Wedding Day
It’s Just the Beginning, Baby
I’M RUNNING THROUGH THE CHURCH hallway, dodging guests left and right. Dani pulled me aside earlier asking if I could do her a favor and to keep it between us. With no thought, I agreed, being the good bridesmaid I am.
I almost make it back to the bridal suite when I spot Linc. He’s standing in a huddle with the other groomsmen, laughing at something Ram just said. I take a quick moment to watch them. Ram looks happy. Anxious, but he’s been waiting for this moment since the day he met Dani. Linc looks beyond handsome in his tuxedo. He lifts his arm to pat my brother on the shoulder when his newest tattoo pops out through his linen shirt sleeve. The view causes me to smile, lifting my fingers to graze down my own arm.
Thick as thieves.
A symbol that tells us that no matter what obstacles we face—good or bad—we’ll face them together. Because we are a forever thing. That’s our promise.
I know Linc senses me, so I duck out before he sees me. I don’t have time to get tossed into the broom closet and lose a few sequins off my dress. He already caught me this morning trying to sneak out of the house, letting me know I’d forgotten something.
I’m sneaking back into the bridal suite just as Mom is helping Andie into her dress. I find Dani sitting at the parlor table while the stylist finishes curling her hair. I bend down, slipping her what she needed, and whisper in her ear. “In and out. Like a ninja.”
She offers me her sweet smile, her wedding day beauty radiating. “Thank you.”
I give her a kiss on the cheek and head back to Andie, who seems to be having some trouble getting her zipper up.
“Sweet girl, just stay still, it’s probably just stuck,” my poor mother says as she looks at me, giving me that it’s not stuck, it’s too tight look.
“How hard is it to make a dress that fits? That dress tailor was not listening to me!” Andie gripes as she sucks in another breath before my mom attempts another tug. Relieving her of her duty, I nod to Mom to move aside as I take over wrestling with the zipper.
“Mine was tight, too. Don’t worry. We just need to wiggle it a bit. Ready?” We both count to three and with a big suck of air in, the zipper cooperates and slides up, allowing me to clasp it at the top. “There you go! Perfect.”
Andie turns around and we both look at ourselves in the full-length mirror. It’s almost impossible not to make fun of the disco dresses Dani picked out. With each ray of sun that assaults us through the window, we turn on, creating a 360-sparkle show.
“You both look so beautiful.” We both turn to see Dani, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. She’s the one who’s beautiful. Her dress that lies on her perfect little form as if it was made just for her. I think about what Ram is going to do when he finally sees his bride and it causes my eyes to fill as well.
“Oh Jesus! No crying right now! We just spent a shit ton on makeup, and if someone has to fuck with these fake eyelashes one more time, I’m going to flip out.” We both laugh at Andie who also seems to be fighting back tears.
I take a step closer to my soon-to-be sister-in-law. “You look absolutely breathtaking, Dani.” Might not have been the right thing to say, because the first tear falls from her cheeks. “I’m sorry, please don’t cry. This is a happy day.” She grabs me and hugs me tightly. I embrace her, feeling such love for my growing family. “This is going to be the best day ever. I’m so excited for you.”
She pulls away as we both wipe at our wet cheeks. “Reagan, I have no doubt that your day will be coming very soon—”
“Already has,” Andie mumbles under her breath.
We both whip our head to Andie.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Dani asks.
I follow up with, “You know?”
Andie shrugs her shoulders, adjusting her boobs in her dress. “Well, you should know already that Roman can’t keep a secret for the life of him. And, no, it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s scared of me.”
“I’m not following,” Dani says again, while my cheeks burn with guilt.
“Oh, come on. You think it wasn’t obvious that my brother asks my husband ‘an important question’ in the same timeframe you two escape for an impromptu vacation to Vegas?”
My tongue is stuck in my throat, feeling such guilt that I kept this from my two best friends. Dani steps forward placing her hands on her hips. “Okay, out with it.” Andie raises her brows while I slowly turn to Dani.
“So…” I start as I slowly dig my fingers into my bra, grabbing at the round piece of jewelry I have stashed between my boobs. Once out, I lift my hand to Dani and slowly, slide the ring on my left index finger.
“No…” She gasps, covering her mouth.
“We wanted to wait till after the wedding to tell everyone. We didn’t want to overshadow your day.”
“No!” She squeals again, causing Andie and I to jump. She grabs at my hand bringing my fingers super close to her face. I’m worried she’s upset. I fumble for words, all the while mentally noting to kill Andie for this later.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to steal your—”
That’s when Dani squeals so loud, I think she gives my poor mother a mini heart attack. I’d thought Mom would be upset when I told her I ran off and married Linc. She simply beamed at me and told me she couldn’t be happier. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Linc is a suck up and they cook together now for family dinners, like they’re on their own little cooking show.
“You’re married,” Dani utters in shock. “You’re really married? Oh my goodness! You’re married!” She starts jumping up and down while still holding my hand. I have no choice but to follow my hand and jump with her.
“You’re not mad, are you?”
Dani stops. “Mad? Why would I be mad? This is the happiest news I’ve ever heard. Reagan, I love you. I’ve loved you as a sister ever since the day you came and talked me off my ledge. If it weren’t for you, Ram and I might not have found our way back to one another. I owe you so much. I pray at night for your happiness. All I wanted was something wonderful for you, and I know Linc is that kind of wonderful.”
I barely allow her to finish before I’m throwing my arms around her. “Thank you,” I whisper, fighting off the heavy tears. Looking back, it’s been such a long road for all of us. Pain and loneliness all wiped away by great men. We all started at the same place. And in the end, we all found our happiness. We found our forever. Together.
I think I could continue hugging Dani forever, but the sound of weeping coming from next to us has us breaking apart.
“Are…are you okay?” We both ask Andie, trying not to laugh. Being the toughest girl we know, she sure has turned into an emotional mess this past year.
“Yes. Shit. No. Shit!” She wipes at her face and turns to go walk into the corner of the room.
“What are you…” Dani tapers off as if something clicks.
“I should have known the second the gas issues began.”
“You’re not…” Dani breathes out.
A guilty look washes over Andie’s face. “Fuck, I am! I don’t even know how this happened! Roman just won’t leave me the fuck alone!”
“Wait…you’re pregnant again?” Shocked, I watch as Andie swipes at the air around her butt and walks back over to us.
“Yeah, I can’t even believe it myself. I thought I was just moody because of the lack of sleep, but with my past experience with Molly, the second I started getting bad gas, I knew it. Your damn brother knocked me up again.”
We both squeal, going in for a group hug, jumping up and down. “Oh my God! That’s wonderful news! Another princess to spoil. Or prince! Do you know what you’re having? When did the gas start? Is that a common sign of pregnancy…”
That’s when my words taper off.
And something else clicks.
I stop jumping.
And I slowly turn to Dani.
“You…” I point at her, accusingly. “Wanna tell me why you had me get you Gas-x earlier?”
“It’s a dick, isn’t it?” Ram questions, his lips quirked into a half-grin.
Roman snorts, which makes Molly jump in his arms. “It’s worse.”
I start laughing but don’t take my hand from my pocket. “It’s none of your business.”
Ram tugs at his bowtie, which looks like it was purchased to go to a discothèque, and darts his gaze to the back of the chapel. “What’s taking so fucking long?”
Molly whimpers, but Roman pats her small back until she falls back asleep. “I’m pretty sure she’s planning her escape.”
I point out the window behind him. “Wait. Is that her running through the parking lot? She’s going to get frostbite in that snow.”
Ram jerks his head backwards and nearly topples over the steps at the front of the chapel. “Fuck you, Linc.”
Roman and I both start laughing.
“The minister is giving you the stink eye,” I warn.
Ram rolls his eyes and tugs at his shiny bowtie again. “I hate this thing. I’m itchy and need out of these clothes.”
“Slow down, killer,” I say, laughing. “Honeymoon is after the wedding, not before.”
“Do you think Andie is going to kill me?” Roman asks suddenly, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
Ram laughs. “Wait. You haven’t shown her yet?”
Roman’s jaws clench. “Not exactly.”
“Pussy,” Ram and I both mutter at once.
“At least I didn’t get a dick tattooed on my finger,” Roman shoots back at me. This makes Ram chuckle.
“It’s not a dick, fucker. It’s an image of your mom’s—”
“Gentleman,” the wedding coordinator interrupts. “The ladies are running a few minutes behind. Looking good.” She grins and bounces off, hissing in her earpiece.
“What is it really?” Ram demands again.
“It’s not a gay-ass Christmas tree, that’s for damn sure.”
Ram starts to flip me off but Roman swats him away. “She likes Christmas,” Ram huffs in defense.
I gesture at the chapel that has more holiday decorations than Macy’s the day before Christmas. “Clearly, man.” I turn to regard Roman who looks serene as hell holding my niece. We may have had a fucked up start, but Roman is growing on me. I still like giving him shit, but at least he doesn’t want to kill me anymore. If anything, he treats me like a special agent who’s supposed to help me get Andie to not kill him. As if I know secrets about her that unlock the mystery that is her. I don’t think anyone will ever figure that woman out. “She’ll like yours. It’s badass.”
He smiles. He’d gotten his first tattoo last night with Ram and I. While the girls stayed at the house working on favors for the reception, the guys went out for drinks and then tattoos. The girls weren’t privy to that part. Ram got a dumb Christmas tree in the middle of all his other tattoos. Damn tree only had one ornament on it. That one, I did not design. That was all Ram. There’s no way in hell I’d own that shit.
But Roman’s?
He asked me to design something that would have meaning to Andie. I’d sketched from memory the big red heart she’d tagged the grocery store with long ago. But then I drew barbed wire that was wrapped around it in an iron grip. Her and Molly’s names are written inside the heart. Fucker was proud as punch when the artist finished the tattoo I’d sketched. That is…until Ram reminded him that Virginia was going to flip her shit that her perfect, untouched son now wore ink, like her other two kids.
Big guy turned fifty shades of pale as fuck.
But what matters is that Andie will love it. The heart. The meaning. His intentions. All of it. I can’t wait for her to see it.
As for mine…
“It’s a dick,” Ram huffs. “Definitely a dick.”
With a smirk, I yank my hand from my pocket and flip him off. Of course that shows the small amount of new ink I had done on my ring finger. Ram gapes at the “R” on my finger. I’m not about jewelry. I figured the tattoo would keep all the ladies off my junk and proclaim that I belong to my beautiful wife. Reagan Carter.
“You slick motherfucker,” Ram mutters. “And you knew about this?”
Roman shrugs. “Sucks being the last to know shit, huh?” He turns to look at me. “This noble asshole had the balls to ask me for our sister’s hand. How the fuck was I supposed to tell him no? Andie told me that you can’t make eye contact with him. The puppy dog eyes are the devil. Her words, not mine.” He clasps my shoulder and laughs. “Welcome to the family, Carnie. Don’t fuck up or I’ll fuck you up.”
“Get the fuck OUTTA HERE!” I shriek. I know that look. That’s the look of my best friend who just got caught! “You’re pregnant?”
Dani’s eyes skim back and forth between us girls, even shooting a guilty eye toward Virginia. “Oh, shoot yes. I don’t even know how it happened!” she exclaims.
Reagan and I both burst out laughing. “Well, normally when you insert the penis into the vag—”
“I know how, silly.” She slaps my shoulder.
I stare at my best friend since childhood. The first day we met was the first day I realized what true friendship was. “I… I… We get to do this together,” I state, fighting back the emotions and failing. We all seem to have ruined our makeup already, so what’s one more round of tears.
“I know. Can you believe it!? I’m hoping that I’m not as hungry and moody as you were, though.” I bust out laughing while smiles brightly at her joke.
“Excuse me, ladies, are you ready? I have a group of antsy groomsmen and one very inpatient groom.” We all nod to the coordinator.
We pull ourselves together after one final hug. Today marks the beginning of the complete Holloway clan. Three women connected to three wonderful men. I never thought this is where life would take me. I never saw happiness, a husband and child, and now a group of six of the most amazing people that I can proudly call my family. I squeeze Dani’s hand one last time and we all file out of the bridal room and line up behind the closed church doors.
“I can’t believe that on the other side of those doors is my soon-to-be husband.”
We all gush over Dani’s words, knowing soon, she will be wedded to her soulmate. It brings my thoughts to Roman, the only person on this planet who is able to tolerate me. And he does it with such ease that it almost hurts to know how much I love him.
Because I have no patience, I step forward and open the door a tiny smidge to take a peek. I spot Ram first, tugging at his bowtie, looking nervous as shit. I see my brother, and in between them is my husband, holding our daughter. The plan is to have Virginia snag her once she walks up the aisle, but I have a feeling Roman will have a hard time letting her go. He cradles her sleeping form in his arms, rocking her. I watch as he places small kisses to the top of her head every three seconds. My heart swells with so much love for him, my daughter, my life.
Before I get yelled at, I take one last look at my version of a happily ever after, and shut the door. I take my spot in line, just in front of my best friend.
My mom slips through the chapel doors just as the music starts playing and holds out her hands. I shake my head to let her know Molly is fine in my arms. Truth is, that’s where I’d like to keep her always. Andie may have been the best thing that ever happened to me, but then I got knocked on my ass the moment I held my little girl for the first time.
Apparently, happy endings aren’t endings at all.
They just get happier and happier as time goes on.
“You’re going to have a little brother or little sister soon,” I whisper against Molly’s hair. Andie doesn’t know I know, but it’s hard to hide fifteen pregnancy tests crammed in the trashcan that I empty. Not to mention, she’s been acting a lot like the woman I fell so madly in love with.
Psychotic.
Hormonal.
Emotional.
Crazy as fuck.
Jesus, I love her.
The doors open again and Reagan steps out. Her dress is shiny and as obnoxious as our bowties and vests. She holds a bouquet of some kind of red Christmas-looking flower. But what has her drawing everyone’s eye is the brilliant smile she wears. For him. I steal a glance at my brother-in-law two times over who’s grinning like he got the toy out of the cereal box. Goofy ass.
At one point, I hated this guy. But then something shifted. Deep down, I knew he was in love with my sister and that the feeling was mutual. She’s been hurt so many times though. I didn’t want Linc to be on the long list of people who stole pieces of her heart.
The troublemaker shocked me though.
His loyalty and devotion to Reagan is admirable.
He made some mistakes, but hell, haven’t we all?
All that matters is that he loves her. He was barely out of death’s door and that punk was asking me if he could whisk away my sister and marry her. I’d felt honored he’d asked me instead of Ram, especially since we had bad blood between us.
I just want my sister to be happy.
And somehow, Linc is the one who makes her that way.
The door opens again and my attention is stolen once more.
My wife.
Goddamn she’s beautiful.
Her eyes are teary and her cheeks are tearstained. That swollen bottom lip I love to suck on is wobbling as she walks toward us. Our eyes are locked. I see the nervousness in her eyes. The same unsure look she’d given me when she told me she was pregnant with Molly.
This time, I don’t fuck it up.
“I’m pregnant,” she mouths to me.
I wink and mouth back. “I know.”
Brilliant beautiful adoration shimmers in her blue eyes. I’ll always take care of her and our kids. The fact that she felt even a flicker of worry has me vowing to do better. To show her she’s my everything.
“I love you,” I mouth at her and kiss Molly’s head.
A tear streaks down her cheek and she nods before giving me a shaky smile.
She knows.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who sent a text message to the wrong guy. That message blossomed into the most beautiful, loving relationship two people could ever share. At times, finding the right words to express how deeply they felt for each other just seemed impossible. It didn’t seem. It just was.
As the doors open, and my father laces his arm into mine, I see him.
My soulmate.
The love of my life.
The reason for every breath I take.
For him.
Ram stands there, his brown eyes locked on mine. It’s how it’s always been between us. A room full of people, but we only see each other. I knew one day I would marry. It’s a girl’s dream. The planning, the colors, the perfect dress that would make the bride feel as if it were made just for her. But as I walk down the aisle, none of that truly even matters. It’s not about the dresses or the flowers. The perfect playlist or the hors d’oeuvres.
It’s about the man who stands at the front of the altar ready to make me his wife and vow to love and honor me until our last dying breath.
My father kisses me on the cheek and states his honor of giving me away. Andie takes my bouquet, and in no time, I am standing at the altar, face to face with my life. My happily ever after.
“You take my breath away,” he whispers for only my ears, his eyes flickering with emotion.
Before I can respond, the minister begins.
He tells our tale of finding love. How today is the day we unite to start our future. Build a family and spend our days loving one another.
Roman hands us our rings, while juggling our niece, as we both repeat our vows.
Ram struggles through his, the emotion in his voice thick with each promise he makes to me. I take labored breaths trying to hide my own emotions as Ram slips the custom-made band on my finger. I look into the eyes of a man who fell into my life by mistake, who has turned into my rock. A man who would lay his life down to make me happy.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You can kiss the—”
Ram doesn’t wait for the minister to finish. His lips are on mine, offering me the sweetest, most powerful first kiss as husband and wife.
“Would you just look at everyone?” Dani sighs, her voice dreamy in quality.
I push the plate of food away and scan the reception hall. Reagan and Linc are dancing too slowly to a fast song. His palms are on her ass and he’s whispering things to her that make her blush. Meanwhile, Roman keeps grinning at Andie while she nurses Molly. I can see his mouth moving every so often. She tries to kick him from her chair, but the motherfucker is quick these days and steps out of hurting distance. They’re both feisty as hell but they’re also perfect for one another.
“You did this.”
My wife—God, do I love the sound of that—jerks her head to stare at me. Her lips are painted a pretty pink color that I’m dying to suck off later. The dark hair she normally wears down or in a messy bun has been pulled back in a sleek bridal do with curls hanging down the back that looks too fancy to touch. But later, I’m going to pluck every damn pin from her head and run my fingers through her hair that I love so much.
“Did what?” she asks, her cute nose scrunching. “Plan the best Christmas wedding ever?”
I grin and sling an arm over the back of her chair so I can lean in close to her. “No, Buttercup. This.” I point at Linc and Reagan and then Andie and Roman. “Them.”
This close, I get a whiff of some new perfume she’s wearing. Smells sweet, like the taffy she loves so much.
“W-What?”
I run my fingertips along her bare outer arm, making her shiver. “You. The little Christmas angel. Sprinkling her dust all over and making miracles happen.”
She laughs, and fuck do I love the sound. “You’re crazy.”
“Think about it. Had you not texted me, impressing me with you’re The Princess Bride knowledge, none of this love would exist.” I nuzzle my nose against her throat and press a kiss to her soft flesh. “It all started with you.”
She sniffles and takes my hand. “You always say the sweetest things, Mr. Holloway.”
I nip at her throat and hope Mom doesn’t give me an ass whipping later for trying to eat my wife at the reception in front of her church friends. “I speak the truth.” My palm finds her stomach and I rub it reverently. A few weeks ago, we found out she’s expecting. Fucking finally. I’ve fucked her bare the entire time we’ve been together and we’d yet to get pregnant. I knew it weighed heavily on Dani. We’d even promised that after the new year, we’d see a doctor so we could start planning a family. Out of the blue, she turned up pregnant. A Christmas miracle. “You think the baby will like Branson?”
She sighs happily. “Our baby will love Branson. Silver Dollar City is the best. I know you’ve only been the one time with me, but just wait until we get there tomorrow. Best. Honeymoon. Ever. This time of year, it’s decorated so beautifully. They even make fake snow!”
I suckle on her throat. It’ll only be a matter of time before Mom is over here lecturing me about PDA. I will have to steal my moments while I can. “But who will fold the towels in your absence?” I tease.
She sucks in a sharp breath and slaps me. “Don’t even joke around about that,” she huffs. “Mary is going to destroy that entire color-coded section with her lazy ways. I just know it.”
I hear my mother call my name in the same tone she’d take with me when I’d be up to no good during my teenage years. Quickly, I pull away and flash my mom an innocent smile. She shakes her head at me and goes back to talking to one of her friends.
“Just think how satisfying it will be to fold all the towels in the store and make them right again. Glass half full, wifey.”
Dani taps at her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Well, now that you put it that way…”
Her cheeks glow with happiness and her smile is wide. I catch myself staring at how perfect she really is. She’s mine now in every sense of the word.
Grabbing her hand that bears my ring, I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them. “I have a new favorite thing to add to my list.”
Her eyes twinkle with excitement. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“My pregnant wife.”
She laughs and lets out a sigh. “Whoever thought that our accidental start would end like this?”
I slide my palm to the back of her neck and draw her to me so that her forehead rests against mine. “End? Not even close.” I press a kiss to her sweet lips. “It’s just the beginning, baby.”
The End
Want more? Stay tuned for Molly’s story in 2025.
Not really.
Go away, we’re done here.