KANE
“They’re running late,” Karter says. He’s holding Brett, who is fussing. Our son is fed and changed, and it isn’t nap time yet. I guess he’s just bored or missing Connie.
I think it’s the latter because I feel the same.
I’m so used to her always being around that waking up this morning and finding her gone left me with a funny sensation in my chest.
“They’ll be here,” I say. “The bride probably wanted a last-minute make-up touch-up.” I’m pretending to know what the hell I’m talking about, but really, I have no idea what delays brides for this long.
I glance around at the others gathered for Carmella’s and Derek’s wedding. I don’t know most of them. Derek is at the front having a quiet discussion with his best man. I can feel the nerves vibrating off of him as he straightens his tie. It’s a big day in any man’s life, and the extra waiting must be hell.
In the front row, Connie and Carmella’s father sits with his back as straight as a board. His hair is thinning, and his bald spot has a gleam to it. Ugh. I hope I don’t lose my hair. That’s one positive thing that I could inherit from my father. He still has a full head of healthy dark hair.
I don’t know what’s happened this morning, but Connie’s dad seemed mad as hell when he arrived. He had that same pinched mouth and wide, angry eyes that he had when he came to our house to confront us about our relationship. I don’t like the bad vibes rolling off him right now. Weddings are supposed to be joyful, not filled with stress or anger. He should be walking the room, welcoming people, not sitting alone like he has a cucumber wedge up his butt.
I don’t know how my gorgeous and positive girl ever came from that man.
Glancing to the back, I catch eyes with my cousin Mason. He’s here because his wife Natalie has been friends with Connie forever, and so she knows Carmella well too. He raises his eyebrows and shoulders simultaneously as though he’s saying, ‘what’s going on.’ I do the same in response.
“Has anyone messaged Connie?” I ask my brothers.
“They’re on their way,” Holden says. “Something about the dress.”
“Okay.”
Just as I’m about to mouth the update to Holden, there is movement at the back. It’s Connie, and another girl dressed in matching soft blue dresses, and Connie looks stunning.
“She’s here,” I whisper, and all my brothers turn simultaneously. Harris whistles quietly, and Brett spots his mamma over Karter’s shoulder and starts to reach out his hands.
Behind Connie, Carmella adjusts her bouquet in her hands, setting it at the right angle, so the flowers cascade downward. She looks beautiful too. Very much like her sister, and my heart squeezes, imagining my girl dressed in white, walking a similar aisle to make a life commitment to my brothers and me.
We’ve had the conversation many times, but Connie hasn’t agreed to marry us. I was okay with it at first. I respect her, and I understand her views, but with Brett now part of our family, I want to make this thing between us official.
Both our father’s negative reactions to our relationship have definitely played a part in Connie’s reluctance to get married. Big life events are supposed to involve family, but if we got married, neither of our surviving parents would be there. Connie’s embarrassed. Their absence would just highlight the rift to all our other friends and family, and that would hurt her. It’s why we haven’t pushed.
I know I’m not alone in hoping that today will change Connie’s mind. There’s just something about being at a wedding that makes people in love want to get married too.
The string quartet begins to play, and everyone stands, turning to watch the approach of the bride. It’s then it hits me that Connie’s dad isn’t at the back to walk Carmella down the aisle. What is he playing at?
Instead, Connie and the other bridesmaid link arms with Carmella, and they walk together beaming. Derek seems surprised, too, and an audible murmur passes through the congregated guests. Connie is walking with a straighter posture than usual, and her eyes widen as she catches mine, a sure sign that she’s doing her best to hold things together.
Her father doesn’t even turn to see his daughter. It’s like he’s there facing forward just to punish her, but Carmella doesn’t seem affected. At the front, Derek lifts her short veil, gazing at his wife to be with adoration. Her dress is beautifully simple and definitely not the one Connie’s mother wore.
Is that what’s caused the argument with her father? Something so petty?
The ceremony is quick but sweet—the couple shares personal vows which really speak to their genuine love and affection for each other. Connie stands by, glancing at her father out of the corner of her eye as though she’s waiting for him to make an objection to the union.
Thank goodness he doesn’t.
I don’t get to speak to her until after the ceremony is done. She walks into my arms and collapses against my chest. “Oh my god, Kane. That was the most stressful thing I’ve ever had to deal with.”
“I could tell. Was it the dress?”
“Of course it was,” Connie says, drawing back and rolling her eyes. “But I’m happy I helped Carmella, and I’m even happier than I stood up to dad for bullying her. He’s going to act frosty for the whole day, but neither of us cares. It’s as though we’ve both come to this huge realisation that he’s just a selfish control freak. Nothing we do is ever going to be good enough, so we might as well stop trying.”
“Sounds like a plan to me. Does that mean you’re finally going to make honest men of us? I mean, we’ve been waiting a long time, and people are talking. They know you’ve been taking advantage of us…we can’t exactly hide the evidence.”
I wave at Brett, who is straining from Karter’s arms to get to his momma.
“Are you trying to get her to marry us again?” Karter asks, finally handing over Brett.
“I swear… he’s never going to give up,” Connie says, laughing.
“He figures that if he keeps asking, he’ll wear you down eventually,” Holden says.
“The rest of us have figured out that we just need to leave you be. You’ll come around eventually, and then you’ll have to get down on one knee and ask us,” Harris smiles.
“Is that what it’s going to take?” Connie asks, grinning.
“Definitely,” Holden says. My brother smooths his hand over Connie’s back, putting his palm at her waist, and she melts against him, snuggling Brett. Seeing so much love and affection between Connie and my brothers always feels good. Is it strange that it feels almost like I’m touching her through Holden’s hand? There’s a connection between us that is definitely unusual, and it’s something I treasure.
The rest of the wedding goes as well as we could hope for. We’re sitting at a table with Natalie, Max, and Mason and their twins. There is never a dull moment with those guys. Mason tells us about the painting he’s done for Carmella and Derek’s wedding gift. The picture he has on his phone is spectacular. I’m so proud that he’s finally pursuing his dream. Natalie excuses herself to take pictures, her camera clicking furiously. “I’ll send them all to you,” she tells Connie later. “You can give the ones you like to Carmella.”
“I know they’ll all be amazing,” Connie tells her friend. “Maybe you could be our official wedding photographer one day,” she says, giving me a sly little wink.
“I would be honored,” Natalie says, looking between us suspiciously. “Has something happened that I don’t know about?”
“No,” Connie laughs. “Not yet anyway.”
That night, we go back to Uncle Conrad’s house. He even insisted on providing a car to drive us so we could all enjoy some champagne.
I watch Connie get our son ready for bed. He’s so tired that he falls asleep on her breast, and she places him into the travel cot gently, swiping her hair back from her face and looking down at him.
I move closer, resting my hands on her shoulders. “You look exhausted.”
“I am,” she says, turning in my arms. “But despite everything, today was a good day.”
“It’s a big relief.” I dip my head to kiss her, and she snuggles closer.
Behind us, my brothers are all getting ready for bed. They’re probably watching me touch our woman and feeling the same way I did earlier. It’s that way between us always.
No jealousy.
No uncertainty.
Just love and trust. The two most important things in life.
Connie pulls back, resting her hands on my biceps that are still clothed in my charcoal gray suit. Her mouth quirks with the start of a smile that I’m familiar with. It’s her I’m-about-to-do-something-cheeky-smile.
I know her so well.
She slips off her pretty blue dress until she’s standing in just her stunning bra and panties. Then she climbs on the bed.
I swear all the blood in my body rockets to my cock. My head actually feels woozy.
“Come here, boys,” she says, beckoning with her index finger. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Holden move faster, and he used to run track at college. He gets near, his hand about to rest on her belly when she puts her hand out to stop him. “Hold on, Holden,” she giggles. “Talk first, sex after.”
“Can’t we switch the order of that?” Harris whines.
“Let the woman speak,” I say, hoping she’s going to be quick.
She’s kneeling on the bed, her curves tempting all of us. Smiling, she uses her hands to ruffle her hair, killing me in the process. “I think it’s time that I made honest men out of you guys.”
“What?” Harris asks, not getting her meaning despite our earlier conversation. I am not having the same laps of memory.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“I think I’ve kept you waiting long enough, and I’m tired of letting our miserable fathers put me off having a celebration of our amazing relationship. If you’ll have me, I’m ready to become Mrs. Connie Banbury.”
Now I’m woozy for another reason. “Are you actually asking us to marry you?”
“What are you not hearing?” Holden scowls.
“Yes,” Karter blurts. “Let’s do it.”
“Eager much,” Harris laughs.
“Like you’re not.” Karter shakes his head.
“You know we wanted to ask you,” I say, moving closer.
She smiles and reaches out to touch my cheek. “I know, but somehow, this feels right. When I wasn’t sure about our relationship, you all made me see that it could work. You made me take a chance on us. You’ve asked me before, but it just wasn’t the right time for me. I couldn’t get my head around making promises to you that would upset our fathers so much, but I can’t wait anymore. I wanted you to see that. I wanted this step to be mine. All you have to do is say yes.”
“Yes,” I say softly, leaning in to kiss the woman who has made me happier than I ever thought I could be.
“Yes,” Holden says, followed by a yes from Harris too.
“Four out of four,” she smiles. “I’ve hit the jackpot.”
“So have we,” I say.
That night, we make love, but somehow, it’s different. Connie holds on to us tighter. She keeps her eyes open as I slide into her soft, wet heat and grips me so fiercely that her fingernails bite into my skin. There’s an intensity to the passion we share that burns brighter than it has before because we know this is it. This is us, forever.
As we lay together after, I slide my fingers between hers, bringing her hand to my lips. “Do you remember that first night in Thailand?” I whisper.
“Of course. How can I forget how you schooled me on curry and forced me to eat orange crab cakes?”
“I didn’t force you,” I laugh. “You know I knew, from that first conversation, that I wanted to keep you.”
“You didn’t.” She shakes her head, her eyes sparkling in the low light of the room. “You thought I was a brazen woman who wanted to take advantage of you.”
“Yes, that too.”
“I knew as well,” Karter says.
“And me,” Holden and Harris say in unison.
“We knew you’d be a Banbury eventually.”
“I just thought I was using you for hot vacation sex.” Connie laughs, light and bright, and my heart feels so full it could burst.
Just as we’re all about to drift off, a little cry sounds from the crib. “Looks like Brett’s feeling left out,” I say.
“He doesn’t like to share,” Harris grumbles.
“He’ll learn,” Holden says, rolling over as Karter slides off the bed to retrieve our son.
We started off as four, and now we’re six. Hopefully, we’ll get to nine. I’d love Brett to have three brothers, just like me. As I watch my wife-to-be feed our son, I say a silent thank you to whatever power brought us together. We’re meant to be, and soon it will be legal.
“Dibs, I get to marry Connie officially,” I say.
There’s a rumble of groans from my brothers. “We’ll draw straws in the morning,” Holden says.
Of course, we will.
