Taken With You (The Knight Sisters #4)

Chapter One

BECKHAM

“You are the person of my heart. The woman of my dreams. The other half of my soul. I’ll never forget why you are mine.

And why I am yours. I will do whatever is within my power to make sure that you know I’ll always love you with every ounce of my being.

To the last breath in my body. I love you, Harmony.

With everything that I am. Be mine. Forever. ”

“I love you, Brendon. With every ounce of my soul, with every breath of my being. I hope that one day I will be able to really make you understand exactly how much, and how honored I am to call you mine. We walked through the darkness, and I know that even though we weren’t alone, we were there for each other for a reason.

And I will never regret that. You are mine, Brendon Connolly.

Forever and always. And I cannot wait to see what’s next. ”

I leaned back in my chair and just smiled up at the couple as Brendon and Harmony continued their vows in front of each other and the rest of the wedding guests.

We were family in a way, friends in so many more.

And I was glad that I was here, even if I’d almost stayed away.

After all, I was good at being on the periphery these days.

I wasn’t very good at being in the middle of things.

I had been to a few weddings in my time, but never one quite like this. I didn’t think there would ever be one quite like this.

I’d known Brendon Connolly for a few years—off and on in the past. Then a lot better recently.

Particularly when he and his brothers came to take over the bar that I worked at to try and make it better.

To make it a home again. I had been there for the guy.

Just like I had been there for his brothers, Aiden and Cameron, as they attempted to figure out how to make their world make sense after losing their parents and coming back together as a family again.

It’d been interesting to watch them create relationships and then fall in love even when they didn’t mean to. Of course—at least, in my opinion—most people didn’t mean to fall in love. It just happened.

Not that I’d ever actually been in love. Not my thing. It was safer to not form those connections. They only left you fractured in the end.

I resisted the urge to look across the aisle at the bride’s side. At her. There would only be pain and heartache there.

“You may now kiss your bride,” the woman officiating said. Brendon dipped Harmony low, his mouth fastening to hers in a deep kiss that had the rest of the wedding guests on their feet, hooting and hollering and clapping.

I shook my head, standing up with the rest of them as I cheered as well. Then I put my fingers between my lips and whistled, a high, sharp sound that garnered a few looks.

Including hers.

I really should not be thinking about her. Or noticing her.

Though it was hard not to. Especially since she was always…there.

Not in a bad way. She was part of our new circle. The one I hadn’t acknowledged I’d become a part of until I was sitting next to all the Connolly brothers and their women and suddenly realized I was one of them.

Meadow Brown was the same way, just on the opposite side of the connection line.

It was odd to think that, after all these years, I was in the same circle as she—even though I didn’t think she actually knew who I was. Beyond being the bartender and the one who liked to give Brendon shit about his drink-slinging skills anyway.

I was the one with the smiles. The jokes. And that was the image I tried for. I didn’t want them to know who I had been before. I wanted to hide the stains on my hands.

I didn’t want to think about it either.

So I wasn’t going to.

Instead, I pushed those thoughts from my mind, shoved Meadow out as well, and grinned as Brendon picked up his wife and carried her down the aisle.

Of course, the rest of the wedding party had to have fun, too.

Cameron grabbed his woman, Violet, throwing her over his shoulder so she could smack him on the ass as they laughed and trekked down the runner.

Aiden tapped his back, and Sienna hopped on, her dress sliding up her thighs as she laughed hysterically, the two of them trying to outrun Cameron and Violet.

The last of the wedding party, Dillon, who was now nineteen or so if I remembered right, looked over at Adrienne, Violet’s sister-in-law, and held out an arm.

Adrienne smiled, flipped her hair over her shoulders, and took his hand.

Adrienne’s husband, Mace, stood on the bride’s side, glaring at Dillon, though there was a smile on his face.

Dillon then reached down, slid his arm under Adrienne’s knees, and hoisted her up.

Adrienne let out a shocked gasp and then laughed, blowing her husband a kiss as the teen carried her down the aisle and from the wedding area in a very gallant style.

The kid had game, even though I didn’t think he was dating anyone. At least, not right now. But he knew how to romance women—even if it was all in jest. After all, I was pretty sure he had had a hand in helping each of his older brothers get and keep their women.

When and if I ever decided to enter a relationship, I’d either have to go to Dillon for help if I wanted to keep it. Or stay far away. The latter, especially if I knew that maintaining distance between myself and whomever I might be interested in would be the best thing for everyone.

After the wedding party had left, I followed the rest of the guests, nodding at a few as they smiled at me.

I was the Connolly bartender. Meaning I knew a lot of people’s names, even more faces, and their favorite drinks.

I knew a few secrets, too, because everybody always talked to their favorite bartender.

But most people didn’t know me. And I was just fine with that.

I slid my hand over my clean-shaven face and frowned.

I’d had a beard for as long as I could remember, but had shaved for the wedding.

It was something my mother would have wanted me to do—not that I had seen or heard from her in decades.

I didn’t feel like myself anymore without the hair, though.

It was weird to look at the man in the mirror and realize that…

hey, that’s me, the man under the beard. I wasn’t sure I really liked it.

But it would grow back. Hopefully as fast as it had last time.

I’d already decided that I probably wouldn’t shave for the rest of the weddings. All of the Connollys were getting married. Except for Dillon. That kid had a ways to go.

At least, I figured he did. I hoped he wouldn’t get hitched at nineteen or whatever the hell age he was.

Brendon and Harmony were doing a buffet-style meal at the reception. That way, nobody had to sit down unless they wanted to. And that was just fine with me. I hated formal events where I had to play nice and act like I knew what I was doing.

Harmony’s family came from money. And as I looked around the tent that we were under with all the waiters in black tie, and every little detail perfect, I realized it was evident if you looked hard enough.

I remembered Brendon and Harmony complaining at the bar one night that her parents wanted to go all out for the event, even though this was her second wedding, and she wanted to do something small.

Apparently, they’d compromised. The wedding wasn’t huge or insane, but it was nice.

I looked over at the food. The piles of it looked amazing, hot, and were probably tasty, and I figured that I could handle this kind of nice.

Anything for my stomach was a good idea.

“Hey, you’re late,” Dillon said as he came up to my side, holding a small plate with something on a skewer that looked really fucking good.

“They announced over the speakers that everybody could start eating. That way, nobody has to mill around. I think it’s only appetizers for now.

Not quite sure. Never been to one of these things.

” Dillon shrugged before taking a bite. The kid’s eyes rolled back, and he moaned.

“Good stuff?” I asked, sliding my hands into my suit pants’ pockets.

“The best. Just don’t tell Aiden, because he didn’t actually cook this.”

I laughed and then shook my head. “But one of his friends did, right?”

“Yeah, one of the chefs that worked with him at his old place. He ended up leaving after Aiden did. The whole place is a mess now because of the owner’s son or whoever ended up being the head chef.

Not quite sure what the whole story is, but Aiden’s friend opened up a catering business, and I think the Connollys are going to hire them.

I don’t mind. There’s some good stuff here.

” Dillon took another bite and moaned again. “Seriously good stuff.”

“I’ll have to get some, then.”

“So why were you late?” Dillon asked, taking another bite.

My mouth was watering at this point, but I figured I could talk for a bit.

“I was just walking around before I came in here. I was like thirty seconds behind you, seriously.” I rolled my eyes and then gestured for the kid to walk over to the buffet area with me.

They had stations everywhere so, thankfully, there wasn’t a huge line.

I got a little plate of skewers, some cheese, and figured I’d save room for the rest of the dinner.

I hadn’t been hungry before, but smelling all the food?

Now, I was downright famished. I looked up and met Meadow’s gaze across the aisle.

Great, now I was starving for something else. The kick in my gut that always came when I saw her did its thing. I ignored it and gave her a smile, then winked and turned away. I didn’t want to see her reaction.

I honest to God didn’t know if she even remembered me from before. Previous to the first time she’d walked into the bar to meet with Violet. I really hoped she didn’t. I didn’t want that part of my past out in the world. And, from the way she acted, I had a feeling no one knew her past either.

It was better for both of us if we ignored it.