Closing Time (24 page)

I b
linked my tears away because now wasn’t the time for sorrow. We were starting a new age, years filled with happiness and joy. We worked hard to get to where we were, and nothing could erase all our accomplishments. Today was a day of laughter and happiness. The past was the past, and now it was over forever.

She pulled away. “Are you ready to get married?”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m more than ready.”

We took a limo to the house in Connecticut. Sean stayed behind and helped with the set up and caterers, despite how difficult it was to be separated from his wife.

“I’m surprised he didn’t come with you,” I said.

“Oh, it was a battle, that’s for sure.” The limo stopped and she got out. Cortland and I followed behind her. “But this is your day so don’t worry about the drama with my husband. It never ends anyway.”

“I know that too well,” I said with a laugh.

We entered inside the house and saw the vacant furniture. Tables covered in food ant decorations lined the living room. When I looked outside, it looked like a professional had completely renovated the backyard. Circled tables covered in while table clothes and white lights hung across the opening from tree to tree. It looked impressive.

My eyes narrowed when I spotted something that shouldn’t
be there. “She got the ice sculpture?”

Scarlet laughed. “She had her heart set on it.”

I rolled my eyes then stopped thinking about it. It was her wedding day. She could do whatever she wanted.

We walked outside then moved down the rows of chairs that led to the beach. A small stage was erected on the sand, making us visible to the guests. Mike and Flynn were standing there, talking while they looked clean in their suits.

“Wow, he showed up,” Flynn said.

I rolled my eyes. “Go to hell.”

“Do we need to hook a anvil to your ankle?” Mike offered.

“If you weren’t a father, I’d kill you,” I threatened.

“It wouldn’t matter anyway because my wife would beat your ass.” He winked. “And she’s feisty.”

“She’s got nothing on Janice,” I jabbed.

“Oooh…” Flynn got a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Let’s get them riled up and put them in a pool full of Jello.”

Mike smirked. “That’d be fun to watch.”

“And throw Hazel in there,” Flynn offered.

“Even better,” I said.

Scarlet glared at me. “You’re getting married, Ryan.”

“Oh yeah. It slipped my mind.”

She rolled her eyes. “Men…”

Sean came to me then patted my shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you today.”

“Damn, stop with the jokes,” I snapped. “I’m never going to hear the end of this.”

“Nope,” Mike said.

I sighed in annoyance.

Sean smirked at me. “Everything is ready. Thanks for looking after my wife.”

“She was looking after me, actually,” I said. I looked at my sister. “Try not to go into labor today.”

“It’s not like I can control it,” she snapped.

“Just keep your legs closed,” I said. “Even though I know that’s hard for you to do.”

She hit my arm. “You were so sweet an hour ago.”

“My charm comes and goes.”

“Apparently,” she said sarcastically.

Sean looked at his watch. “Well, I just checked in with Janice. She and the girls are ready to go and the guests are here. I think we should get this party started.”

“Yeah,” I said calmly.

“Or do you need a few minutes…?” Sean looked at me hesitantly.

“I’m ready,” I snapped.

“Alright. Places everyone.” Sean walked away.

“Is he the wedding planner?” Mike asked. “Because that’s pretty damn girly.”

“He’s a girly man,” Scarlet said.

Cortland laughed. “Wow. What a burn.”

Scarlet shrugged. “But I love him that way.”

“Not sure why…” Mike walked off.

“Coming from Mrs. Doubtfire,” Cortland called out.

“Shut it.”  He flipped us off then kept walking.

Scarlet took my arm and guided me to the stage. “This is where you stand.”

“I know how weddings work,” I
said sarcastically.

“I sincerely hope you have a better attitude when your bride arrives.”

“Well, I actually like Janice. So yes, I’m usually pretty nice.”

“I wonder what that’s like,” Scarlet said sarcastically.

“You’ll never know.”

She kissed my cheek then joined the rest of the wedding party, leaving me to
stand alone.

“You look like a million bucks.”

I turned to see Andrew.

He smiled
at me and gave me a big hug. He held me for a long time, longer than he ever had before. For a second, the hole in my heart closed, the place where my father resided. It was nice to feel the love of a parent, someone who loved you just because. He’d always been wonderful to Scarlet, taking her side even when his wife didn’t. And I knew he loved me like his own son.

He patted my back and pulled away. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah,” I said weakly.

He looked at my tie then tightened it. “It was coming a bit loose.”

“Thanks.”

Andrew looked at me fondly. “It’s nice to see how much you’ve grown, Ry
an. For a long time, you seemed lost. You clearly aren’t anymore.”

Nothing escaped his notice. “No, definitely not.”

He gripped my shoulder. “I love you, kid. You and Scarlet were one of my own even before my son got his act together.”

I smirked. “Thanks. I’ve always felt that way.”

“If you ever need anything, I’m always here.”

“I know.” That meant the world to me.

“And I have tons of bedroom advice.” He winked at me.

I laughed. “I’m sure you know your way around the ladies.”

“I definitely do. Why do you think Diane has stuck around so long?”

“The reason is pretty clear,” I said with a laugh.

“The relationship you and your sister have is rare and beautiful. It’s been nothing but a joy to see it. Not only do you take care of her, but she takes care of you. That kind of love is something we all live for, and maybe you don’t have much of a family of your own, but you’ve built an incredible one. I’m honored that I get to be a part of it.”

He was always a wizard when it came to words and speeches. My heart hurt from the meaningful things he said. All I could manage to say was, “yeah.”

He dropped his hand then looked at me again. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Me too. I wasn’t sure if I would.”

“I did.” He smiled at me then walked back to his seat, sitting next to his wife. Diane was holding Trinity, who was a small bundle in her arms. I could see the joy on both of their faces while they stared at their granddaughter. Trinity had the love of so many people. She was a lucky child, and it made me feel better knowing my kids would be loved like that too.

The guests took their seats, being ushered by my groomsmen and Scarlet. They all looked at me, watching my reaction. I kept a poker face and didn’t give anything away. I was more emotional than I let on, and the one person I wanted to be with wasn’t here yet. I wanted to see Janice and touch her, to marry her and vow to love her forever. The words were unnecessary because she already knew their truths, but I wanted to say it publicly, to tel
l the world that she was the only girl for me.

The music played and the wedding party walked down the aisle. Monnique and Scarlet walked together, their arms linked. They were both smiling, giving me looks of joy. Once they were on either side of me, everyone else came down the aisle. Mike and Cassandra were paired together, and so
was Flynn and Hazel. Sean walked with Janice’s sister, but his eyes were on Scarlet, the person he never stopped staring at. When everyone was in their places, everyone rose from their seats.

My heart went into my throat and my fingers burned like they were on
fire. I didn’t care for weddings or romance.  The happily ever after in books were all a laughing joke. But that’s not how I felt at all in this moment.

Janice wore a strapless down that fit her body tightly around the chest and wai
st. It flowed out around her legs, trailing in the back. A gray bow was tied around her waist, making her look thinner than she already was. And it matched my tie. I wondered if she did that on purpose.

Her father walked her down the aisle while she locked her gaze onto mine. She wasn’t smiling, just staring. I knew her facial expressions better than anyone. I knew what she was thinking at any moment in time. Her eyes said it all. I’d experience every emotion with her. We’d
been through tough times and amazing ones. It wasn’t hard to figure out which one this was.

As she came closer to me, I swallowed the lump in my throat and felt my eyes burn from accumulating moisture. I was never emotional about anything and it took a great deal to elicit a strong reaction from me, but seeing my girl walk down the aisle toward me, ink on her finger that matched mine, rendered me an emotional mess. She was the single greatest thing that ever happened to me. She accepted me for who I was. She didn’t care about all the women before her, all the sluts that accepted the small amount I was giving them, and she didn’t care that I stuck a needle of ink to people’s skin for a living. I was
hot-headed, irritable, irrational, and rude, but she never tried to change me. Somehow, she seemed to love me even more despite my flaws. She always held her ground when we butted heads, and she quickly put me in place, never letting me win a single fight. But that’s what I needed, someone to keep me in line.

When she came closer to me the coating over my eyes became too heavy, and a few drops fell down my face. Now I felt like a little girl just like Sean. But when Janice saw the reaction, her eyes bubbled too.

Her dad took her hand and placed it in mine. “I know you’ll take care of her.”

“I will,” I said without looking at him. My eyes were glued to my bride. Her blonde hair was covered in ringlets and pulled back, put in an up-do with a green pin. Her green eyes burned like moss in the lush forests of Washington and Oregon. When I looked at her, I realized I’d seen her hundreds of times but never really treasured her beauty until now. While she blended in with the crowd of people, she had so many unique features that made her special, that made her mine.

The deep color of her eyes was hypnotic and alluring. They flashed in intensity depending on what she was thinking or feeling. During times of anger or passion, they became so dark they were almost black. The emotions were so similar in color that I realized how powerful both emotions were. When she was excited or joyful, they lightened, almost becoming the color of teal. Right now, they were the darkest I’d ever seen them, indicating her passion for the day.

When her hand rested in mine, I felt her faint pulse under her smooth skin. Everything moved in slow motion, and for a moment in time, it was just she and I. No one else was there sharing the experience. When I looked at her, she studied my face, seeing every emotion cloud in my eyes and lips. Wordlessly, she told me how much this day meant to her. She was so beautiful that I wasn’t sure why she was marrying me.
She could have whatever guy she wanted, but for some reason, she chose me. Only me.

I took a deep breath and blinked my e
yes, willing the emotion to pass. We hadn’t even begun the ceremony and I was already catching lumps in my throat. Hand in hand, we stood together on the small stage and faced each other.

“You look beautiful,” I whispered.

“Thank you.”

I held both her hands in mine then brought her close to me, our foreheads touching. I stared down at her lips and she looked at mine. She was much smaller than me, over a foot, but she was still the strongest woman I ever knew. She could kick my ass in a heartbeat because she was a hard ass, another reason I was so fond of her.

The pastor presided over the ceremony, legally bringing us together in matrimony. I repeated the lines I was instructed to say, but I felt like saying a lot more. Janice watched me, her eyes squinting with more impending tears. Since she and I had inked wedding rings on our hands, that part of the ceremony was null. As far as I was concerned, we were married a long time ago, as far back as the moment we met. Even then, I knew she was the girl I’d settle down for, becoming a dad and a husband.

Janice took her notes from Monnique then cleared her throat. She laughed slightly then wiped her tears away. “Thank god for waterproof mascara.”

The crowd chuckled.

She took a deep breath then looked at me. “You were my hero the moment we met. I came to your sister for help in a situation I couldn’t get out of alone.  Hardly knowing me, you came to my rescue and selflessly helped me, asking for nothing in return. I never expected such kindness, mainly because most men I’ve known are worthless.

“I admit you were a bit tongue-tied when we met.” My cheeks reddened. The guys behind me laughed at her words, especially Cortland, who practically cried when he recalled my first meaning with Janice. “You were very shy, but it was absolutely adorable. As I got to know you better, I realized you were the furthest thing from shy any guy could be.  You were a typical bachelor that had no qualms sky-diving head first or going up to a random stranger and striking up a conversation. The fact I rendered you speechless made me feel special, different. From that moment you were mine. The nicest part was never having to ask for that gift. You gave yourself to me and were a perfect gentleman, listening to every word I said with pure fascination on your face. Even then, over a year ago, I knew you were Mr. Right.