Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
CALLUM/CASH
Now
Silken Sheets & Stray Echoes
Nothing feels missing until the quiet decides otherwise.
Jaxon eyes us as Livianna and I approach him and Quinn. He puts a smile on his face. “There’s the couple of the night.”
Quinn turns toward us. “Oh, you two are so cute together.”
“Thanks.” Livianna takes her into a hug. “Why are you two hiding in the back of the venue?”
They break apart.
“We’re not hiding.” Quinn leans into Jaxon, laughing nervously. “We were just…”
“We were just getting some air.” He taps her on the shoulder. “We were coming to congratulate you both.”
“I need to steal Quinn for a minute.” Livianna takes Quinn’s hand. “I want to change into my other dress. This one is too tight.”
“Well, let’s get you into that dressing room.” Quinn peeks over at Jaxon as Livianna leads her away.
He holds Quinn’s gaze as if having some sort of private conversation with her. Once the ladies are out of earshot, I face Jaxon.
“Thanks for your help with that paparazzi.”
He shifts and makes eye contact. “No problem, but you need more security.”
“My team had him earlier.” I run my fingers through my windblown hair. “I thought he had been taken care of.”
“That’s why you need more people watching out for you.”
“I have people, Jaxon.” My blood pressure starts to rise, but I tell myself to relax. “I know you’re only trying to give me good advice, so I appreciate your concern.”
“You know it’s more than that.” Jaxon’s attention cuts toward the center of the room. “I care about you both and want you to be safe. The fact that someone got past your guys should give you worry.”
His words land. I actually believe he means what he said. He cares about us both, and I can feel it emanating off him.
“I’ve got Riot Records security running a trace on how he got through.”
“Good, but get more men on your team.” He places his palm on my back. “If you need resources, just say the word.”
“No need. I can handle it.” I fall into step beside him.
The instrumental music plays softly in the background, setting the mood for dinner. It’s romantic and enchanting, everything I want for Livianna tonight.
The room runs full of family, people from the label, from Livianna’s world, and from mine.
Greg Hemings cuts through the crowd toward us, champagne in one hand, his other arm already open. He wraps it around my shoulders the second he’s close enough.
“There he is.” His grip is firm. “My son-in-law.”
That word lodges in my heart before I can brace for it. I lean into the embrace and return it. “Thanks for everything today, Greg.”
“Don’t thank me.” He pulls back and studies my face. “You earned this. You’ve always loved my daughter, and you’ve taken great care of her since you two rekindled your love.”
“That means more than you know.” My throat tightens around the words.
“Jaxon.” He turns and extends his hand toward Jaxon. “Good to see you here.”
“You as well.” Jaxon accepts his hand. “Congratulations on the day, and for gaining a great guy for a son-in-law.”
“Join us.” Greg steers me toward an open stretch of floor near the dance floor. “I want to give this man some wisdom before the night gets away from me.”
My ma appears in a metallic silver dress, her eyes already glossy with tears. She pulls me in.
“My bubba.” She exhales against me. “I’m so proud of you and Livianna. After everything, you made it.”
My chest cracks open at the center. I hold on for a beat longer. “Thanks, Ma.”
She cups my face in both hands when she steps back. “Your pops would be so proud.”
“Ma…” I swallow the sudden emotions. “Let’s focus on dinner before you get all sappy.”
“To a long marriage.” Greg raises his glass, waiting until we’ve all turned toward him. “To choosing your person and doing the work every single day to keep her.”
Ma keeps one hand on my arm. “And always make each day count. Because it’s not promised.”
That stops me in my tracks. No day is promised, and I know that firsthand.
And that’s also why Jaxon is going crazy over my security team. In a flash, everything Jaxon has told me over the years falls into place, and I finally understand his motives. He lost his family, and he doesn’t want anyone else to have to go through that kind of loss, especially someone he loves.
Greg tips his chin toward Jaxon. “What do you say, Crowne? Any wisdom for the groom?”
“Take care of her and love her like there’s no tomorrow.” Jaxon picks up a flute of champagne from a nearby table and lifts it. “To Cash and Livianna.”
Greg raises his glass higher. “To Cash and Livianna.”
“To my son and my new daughter-in-law.” Ma squeezes my arm. “I have a family again.”
I kiss her temple. “Yes, you do, and I plan on adding to that very soon. But that last part is a secret.”
She almost squeals. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks, Ma. I knew I could trust you, and I wanna let you know we’re trying.” I press my finger to my lips. “Now let’s eat.”
The group settles into a warmth that only forms when people who love the same people end up together in the same place. I stay in the middle of it. Their laughter carries around me.
But I find Jaxon across the circle. He stands, present and composed, giving nothing away to anyone who doesn’t already know where to look.
But I know, and that’s where my gaze goes. Livianna comes into view wearing a black lace dress with strategically placed silk fabric.
I’m drawn to her in an instant, magnetized to her. “Now that’s my type of dress.”
“I knew you’d like this one better.” She jumps into my arms. “And my dresses represent the light and darkness you’ve always tried to get me to understand.”
“You’re quite the romantic tonight.” I give her a kiss and lower her to her feet. “Before I can’t stop, let’s find our spots at the head table.”
We navigate to our seats. The chairs are lined up straight, draped in white, and lit from above. I pull Livianna’s chair out for her and take the place on her right.
“I guess this is mine.” Bren drops into the chair on the other side. He tips his chin at Livianna past me. “Nice dress. What did Mom say about wearing black to your wedding reception?”
“She didn’t know until just now.” She waves to her ma.
Her ma waves back, forcing a smile.
Quinn leans across from her other side. “I told her it was her wedding, so she can do what she pleases.”
“And you were right.” Livianna accepts a glass of champagne from the nearest server. “As usual.”
Dinner arrives in a coordinated fashion. White-gloved servers work the length of the table, lifting covers with practiced quiet. Livianna picks up her utensils and surveys the plate in front of her.
“It’s perfect.” She turns to me. “They did everything exactly as I asked them to.”
“You did an amazing job organizing everything, Lily. Thank you.” I squeeze her thigh under the table.
“You can thank me later.” She gives me a sinful stare.
“Count on it, vixen.”
The room settles into the rhythm of the meal. Conversation moves in soft currents around us.
I pick up my fork and set it back down. This is the day I’ve been building toward since I was sixteen, and I wanna take it all in.
I reach under the table and find Livianna’s hand. She turns her palm up to meet mine without looking away from Quinn.
Bren gets to his feet beside me and clinks his glass with his knife. The room quiets until the only sound is the low hum of the venue and a few stragglers finishing their sentences.
“Now that I have your attention.” He clears his throat. “For those who don’t know me, I’m Guns. I’m Cash’s best friend and Livianna’s brother. Which means tonight was a terrifying gamble for everyone involved.”
Laughter moves through the room. I join in, but I’m about to hold my breath since he’s giving a speech. There’s no saying where he’ll take this.
“I wanna start by saying that I introduced these two.” He points between us. “I’d like everyone to take a moment and appreciate what I’ve had to live with since that day.”
More laughter ripples through the room. Livianna drops her head.
“Cash told me he was gonna marry my sister the first night he met her. She was fourteen. He was sixteen. And I thought, that’s the most deluded thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Bren pauses, letting the room sit with it. “He wasn’t deluded.”
Warm giggles rise along with applause. Livianna’s hand tightens around mine as Bren continues.
“For the better part of the last decade, I’ve sat on a tour bus and listened to this man obsess about her.” He shakes his head. “Every city. Every country. It never stopped.”
Greg’s chuckle carries over the crowd.
“The point is, I’ve known since the beginning that this was the only way it was gonna end.” Bren scans over us, his gaze connecting with mine. “I’ve spent a lot of years being annoyed about it. Now I’m just glad you finally convinced her.”
Livianna turns toward me. The tightness in her stance that she carried earlier is gone. I press my palm to the side of her face. She leans into it for a single second before Bren finishes.
“Take care of my sister, or else you’ll have me to answer to.” Bren tips his glass toward me. “And Cash? Welcome to the family. God help us all.”
He raises his glass to the room. “To Cash and Livianna.”
I lift Livianna and carry her away as our guests hold sparklers out, lining the way to our limo. “Livianna Mayze, get ready for a great night.”
“It’s already been great, but I’m looking forward to what you have in mind.” She smiles as I tuck her into the back seat.
I climb in behind her. “You’ll have to wait, but we’ll get there.”
The limo pulls away from the venue. Through the rear window, the sparklers fade into pinpricks of light and then disappear.
Livianna settles against my side. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?”
“Not yet.” I press a kiss to her temple. “But you’ve got a general idea.”
“I know it’s tropical.” She brushes a finger along the lapel of my tuxedo. “Which means I packed the way you told me to pack.”
“Did you pack enough options?”