Page 222 of By His Vow
Tatum and I kept our invitation list relatively modest, only wanting our closest family and friends here, but Dad—unsurprisingly—had other ideas. And thanks to him, our small, intimate wedding has taken on a life of its own to allow him to show off.
It’s not necessary, everyone already knows that he’s one of the wealthiest men in the state, but he’s never one to miss an opportunity to show off.
“This is fucking bizarre, man,” Kian says after Kieran has wandered off in favor of a woman in a short pink dress I’ve never seen before in my life.
“You’re telling me,” I mutter as we walk down the aisle together.
Our guests turn to look at me. Every single one smiles widely as I approach the front.
The only person I notice who doesn’t turn around is Helena, Tatum’s mom. Instead, she sits in the front row with an empty seat beside her with her head down.
“It’ll be you one day,” I point out, ripping my eyes away from her to focus on my brother again. She wants attention, and she’s going to be disappointed if she thinks she’s going to get any from me. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not a bad person. But watching how she’s failed to support both Miles and Tatum over the past few weeks means I have very little time for her.
Slowly, all the seats in the rows before us fill with people, and Mia, our wedding planner, emerges from behind a huge decorative tree to the side of me, barking orders into a headpiece and clutching a clipboard like it’s the oxygen she needs to breathe.
“Oh good, you’re already here,” she says, staring up at me with a frantic look in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my heart skipping a beat as my fear of Tatum changing her mind comes back to me.
“Oh, n-nothing. The flowers were a little late. And then there was a kitchen issue. Nothing to worry about,” she says, suddenly producing two buttonholes from out of nowhere. Without asking for permission, she immediately begins putting them into place on our jackets before stepping back and admiring us.
“Very good. Your bride should be leaving her room in less than ten minutes. She looks incredible. You’re a very lucky man.”
My heart stutters again but for a very different reason.
I’ve no idea what kind of dress Tatum has. Sure, I can use my imagination based on the kind of things I’ve seen her wear in the past. But something tells me that she isn’t going to be that predictable. She’s probably chosen something out of left field like a black dress to mourn her life as a single girl or something. It’s exactly the kind of thing my little brat would do.
A smile tugs at my lips as I think of her putting her middle finger up to the world and doing this her own way just to try and grasp some kind of control over the situation.
“Fucking hell,” Kian whispers. “You’re really fucking gone for her, aren’t you?”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” I mutter, my smirk still firmly in place.
“I was right earlier, wasn’t I? You totally let yourself into her suite last night.”
I shrug one shoulder, neither confirming nor denying. “I don’t kiss and tell, Bro.’
“Oh, fuck off, don’t you.” He scoffs.
“How was your night? You look a little too well-rested for it to have been any good,” I tease.
“That would be because it was so good. I slept like a fucking baby after she was done with me. Don’t even remember her leaving.”
“Said like a true gentleman,” I tease.
“Pfft, because you’re so much better.”
I smile but don’t respond. I fucking wish I’d passed out after an epic night of fucking my wife last night, but alas, I was forced to resort to my own hand. Again.
With only a minute until Tatum is scheduled to arrive, everyone is in place. Kian stands beside me and the officiant before us, patiently waiting to do his job.
“You ready for this?” Kian whispers.
“I was born ready, asshole.”
Suddenly, the music changes and my heart jumps into my throat.
Kian moves beside me, turning to look as Tatum and Miles enter the room.