Page 61 of Battered and Bent
Tania let her gaze skim the room, taking in a number of unfamiliar faces, but that didn’t surprise her.The Angels had invited a couple of allied clubs to celebrate and spend the holiday with them.She stopped looking as her gaze landed on Smokey.He stood next to Saint, who she had met a couple of hours before.Saint was part of one of those allied clubs and a legal preacher, which was part of why they invited the whole club.
Smokey was dressed very similar to Raven, down to the sprig of fake holly in his pocket.Someone had tried to convince them to go with real holly but they’d refused.Carter put everything in his mouth and the last thing they needed was to wear something poisonous for him to put in his mouth.Since he was just as much a part of this as she and Smokey, they’d insisted on fake.Smokey’s hair had been styled and something added to it so it stayed out of his face, and his beard had been trimmed, leaving Tania wanting to run her fingers through his hair and mess it up.He would scowl and she would laugh even louder.
“Ready?”Raven whispered beside her, making her remember she was supposed to be doing something.
“More than,” she whispered back.She ran through the mental check list Taylynn had given her.
Smile.Head up.Back straight.Step.Pause.Smile.Back straight.Look at Smokey.Step.Pause.
After the third round, she dropped the smile reminder, because each time she ran the mental check, she found she was already smiling.She didn’t think she’d stop any time soon.
When they reached the bottom of the dais where Smokey and Saint stood waiting, Raven paused and waited while Tania lifted her hem to step up the two stairs until she stood facing Smokey.
“Want him too?”Raven leaned toward Smokey, offering Carter.Smokey reached for the baby but Carter had different ideas.He clung on to Raven.Smokey shook his head and chuckled.
“You mind keeping him for a bit?”Smokey asked.
“Not at all,” Raven said, straightening.He nodded to Saint then carried Carter over to take his seat beside Taylynn in the front row.
“We are gathered here today...”Saint began.Tania stared up at Smokey as Saint’s words faded away.All that she saw was the man who would stand between her and any danger that came their way.That was all she needed.
Later, after the ceremony all the chairs had been pushed out of the way, someone picked up the mike and announced they would be starting the dancing but first would be the newlywed’s first dance.Tania turned to Smokey, eyes wide with panic.She hadn’t planned on a first dance.She hadn’t chosen a song.What was going on?Smokey stood and held out one hand.She stared up at him, noticing he was calm and didn’t look surprised in the least.He had planned this.She laid her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet.She followed him out onto the dance floor as the opening strains of another classic rock song started.He pulled her into his arms and led her into a dance she couldn’t name but had no difficulty following Smokey’s lead as “Every Breath You Take” by The Police played.
When that song was over she tried to pull away but Smokey held her tight.
“One more,” he whispered against her ear.The music changed to a slow guitar lead in.“Listen close to this one.”He hugged her against him and swayed side to side as she listened to something she’d never heard before.The longer it played the more she wondered where the song had come from and how on earth it was their story, almost exactly?Tingles covered her body as she heard a line about a secret and eyes.
“What is this?”she whispered.
“It’s ‘Water at a Wedding’ by Greylan James.I heard it a few weeks ago and knew we had to play it.”
Smokey waited until the very end, then still holding her close, he whispered so only she would hear, “It might not have been ideal, but as long as you ended up right here, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared up at him for a moment.
“Me neither.”
This was it.This was what her first wedding day should have been.She hadn’t known it then, but she did now and now she would never settle for less.Not for her, not for any of her family.She would give everything she had to make sure of it.She glanced around the room, noticing the one empty chair that would remain empty for a while longer.Still, they’d kept one just for him.She could only hope Spider recovered enough to come home.Maybe it was time to make a few calls.She knew someone who might be able to help him.
The End
