Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dante hadn’t been hiding long before his brothers sniffed him out. Brody, followed closely by Zander, stalked into the downstairs bar.
“When are you coming back upstairs?” Brody asked.
“When I feel like it.” Dante had come to terms with the fact that he would not be driving himself home this evening. “Either of you have a driver who will take me back to the Crane?”
“What about Honesty?” Zander asked.
“I will take her with me.” He chuffed. “Obviously. I wasn’t going to abandon her, despite what Dad said.”
“Hell, we know that,” Brody said, and Dante appreciated the words in his defense. “But you can’t leave yet.” He took the glass from Dante before he could drink from it. “And you can’t get drunk. There’s one more thing happening tonight and I need you to be sober. Ish.”
“There is nothing my being sober is going to help this evening.” Dante reached for his glass but Zander slid it out of reach.
“What about your best man speech?”
He blinked at Zander, then at Brody, who said, “Reagan doesn’t know it, but when I go back upstairs, we’re getting married.”
“Now?” Dante asked.
Brody nodded. “Right now.”
“Excuse me? Are you insane?”
“A little. But neither of us want to plan a circus, and you’re already in town, and it’s convenient and fun and out of the box. We can always have a big thing later. I had the cake delivered to the restaurant. You know, the one Honesty helped Jaylyn pick out.”
“Shit.” Dante straightened his shoulders, his mind leaving the issue with his father and shifting to being there for his brother. Nothing would keep him from supporting Brody’s wedding day—erm, night, as it were. “I guess congratulations. Who’s officiating?”
“Me,” Zander said.
Dante laughed. His brothers didn’t.
“Are you going to officiate your own wedding too?”
Zander’s stony expression didn’t change.
Dante glanced at Brody. “How long does this speech of mine have to be?”
“Long as you want it to be, brother.” Brody clapped him on the back.
The three of them walked out of the bar, encountering familiar faces on the way.
“Hey, Ike,” Brody said to Reagan’s grandfather. “Dottie. Glad you could make it.”
Ike’s girlfriend, for lack of a better word for the mature, beautiful woman currently sharing his bed, greeted each of them.
“I wouldn’t miss this. Didn’t want to ruin the surprise and show up too early,” Ike said.
“I wouldn’t let you miss this. Reagan would kill me.” Brody continued chatting with Ike and Dottie as they walked up the back staircase to the private room.
Zander hung back with Dante. “Are you okay?”
Dante rolled his shoulder, not sure how to answer that. “If by okay, you mean am I sober, yes. If by okay, you’re asking if I have a speech planned, don’t worry. I’ll come up with one.”
“By okay, I am asking you if your issue with Dad will affect your ability to concentrate on what you need to do up there.”
“I am pissed off at him, but it’s nothing I haven’t navigated before.”
“I’ve seen you two square off over the years, but you always do it silently. What made you speak up today?” Zander slowed his pace, staying a few steps behind Ike and Dottie.
“He got in a few jabs about my noble devotion, and then threw in some bullshit about how Honesty is immune to my charms.”
“He said that?”
“He texted it.”
Zander let out a humorless chuckle. “Hate to break it to you, little brother, but you can’t take his texts seriously.”
“No? What about the things he said out on the balcony. He told me I didn’t need to stick around LA because my mother doesn’t need anyone. Then he said she never needed him. What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?”
“Stay out of it. He’s not you. You’re not him.”
And on Zander’s enigmatic reply, they reached the top of the stairs. Ike and Dottie hung back so as not to ruin the surprise for Reagan.
“See you in there,” Ike whispered with a wide smile and two thumbs up.
Brody beelined for the balcony, but Reagan was at the table instead. She was holding their baby girl in her arms and laughing with Dante’s mother. When Brody reached her, he carefully took his daughter and handed her to Simone. A quiet conversation between him and Reagan followed.
Dante watched every micro expression on her face. First her eyebrows drew down as if in confusion. Next, they lifted and her entire face softened. Then her hands covered her mouth and her eyes welled with tears.
Dante had to smile. It was beautiful to watch.
When she nodded her “yes,” Brody turned and called out, “Ike. Dottie. Come on in.”
Ike did as requested, his hand linked with Dottie’s as he stepped into the room and waved. Reagan ran to hug them both, swiping at her tear-streaked face as she went.
“Everyone pay attention,” Brody announced.
The room went silent. Which, in a room full of Cranes was an impressive feat.
“Reagan and I are getting married right here, right now. Because we love all of you and we want all of you present. And we’re done waiting.
If you have any objections about it happening somewhere other than here, or the fact that my mom is not here, do not worry.
Keaton Killdeer will be planning the biggest, most obnoxious party imaginable in the city.
That date is to be announced. For tonight, everyone we need is here. Including my best man, Dante.”
Simone clapped, her eyes filling with tears. Whether it was the whiskey or not Dante couldn’t be sure, but being singled out by his older brother in a positive way felt pretty fucking great.
While Zander readied himself at a makeshift altar near the head of the table, the waitstaff wheeled in the cake. Dante’s attention strayed to the balcony where Jaylyn, Chloe, and Honesty were standing at the threshold.
Honesty was grinning from ear to ear. Jaylyn let out shriek of laughter before skipping over to Reagan, Chloe at her heels.
In the midst of an impromptu wedding, Dante was struck with a lightning bolt of clarity. Brody knew exactly what he wanted, and he’d stepped up and decided to have it. Not only when he’d asked Reagan to be his wife, but also asking her to marry him right here, right now.
Anyone else would have balked at the timing.
Reagan had just given birth, but there had been no complaints about waiting until she felt or looked a certain way.
She hadn’t asked about the cake or the seating, or worried about what she was wearing.
She’d simply leapt with Brody because he’d asked her to jump.
And Brody had asked because he had trusted Reagan to say yes.
“Well, this is exciting,” Honesty said as he approached her.
“You don’t happen to have a best man speech on you, do you?”
“Sorry, no.” She laughed as she tucked a strand of wavy dark hair behind her ear. “At least I dressed for the occasion. It would have been a nightmare if I’d worn white.” She skimmed her hands down a short black dress that showed off her legs.
“You look amazing. You are amazing.”
Her eyes sparkled at the compliment. Her sweet smile might be the end of him. She truly was the most remarkable woman.
Suddenly, another bolt of clarity hit him—different from Brody’s but no less profound. He wasn’t ready to leave Chicago yet. There was more to do. And he was not like his father—he didn’t walk away before things were wrapped up.
“I want to talk to you about something important but now is not the time. Promise me you’ll keep an open mind?”
Her eyes widened. “I guess so.”
“Don’t panic. It’s nothing bad.” He bent and kissed her softly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find a pen. I have a speech to write.”
For Honesty, there was nothing quite as troubling as someone saying they needed to talk and then giving her no clue what about. Especially at a wedding that had come together like a theater performance.
Waiters had dashed in with additional seating and had rearranged chairs. The cake had been wheeled in—half chocolate, half strawberry, as per her and Jaylyn’s decision. And Reagan had powdered her cheeks and reapplied lip gloss.
Ike walked Reagan down a makeshift aisle—a white sheath of fabric that had been rolled out with incredible efficiency. Reagan, grinning from ear to ear, wore a pale pink wrap dress with a belt. Honesty wondered how much influence Brody had had on that decision.
A photographer had seemingly popped up out of nowhere and was zipping in and out of Reagan’s path as she approached an altar.
Zander was smiling at his sister-in-law-to-be, his phone in his hand.
“I had no idea Zander was an officiant,” Honesty whispered to Chloe, who was sitting next to her at the table.
“Cool, right? I told him he’s not allowed to officiate our wedding, though. Whenever it is.” She waved a hand, clearly unfussed about being unwed. Honesty understood. She’d never dreamed of a wedding or a dress or a big to-do. That said, she’d like to be married. Someday.
Her eyes flicked to Dante who was standing next to Brody. She promptly shoved the thoughts of her getting married to the side and focused on the present moment. Or she tried to, anyway. A stray thought slinked in about what Dante might want to discuss with her. She ignored it.
Brody took Reagan’s hands and smiled down at her.
Then they faced Zander who turned out to be an efficient officiant.
Within a minute, Brody and Reagan were reciting their vows.
Dante stood, his hands in front of him, his back straight.
Any sign that he’d been upset with his father earlier, about anything earlier, was gone.
His smile was contained, but permanent. Then his eyes left the happy couple to settle on her.
She smiled back. He winked. It hit her like another arrow to the heart. She was tempted to search the room for a chubby, flying, naked angel.
Shit.
“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked.
“Nothing? Why?”
“Because you just said shit.” Chloe lifted her eyebrows.
“Oh. Uh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. It’s nothing.”
Cupid put a hand on his round belly and laughed.
Shut up.
Brody and Reagan kissed, and everyone cheered. Honesty was grateful for the interruption from her lucid fever dream, but the calm didn’t last. Chloe grabbed her arm and dragged her out of her seat.
When they arrived at the bar, she leaned in and said under her breath, “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
Honesty spluttered before opening her mouth to argue.
Chloe was already shaking her head. “I knew it.”
Honesty’s shoulders drooped. “Is it obvious?”
“Only to me, doll. I know what love looks like on my face, and it’s similar to how yours looks now.”
“How does it look now?” She put her fingers to her cheek.
“Like you wanna throw up and throw a party at the same time.”
Honesty emitted a sound somewhere between a choke and a laugh. Chloe laughed full out.
“He said he wanted to talk to me about something important tonight. And I couldn’t help thinking maybe…” Honesty shook her head, too afraid to say what she hoped.
“He wants more.” Chloe nodded with certainty. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist you! You guys belong together. How could he possibly leave for LA when you’re this amazing?”
“I shouldn’t count my chickens.”
“Whose chickens are we counting?” Jaylyn asked as she bellied up to the bar.
Honesty gave Chloe a subtle headshake as Jaylyn ordered champagne.
“That was the best wedding ever!” J handed Chloe a filled glass. “You have a lot to live up to, my friend.”
“Honesty was agreeing that I shouldn’t count my chickens.” Chloe sipped from her flute, her eyes on Honesty. “Who knows when I’ll marry Zander. Or if.”
Honesty mouthed “thank you” to Chloe for bailing her out.
“If? Come on. You two will get married.” Jaylyn spun around with two more champagne glasses and handed Honesty one of them.
Honesty casually searched for Dante and easily found him. He unfolded a napkin from his pocket and studied it earnestly—his makeshift speech.
Her heart galloped in her chest as she imagined him at their wedding, wearing a tuxedo and bow tie, that napkin holding his vows instead of a speech. That handsome frown of concentration a mixture of nervous and excited…
Shit, shit, shit.
After how he’d shown up for her over and over again, after reconnecting with her on a deeply physical and emotional level, and after he’d set aside his personal feelings about his father to selflessly step up for Brody and Reagan—there was no longer a trace of doubt in her mind.
She was absolutely, positively, head-over-heels in love with him.
Again.
For better or worse.