Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
Faith and Casey hit it off when Hope brought her down to help plan the wedding. They got along so well that Faith asked Casey to be part of the wedding. I liked it. I like that Faith has a bond with my best friend’s wives. Gavin and Aden are as close to brothers as I will ever have. They’re my family and Faith understands that.
The music changes timbre every so slight and then Hope walks down the aisle. She’s wearing the same type of dress but the style is a bit different. And, where Petal and Casey have yellow daisies, Hope has a bouquet of white ones with yellow centers. She walks up slowly, her eyes completely on Aden. I look at my brother and he doesn’t take his eyes from her either, even as she goes and stands in her place.
The music shifts again and this isn’t a wedding march. I know this song. It’s not one I’d listen to freely and pick of my own, but I like the words. I like what they say and I like that Faith picked them.
A woman begins singing about how her doubt goes away and as she sings out about being one step closer, Faith comes into view.
With each step, the lyrics of the song is driven closer. They’re not wrong. I was dying and waiting for Faith even if I didn’t realize it. I was making jacked-up decisions before the blond tornado stormed into my life, taking it over.
“Damn, boys, we did good,” Gavin says and he’s not wrong. He’s one hundred percent not wrong.
Faith makes it to me right as the woman sings about loving her man for a thousand years. Her gaze holds mine. She’s in a beautiful crystal white dress, and she gives Hope her solid white bouquet wrapped with a yellow bow and then turns to me.
“I’ll love you for a thousand more,” she whispers as I bend down to kiss her and the music softly ends.
“I’ll love you longer, wife,” I whisper as we break apart and tears slide from her eyes. “You ready to do this for real this time?”
“More than ready,” she whispers.
“Stop!” someone shouts from the area Faith just marched from. I growl and turn around to see a dude with blond hair, wearing maroon corduroy pants and a gray pullover sweater walking toward us. He looks familiar but I’m too filled with the urge to choke him to latch onto why.
“Oh my God,” Faith growls, her voice angry.
“Who is that asshole?”
“That’s Brad,” she hisses.
That’s when I remember the picture of him and Faith together.
“Faith, you can’t marry this man. You’re meant to be with me,” he says.
“Damn it, Black! I thought you and Blue were supposed to make sure the gates were locked so vermin couldn’t get in,” Ida Sue yells, getting out of her seat in the front row and walking to us.
“Brad, what in the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m here to stop you from the biggest mistake you’ll ever make. You can’t love this man, Faith. You’re mine. You were always meant to be mine,” he says and he’s stupid as all fuck, but he has to have balls, I’ll give him that. But this is my wedding. I want it done and he’s already messed part of Faith’s dream wedding up and I’ve had it. I turn so that Faith is behind me and face him.
“That’s where you’re wrong. She was yours and you pissed that away because you’re a stupid fuck. She’s mine now and, like I told you before, I’m not a stupid fuck. I’m not letting her go.”
“Mommy, what’s fuck?” I hear River asking in the background, but I ignore it.
“I’ll tell you later,” Petal mumbles.
“Like in twenty years,” Luka says, coming to stand by Ida Sue.
“You also said you were married to Faith, and clearly you’re not. So you don’t factor into this,” he says, acting like he’s a freaking king talking to a lonely peasant. “Faith, let’s just go. We’ll put this behind us. I can forgive you for wanting to walk on the wild side and lowering yourself to…”
“What are you even saying?” Faith asks, her anger rising, mostly because I think she understands what he’s insinuating. Dealt with this bullshit all my life and it is bullshit. I want to introduce him to my fist, but I’m holding back because I don’t want to ruin my girl’s wedding, when he opens his mouth again.
“I’m saying that you wanted to experiment and I get it, but you can’t seriously mean to tie yourself to him. He’s beneath you.”
“In what way?” Faith asks and I know that look my woman has.
“He’s not…” The man fumbles for words, no doubt trying to come up with something that doesn’t make him sound like the racist bastard he is. “You’re just not one of our kind. No offense meant,” he says and I snort in laughter.