
“Nice to see you, too. You’re looking well. Are Mom and Dad here?”
“Lucky for you, they’re on their annual walleye fishing trip in Canada. Now talk.”
“Fine. The mother is Autumn. She’s Trig’s sister.”
Her eyebrows flew to the big sky above. “The guy who just went to prison for that business with the Amos brothers gambling ring?”
“Yep. With him gone, she needed help. So I sit for her some nights while she works.”
She snorted, grinning and giggling at the same time.
“You. My little brother. Babysit?” We came into the world ten minutes apart, her before me, and she would never let me forget it.
“Oh this is too much. You know Mom has been after us to settle down and have kids. When she finds out you’re dating a single mother—”
“We’re not dating. Technically.” It came out too fast before I could think.
“That makes no sense.”
“I know. Look. I like her and the kid a lot. Give me some time. I will eventually bring them by to meet the folks. Promise.
My twin squinted her eyes at me for a long moment, her mind rolling over it all the way we used to negotiate as kids. “Okay. I won’t say a word. As long as you introduce me right now.”
“Terms accepted.” I had no other choice. I took her by the elbow and led her over. Autumn’s eyes grew bigger as we got closer.
“Autumn, this is my sister, Jamie. Jamie—Autumn. And this little man is Stetson.”
“Okay first, please excuse my brother, walking over here all official. He still has a lot of SEALs left in him, treating everything like a mission.”
“Yes, he can be a little scary,” Autumn chuckled and winked at me. A wink. I got a wink. I’d take it.
“Can I just say, you are gorgeous. And this handsome little guy… Oh my gosh, look at his tiny bow tie.” Jamie swooned, especially when he held up his hand for a high-five like we’d been rehearsing lately.
“Baba,” he said, pointing at me. At least he didn’t say dada, not that I would’ve minded, but didn’t need the complication with my sister.
The two women fell into easy conversation after that, appraising everything about the wedding and reception so far. The baby changed hands, and Jamie, who pretty much stayed on the fence about having children, practically gave her heart to him then and there.
It took a good ten minutes to pry him loose from her. Eventually the two women hugged. She made me promise to call her soon, and off she went to chat with old friends.
“Sorry about that ambush.” I apologized, settling back in with Autumn alone. “We’re twins, but safe to say she’s always been the extroverted one. I asked our parents once if they could return her like a pair of shoes at a department store.”
Autumn chuckled, watching Jamie go. “It’s completely fine. It was nice to meet her. You have family here who care about you. Hold on tight to that.” She bumped my shoulder with hers, easy, like it was a thing we did now.
A corner of my mouth lifted about to say more. But the sheriff and Harper came by announcing dinner in the tent, putting a pin in that.
“Avery is inside the farmhouse watching our little one. Why don’t you two take Stetson up to her?” Harper suggested. “She can let us know if it gets to be too much with two babies. But at least that’ll get you through dinner without fussing with him.”
“Dinner among adults? I think I’ll take you up on that,” Autumn responded positively to the idea, which kind of shocked me. She usually worried about him when she was at work, texting me a few times to see how he was doing. I took it as a good sign she was settling in more and more here.
Avery was all too happy to assist. And Stetson remembered her, hardly noticing we slipped away back out to the reception
Inside the tent, I found our table on the seating chart. Ivy had us seated with her and Colt, Harper and the sheriff, and Willow and Ash, while the newlyweds held court at a sweetheart table just for them in the center of the tent.
At the buffet I found the barbecued pork and it made my night. Almost. I’d decided a dance with Autumn would be the icing on the cake.
While we all ate, conversation flowed, and without Stetson claiming her attention, Autumn relaxed.
In fact, after the two more glasses of champagne she drank over dinner, I found her chair got closer to mine, elbows and thighs brushing often.
I kept an arm casually draped across her chair back.
If she noticed, she did not seem to mind.
“Ivy, honey, you’ve outdone yourself. Hasn’t she, Gavin?” Harper continued, not missing a beat, after the sheriff nodded with a mouthful. “Daisy’s the luckiest bride in Montana having you plan this.”
“Thank you so much. But I think I aged a year, and even saw a gray hair today,” she laughed at herself. “Honestly, though, I couldn’t have done it without Knox’s mom and her connections. She saved us a ton of money.” She waved at the woman at the next table over.
“You two have been engaged since Valentine’s. Set a date yet?” Ash dared ask.