Chapter Twelve
The diner was busy for breakfast, but that wasn’t unusual. Ryan was back in the kitchen with a messed-up face. Kitty decided not to ask about that. Ryan was a good kid but had a very quick temper, so she pretended his face was fine. The Dirty Fuckers MC descended on the diner at nine, and as she moved through the tables, Caleb caught her around the waist and pulled her down into his lap.
“I’ve got to work,” she said.
“You can spare a couple of minutes.” He kissed her neck and she giggled, sitting in his lap. The diner could wait.
When she turned to look at the table, everyone looked so happy to see her sitting in Caleb’s lap.
“I think we should tell them,” Caleb said.
“You think we’re ready for that.” She twirled the ring that he’d slid on her finger last night. He’d already bought a ring and had every intention of asking her to marry him. Caleb was a surprise at every turn.
“Yes.”
Caleb held her hand, offering her comfort. “Kitty and I have some news,” he said, looking at her even as she talked. “We’re getting married.” Caleb held up her hand that had the engagement ring.
For a few seconds, silence rang out, and she placed her hands on his chest, kissing him deeply. Congratulations suddenly erupted, and a happiness unlike she’d ever known consumed her. The club would always worry. She expected that now, but they didn’t have to. Caleb’s hand was shaken, and as she got to her feet, she made her way around the table, hugging all of her friends. Grace, Cora, Skylar, and Teri were all there, and she hugged them as well.
When she hugged James, she smiled at him.
“You’re happy?” James asked.
“I am happy. I love him, James. More than anything.”
“Then we’re going to make this wedding happen.” They all sat down at the table, and before she knew what was happening, a date for three weeks away had already been settled.
“You don’t think that’s a little fast?” Kitty asked, not minding at all.
“We’re getting married in three months,” Caleb said. “It’ll give us time to arrange everything. This isn’t going to be a quick wedding. We want time together, and I want to be with her planning every single step of the way.”
She leaned against his shoulder, smiling at him. “Skylar, will you do our cake? It has to be enough to at least feed everyone here.”
“I’d love to.”
“Teri, would you cater everything?”
“I’d love to.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to marry in a couple of weeks?”
“No,” Caleb said, pressing a kiss to her lips. “We’re going to take our time, and I’m going to make sure you love every single step as we do this.”
Kitty kissed him back, and before long it was back to work, but she knew her life would never be the same again.
****
For the next three months, Caleb and Kitty planned their wedding. At first, he wanted to get married in a church, but she finally convinced him how beautiful the clubhouse garden would be. Of course, that meant a lot of work and, seeing as he loved using his hands, he began to set the scene for their wedding, while she got to work on the garden. Throughout it all, Caleb fell even harder for her.
Each day he got to see more of Kitty where she didn’t hold anything back. She gave him every single part of her, in the bedroom, in life, in everything.
Of course, their coming together also meant house hunting, and he knew she wasn’t as happy with that. Cole, Anna’s little boy, had won her over, and he’d been at the apartment most nights where the young child woke. Kitty was there to help Anna while Teri just grumbled about it.
He didn’t want to move into the apartment, and he wanted them both to have their own space, their own home.
When they finally found their place, it wasn’t far from where Cora and James lived. It was a two-bedroom house with a large yard and a tree. As he’d stood looking at the tree, Kitty had asked him what he was thinking about.
“I’m going to build a treehouse for our kid. That’s perfect; I can make sure it’s secured, and then we can have nights out, camping, telling stories.”
“This is the place,” Kitty said.
“You’re sure?
“Yes. If you’re already making memories, then this is the place.” She looked up at him. “You’re even thinking about what our kid will be like. This place is perfect.” She went onto her toes.
“No, you’re perfect. This place will just be an extension of that.”
Holding her close, he kissed her neck, locking their fingers together as their future began to build around them.
Three months sounded like a long time, but it moved so fast. Between playing at the clubhouse, preparing their home to move in, planning and creating their wedding, time had flown by, and suddenly Caleb stood in front of the mirror wearing pants and a white shirt, readjusting the cuffs for the second time.
There had been a great deal of compromise in the club. He’d agreed to the club wedding, but he’d done so with the understanding that he would wear his leather cut. Also, Kitty had to wear hers over her wedding dress. That was non-negotiable. While their house was prepared for them, he stayed with her at the apartment, and they were interviewing women to replace her. They were deciding between two applicants, one a college student and another an ex-addict.
“Are you okay there?” James asked, entering his room.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Nervous?”
“Only that she’ll realize she’s better than me and I’ll be left stranded at the altar.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’ve spoken to Cora, and she’s ready. She’s nervous you’re not going to be there. Don’t worry. This happens to everyone. Pre-wedding jitters.”
“I love her, James.”
“I know. Why do you think I never stepped in your way? You and Kitty, it’s been a long time coming, and I was rooting for you. Have been for all this time, and that’s never going to stop. Take your woman, Caleb. You both deserve each other. You’ve waited so long.”
Seeing no reason to prolong it, he grabbed his jacket and made his way outside.
“Any news from the Billionaire Bikers MC?” he asked.
“None. I didn’t expect to have a call from them anyway. This is your day. Stop worrying about everything else and focus on one thing and one thing alone, your woman.” James gripped his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
Standing at the front of all of his friends with some of the locals waiting there as well, his nerves began to build.
Had they moved too fast?
Would Kitty be able to handle this?
All of his thoughts were focused on making sure Kitty was okay.
The music changed, and as he turned he saw Cora, Grace, Skylar, Chloe, and Teri making their way down the aisle. They were in pale blue gowns, holding small bouquets of roses.
Then, his fiancée, on Pixie’s arm, was there, and he lost all focus for everyone; everything ceased. She wore the leather jacket he’d asked her to wear. The cut that told everyone that she wasn’t just a club whore or even an old lady. She was a member of the Dirty Fuckers MC.
Some of the women who partied were clearly shocked to see what she wore, but he didn’t care.
This was who she was.
His woman.
His old lady.
His everything.
When her hand rested in his, and together they looked at the priest. Nothing else mattered. Kitty was there with him, and they were bound together for all eternity. Just the way it was supposed to be.