Brother to Brother: The Sacred Brotherhood Book I (16 page)

Still, I would do my damnedest to provide, because that’s what a man did. Not just food, clothes and a roof over their heads either; but love and support and sure, in guidance where it was needed.

Truthfully, I’d about given up on ever having a family of my own but it could never be said that I wouldn’t seize the opportunity for anything when life presented it. This was no exception, either.

The door to the bedroom opened and I looked over, Mel stilled when she saw me standing over Noah and his crib, but then the tension in her posture eased and she sort of softened.

“Think of something else?” I asked softly.

She shook her head and licked her lips, “I was looking at some pictures I took, and I thought I would share them; see if maybe you’d like to see them.”

I straightened and looked her over, at the sincerity on her face and realized that she didn’t really know how to relate, or whatever, which was a failing we both apparently shared. I nodded carefully and said, “Sure, show me what you got.”

She slipped out of the bedroom in that white tank top and those blue and white striped short boxer things she slept in and not for the first time, I felt my cock stir in my own shorts. I sat down with her on the couch and let her drive, as she carefully flipped through pictures of Noah on her phone, mostly ones she’d taken since she’d got here.

“I have more on a couple of flash drives, pictures of us in the hospital that one that the nurses took, but I don’t have anything to plug it in to, so I can show you.”

I blinked and took the phone gently from her fingers, staring down at the picture she’d just swiped to of me, passed out on the couch, Noah sleeping soundly on my chest.

“I’d like to have a copy of this one. Can you do that for me?”

She looked up at me with those true blue eyes of hers beneath the veil of her long lashes and nodded gently, “What size?”

“I want one for the wall of our new house, but I want you to get me one of those wallet size ones too if you can.”

She smiled, the first genuine, warm, smile that was purely Mel, light and free, the kind I hadn’t seen since AZ, the kind she used to waste on my brother, Grind, all the time who clearly hadn’t deserved a single damn one of ‘em, abandoning his family like he did.

“Sure,” she murmured and with that smile? I felt like we’d finally cracked the ice some.

“Thanks,” I muttered back and let her resume scrolling through, all the way to the beginning of the photos on this piece of shit go-phone. It was another thing I needed to replace for her, even if it was only to get a better camera for her. I learned something new about Mel that night that I probably should have learned a month or more ago… she liked to take pictures. A lot of pictures… It was actually kind of nice; I liked it.

Chapter 21

Melody

I sat in front of a mirror on a little dressing table and stared at my wide eyed reflection in the glass and felt more than a little shell shocked at the woman looking back at me. She was beautiful, in an elegant, classy sort of style that I’d never before possessed. Her hair was perfectly coifed into a French twist, the ends hidden and tucked neatly, the seam where her hair was pinned was lined with these tiny, deep purple, and superbly fragrant little blossoms that smelled like vanilla, or some kind of pie.

Her makeup was subtle and she had this natural glow about her, and I couldn’t help but turn this way and that, surprised every time that the woman in the mirror matched my movements because I was her.

The dress was a vintage nineteen twenties satin affair, floor length with a slight train and a sweetheart neckline. It had a lace and light gauzy overlay with short sleeves and was entirely appropriate for the warm, early summer weather outside. The overlay lay in what I would describe as petals, falling to my knees and a little past, the hemline asymmetrical and giving me a long, luxurious silhouette. The material a light cream with age as the dress was the real deal, found by Hayden in an antique store in the older part of town.

Ashton had paid not only a small fortune for the dress itself, but also a small fortune to have it taken in on time by a professional tailor that hadn’t been afraid to touch it. They’d found the dress something like five days ago, but had only found the tailor something like the day before yesterday.

I wish I could say I felt guilty, but the girls had slowly, but surely, been eking me out of my shell and they had been absolutely right about one thing… I was only getting married once. When Archer said forever, he meant it, and so if this were my one shot at what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, I had better take it, and so I had, and now it was here, staring me in the face and all I could think was how much I wanted it over.

I was terrified, but there was certainly no going back now, and there was certainly no pretending that this was a happy occasion. At least not in that moment, not for me.

While I had certainly accepted that this was going to happen, I still felt like I was about to marry a perfect stranger. Archer and I were talking a little bit more, I’d even shared some photos with him a little over a week and a half ago. Still, despite our impending marital status, he had resolutely and in quite the old fashioned manor, remained on the couch. A fact I still didn’t know if I was grateful for or not.

Hell, we hadn’t even kissed!
I realized, horrified. Our first kiss was going to be in front of all of those
people
waiting downstairs, which was, admittedly, just the club, all of the ol’ ladies and a few of the waitresses and my boss from the diner. Shelly had invited them, while I just as soon as never told them I was getting married at all. Still, somehow it’d helped me, for now I felt as if I must keep up appearances, which was something I was accustomed to doing thanks to Phil and my mother.

“Honey, breathe,” Everett said gently and I looked past my reflection to hers in the mirror. “It’s going to be okay.”

I nodded and she smiled gently, asking me, “Are you ready?”

“I think so,” I said and stood, smoothing my sweating palms against my dress, wishing I had something to do with my hands, grateful when Everett thrust a bouquet of more of the sweet smelling, tiny, deep amethystA blossoms into my hands, their deep, dark green foliage striking against the cream of my gown.

“What are these flowers?” I asked her breathing them in, deep.

“Heliotrope,” she said with a smile.

“I love them,” I told her and she smiled bigger.

“Then you’ll love what I got you for a wedding present.”

I hugged her tightly and let go and she smiled broadly at me, “Come on, Dray is waiting.” I nodded and tried not to get teary, slipping out the bedroom door in the old Victorian era bed and breakfast that Ashton had found and rented on such short notice so that my wedding could be held in the back yard.

It’d been decided that since Dragon, the President of the chapter was officiating, that it would be weird for him to walk me down the aisle, too. I had no one to give me away, and so Dray would do it as the chapter’s Vice President.

He gave a low whistle when I stepped out onto the staircase. Nox and Rush waiting with him with Ashton and Hayden who they’d be escorting down the aisle.

“Wow, Mel…” Nox said, his voice trailing off.

“
Just
wow, Mel… there are no words,” Rush said. I blushed faintly and the professional photographer Ashton hired started clicking away as I came down the stairs. Everyone took position. Ashton with Rush, followed by Hayden and Nox and finally me, with Dray.

All of the men wore black slacks and black button down shirts with their cuts over them, which I was fine with, I mean, I really expected nothing less. I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as we lined up at the back door, the music from the live string quartet striking up and playing the traditional wedding march.

Oh my god, I am really doing this!
Was my last thought before Dray took the final step and I was out on the back porch, then stepping off into the unknown which was an aisle made of the greenest grass, strewn with the whitest rose petals I’d ever seen.

“Look up, Babe,” Dray whispered, reminding me, and I did, my breath very nearly catching in my throat at the sight of Archer waiting patiently at the white archway trellis dripping with purple wisteria. His golden green eyes seemed that much more rich and vibrant without the three or four day’s growth he usually sported. The black of his shirt making the color pop all the way down to me. I felt wooden, and drawn as if by strings as I automatically put one foot in front of the other.

Noah looked so handsome in his little black shirt and pants set, and didn’t fuss at all. He was held aloft by Trigger in the front row on what was traditionally the bride’s side of things.

“Mamma!” he cried and reached for me, and I very nearly went to him, but Trigger gently put his arms down and Noah just stared.

All too soon, I was handing my bouquet to Ashton and Dray was putting my hands into Archer’s. They were so clean, I noted. He’d managed to scrub away every last trace of engine grease and grime, though the warm callouses remained. I swallowed hard and met his eyes just as Dragon began to speak.

“We’re gathered here today to join Melody Ann Beswick, and Charles Michael ‘Archer’ Turner together forever…”

I stared at Archer, and realized that it was today, the day we were getting
married,
standing
at the altar
that was the first time I had ever heard his name, his
real
name. The name I would be taking and would be known as the rest of my life.
Turner.
It wasn’t bad as far as names went and I tried it on for Noah as well,
Noah Jeramiah Turner.
I liked it, so at least
that
was something.

“I do,” I murmured, still almost completely on autopilot. I took the ring offered to me by Nox and with shaking fingers, slid it onto Archer’s ring finger. I knew they were a gift from Dani, that she’d made them, because she’d told me the day before and had shown Archer’s to me. She wouldn’t show me mine, though, preferring that it be a surprise.

“I do,” Archer said levelly and with no trace of regret. He slipped first a delicate wedding band in white gold, crusted with diamonds onto my finger and followed it with one of the most beautiful engagement rings I’d ever seen. It was white gold too, with diamonds on the band to either side leading up to the three larger stones. The center round stone was a deep purple and the two smaller stones to either side, also round, were purple but also green and blue, with hints of other colors, a veritable aurora borealis of colors that had me choking up and my eyes watering. It was beautiful.

“You may now kiss your beautiful bride!” Dragon declared and I closed my eyes, tipping my face up. Archer’s lips landed gently on my cheek, the barest of touches to a course of “Aww’s” and a smattering of applause.

I opened my eyes and let my husband take me back down the aisle and off to the side where the Judge waited with the marriage license. The photographer snapped photos while I signed my life away and took more photos of Archer, Noah, and I together. All of us managing to smile for the camera, my son seemingly happy as a clam for his mother and new father.

Before I knew it, I was in the back of a limousine and staring across at Archer, alone for the moment as it whisked us to the clubhouse for the reception.

“You didn’t kiss me,” I murmured and Archer frowned.

“When I kiss you, that’s for me and no one else. I like to keep my private business private. You and me, we ain’t a spectacle for the world, no matter what the occasion.”

“Will you at least dance with me?” I asked.

“Depends,” he said and I felt my heart sink, “Will it make you happy?”

I blinked, I hadn’t quite expected
that
, but I answered him honestly, “It’s our wedding, having my first dance with my husband? Yes, it would make me happy,” I murmured. Archer nodded.

“Then I’ll dance with you.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“Sure thing.”

We finished the ride to the club in silence and the limo pulled around to the back to let us out by the white tent erected in the grass. The expanse under the tent was huge. I had wondered why the limo had taken so long to leave the bed and breakfast, and now I knew why. It’d given everyone time to get here and get settled for mine and Archer’s big entrance.

The limo driver opened the door and Dragon called out, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers of The Sacred Hearts, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Archer Turner!”

Archer got out of the limo first and held out a hand to me, I took it, and stepped out into the sunshine to applause, whistles, and cheering, and felt myself blush. Archer took us to the bride and groom’s table, set apart from the rest of the seats, on the edge of the dance floor. There was another table beside ours with these beautiful round hydrangea balls, that weren’t hydrangeas at all, but rather our wedding cupcakes.

I smiled broadly at them and found Mandy’s fiery red locks among the crowd, inclining my head in her direction in thanks. She waved at me and my smile grew bigger, all the while the clatter and clack of the professional photographer’s camera shutter provided the soundtrack to what was supposed to be and had been achieved as my special day.

I took my seat, and Archer took his and I was surprised he kept his fingers wrapped around mine. I looked at him and he looked at me, his intense gaze searching my face. I mouthed ‘thank you’ at him and he inclined his head gently.

We were overwhelmed by guests coming and offering congratulations and to drop off their wedding gifts to us. Most of them small tokens and set aside on another table off to the side and behind Archer. Some were handed over with winks and a ‘take it on your honeymoon’ which made me blush, and really wonder what they contained.

Dani came up and I came around the table to hug her tightly, “Thank you so much, they’re
beautiful
,” I murmured.

“The center stone is Noah’s birthstone,” she said, “and these,” she said indicating the two smaller, aurora rounds to either side, “are alexandrite, which is Archer’s birthstone.” I blinked and looked at her and hugged her tightly again.