As I fastened my cufflinks, I wondered at my trembling hands. I hadn’t been this nervously excited when I’d married Tristan—and at the time, I’d fancied myself in love with him. Somehow, even though I knew the marriage was fake, the fact that I was marrying my best friend had me all aflutter.

Granny Libby fussed with my tie, while Grandma Dot watched with a wide grin of amusement on her lined face. I tuned into what Granny was saying, only to find myself feeling ashamed when I realized what she was so happy about.

“Choosing a vest was really your best choice, sweetheart. It will cover your bump perfectly for the ceremony. I can’t believe that you and my grandson did not tell me that you were expecting! And you’re about past the first trimester too, unless I miss my guess. No wonder you’re doing the rush wedding, although I did have my suspicions. Just ask my wife over there, I’ve been talking her ear off about this exact possibility for the last few weeks, not that I’m complaining. Oh, no. I’m thrilled that our Dean is going to have a wee one of his own, and three more too! You’ll make such a lovely family.”

Grandma Dot caught my eye, letting me know that she wasn’t at all convinced that the baby was Dean’s, but was more than willing to let Libby think it was so.

I was actually four months along now, but I wasn’t advertising that when my bump was still small enough to hide, thank goodness. I never had been one to show much until the later part of my pregnancies.

When Libby turned to pick up my boutonniere, Grandma Dot swooped in for a tight hug. She rested a hand firmly on my bump, as she whispered in my ear.

“I see the worry in your eyes, but let it go. Sperm isn’t what makes a father, it’s the being there to raise them that counts. My grandson will be a good dad—to all four of your children.”

I was blinking back tears when I suddenly found myself sandwiched between the two old sweeties as they hugged me. Granny Libby got up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

“We’ve always loved you like one of our own, but now that you’re marrying our grandson—well, you’re definitely part of the family now.”

Grandma Dot added to her sentiment with a pointed look at my bump. “And all of your babies too. Libby and I have been waiting far too long for one of our boys to give us babies to spoil. Now, you need to make sure that Harry knows he’s going to be sharing those grandbabies with us now.”

Gramps walked in just in time to hear Grandma Dot’s words. His posture went stiff as he glared at her. Waving his index finger in the air, Gramps started blustering.

“Tell those boys of yours to get you some babies of your own to love, you cheater. Laurie’s kids are mine—and I won’t have them tainted by the likes of you, old woman.”

“Now you listen here, you grumpy old goat—“

Before Grandma Dot could finish whatever she was about to say, Tanya walked over and put her arm around her grandmother’s waist. She kissed her grandmother’s cheek, then turned to scold Gramps.

“Now, you promised to be nice today, remember? This is Laurie’s day, and whatever bad blood is between you and my grandmother needs to get buried—for Laurie’s sake. And if both of you can’t do that,” she turned to look pointedly at her grandmother as she included her in the lecture. “Then, by God, you can just fake it. We’ve been listening to you two bitch for as long as I can remember, but I really need you both to put a cork in it—at least for today.”

Gramps and Grandma Dot both looked at her with varying degrees of surprise, before they turned back to each other and started arguing again about who had more rights to the great-grandbabies—my kids.

Granny Libby walked over and put herself right in between them where they now stood almost nose to nose while they were busily fussing at each other.

Wedging herself in between them, Libby glared back and forth between the two of them. When she raised her voice to kick them out, my jaw dropped in surprise. I’m pretty sure I’d never even heard that sweet little lady raise her voice before.

“Now you listen here, you two. Tanya is absolutely right! This silly feud between the two of you has gone on for more years than any of these young people have been alive. I mean really, does it even matter now who had the larger pumpkin in the county fair back in ’52? You should both be ashamed of yourselves. Dot, you know damn well that Harry didn’t use illegal fertilizers on his pumpkin that year.”

Libby turned to look at Gramps, taking a breath before she continued. “And Harry, you know that my wife didn’t do anything to fake the weight of hers either. Face it. You both know that you tied that year, fair and square. Yes, yours was larger in circumference, Harry. But Dot’s was more dense. Come on, who cares? They were pumpkins. Now pardon the pun, but you need to squash this, do you both hear me? Now, you get your wrinkled old butts out of here and go find your seats, while I help Laurie finish getting ready. We have a wedding to attend between our grandchildren, and I’ll be darned if I let either of you ruin this day for me.”

Grandma opened her mouth to say something, but Libby held up a hand. “We’ll talk later, dear. Go with Harry, and find your seats like I said. I’m done with both of you for now.”

With that, Granny turned on her heel and came back over to me, casually picking up the boutonniere and getting back to work as though nothing had happened.

Tanya and I shared a look that guaranteed we’d be laughing about this later, but now was not the time. Instead, I bit my lip and focused on Granny while Tanya saw the other two octogenarians out of the room.

“The backyard looks gorgeous, sweetheart. I love that you’re having the ceremony here in your grandmother’s rose garden. Lynn would have loved that. And that arch Dean built for you to get married under is simply breathtaking.”

I swallowed uncomfortably. The truth of the matter was that I hadn’t wanted to have a fake wedding inside of the town church. So, a backyard wedding at home had been my best choice.

And with Grammy Lynn’s rose garden blooming with its riotous rainbow of colors, it had seemed like the perfect place. The arbor Dean had built and painted white for our ceremony only enhanced the area.

I was already thinking of keeping it, in fact. Maybe I’d put a bench under it? I realized my attention had wandered again and blushed when Granny Libby kissed my cheek as she lightly laughed.

“Oh, now. It’s okay. Don’t feel bad for daydreaming, sweetheart. It’s your wedding day, you’re entitled to it. Not to mention, most of us get sidetracked easy as pie in your condition. Pregnancy brain, am I right?” She patted my cheek fondly before stepping back and twirling a finger to make me do a slow turn.

After clapping her hands in approval after I’d turned in a circle for her to check out my final presentation, Granny Libby headed for the door.

“Come on, sweetheart. It’s almost time for the ceremony to start—we wouldn’t want you to be late for your own wedding, now would we?”

She took my arm as I escorted her outside. Once we reached the backyard, she scurried off to take her seat next to her wife while I looked around to make sure that everything was perfect—and it was.

The rows of chairs had been set up yesterday, but the purple aisle runner hadn’t been laid out until this morning. I stayed back by the side of the house while I looked over the gathering of our guests.

My irritation at seeing the backs of my outlaws’ heads faded when my eyes settled on Dean. He stood at the front with his two brothers, looking every bit his gorgeous self as he stood there in his nicest suit.

“Is it time for us all to marry Mr. Dean now, Daddy?” I startled as Kiki’s high-pitched voice pulled my attention away from my groom. All three of my children stood there, their faces lit with excitement. The only sign of Chris’s recent trauma was the clunky cast he wore on his arm. Other than that, he was good as new.

Matty regarded me seriously. “Do we look alright, Dad? Uncle Kade helped us with our ties and fixed Kiki’s hair. He said Tanya didn’t do it right.”

I looked down at Kiki’s hair that had been curled and pulled back in a large pink bow. I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Kade had been involved with styling it. I made a point to look over both boys seriously, as if critiquing them before nodding with satisfaction. I signed and spoke my answer, after making sure I had Chris’s attention.

“You kids look absolutely perfect. Better than me, in fact.” Kiki giggled, while the boys both looked pleased. The music started then, and Kiki excitedly picked up the basket that sat at her feet.

She looked up at me, bouncing like a puppy with her excitement. “Now, Daddy? Is it time for me to be the flower girl now?”

I bent to kiss her cheek. “It’s time, pretty girl. Remember, walk like we practiced and don’t throw out all of your rose petals at the beginning of the aisle—they need to last all the way until you reach the front.”

She pursed her lips, a determined gleam in her eye as she stepped forward to do her job with due diligence. I smiled as I watched her walk down the aisle, looking cute as a bug as she tossed rose petals out along the way.

I held out my hands for my sons, and then the three of us walked hand-in-hand down the aisle in her wake as my sons escorted me to marry their new dad.

Hopefully, by the time this was over, my kids’ hearts wouldn’t be completely broken. I hated that they honestly thought that this was real, but I’d had no choice but to let it play out like this. We were doing it for them, after all. And there was nothing more important than keeping them safe.

All three of them adored Dean; after years of being ignored by their own father, Dean had entered their lives like the first ray of sunshine that comes bursting through after a storm. I only wished that we could keep him so that they would always be as happy as they were in this moment.