Chapter Sixteen

“You’re what?” Josh scowled at Reed across the front counter of the River Bend Community Bank, one of Hudson Contracting’s latest renovations. To the left, Tony Dunn rode someone’s ass for being late to the job and, to the right, Brody Nelson did a piss poor job of minding his own business.

“He’s getting married,” the Marine said, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Reed’s gut instinct was to snap something sarcastic like, ‘What? You think a ring on my finger means I won’t fuck your girl?’ but it didn’t seem right. Not because it was he gave a shit about Brody’s feelings or even Jenny’s for that matter, but because it’d make Mia question the sincerity of the commitment he’d offered. You know, if his future bride were a fly on the wall.

“To who?” Josh’s face twisted into an even gnarlier scowl as he braced both hands on the dusty counter. Probably so he didn’t fall over.

Reed tucked his hands into his khaki slacks and angled his head toward the door. “You got a few minutes to talk outside?”

“Yo, Tony!” Josh yelled to his foreman. “Hold down the fort. I’ve gotta go beat some sense into Fletcher.”

Fucker. Reed chuckled and led the way to the parking lot where four Hudson Contracting trucks sat with his Camaro squeeze in between.

“I get the feeling this is a longer story than I’ve got break time,” Josh muttered, pulling a bottle of water from a cooler in the back of his rig. “Good thing I’m the boss.”

“Uh huh.” Shaking his head, he leaned back against the truck and pulled in a deep breath. It wasn’t to calm his nerves or brace himself for his oldest friend’s unfiltered opinion, because Reed really didn’t give a shit what anyone thought about his arrangement with Mia. Just like biting his tongue in front of Brody a few minutes earlier, his number one priority was to respect her and assure her that he was up to the task of being her husband, no matter the circumstances.

“Is she knocked up?” Josh asked, one dark eyebrow cocked. “Because this isn’t the 1950s, you know.”

Reed chuckled. “Nope. Not pregnant.”

“Blackmail then? I’m sure Brody could hook you up with his SEAL friends if that’s the case.”

Jesus Christ, was it really that crazy of a notion that maybe he was getting hitched because he actually loved the girl? “The fuck, man. Come on.”

Josh narrowed his eyes and studied him until he might have caved from the awkwardness. But not this time. Undeterred, Reed stared right back.

“Her old man dying?” his buddy asked in a suddenly serious, sympathetic tone that reminded Reed why they’d been friends for as long as they had. Josh might bust his balls every chance he got, but he knew him better than almost anyone else, too.

He swallowed around the knot in his throat and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Fuck, dude.” Josh tossed the water into the bed of the truck and dug his palms into his eyes. “Why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Well, it’s mine. I don’t owe you or anyone else an explanation.”

Josh’s eyes went wide, then he made a throaty sound. “You’re right. But we both know you didn’t come here to tell me to mind my own fucking business, did you?”

Reed grinned and kicked the toe of his leather shoes against the asphalt. “You’re the only guy I know who’ll leave it at that, so I’m kind of hoping you’ll be my best man.”

At that, Josh laughed. Full on fucking laughed. “Dude,” he groaned. “You know I’ll do whatever you need me to, but it would be nice to know I’m not signing off on something that’s not on the up and up, you know?”

“It’s legit.” So legit that Mia hadn’t even wanted a prenup to protect her money from Montgomery & Adler. He suspected it was mostly because of the timing—namely, that there wasn’t any—but it didn’t matter because he had no intentions of fucking her over.

“You love her?”

“I’ve known her as long as I’ve known you, man. Of course, I love her.”

Josh tipped his head to the side, as if to say, ‘Not what I’m asking you, bro,’ but he didn’t push. “When’s this blissful event happening?”

“Saturday, unless things with Jose take a turn for the worse.” Reed explained about the fall and induced coma to let his head heal as stress-free as possible. The doctors were optimistic that they’d be able to try and wake him up on Thursday—tomorrow—but there was still no guarantee he’d come around quickly or at all, though his brain activity was promising.

“What can Carissa and I do to help?”

And that...that right fucking there...was why Josh Hudson would always be his brother, regardless of what biology said.

* * *

“Whoa.” Ally’s jaw practically bounced off the table in Cedar Street Brew. “You’re marrying Reed freaking Fletcher?”

“Yep.” Mia pulled her leg up beneath her, stirred her coffee, and glanced out the cafe window with a sigh. More leaves lined the street and sidewalk than they had just a couple of weeks ago, and part of her wished she and Reed could have a ceremony in River Bend. “I know my dad would want Father Joe to officiate, but there isn’t time, so we’re having the chaplain marry us at the hospital so Dad can be there.” God willing, anyway.

Ally blinked about four hundred and eighty times before she leaned back in the booth and whistled. “Holy crap. I knew y’all were close, but I had no idea we were talking forever and ever, amen close. What does your mom think?”

“Honestly, she’s been so preoccupied with Dad that I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet. She’ll be the one freaking out come Saturday morning, though. Watch.”

“And you won’t be?” Her friend fisted her own hair in exasperation. “Do you even have a dress? Flowers?”

“That’s where you come into play.”

“I am not a seamstress. In fact, the only thing I’m good at making is coffee and baked goods.”

“Bingo.” Mia pointed enthusiastically. “I’m going to need a cake. Nothing huge, since there will only be a few of us there, but something cute maybe?”

The redhead beamed. “Buttercream or fondant? Please say buttercream.”

A laugh rolled up in Mia’s belly. “Buttercream it is. And if you could help me get the cake to Grand Island, since I’m heading back today, I would be indebted to you forever. Reed is staying until Saturday morning because he has a football game on Friday night, but I don’t want him to have to worry about anything other than getting there on time.”

Ally nodded. “You got it.”

“And since you’ll be there, could you also help with my makeup and hair? My friend Rae is coming from Omaha to be my maid of honor, but she can’t get there until right before the ceremony, because she’s picking up the flowers.”

“Yeah, yeah. Done. All of that. But what about the dress, Mia? None of the rest matters if you don’t have something beautiful to wear.”

And even that wouldn’t matter if something happened to her father in the meantime, so, call Mia a crappy bride, but she wasn’t all that concerned about making a huge statement a la satin and chiffon.

“I’m going shopping tomorrow. Believe me, I have a list.”

Ally broke out into a wide grin, complete with a seated happy dance. “You know this is fucking crazy, right? I mean, not just the spur of the moment nuptials, but the fact that you’re taking a lasso to Reed Fletcher’s balls...and he’s letting you.”

Yeah, well, hopefully that wasn’t something he’d end up hating her for.

“I guess I’ve always known you were special to him,” Ally admitted, and those giddy, yet uncertain butterflies rose in Mia’s stomach. Special, sure. But special enough to make him a happy husband? Only time would tell.

* * *

“Mom said they started weaning Dad off some of the medication. His brain scans are still good, and he’s been moving his toes a lot.”

Later that night, sitting in bed with his laptop open and Mia on FaceTime, Reed absentmindedly filled out electronic building permits and reviewed the list of site visits he needed to complete before the end of the week. Since Jose’s stroke, he’d put work on the back burner and it was starting to kick his ass.

“That’s great news. Do they have a guess as to when he might wake up?” Assuming all signs really pointed to yes, anyway.

“Everyone is different, but the doctor thinks Friday.”

For the first time ever, Reed wished the Rebel football team wasn’t slated for another state championship run. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even hesitate to have one of the assistant coaches fill in for him so he could be in Grand Island, too. As it was, he’d offered, but Mia insisted he stay back and try to go about his normal routine because in a few days, their lives would change in ways they hadn’t even figured out yet.

“I miss you,” she said, snuggling up with a hotel pillow on his cell screen. Her hair was down and spread out over the white linen, making his gut clench. 

In the near future, that would be his pillow and his bed. His woman.

Other than foregoing the prenup, the only other thing he and Mia had decided was to live together in his house. He’d only been there a year, the place was big in case either of them needed space, and her folks’ place was just a few miles away.

The promise of Mia naked and writhing beneath him in his bed, while she perfumed his sheets with her sweetness had his cock rock hard in two point three.

Maybe he’d have Coach Hollis bump up for Friday, after all.

“Reed?”

Pulling out of the daze—and discreetly adjusting his dick off-camera—he glanced back to the phone, where Mia’s gorgeous smile lit up the screen.

“Normally, I’d be offended that I told you I missed you and you didn’t respond. But I know what you just did, so you’re forgiven.” She winked and scraped the corner of her bottom lip all sex kitten-like, and the tent in his boxers pitched a little higher.

“What’d I do?” he challenged, wrapping his hand around his shaft through the cotton and stroking lightly, still off-screen.

“You’re hard.” Her voice was as smooth and as sultry as velvet brushing against bare skin. “Aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” Another stroke. This one a little firmer than the last.

“I want to see.”

Uh...come again?

“Please?”

Well, fuck. “You asking me to jack off for you, M?”

Her lips twisted into a sexy pucker. “I only asked to see your impressive dick, but if you want to show me what you’re doing over there...” She tapped the screen on her phone, only inches away from his throbbing cock on his side of the video chat. “I will not complain.” 

And this was the woman he was about to commit himself to. How the hell did he rate?

“Show me your tits,” he rasped, slipping his dick from his boxers so he could get a better grip. Squeeze a little harder.

“These?” She sat up in bed, held the phone with one hand, and lifted her black tank top with the other until her breasts fell loose and her nipples, so wide and dark, winked at him in the camera.

“Fuckkk.” His hand moved faster over his length, fisting over the thick head with every pass. “Touch yourself.”

Clasping that plump bottom lip between her teeth, she rubbed her fingertips over one pretty bud and then the other, until her areolas tightened and her peaks went rigid. It was hard to see exactly how hard she’d made herself, but given the soft, sexy as fuck gasps and moans spilling into his bedroom, he could guess.

“More, Mia.” He wanted her panting and turned on. Ideally so aroused, she’d join him and get herself off.

Closing her eyes, she let her head loll to the side while she continued to work her flesh into a frenzy. When only one hand wasn’t enough, she propped her phone up on the pillows and bedding, so she could use both hands to pinch and tweak and, every now and then, flick.

His cock throbbed and a bead of pre-cum began to gather at his slit. He imagined her pressing those pretty tits together for him. Letting him slide in between from the bottom, while she bobbed and licked at that droplet with every full stroke.

“I’m gonna fuck those tits on our wedding night,” he growled, hand pumping long and slow, so close to the edge.

“Show me,” she begged, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps. “I want to watch you come.”

When he shifted the phone to his lap, he lost sight of her, but her greedy little whimpers were more than enough.

He came in his fist less than a minute later, thick rivers of white semen dripping over his skin.

“God, I want to taste it,” she whined, and he went back to watching her play. Even across the distance, he could see her tremble. And bounce...fuck, the way she bounced on that hotel bed, so desperate to get off.

“Panties, babe. Put your fingers inside.”

She hesitated for only seconds before she tipped the phone down and slid her hand into the dark scrap of fabric between her legs. He could see literally nothing but her arm flexing as she touched herself, but it was still the hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen.

“Rub that pretty clit, Mia. Slow and soft to get things going. Just how you like it.”

She flinched, not once, but three times, until she found the right spot and the right amount of pressure, stroking her pussy until she cried out his name and fell forward, braced on one hand, while she rode the waves of her orgasm.

And to think that once upon a time, she’d had a hard time getting off with just fingers.

He grinned to himself while she caught her breath, so fucking proud of how far she’d come. How far they’d come.

“That was beautiful,” he praised her. “The only thing that could top it is seeing you wear white with my ring on your finger.”

She laughed shyly, settling back against the headboard and still breathing fast. “You’re such a sweet talker, Mr. Fletcher. How is it no one’s snapped you up yet?”

He lifted an eyebrow, tongue stuck in his cheek. “What do you mean? I’m yours, aren’t I?”

Mia’s sweet laugh carried through the phone. “Always the charmer.”

Maybe, but right now there wasn’t a single ounce of bullshit in his words. “Maybe I’ve always been yours, babe. Just took me a while to figure it out.”