“Yeah, but I’ve got two in here.” That was a hell of a surprise but a good one we’re still adjusting to. Only my possessive Gibson would plant two babies inside of me to remind me I belong to him. We’re expecting a girl and a boy, which is the best of both worlds. He always manages to do that for me, even when I least expect it.
A knock sounds at the door before Darian peeks his head in. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold Gibson back. He’s pacing.”
“The twins aren’t here yet, and—” I’m cut off before I can tell him we have to wait.
“We’re here!” Allison and Amber burst into the room like a freight train, and their mouths fall open when they see me in the wedding dress with full hair and makeup.
“It’s real,” Allison says.
“I told you. The man is obsessed with her. I could see it all over his face.” Amber elbows her and then I notice they’ve got on their pale lavender bridesmaid dresses.
They FaceTime me all the time, and when I told them I was getting married and I was knocked up, they both demanded to talk to Gibson. It was a full-blown interrogation and one he passed with flying colors.
“We have to get this show on the road.” Darian hugs both of them quickly and nods at me.
“I’ve got to touch the belly first,” Allison interjects, and both she and Amber give me hugs and rub my stomach.
“Okay, all finished, let’s do this quickly,” Amber says, straightening and grabbing her waiting bouquet.
“Before they catch up to us,” Allison whispers, and she and Amber share a look. They can have full conversations with only their eyes, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what they’re talking about, but I’ll wait till after the ceremony.
“Princess!” I hear my name bellowed down the hallway. “Get that ass moving!” And just like that, I’m turned on by his demands.
“I’m coming! Get back to your spot!” I shout back, and the girls giggle. “You guys go and get him where he needs to be. Darian and I will be right behind you.”
“See you out there.” Rosy kisses me on the cheek before she follows the twins out.
Darian smacks Rosy on the ass as they close the door, and then he turns to me. “You ready for this?”
“I am.” I nod as he holds out his elbow. “I’ve always been a little jealous of the love you and Rosy have, and honestly, I never thought I’d have the same.”
“You deserve it, Lindsey. You gave up so much for us over the years and sacrificed more than we can ever repay. If there was ever anything you could do for us, you did it time and time again. It’s your turn to have something special.”
“Don’t make me cry.” I blink quickly and blame it on the hormones.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say back as he leads me down the hallway of the estate Rosy rented out for the wedding. The place is breathtaking and exactly what I would have chosen if I could have pictured the perfect place.
My heart begins to pound when we reach the top of the stairs and I look down. The only thing I can see is Gibson waiting for me, and I can tell he’s fighting not to come grab me and carry me down. He knows I want my brother to walk me down the aisle, and he’s going to give me this special moment, even if it kills him to wait.
As bossy as he might be, he always puts my needs first, even when I try to push them aside.
Darian leads me down the stairs and onto the outdoor stone patio that has been flooded with flowers. Almost everyone that was at the retreat is here, along with some friends, and Mary even asked Cora to be her date.
We stop when we’re finally in front of Gibson and he doesn't wait for Darian to hand me off. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me, stunning the officiant, while the crowd hoots and hollers.
“Begin,” he orders after he releases my mouth. He keeps his hold on me as he tucks me close, throwing tradition out the window. His other hand rests on my stomach as we say our vows, and before the officiant can tell him to kiss me again, his lips are on mine.
Everyone cheers, and I toss my bouquet to the twins as Gibson leads me back inside to have a stolen moment before the reception starts. But in true Gibson fashion, he blows through the house and has us back in my bridal suite with me pinned to a wall in about two seconds flat.
“You look so damn beautiful, and you’re all mine now.”
I am, and there’s nothing I want more. Gibson is my happily ever after.
Epilogue
Gibson
Two years later…
“Which pajamas do you want?” I hold up the polka dots and the Star Wars and my daughter Violet giggles as she grabs for Darth Vader. “That’s my girl.” I smile as I brush through her wet curls and get her ready for bed.
“Sam wasn’t coming out until he was a whole prune,” our nanny Theresa jokes, and Sam giggles in her arms.
When Lindsey and I had the twins, we were more than overwhelmed. And while the family was always here to help at a moment's notice, we’ve all got little ones at the same time so it’s not exactly easy for any of us. Living together in our own little compound has been a blessing, but having Theresa live with us has made all the difference.
Lindsey and I don’t have parents or grandparents to show us what to do or to step in, so after we brought the twins home from the hospital we were lost. One day we were in the grocery store together staring at the formula while the twins were screaming, and Theresa walked by. She didn’t say anything to us, but as soon as she started talking to the twins, they instantly went quiet like what she had to say was the most important thing in the world. She offered to walk with us while we shopped to keep the twins occupied, and I wanted to weep with relief. We invited her over for dinner that night, and it was like she was the piece that we’d been missing in our parenting puzzle.
Theresa was retired, and her husband had passed away. They were never able to have children, and we knew from the love in her eyes that she wished she could have. Whether it was by design or divine intervention, she came into our lives at the perfect moment and completed our family. I don’t think she was quite prepared for the extended family she would inherit by coming to live with us, but we’ve all grown to love her as the family grandmother we never dreamed could be possible.
“Is Lindsey still going out for girls’ night?” Theresa wiggles her eyebrows, and it makes me laugh.
“It’s just with the twins and Rosy. I think they’re going to see a movie and have dessert at that new French place downtown.” I shrug as I pick up Violet and carry her over to the crib. “It shouldn’t be too crazy.”
“Oh, well, I guess that dress she had on must just be what the young ladies wear these days. You know I’m not up on my fashions.” She gestures down to her sweat suit and white sneakers.
“What dress?” I blink in confusion as I try to remember if I saw Lindsey change when she got home.
After a year of staying home with Theresa, it was clear she didn’t need us here all the time, and it was important to Lindsey to keep working. She said that being able to work made her a better mom, and she never wanted to lose the part of herself that had goals in her career. I think she likes when I fuck her on her desk, but I could be wrong.