Epilogue
Two Months Later
The wedding was small; quaint. I didn’t have much family, but my parents, Lex, Landyn, the girls, Adam, Larry, the stable boys, Shane and Shannon all came. Tony invited his aunts, uncles and cousins, but he didn’t invite his sister. It might have had something to do with the fact that I threatened to kill her if she showed up, but he didn’t seem to mind. This would also be my first time meeting his family, and I was more nervous about that than the wedding itself.
We set up a little tent near the house and hired a minister. I wore an ivory, knee length, strapless, empire waist, laced dress with matching peep-toe wedges. My hair was twisted into a soft bun at the back of my neck and I wore my precious crown charm necklace.
“You ready?” Dad asked as he walked me toward the man I was about to marry. I was nervous… very nervous.
A little sick to my stomach.
But the closer we got, the brighter Tony’s smile grew.
He was breathtaking. He wore a white button-down shirt left open at the neck and the sleeves rolled up. He wore khaki slacks and white converse.
Don’t ask…
When I finally made it to Tony and he took my hand from my dad’s, I pulled him close. The minister said a few words, but I couldn’t make them out. I leaned in and whispered, “We’re pregnant.”
Tony stiffened.
“What,” he boomed and the minister immediately stopped talking. I glanced quickly at all the people watching us and they looked confused.
“I just took a test… two tests. I wanted you to know as soon as I found out,” I whispered.
His hand touched my stomach when he asked, “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I missed my period. I was sick yesterday morning, and today. Then I took the tests… I’m preg--”
He didn’t let me finish. His mouth slammed down on mine in a hungry kiss.
When he pulled away he turned to the minister and said, “Just get to the ‘I dos’.”
I laughed and cried happy tears.
Finally....
The minister took Tony’s demand to heart and Patricia Grace Kincaid and Antonio Lopez were pronounced man and wife in less than five minutes. The moment he said, “Kiss the bride,” Tony devoured my mouth. Then, he pulled back and lowered his face to kiss my neck, right over my scar.
We faced the family and friends that were now “ours” and Tony shouted, “We’re pregnant!”
******
I had no idea how many hugs and kisses I received from Tony’s family. I couldn’t even remember who was who.
“Congratulations,” I heard offered from behind me and I turned.
I froze. I couldn’t breathe.
Hazel… I saw nothing but hazel.
“You make a beautiful bride for my nephew,” he said and I could feel the fucking tears coming.
Nephew...?
Hazel eyes smiled big, knowingly.
And his smile, bright white teeth and almost innocent expression was exactly… like… Tony’s! He was handsome, big, maybe early late thirties, early forties and I really wanted to know how in the hell he was Tony’s uncle, but I sure as shit wouldn’t be asking him.
“Tío Freddy, ¿Qué pasa?” Tony asked when he walked up. They shook hands, chest bumped, back slap hugged and pulled apart. They conversed in Spanglish and I never took my eyes off hazel eyes.
He faced me, but spoke to Tony. “You take care of this one.”
He faced Tony, did a chin lift and said, “I like her.” He faced me again, touched the scar on my neck quickly and his eyes locked on mine. “You stay outta trouble.”
“All right, Uncle Freddy…” Tony said before another string of Spanglish started. They both chuckled and Tony said, “You’re gonna have to find your own woman. This one’s taken.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.
Hazel eyes grinned, nodded and like that, hazel eyes left.
“Tell me about him,” I demanded as soon as we were away from the crowd.
“Who?” Tony asked.
“The eyes.”
His eyebrows furrow and then he asked, “The who?”
“Your uncle, hazel eyes.”
“Oh. He’s my mom’s brother.”
“What does he do?”
Tony shrugged. “I don’t know what he’s into now. He used to be a cop, but he quit four years ago. One of his arrests accused him of assault and when the department suspended him, Freddy quit. He moved to Mexico for a while, but he’s been back about year.”
I thought about telling Tony that his uncle saved me, but I kept hearing hazel eyes’ words in my head, asking me not to tell. He saved my life. If he hadn’t, I would have surely been killed. I’d have no life with Tony, no marriage, no baby, no future…
I couldn’t tell.
And I didn’t. I might change my mind later, but not today.
******
“I can’t believe you two bitches are pregnant at the same time,” Adam mumbled as only he and I stood in the kitchen. I looked out the window and saw all the guys huddled together, drinking beer and joking around. Lex, Gayle and Tony’s aunts stood around and gossiped. Layla, and Laura played with Tony’s little nieces and nephews. I spotted Shane and Shannon having an intimate conversation, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she’s was about to slap him.
Family, friends, drama and all… I was in heaven.
So, I decided to let things slide, but only today.
“Adam, if I didn’t already know that your use of the word “bitch” was your kind way of expressing your love for me, I’d seriously kick your ass,” I said.
He grinned. “You and I could’ve been good together, Trish.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think so, Adam. You go through women faster than even Tony used to… and that’s saying something.”
“I think you’d be surprised,” he muttered and I stared at him… studied him.
“What happened to you, Adam? Who hurt you?” I asked softly. Adam’s muscles swelled even more than they already were.
He was saved from answering because Lex walked in.
“Hey,” she chirped and faced Adam. “The guys were looking for you.”
I heard Adam mutter something about bitches be crazy before he turned and walked out the door.
“What was that about?” Lex asked. I told her.
“It was the redhead,” Lex said. “If you would’ve seen the way he looked at her, you’d know.”
At that exact moment, a phone rang.
“Can you get that?” I asked Lex.
“Where’s it coming from?”
We both froze when we spotted it. When it stopped ringing, we faced each other.
Then, it rang again.
ADAM
“Hey, the chick you just ran outta here, she your woman?” I asked the Aussie.
Shane’s beer froze halfway to his mouth and his eyes narrowed.
“Adam,” Landyn growled in a warning tone and I turned. All the guys stared at me.
“What? Just because you’re all happily chained by the balls now doesn’t mean I can’t find a hot piece of ass to hook up with while I’m here.”
“You’re never gonna be happily chained to anything with that fucked up attitude,” Landyn said.
I stood up, walked to the cooler and grabbed another beer. I didn’t want to think about what I’d had.
I fucked up what I had… no, she fucked it up.
“Adam!” I heard Trish call out and I turned to see her standing on the front porch.
“Yeah!” I twisted off the beer cap and took a long drink.
“You have a call. Uhhh… she says she’s your wife?”
I spit out whatever beer was left in my mouth and laughed. The lengths these women went through to get you to pick up the phone were fuckin’ crazy.
I bet it’s the blonde from last night.
I walked up the steps, grabbed the phone from Trish, put it to my ear and turned.
“Yeah?” I barked in the phone.
“Adam?” the faint feminine voice on the other end asked for confirmation. My beer bottle crashed to the ground and broke into a million pieces.
“Mia?”
“Adam, I need your help,” she whispered.
“Where are you?” I barked into the phone. I ignored all the voices behind me that shouted my name as I ran to my truck. Landyn caught up to me just as I threw my door open.
“What the hell is going on?”
“I have to go get my fuckin’ wife!” I shouted at him. I jumped in the truck and sped away.
LEXI & LANDYN
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered as Lan pulled me into his embrace.
“Lexi, baby, did you see Adam’s face? This is happening,” he said as his grip around my waist tightened.
TRISH & TONY
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered as I rested my cheek against Tony’s chest.
“Mi reina, did you hear his voice? This is happening,” he said before he tilted my face up to steal a kiss.
THE END…
Or is it?????