Chapter 33

33

" I 'm callin' Aunt Reagan and tellin' her we're not coming over."

"Don't you dare," Delaney seethed.

With school starting up again, she'd been going nonstop this last week and she was exhausted. I could see it but she refused to stay home today and rest. Everyone would understand if we missed my brother's birthday party. He was a grown ass man, it wasn't like it was his first birthday or some special milestone, he would not care if we weren't there. Not to mention, last night when I talked to him he sounded stressed—Honor was overdue and was refusing a C-section.

He'd be just as happy to cancel the whole thing, take his wife to the hospital and strap her to an operating table. I still wasn't sure why he hadn't already done it. I'd offered him my help, but he was a sucker for his wife's green eyes and pretty smile. He'd out-and-out admitted that when she looked at him and pouted she got whatever she wanted.

Carson did, too. Totally a sucker for the women in his life. Not that I was much better because I was taking Delaney to my aunt and uncle's even though I wanted her in bed and resting. I blame this shit on my dad. It's his fault for raising us the way he did. And it wasn't just the lessons about women that he'd told us, it was the example he'd lived. Lily Lenox was the best kind of spoiled.

"When we get there, you're sitting down and relaxing," I demanded.

"Thank you, honey." She stopped in front of me, hitching her purse over her shoulder and rolled up on her toes to kiss me.

It was a good thing my aunt and uncle lived on the outskirts of town and had plenty of land surrounding them because there was a crush of cars in the front of their house. One of the reasons we'd opted for the majority of our get-togethers to happen here. Everyone else except Jackson lived in a development and the amount of cars that would line the streets was obnoxious.

I helped Delaney out of my truck and stopped her before she could get around me.

"You look beautiful," I told her as I pulled her into my arms. "Love seeing you in a dress."

"Thank you."

I knew my woman was smiling even if I couldn't see her face. I could hear it and that made it even better because me not seeing it, meant she was where she belonged—tucked close with her cheek to my chest.

Just like the last time we were here, the backyard was packed. Only this time there was a table piled high with presents.

"Goddamn, I never get that many presents for my birthday," I grumbled to my dad who'd met us as soon as we'd cleared the back door.

"Swear that gives me flashbacks to you two boys countin' your Christmas presents."

Ethan and Jasper were making their way to us and my brother looked happy, Jasper looked happier.

"Hey, brother, Happy Birthday." I grabbed him in for a hug and pounded his back. "You look better than you sounded last night."

"Lots to be happy about."

"Honor agree on a C-section?"

"Fuck no. As long as the doctor says Hudson's okay, she's in it for the long haul."

Jasper was eyeing Delaney and they were sharing a secret smile, but before I could ask what it was about, my brother spoke again, "Hey, come with me a minute, I wanna show you something."

I turned to Laney, gave her a kiss on her cheek, and reminded her. "Sit and relax."

"Aye, aye, Lieutenant."

"Don't be cute. You're overdoing it."

"I'll sit down in just a minute," she acquiesced and I narrowed my eyes. "Seriously, honey. Go with your brother. I'm fine."

I kissed her forehead and turned to my brother. He wasted no time walking across the backyard over to the pond.

"Everything okay?" I asked when he stopped.

"Everything's perfect."

"Then why are you acting all weird?"

"Me? Weird? I'm not being weird."

"Now you totally are. What the hell?"

Ethan didn't speak, instead he tipped his head, motioning behind me, and my breath caught.

No. That wasn't right, my heart stopped and I was dizzy.

Jasper was walking Delaney toward me. My dad was right behind them with Emily and my mom on either side of him, and behind them was the rest of our family.

All smiling the same secret smile.

The crowd parted and circled around me and I understood.

Christ. We'd talked about this. I wanted to get married now, she wanted a big wedding after the baby. I gave in and agreed to give her whatever she wanted.

The same Justice of the Peace who had married Tuesday and Jackson stepped around and stopped to face my family.

"Who gives this woman, Delaney Lillian Walker to marry Carter McGrath Lenox?" he asked.

"With great pleasure, her mother…" Jasper cleared his throat and Laney beamed up at her father. "…and I do."

Jasper took a step forward, bringing Delaney that much closer to where I wanted her and he reached out his hand. I took it in a firm shake but he didn't release mine as he took Laney's hand and placed it over ours.

"There's no greater gift a man could give than his trust," I told Jasper. "Thank you for trusting me with her."

Jasper's hand fell away, leaving only Delaney's in mine.

"Today we're gathered for another celebration. One I've been told was a long time in the making." There were a few chuckles and he continued. "Delaney informed me this was a surprise and she has a few words she'd like to say."

"Surprise, honey," she whispered and locked eyes with me.

"Best surprise ever, Laney baby."

"We'd agreed to wait and have a big wedding," she informed the crowd of something they already knew. "But I know that wasn't what Carter wanted. As a matter of fact he wanted to fly to Vegas and go through a drive-thru wedding chapel but I knew pretty much everyone would lose their minds so I shut that down."

"Good call," my brother interrupted, and everyone laughed.

"And the more I thought about it the more I came to understand I didn't want a big wedding, I didn't want the flowers, and all the other trappings. All I wanted was Carter. Then I thought about our life together. Every memory centers around family. And those memories were made here, or my parents' house, at Uncle Levi and Aunt Blake's, or Lily and Shane's."

I couldn't ever remember hearing Delaney call my dad by his real name. She often called him Uncle Lenox or Lenox, and maybe a time or two Carter, but never Shane.

"It was then, as I was shifting through the past, I realized that there was only one place for this new memory, for our future together to start, and that was where it began. That's why I choose here, in Uncle Clark and Aunt Reagan's backyard. This was the exact place I fell in love with Carter. I'd thought it was when I first kissed him at the beach. Or the first time butterflies hit my belly when I looked at him, but it wasn't. It was here, sitting by this pond. Ethan and Jackson had been teasing me and I was crying. Carter came over and sat down next to me and asked me if I wanted him to beat them up. I was so mad I said yes." Laney stopped and smiled. "He stood right up and marched over to them and next thing I knew they were rollin' in the dirt. Carter got in so much trouble and I felt horrible."

Damn, I'd forgotten all about that. My brother was being a little shit making fun of her because she couldn't throw a football. We were young, maybe eight and five. I couldn't believe she remembered that.

"Anyway, Lily and Shane made him sit in the extra bedroom until they were ready to leave and I snuck in there to tell him how sorry I was I'd gotten him grounded. He just smiled at me and said, I'd do anything for you, Laney. You're my best girl. Of course, at the time I thought best girl meant best friend. It would take me nearly twenty years to fully understand what he meant by those words, even if he'd showed me often enough what he'd meant.

"Carter, you are my best everything. My best days, my best nights, my best memories, my best dream, and I am at my best when you are by my side. You made me some promises when you asked me to marry you. Today, I want to give you mine."

Delaney reached into a hidden pocket in her dress and came back with a titanium band. She lifted our hands, untangled them, and kissed my palm. I couldn't take it, my eyes drifted closed and a rush of emotion overwhelmed me.

She was killing me.

"I promise I'm gonna love you the rest of my life. I'm gonna love our kids and be the best mom I can be. I promise to go on as many dates with you as you want to take me on. I promise I'm gonna fill our life with so much beauty you'll never regret making my dreams come true."

Sweet Jesus, she remembered.

"I want you to know, I'd do it all over again. The long way, the detours, the roadblocks, I'd do them all again. Every heartache, every smile, every goodbye. There is no journey I wouldn't take as long as it led me to right here, right now, marrying the only man I've ever dreamed about. The only man I've ever loved. You truly are my one and only in every way."

Laney stopped and looked over at the Justice of the Peace.

"Do you, Delaney Walker take Carter Lenox to be your husband? Do you vow to stand faithfully beside him during all of life's ups and downs?"

"I do," she answered and slid her band onto my finger.

I glanced down at the black titanium ring and thought it was perfect. Strong, resilient, it would never bend. It was us.

Unbreakable.

"Do you, Carter Lenox take Delaney Walker to be your wife? Do you vow to stand faithfully beside her during all of life's ups and downs?"

"Absolutely."

I'd never been more sure about anything in my whole damn life.

"Laney baby?" I called. Her eyes came to mine, shining with so much happiness I forgot what I was going to say so instead I simply told her, "You'll always be my best girl."

There was no denying from top to toe my woman was stunning. But nothing compared to her beautiful soul. It shone so bright, her light so warm, so captivating. Once she had you in her snare, your only prayer was that she'd never let you go.

"It is my great honor to finally present to you, Carter and Delaney Lenox."

I didn't wait nor did I need permission to kiss my wife.

I swooped in and took her mouth in a kiss that was probably too indecent considering the company, but I paid no mind, and swept my tongue into her mouth. She moaned, and I didn't stop until I heard a scream that made my blood run cold.