Page 31 of Adrian

“I’ll send a few of my brothers to check it out. If they can, they’ll bring it here. Then you’ll have your own stuff. If not, the women will take care of you.”

My heart is racing. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’m so fucking excited. “Well, get out of here then. I’ll see you at the courthouse.”

Ten

Adrian

* * *

I did have the sense to take a shower and bring my tux with me when I left the house. I’m a dude. It didn’t take long. It also didn’t take too long to get to the city.

Adam came with me for moral support. He helped me think of all the shit we needed to do in the city. Mostly, he repeatedly sent and read texts from Rebekah, who reminded him that I should get flowers, a cake, and some champagne. I also stopped for lingerie. That was more fun than the rest of the shopping.

I’m so nervous that I don’t think I would have remembered the extras. I’m glad Adam is holding me up and ensuring nothing gets forgotten. It may be a rushed wedding, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have all the nice things. We even stopped at a well-known bakery that happened to have a beautiful cake they’d made that morning for display. It’s in my truck now.

The ring took the longest. I don’t know my wife-to-be well enough to know her style, but I picked out what I thought any woman would be proud to wear, then asked for a larger stone. Luckily, my bride was wearing rings last night, so she handed me the one off her right-hand ring finger to take with me.

We did a great job. And I’m trying not to panic as I pace the judge’s office. Judge Robert Henderson was waiting for me. Aaric called him to let him know we were coming. He’s mostly just rubbed his jaw and chuckled since I arrived.

“Does everyone in your family feel the need to marry a woman on the same day he meets her?”

“Nope. Not everyone. Just most of us.”

“I’m starting to think there’s something in the water on Gallant Mountain.”

“Could be.” I shrug. “I’m not complaining.”

The door to the office opens, and the rest of my brothers step in. They’re all in suits. No one is judging me. They’ve had a few hours to process this development. I’m not the first one of us to send a group text announcing that I’m marrying someone no one has met.

Well, to be fair, we had all met Hannah and Rebekah, but we hadn’t seen them in over a decade.

“Everything good?” I ask, trying to peer around them.

Aaron slaps me on the back. “It’s all perfect. Your bride looks stunning.”

“And she didn’t jump out of your truck and take off running down the street?” I adjust my tie nervously, because this is a fear I have.

“Nope. She’s right outside.”

This office is too small for the size of weddings we keep having in here. The judge and his assistant humor us as our family grows and we jam more and more people into the tiny space. Blair makes twelve adults. With all the babies, we’re a clown car.

Hopefully, the fire marshal won’t come by and kick us all out.

Judge Henderson stands behind his small podium. “Ready when you are.”

Aaric opens the door, and the women walk in one by one: Rebekah, Hannah, Jaclyn, Emma, and Cheri. They’re holding my nieces. Blair is the last to enter, and she takes my breath away. Literally. I stop breathing and simply stare at her, not blinking.

She’s stunning. Her hair looks professionally done, piled on top of her head with ringlets hanging down around her face. Baby’s Breath is tucked into the loose bun. She’s wearing a white dress I’ve never seen before. I suspect the women combined a few things and frantically made adjustments to dress this gorgeous angel in front of me.

Blair is trembling, but she meets my gaze, not looking away. She’s nervous, like any bride would be, but doesn’t look panicked to the point of calling this off.

I reach out a hand and pull her close. “You look so beautiful, baby,” I whisper.

“Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself.”

The judge starts speaking, but I barely listen to him. I’m too focused on my bride. I hold both of her hands between us, rubbing her knuckles as he says all the important words and prompts us when it’s time for us to respond. It takes minutes, and the next thing I know, he declares us husband and wife.

I cup Blair’s face and kiss her with more passion than is appropriate for the courthouse, but I don’t care. She’s mine. All we have to do is sign the paperwork and let it dry.