“YOU ARE ONE CRAZY ASS MOTHERFUCKER.”
Not exactly the words you want to hear from your would-be best man before the wedding. I scowl at Marlon lounging on the cream-colored leather couch in my suite.
“That’s all you have to say?” I take a sip of the bottled water from the refrigerator. Just thinking about what happened in that kitchen a few hours ago has me wanting to fast forward through this ceremony and to start the honeymoon. Not that we get an actual honeymoon yet. Maybe we should have done one of those drive-thru weddings.
“Dude, you call me an hour ago and say you’re getting married tonight? In Vegas.” Marlon chuckles and shakes his head, setting the dreadlocks around his shoulders into motion. “It’s crazy.”
It may sound crazy, but I know it’s right. In the corridor earlier and then when Kai and I made love on the dining room table, everything crystallized for me. I knew it. I’ve known it. Kai didn’t take me seriously when I told her I didn’t want to wait. This would have happened sooner or later. There’s no way I’d wait to plan the elaborate ceremony we discussed. Marrying Kai is like a mandate in my heart. We’ll have the flowers and the perfect setting and all our family and the whole shebang. I want it too. But more than all of that, I want Kai as my wife, in every way that counts. And I want it tonight.
“If you think it’s so crazy,” I tell Marlon curtly, “You don’t have to be here.”
“It is crazy.” Marlon flashes a grin. “But then you’ve been crazy about this girl from the beginning. I’ve never seen you this way about anyone. About anything. Why would I expect your wedding to be any less crazy?”
His smile fades and his expression loses most of its humor.
“And I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
We’ve been together through every stage of our lives for the last decade or so. The ride I’m on wouldn’t have been the same without him. My circle has always been tight, and almost from the beginning he’s been closer than anyone else.
“Marlon, man, that means a lot. There’s nobody else I’d have standing with me.” We man-hug fast before things get any heavier. “Glad you’re here for it.”
I break up the moment by walking over to the desk drawer and retrieving the marriage license. Getting married in Vegas is easier than getting your driver’s license, but you still have to appear in person before a Clark County marriage clerk. That whole “in person” thing was a small hurdle. Ella helped pull together some light disguising for us, and Gep was the only person we took with us to the clerk’s office. There was no line and only a few people milling about and minding their own business. None of them recognized us. Bristol found one of those wedding packages where the officiant comes to you. She’ll probably line his pockets to ensure he delays filing the documentation as long as legally possible. That should give us ten days before our marriage becomes public record.
It’s been a whirlwind of loose ends and details, but I think we’ve checked all the boxes. The biggest box was Aunt Ruthie. She wasn’t happy with us when we called to tell her our plan, but she was happy for us. She’s on the other side of the country and can’t drop everything and get to Vegas in time, but we promised her we’ll do it big soon. Kai had to leave a voice mail for San, who’s back in Turks and Caicos on assignment. I’m glad she’s going ahead with the wedding tonight even though the two people who are like family aren’t here. I felt a moment of remorse, but it passed. I’m too thrilled that this is happening tonight. As much as I wish Aunt Ruthie and San were here, as glad as I am that my friends can be, tonight—it’s for us, for Kai and me.
Ella comes from down the hall, smiling.
“She’s almost ready.” Her expert eye runs over me from head to toe.
“What?” I glance over the dark suit I bought an hour ago. I even have on a tie, the equivalent of wearing a unicorn around my neck it’s so rare. The tailor did wonders on such short notice. “This is Armani. You don’t approve?”
“You look very handsome.” Ella plucks a white rose from the vase on a side table, snapping the stem and slipping it into the lapel button hole. “Nice touch, huh?”
I murmur a “thanks” and burrow my hands deep into my pockets. My heart hammers my rib cage. My palms are sweating. Now I’m pacing. I rake my fingers through the hair I just combed. I don’t care. Kai’s seen my hair a mess.
“Where the hell is Bristol?” I clip the question out. I’m dialing her when the suite door opens, and she steps in waving her key card.
“It’s just me.” She gestures behind her. “And Reverend Mason. We were lucky to find him.”
Kai insisted the wedding be officiated by a minister. I guess that’s her Baptist upbringing kicking in. Shrek could perform the ceremony as far as I care, as long as it’s legal and binding.
“Hi.” I step forward to shake the reverend’s hand. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“No problem, Mr. Gray.” Reverend Mason’s face reddens a little. “My daughter is a huge fan, by the way.”
“Um, you know you can’t mention this to her, right?” I try to keep my voice even and friendly. “Did Bristol talk with you about—”
“Reverend Mason has already signed the NDA. We’ve gone over everything, Rhys,” Bristol interrupts. “We can trust him to be discreet.”
“Thanks.” I relax my expression into a smile for the reverend. “I’d be happy to sign something or give your daughter anything you think she’d like. If you could just wait until later to give it to her.”
“I’ll handle all of that.” Bristol brushes her fingers over my by-now-unruly hair. “Ella, can’t we do something with this?”
“I don’t give a damn about . . .” I catch the reverend’s eye and grimace. You’d think being around Aunt Ruthie would curb my profanity reflex, but my tongue is as unruly as my hair. “Forget about my hair. Can we just do this?”
“Before we do,” Bristol says. “I need to speak to you and Kai privately.”
Impatience draws a quick breath through my nostrils and tightens my lips.
“Bris, can’t it wait?”
“No. It’ll be quick.”
I motion for her to follow me down the hall toward the suite’s master bedroom. Even though it’s my bedroom, I knock. Who knows what kind of bridal shit Kai’s doing in there?
“Come in.” She sounds . . . nervous? I guess I am too.
“Hey, babe. Bristol needs to—”
I stop at the threshold, and the words dry up in my mouth. Maybe the words actually fall out since my mouth is hanging open. Kai looks . . . I can’t imagine she’ll be any more beautiful when we do the fancy ceremony for everyone else than she does right now. At least not to me. An ivory dress nips at her narrow waist and sheathes her curves, falling to mid-calf. The dress shimmers with something that looks like gold dust. I know it can’t be, but that’s how it looks to me. Like she’s been gilded. Ella piled all of her hair up, and even wove a few golden threads into the dark strands. The dress is strapless, displaying the sweet curves of her shoulders and the elegant line of her collarbone. Her only jewelry is gold studs in her ears, the nameplate necklace I gave her last Christmas, her grandmother’s gold chain, and the sapphire I put on her finger not even two weeks ago. She’s wearing more make-up than usual, but it’s just right. I need to buy Ella something outrageous to thank her for the job she’s done.
“Rhyson.” Kai gives me a half-exasperated glance. “I know this isn’t a traditional wedding, but it’s still bad luck for you to be in here.”
“Fuck luck.” I step forward and close my hands around her waist, drawing her into me. “You look . . . God, I can’t even put it into words.”
“Oh, this old thing.” She leans into my chest and smiles up at me. “There’s this great vintage shop a couple blocks up. I wouldn’t be me if my wedding dress wasn’t older than I am. Well, at least my first wedding dress. Ella saw it and thought it was very Doris Day in That Touch of Mink.”
“I have no idea what that means, but you look perfect.” I lay my nose to the spot behind her ear, inhaling the scent of pears and cinnamon. “And I promise we’ll do something elaborate and over the top later for your second wedding. Thank you for marrying me tonight.”
“Thank you for asking.” She runs her nose along the line of my jaw.
“I hate to break this up, but we need to chat before the ceremony.” Bristol’s eyes soften when they rest on Kai. “You’re a beautiful bride.”
“Thanks, Bris.” Kai smiles warmly and looks between the two of us. “What’s up?”
Bristol clears her throat. Again, that always means she’s about to say something she knows I don’t want to hear. It may as well be a battle cry because it always ends with us brawling.
“We just need to sign some paperwork before the ceremony.”
“What kind of paperwork?” I stare at my sister, who is all of a sudden preoccupied with the clasp on her bag and avoiding my eyes.
“Um, well your lawyer sent over an, um . . .” Bristol doesn’t finish the sentence. She just thrusts the small stack of papers at us. Neither Kai nor I make a move to take them.
“Bristol, that better not be a pre-nup.” I keep my voice low, but anger pounds the blood in my ears.
“Rhyson, just hear me out. I—”
“Dammit, Bris!” My fingers drive into my hair, landing on the back of my neck where pressure builds “Why would you do this?”
“Rhys, it’s okay,” Kai says softly.
“The hell it is.” I look down at her, the purity of her face, her sweetness, making me feel even worse about this ugliness marring what was supposed to be perfect. “Do you think I need a piece of paper to protect me? From you?”
“No, I don’t think that.” Kai’s eyes drift from my face to my sister’s. “I don’t think Bristol actually believes that either.”
“I don’t. I trust you, Kai.” Bristol grimaces. “I mean, now I do. When we first met, I wasn’t sure what to make of you. I know you love my brother, but my job is to protect him from anything that could ever go wrong, to be prepared for any and everything. I had to contact your lawyer, Rhyson, to let him know this was happening.”
“You had to?” A bitter laugh chafes my throat. “If you think she’s signing—”
“Give it to me.” Kai extends her hand for the papers. “I don’t care.”
“You will not sign a damn pre-nup, Pep.” I gently press her arm back to her side. “It’s worthless if you sign it and I don’t, and there’s no way in hell I’m signing it. I’ll rip it in half as soon as I get my hands on it.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Kai clutches both my hands between hers against her chest. “You have a lot of stuff, Rhyson. And your team is just looking out for you. I’d be shocked if they hadn’t suggested it. You and I know. We know that the only thing I want is every day with you for the rest of my life. I don’t need anything else.”
Tears glimmer in her eyes, and her mouth trembles.
“You, baby. Not your money. You know that, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”
“Which is exactly why we’re not signing it.” I cup her chin and pass my thumb over her cheek. “If you divorce me, don’t love me anymore, leave me, the last thing I’ll care about is how much of my money you take with you when you go. A life without you would be a lot worse than losing half my stuff.”
The sound of ripping paper tears my attention away from Kai.
“Oh, fuck it,” Bristol says. “At least I can tell him I tried.”
I smile at my twin sister holding two halves of the pre-nup.
“There’s a tender heart under all that bitch, Bristol.” I take Kai’s hand and lead her toward the door.
“Don’t tell anybody, especially not your lawyer. I have a rep to maintain.” Bristol rolls her eyes. “Come on. Let’s get married.”
When we re-enter the suite, two lines of votive candles form an aisle of sorts down the center of the spacious living room. Ella must have plucked all the flower arrangements in the room to pad the carpet with a trail of rose petals leading to Reverend Mason waiting with his Bible. Bristol goes to stand beside Marlon, looking straight ahead and blinking furiously. Ella already clutches her Kleenex, sniffing before we’ve even started.
Kai and I hold hands and walk down the carpeted makeshift aisle pelted with flowers. The light from the candles makes the gold threads in Kai’s dress shine even brighter. I can’t take my eyes off her, and I can’t believe this is happening.
“We are gathered here today in the sight of God . . .”
Reverend Mason’s words barely penetrate my consciousness. My mind doesn’t wander, but deliberately reaches back to the first time I saw Kai in Grady’s music room. From that first look, she planted a hook in my heart, and she’s been reeling me in ever since. I think my heart would collapse without it now. That hook somehow holds my heart together.
“Love is patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud. Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love does not hold grudges,” Reverend Mason reads. “If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them.”
I know it’s a verse from the Bible, but I’m not sure which one. Kai has probably known it by heart since she was a kid. I may not know it, but it perfectly sums up what we’ve been through, and how our love has survived. I want the chance to show Kai I’ll be loyal no matter the cost. That I’ll always believe in her and expect the best. That even with some kook out there possibly wanting her dead, I’ll stand my ground defending her till the end.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say?” Reverend Mason asks. “Any personal vows prepared?”
Kai shakes her head no, but I take her chin between my fingers and speak the vows I wrote for her long before this day arrived.
I was lost before you found me, or maybe I found you
Maybe it was fate or kismet, or something much more true
It could have been an answered prayer, a sacred certainty
All I know is what we have now. I’ve got no plans to leave
Not an ocean, not forever
Nothing wide or deep
Will ever end this love between us
My soul is yours to keep
Tears stand in her eyes for a few seconds before they spill over, splashing her cheeks with the emotion that reverberates between us like a sound wave. After a moment, she sniffs and echoes the vow from our song back to me, her voice strong and sweet. The silence following her words feels almost holy; like a prayer and a promise wed.
“Rhyson Gray, do you take Kai Anne Pearson, to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Reverend Mason asks.
A huge, hot lump fills my throat, and I barely squeeze the words past it.
“I do.”
“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?”
“I do.”
“Kai Anne Pearson, do you take Rhyson Gray to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Reverend Mason asks.
Even knowing she accepted my proposal, wears my ring, and stands here with a white dress and witnesses, I hold my breath. Surely it’s an open secret that I’m not good enough for this girl. That I don’t deserve even a day with her, much less the rest of my life. But do I care? Hell, no. She may be too good for me, but I’m marrying her before she comes to her senses. I’ve considered her mine almost as long as I’ve known her. And when she says those two words, they’ll place a seal over our hearts.
“I do.”
With a satisfied smile, Reverend Mason says the words I wasn’t prepared for.
“May we have the rings?”
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. Maybe not far enough under enough because the reverend’s eyebrows climb his forehead with surprise and possible disapproval.
“I didn’t uh . . .” I squeeze Kai’s fingers between mine. “I already have the wedding band that goes with your ring, baby. With everything being last minute, I just didn’t think. It’s in LA.”
“We’ll improvise,” Ella says, stepping forward and carefully extracting one of the golden threads from Kai’s hair.
She tears the thread with her teeth and offers each of us half. Kai ties her golden thread around my left ring finger. I do the same for her, nudging her engagement ring up so I can tie my gold thread around her finger. It disappears under the thick platinum band immediately, but I don’t care. I know it’s there.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada,” Reverend Mason says. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I look down at Kai, so impossibly beautiful. So completely mine. It’s fitting that there’s no veil to lift. We disposed of those long ago. Nothing hides her from me. And nothing hides me from her. We are open. We are known. We are one. We are married.
We kiss.