"I know, darlin". Things have been hectic, but that"s all gonna change. Life is settling down now. Missy"s place has found its pace, and you have my baby inside of you." He pulls me tighter against his chest, and wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace. "I"ve got ya, darlin", whenever you need me. Even minutes before you"re meant to be marrying me." He chuckles when I groan. I"m never going to live this down. I just know it.
"I love you, Beau."
"And I love you, darlin"." He holds me for a little while before pulling back, "So, you still wanna marry me?" The corner of his mouth rises, waiting for my reply, and I smile back at his playfulness.
"Yeah." I nod, letting him kiss me briefly.
"Come on. I"ll walk you down the aisle." He stands, taking me with him.
"You can"t do that." I wasn"t planning on having anyone walk me down, but now he"s offered, the thought actually sounds appealing.
"I can do what I want. My wedding." He moves to the door, opens it, and almost has to catch Holly and Kadence as they fall forward.
"Sorry." They fight to hold their laughter in as they look from me to Beau. Bell hangs back, holding her own laugher.
"We"re ready. We"re walking down together, so go take a seat," Beau tells them, unimpressed they were eavesdropping, but he doesn"t call them out.
"Does she need to be fixed up?" Holly peaks past Beau for a better look. "Yeah, she needs me." She pushes past him and comes to me.
"Rule one, no crying before the ceremony." She shakes her head and sets about making me pretty again. It only takes a few minutes, before I"m back to being presentable. Holly and Kadence leave, but not before Beau warns them to keep their mouths shut about anything they heard. They both act like they have no clue what he"s talking about. That is until they both give up their act and embrace us with congratulations and hugs.
Something tells me our news will be public before the night ends.
"You ready?" Beau asks when we"re left alone.
"Never been more ready." I take his hand, letting him guide me out of the room, down the hall, and through the empty clubhouse. The soft hum of Hunter"s guitar grows louder as we exit the clubhouse and walk toward one of the large marquees Beau rented. It"s just gone dusk, and the fairy lights hanging from the marquee glow against the warm sky, setting the mood, Everyone comes to a stand as we walk hand in hand down a small aisle covered in white rose petals.
I know it"s not traditional with Beau walking me down the aisle and with no bridesmaids, but it couldn"t be more perfect. Just the two of us, doing this together.
We come to a stop and face each other in front of Brie, our social worker and friend who works with us at Missy"s, who also happens to be qualified to officiate weddings. Our wedding.
Over the last four months, Brie and I have grown close. When she found out I was looking for someone to marry us, she offered herself.
I couldn"t think of anyone or anything more perfect.
"Welcome to all who have gathered here this evening to share in this marriage ceremony of Beau McIntyre and Mackenzie Morre," she begins as everyone takes a seat around us. Most of our guests are from the club, with a few new faces from Missy"s Place.
"These words, spoken today between Beau and Mackenzie are indeed important and sacred, but they are not what joins these two together, nor is this marriage ceremony. We are not here to witness the beginning of their relationship, but to acknowledge and celebrate a lasting bond that already exists between them. Beau and Mackenzie have already joined their hearts and chosen to walk together on life"s journey, and we have come to bear witness to a symbolic union and a public affirmation of the love they share."
She pauses, letting it all sink in, but I"m too lost in Beau and his eyes on me. I"m barely keeping up.
"Mackenzie and Beau, the pledge you make today expresses your devotion to one another and to the love you share, and the words spoken here will support your marriage if you are able to sustain your commitment through the inevitable hardships you"ll face together. Today, in the presence of your families and friends, you p.r.o.nounce your love for each other and make a commitment that will define the next phase of your journey. The vows Mackenzie and Beau recite today have been written by them. Written from the heart and spoken to the soul. Beau, would you like to go first?" She looks to Beau first. Beau nods, then clears his throat before beginning.
"Mackenzie, you know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow you still manage to love me. There"s still a part of me today that can"t believe I"m the one who gets to marry you." He reaches forward and wipes away a lone tear as it falls down my cheek. "When I held you in my arms that night in the back of the van, something in me clicked. It"s as if my body knew you were mine before my heart did, but then I let you go. I drove away when every part of me told me to stay. I"m never letting you go again, darlin". Today, I choose you as my family. I promise to love you without reservation, and communicate fully and fearlessly. To never hurt you in anger and to always hold you with care. I have no greater gift to give but my word. As your trust is my strength, accept my heart as your shelter and my arms as your home. I give you all I am, and all I shall become."
"Oh G.o.d, that"s so beautiful." I lean forward and whisper so only he can hear.
"No, you"re beautiful." He smiles down at me before I"m told it"s my turn.
"Mackenzie, please recite your vows," Brie interrupts our chat, causing a soft chuckle from our guests.
"Beau,"-I steady my voice and hold his hand tighter-"because of you my feet dance, my heart beats, and my eyes see. I laugh, I smile, and I dare to dream again. You"ve saved me in more ways than one." My voice wobbles and I take a second to gather myself.
"You"re doing good, darlin"," Beau encourages, bringing me back.
"You showed me what love feels like and because of that, I choose you to be none other than yourself. Loving what I know of you and trusting who you will become, I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, and my tender care. Through the pressures of the present to the uncertainty of the future, I promise to always be faithful, to love you with actions, not just words. From this day forward, you won"t ever walk alone. As you have given me your heart to hold, I give you my life to keep."
"I love you," he whispers leaning down and kissing me before he"s meant to.
"The rings?" Brie shakes her head at our inability to stick to the rules. Nix steps forward and hands Beau the rings.
"Beau, please take Mackenzie"s hand and repeat these words after me. I give you this ring as a symbol of our love."
Beau takes my hands and looks down at me. "Mackenzie, I give you this ring as a symbol of our love." His rough voice washes over me as he slides the gold band down my finger.
"For today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day."
"For today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day." He brings my hand up to his mouth and presses his lips to my ring.
"And know my love is present, even when I am not."
"And know my love is present, even when I am not, darlin"." I smile at his slip in of darlin".
"Mackenzie, please take Beau"s hand and repeat these words. I give you this ring as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come." I follow her instruction word for word, while keeping my eyes firmly on Beau, only taking my eyes off him to slide his ring on his finger.
"Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day. And know my love is present, even when I am not."
"Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day. And know my love is present, even when I am not." He winks down at me when I look back up.
"Mackenzie and Beau, you have professed your love by exchanging your vows and you have symbolized your commitment by exchanging rings. With those two important things out of the way, there are a couple of questions I need each of you to answer." Brie smiles at both of us before turning to Beau.
"Beau, do you take Mackenzie to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." He gives his answer, no reservations, just pure total honesty.
"Mackenzie, do you take Beau to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." His hands squeeze mine briefly before a smile breaks out over his face.
"By the power vested in me, I now p.r.o.nounce you husband and wife. Beau, you may kiss your bride. Again." Not needing to be told twice, Beau pulls me into his embrace, dips me back and takes my lips against his for the first time as my husband officially.
Once and for all, finally claiming me as his.
BEAU.
"Just give me five minutes," I whisper into her ear as I push her up against the brick wall of the clubhouse. It"s late and we should be cutting cake, but I dragged Mackenzie out of the marquee and around the far side of the clubhouse for some privacy.
"You, last five minutes?" she sa.s.ses as she shimmies her panties down her legs like I asked.
"Not gonna f.u.c.k you, darlin", just warming you up for when I get you home." I move my mouth over her jaw and slowly make my way down her neck. Nipping along her smooth skin.
"I"m going to need these back." She hands me her panties then tilts her neck back, giving me better access.
"You"re not having them back tonight," I tell her, and pocket the flimsy lace.
"You"re going to make me cut our wedding cake panty-less?" I reach down and hike her wedding gown up, sliding my hand along the inside of her thigh.
"You"ll be lucky if we make it to the cake." My fingers find their prize. Pushing past her bare lips, I"m met with her arousal.
A soft whisper of pleasure flies out of her mouth and I push her further by sliding my finger into her tight heat.
"Beau." Her hands move to my shoulders, her fingers pressing in as I push into her faster.
"Shh, darlin", or we"re gonna have an audience." I remove my finger and replace it with two. It"s not like we"re completely exposed, but if anyone looks, they"ll find us.
Her hips come forward at my intrusion, and I pick up my pace, wanting to pull just one o.r.g.a.s.m out of her before we eat cake.
"Ahh, we so shouldn"t do this." Her hips roll in time with my fingers, while her head rests back on the brick wall.
Her mouth says we shouldn"t, but her slick, wet c.u.n.t is telling me otherwise.
"Come on, darlin", f.u.c.k my fingers." I ignore her reservations and continue my pace.
"Beau, yes, there." My fingers zone in on her favorite spot as my thumb finds her c.l.i.t. Her breathing labors just as her walls tighten. Dropping my mouth to her neck, I run my tongue in a line of swirls, before biting down.
"Beau!" she shouts out, and I have to cover her mouth with mine to stifle her screams as she explodes over my fingers. Her p.u.s.s.y convulsing over and over again.
"Shh!" I pull back and chuckle at her inability to be quiet. Not even a little.
Her soft moans fade away as she eventually comes back to herself.
"Seeing you like this never gets old." I slow my fingers, sliding them in and out of her at a lazy pace.
"You"re telling me." She brings her arms up around my neck and pulls me down to meet her mouth in a deep hungry kiss. My c.o.c.k is hard against my slacks, pre-c.u.m wetting the inside of my boxers.
"What do you want from me, Brooks?"
I pull my lips back from Mackenzie and still my fingers as Kelly"s voice interrupts our impromptu make-out session. Mackenzie freezes, her thighs squeezing my hand to hold me in place.
"I don"t know, Kelly? How about you show me you"re trying." Brooks follows her around, both of them walking past us and continuing around the front of the clubhouse. We weren"t expecting Kelly at the wedding today, but we were pleasantly surprised to see her hanging at the back of the marquee when the ceremony was over.
"I"m here, aren"t I? Came when I told you I didn"t want to." A small gasp whispers over Mackenzie"s lips and I move my free hand over her mouth to stop her from revealing our presence.
They clearly don"t know we"re here, and it"s not like I want to listen in on them, but I also don"t want to interrupt them.
"I know this is hard for you, Kell. I"m trying to understand it all, but how do you expect me to act when you"re not open to wanting to remember." Kelly doesn"t answer right away and I wonder if they"ve walked further around, until she responds.
"Maybe I don"t want to remember, Brooks." Tears on my hand bring me back and I look back down at Mackenzie and realize she"s crying.
"The woman I married wouldn"t say that. She wouldn"t give up on her daughter." His voice cracks in desperation, and I find myself holding my breath waiting for her to react.
"That"s not fair."
"No, what"s not fair is that my wife is standing right in front of me, close enough for me to touch, but she won"t let me. You think you"re the only one who"s hurting through this, Kell? I"m f.u.c.king here. I"m doing everything I can to save us, and you don"t give a f.u.c.k."
"We shouldn"t be listening to this," Mackenzie whispers against my hand, bringing my attention back to her. She"s right. We shouldn"t. The last four months have been rough for Brooks and Kelly. The last thing they need is more people knowing how much they"re struggling. I nod once and slide my fingers from her, then quietly step back. She straightens her dress, takes my hand and we silently retreat back around the clubhouse without being noticed.
"Beau," Mackenzie starts when we"ve made a clean break.
"Not our business, darlin"." I already know what she"s going to say, how she"s going to react. It"s just not what we need right now. Not tonight. Not on this day.
"I just wish there was something we could do."
"We"re doing everything we can." I bring my finger up to my nose and breathe her scent in.
"Beau, be serious!" She slaps my hand away while I grin down at her.
"What?"
"Don"t do that, Beau." She looks around like someone might be watching us.
"Why the h.e.l.l not?" I breathe her in again, watching her blush a new shade of pink.
""Cause it"s gross." I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her.
"Nothing gross about the smell of my wife"s p.u.s.s.y." She tilts her head back and looks up at me.
"Say it again."
"Nothing gross about the smell of my wife"s p.u.s.s.y."
"Not that part." I grin down at her when I realize what she means.
"Wife, your p.u.s.s.y is f.u.c.king delicious." She shakes her head, but I see the flash of excitement come to life in her eyes.
"You"re terrible." She drops her head to my chest and I silently high five myself for getting her mind off Brooks and Kelly.
"You ready for cake, wife?" I press my lips to the top of her head.