Keep Me (Shelter Me #3) (5 page)

I lift my brow even though she cannot see me in the dark.

“HA! You may be a mom, but you had your tongue shoved all the way down Adam’s throat while he was grabbing wait, what did he call it? Your ‘mighty fine, tight ass?’”

“Sorry about that. Good Lord, he has a fetish with my ass for some reason. He thinks he has to grab handfuls of it every day,” she grumbles, but the fact that she loves it rings in the happy tone of her voice.

“Anyway,” she continues, “Antonio was staring at you all night and not once did you look at him.”

“I have nothing to say to him.”

I remember his words from a few moments ago. He is going to talk and I am going to listen, huh? Yeah, right, buddy. We will definitely see about that.

“You two seemed fine when you left to go back to Texas. What the hell happened?”

“Look, Erin. Nothing happened. He lives here and I live there. It is what it is. There will never be anything between us. And you need to quit worrying about me, so stop. Let’s focus on you and the fact that you are getting married in just a few short hours.”

“I sure the hell am! Next to giving birth to Sierra this will be the best day of my life!”

Her high and excited squeal has me jumping in my seat.

And there you have it. That is the coolness of having one hell of an amazing big sister who you can be shitty around whenever you feel like it, who is obliged to forgive and forget you’re a bitch and move on to the one thing we need to focus on. MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED!

************

“Get your ass out of bed!” I shout at Erin.

Call me crazy (well, crazier than I am already), but falling asleep right next to my sister just like we used to when we were growing up has given me one of the best night’s sleep I have had in a very long time. The two of us talked half the night before we finally gave up and crashed.

Little does she know the small amount of decorating we did last night at Luke and Shayne’s house was a complete waste of time. She has no idea the plans Adam has for their wedding today.

“We have plenty of time.” Erin glances at the clock and then back to me as her ass stays planted on the bed. “All right, I’m coming,” she mutters, seeing my expression.

“About time,” I gripe under my breath.

I shove her toward the bathroom and leave her to get dressed. Half an hour later, she finally emerges.

“Oh, here she comes!” Shayne exclaims as Erin clomps down the hallway toward the kitchen, looking like a pissed off bridezilla.

“Ugh. This is my wedding day you two!”

“No shit?” I smirk.

“You’re getting married today? Oh, my fucking goodness.”

Shayne and I laugh, which pisses her off even more.

“Come on, let’s go. Adam has plans for you this morning.”

The two of us practically push her out the door. Erin climbs into the front of Shayne’s vehicle as I climb into the back. Erin starts laughing hysterically as Shayne waddles her very pregnant ass around the front of the truck and hoists herself up like she’s ready to burst. Sudden jealousy rears its ugly head and I tamp it down like I have for so many years, laughing my ass off along with my sister as we watch Shayne struggle with her seat belt.

“What’s so funny? Did I miss something from here to there?” Shayne asks, half out of breath.

Erin starts imitating a flapping seal and I nearly pee my pants. Shayne yells that she is about to pee hers, too. I get lost in my thoughts for a moment when I hear Shayne screeching.

“Wait? What the hell did you just say?”

Shayne jerks the wheel and abruptly pulls off onto the side of the road. Both she and I jump out of the barely stopped vehicle at the same time. We swing open the passenger side door and glare at my sister.

“You’re pregnant?”

She nods her head yes and the three of us go nuts, jumping up and down as cars drive by honking their horns and rubbernecking as they cruise on by, more than likely thinking, ‘crazy fucking women.’ I couldn’t care less what they all think as I squeeze my sister as tight as I can while flipping all those assholes off with my free hand. Screw the fun haters. My sister is going to have another baby! There will babies everywhere up here soon.

The sudden urge to cry at how lonely my life will always be hits me harder than anything else ever has in my life before. I have always been strong and confident in the woman I am; yet, why is it whenever I come up here, the pain of what I learned about myself when I was thirteen years old suddenly insinuates itself into the forefront of my mind.

“I just cannot for the life of me think of anything else Adam can do for me that he hasn’t already done, so I am taking this damn blindfold off right now if you two do not tell me where we are going!”

Erin reaches up to take it off and I snap my body forward, slapping her hands away. She turns my way.

“Did you just hit me?” she asks incredulously.

“Hell to the motherfucking yes, I did! I am about ready to knock you out if you don’t shut your trap. We’re not ruining the surprise, so turn around like a good little girl and shut it, already.”

Her mouth hangs open like one of those little guppy fish.

“You’re a bitch face,” she says, whirling her body right back to facing the front and crossing her arms over her chest. Shayne chuckles and I snort with laughter until we come up to what has to be the most spectacular view I have ever seen.

“You have got to be kidding me? This is just…I have no words,” Shayne whispers.

“What is it?”

Erin whips off the black blindfold and brings her hands up to her mouth as the three of us stare at what lies before us.

“He…he did all this?” Erin says with a crack in her voice, shifting in her seat to look at both of us with tears in her eyes.

“He did,” replies Shayne as we roll to a stop.

“Oh, my. I- I don’t know what to say!” Erin exclaims.

I wouldn’t, either,
I think to myself as we all look at the vineyard covered in sparkling white snow. The sun is shining brightly, and even though it is daylight, you can still see the twinkling white and light blue lights that look like icicles hanging from the trees everywhere.

The three of us climb out and it’s more breathtaking than I ever could have imagined. Adam’s description of his plans did not do this place justice at all. We ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over the stretched out archway, plowed smoothly and laid out with a long, red runner. Lights adorn every tree leading to what looks like a barn, where the small ceremony will take place.

When Erin catches sight of the horse and carriage, she almost drops to her knees as happy tears rundown her cheeks. I move to stand directly in front of her and cup her face in my hands.

“I love you, sis,” I whisper. “Come on. Let’s get you inside and get you married.”

Chapter Five

Shelby

“You’re stunning, Erin.”

We lock gazes in the mirror as I stand behind her, admiring her beauty.

“You think so?” she asks, gracefully rotating in my direction.

“I know so.”

Adam really has made this day special for Erin and Sierra, so much more than any bride could ask for. The two of them had their hair and nails done together. Shocking my sister more than anything was how her dress was already here when she thought it was at home the whole time. I laughed myself silly at the look on her face when we told her we smuggled the dress out to Markus last night while she was sleeping.

The dress is off white with just a blush of pink. The neckline sits slightly off the shoulder, fitting perfectly to her slender form and dropping to about an inch from the ground. ‘Elegant’ is the best way to describe the way my sister looks. Her hair hangs down in long, loose curls. The real eye catcher is her makeup. She never has been one to be dramatic with her look, but she went all out today with her smoky eyes.

“You’re the most important person in the world to me, Erin. You’re amazing and you deserve all the happiness in the world. Today is just the beginning. Adam is going to take one look at you and crumple to the floor,” I say, holding back the sobs that so desperately want to break out.

“I am not going to let you make me cry, Shelby! Not today. I will say this, though. You’re my best friend, and you always will be. While I am gone, I want you to do some really deep soul searching and bring my little sister back. I miss her.”

This is neither the time nor the place for us to be discussing my personal issues. This is her day.

“I will. I promise. Now, let’s drape this red cape on you and take a little ride in that horse and carriage and get this shindig happening, shall we?”

“Shindig?”

“Well, yeah. Isn’t that what we call it?”

“Ah. Maybe in Texas, but up here we call it a wedding.”

“And here we go! They have turned my sister into a full-fledged Yankee.”

I shake my head in mock regret as I drape the cape over her and secure it at her neck. Grabbing my cape as well, we walk toward the door only to catch Markus standing against the wall with his legs crossed and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black suit.

Letting out a low whistle as we both step out of the room, he pulls himself away from the wall. We really didn’t talk much last night after our little spat in the car since he went and stayed with Adam and Sierra to allow me to have the time I needed with Erin.

“I know we agreed to meet downstairs, but I just couldn’t wait to see you any longer. I’m sorry about last night. I stepped out of line with everything I said. I needed to apologize. Lord knows you have been there for me many times, and I should be there for you and support whatever decisions you make in your life. I saw Luke and he told me where you were. I hope I’m not intruding,” he adds, speaking more to Erin than to me.

She grabs hold of his hand.

“Markus, you’re family. You’re not intruding on anything.”

“Thanks, babe. I have everything all set to capture the beauty of this day for you and Adam.”

“Thank you. We really should be going. I need to grab Sierra so she can ride with us,” she says, eyes shining with delight as her smile widens clear across her face.

Markus extends his arm out for me to take.

“Shall we?”

With my arm looped through his, we follow Erin carefully down the stairs into the back where the whole gang, except for Luke and Adam, is waiting.

“Red is absolutely your color,” Markus whispers into my ear as he helps lift me into the carriage alongside Erin and Sierra.

“Thank you. It’s a little bit of a walk. Would you like to ride down there with us?” I ask.

“Sure, if you don’t mind.”

He pulls himself up into the carriage and sits next to me, slinging his arm around me after he gets himself situated. Sierra stands and starts jumping up and down with excitement.

“Aunt Shelby, is Markus your
boyfriend
?”

“Ah, little curious one. No, I am not her boyfriend, but I will tell you a little secret if you promise to keep it to yourself.”

Markus leans into Sierra and whispers something in her ear. Her eyes widen and she looks my way. I can’t help but wonder what it is he is telling her. He has no idea she will tell me if I ask her. 

“Oh,” is all she says as she giggles and sits back down.

I scoot as close to him as I can get. I am freezing in the floor-length, barely there dress Erin and I picked out. It’s stunning, though; sexy and sophisticated, which is
so
not me. It is made of red velvet and chiffon, cut in a mermaid style. The bodice is strapless and plunges extremely low, showing off more cleavage than I ever have before. The eye catcher is the long slit up the side that makes my legs look even longer than they already are. It stops just a couple of inches below my panty line, making it nearly impossible to wear any underwear at all. The wisp of a thong I have on is about ready to drive me crazy. I hate feeling those damn things laying in the crack of my ass.

At five foot eight I have always been nothing but legs, but with these silver rhinestone four-inch heels putting me at six feet, I feel like an Amazon. It’s Erin’s wedding and she fell in love with them, so who am I to argue with my sister’s choices? If I’m being honest with myself, I have to admit that I do feel like a princess for once in my life, with my blonde hair in curls matching Erin’s cascading down my back. I turn back to Markus.

“So, exactly what did you tell my niece?”

“I told her the truth.”

The cunning expression on Markus’ freshly shaven face tells me he is lying his fool head off. He is such a bullshitter. I toss my head back and laugh so loud that everyone turns their heads to look at me. Waving them off with a flick of my hand, I lay my head on my best friend’s shoulder and watch the snowflakes glisten in the sun as they drift down as if they were pieces of bright stars.

We come to a complete stop and we all gasp. The barn is lit up on the outside with icicle lights hanging from the roof and all along the front entrance to the building. Markus steps out first and then helps Sierra and Erin down and finally myself. He doesn’t take hold of my hand like he did theirs. Instead, he grips me gently by my waist as I land on the bottom step of the carriage.

When my feet land on the ground he pulls me in close to him and places a small but gentle kiss on my lips. It feels so wonderful to know how much this man truly cares about me. Sighing with happiness we turn and make our way into the barn only to see the most deadly pissed off look on Antonio’s face. Oh, fuck. Slowly I watch his expression fade as he rakes me with his gaze. His eyes practically bulge out of his head, stopping at the slit of my dress when a strong wind blows, exposing both of my bare legs.

“Let’s get you inside. You must be freezing,” Markus stresses as he pulls me tight against him, blocking out some of the wind.

I honestly think no one except me noticed the look on Antonio’s face. Why is he so mad? Erin and Sierra rush quickly inside ahead of us, diverting my attention away from Antonio as we step through the door. Nothing eases the sudden tension radiating from him to me as he slams the door shut behind us and walks with purpose into the room. I let out a long whoosh of air as he disappears around the corner.

“Let me take your cape?”

I unhook the clasp in front as Markus removes it from around my shoulders.

“Good God almighty! This dress has me imagining all kinds of things, and I am as gay as they come,” he whispers in my ear.

He steps back and I watch him hang up my cape.

“What kind of things?” I mumble, mind still on the incident a few moments ago.

“Like there is no way in hell Antonio is going to be able to keep his eyes off of you, let alone his hands. Fuck me, girlfriend. You damn near have
my
dick aching.”

Just like that, we burst out laughing. That is, until I abruptly stop when Antonio makes his way around the corner.

“Damn. He is
hot
, Swanky. You need me to slap you silly for not wanting a piece of that.”

Markus’ outlandish comment has me nearly bursting out laughing again until I see the scowl stamped all over Antonio’s face.

“What the fuck is his problem?” Markus sneers from my side.

“Who the hell knows with him? Come on, let’s get my sister married. I don’t have time to worry about him right now.”

Taking hold of his hand, we walk down the hallway leading to the back where Erin and Sierra disappeared to. As we stand outside the door, Markus releases my hand and spins me elegantly around, placing a kiss on my forehead and giving me a small wink before leaving me. I stand there for a minute before heaving a sigh and stepping inside.

************

“I am going to kiss my man like crazy the minute the minister says I can,” squeals Erin, gleaming with excitement.

The three of us make our way out of the small room where we have been hanging out for the last fifteen minutes waiting for Shayne to let us know it is time to begin. Sierra grabs Erin’s hand.

“I want to kiss daddy first and tell him thank you for my princess dress,” she chirps.

“You can kiss him right after mommy is done, okay? We talked about this. This is what happens when two people get married.”

My normally well behaved niece decides to start pouting and throwing a little fit in the hallway. We come to an abrupt halt and Erin bends down and sets her straight by telling her there will be no sledding for her while she and Adam are away on their honeymoon if she doesn’t behave. This seems to do the trick. Sierra straightens her back and like the good little girl she usually is, agrees.

As we approach the main doors, we take a peek at the beauty within. There are just four rows of chairs, each adorned with a red bow on the back. Small white trees line the small walk to the front with lights. Red flowers are everywhere. The shades are all drawn and the room is dimmed enough that it feels as if we are outside right as the day is coming on to dusk, but without the frigid temps. Everything is breathtakingly beautiful.

The music cues up and Sierra walks slowly down the aisle in a similar version of Erin’s dress, only designed for a child. I scan the room until my eyes lock dead on Antonio’s. He stands next to Camillia and Vincent, his parents. The room is too dark for me to make out his expression; all I know is, as soon as our gazes connect, he quickly diverts his to the front.

A pang of hurt courses through me. God, I am such a fuck up, but know is not the time for me to think about it. It’s time for me to take hold of my big sister’s hand and walk her down the aisle to the handsome man dressed in black.

All the emotions inside of me fade away as I listen to Adam recite his vows to my sister. She deserves happiness more than anyone. Her road to meeting this man has been a long one, a road no one should ever have to endure... but she’s here. I don’t stop the tears that flow freely down my face as the minister pronounces them husband and wife.

Erin throws me a wink as she and Adam each take one of Sierra’s hands and the three of them walk down the aisle. The perfect family portrait has everyone sniffling. Even Luke and Bubba have unshed tears in their eyes, I notice, as I make my way behind the trio on Luke’s arm.

When I walk past Antonio, he is staring down at the ground. What the heck happened to the demanding man from last night, the one who all but forced me to talk to him? This man looks beaten, almost like a lost little boy. My heart actually breaks when he doesn’t look up from the floor at all as we glide past him and his parents.

************

“I must say, I am impressed with dinner, Adam,” says Markus, finishing off his steak and lobster.

“Thanks, man,” says Adam somberly. “McGuire’s was my mom’s favorite place to eat, and with her being gone, it was my way of having her here with all of us.”

The room instantly turns quiet at the mention of Adam’s mom, Judy. Erin leans in and places a tender kiss on his cheek. After an awkward silence, Shayne clears her throat and with tears in her eyes tells everyone how happy she is, knowing Judy would be so joyful that both she and Adam have found love and happiness.

After the caterers remove all of our plates, we all stand up to see Erin and Adam off as they have a flight to catch and their drive to the airport is nearly three hours.

“The wedding was absolutely perfect! Small and quaint, just like we wanted it. Thank you for sharing our special day with us,” Erin beams as Adam places her cape around her.

Sierra runs into her parents’ arms as they say goodbye. This must be so hard for them right now. Erin has never left Sierra like this before. She peers at me through shimmering eyes.

“She’ll be fine,” I whisper into my sister’s ear as I hug her tightly, saying my goodbye. “This is your honeymoon. I want details when you get back.”

“Details? I don’t think so, you ass. Like you said, this is my honeymoon. I’m not sharing details, not even with you.”