“You look beautiful,” I gushed, standing in the doorway to Blizzard and Rose’s bedroom.
They’d decided to have the wedding at their home instead of the clubhouse because of the four oak trees that grew just to the right side of the house. They were hundreds of years old and were really amazing pieces of nature. Planted, two on either side of a large grassy area, they seemed to reach out to each other, their long twisting limbs covered in different shades of green mosses and leaves. They formed a natural canopy, the most beautiful and private space.
We’d sent Ham, Levi, and Skins up yesterday to scale the massive beasts to hang lanterns and fairy lights, while we set out white chairs and an ivy covered archway at the end. I hadn’t seen anything like it. There were no words to explain how the whole space stole your breath away and made you feel at peace at the same time.
We were glad that Blizzard and Rose had chosen here to call home. It was only moments from the club where the reception—and by reception, they mean full-blown party—would be but offered something a little more than just a backyard biker wedding.
The older members were all beginning to settle down, have families, and get married. One by one they were moving out of the clubhouse and making room for the younger boys to move in and start their journey. It didn’t make them any less badass, or any less a part of the brotherhood because they didn’t live in the clubhouse. I’m not sure anything ever would. But it meant that this crazy, screwed up family was getting bigger all the time.
“I look like a whale wrapped in lace.” Hadley laughed. “But thanks, beautiful. Come here.” She waved me over, and I rushed forward slipping into her open arms. I couldn’t help but giggle as I instantly felt the little alien in her belly jab and poke against my stomach.
“Little man is getting far too big,” I teased, pulling back and crouching down rubbing at the foreign bump protruding until it slowly withdrew.
Chelsea rushed over, Jack on her hip, his eyes bright and alert, obviously stunned by the activity and emotion filling the room. “On that note, let’s get this girl married before her water breaks,” Chelsea joked, but I heard the seriousness in her tone. Honestly, Hadley was only a few weeks out from her due date, and with how big she’d gotten in just the past month, it would not surprise me if that little boy showed his face early.
“Okay!” I beamed, taking her hand in mine and giving it a squeeze I took a deep breath and turned to face her, feeling emotion clog my throat. “I just need to tell you how happy I am that we’re going to be family soon.”
Her eyes instantly welled. “Baby girl, we already are,” she sniffled.
“No! No, nope, no way,” Sugar called, rushing across the room with a tissue in her hand. “You better not let any tears escape. Your makeup is perfect!”
“Oh shit,” I cursed, pulling my hands away and fanning them at Hadley’s eyes as she looked up to the ceiling and tried to stem the flow of tears.
“Jesus Christ,” Eagle groaned from the doorway. “What time did you say we were allowed to start drinking?”
Hadley spun around hitting him with narrowed eyes and quickly shuffling toward him. “Listen here, buddy,” she started, and I snorted out a laugh knowing he should have kept his mouth shut. Eagle didn’t back down, though. He met her head on with a challenging smirk. “I am pregnant, my hormones are all over the place, I need to pee for the tenth time in an hour, and I’m about to marry the man of my dreams. So if you’ll excuse me, can you please help me waddle down the damn stairs, so I can do that before I pee my—”
I was already giggling but seeing the playful look on Eagle’s face switch off like a light and turn to a deep frown, I was already moving forward before I knew what was happening.
“Hadley?” I asked.
Eagle and I both rushed toward her.
“My water…” she whispered, taking the arm that Eagle offered her. “It just broke.”
The excited air around us turned still and nervous, everyone was too stunned to say anything. We’d joked playfully forever about this baby boy showing his face on Leo and Hadley’s wedding day. It was kind of like a running joke within the clubhouse, a jab at Leo not wanting to wait any longer for them to marry, and making Hadley walk down the aisle while she’s twice her normal size. Not that she objected much.
The both of them were so eager to tie the knot that they were getting married today without Leo’s family here because his little brother was sent on another mission, and his mom was too old to travel on her own.
Hadley’s mom and little brother had made it, but her stepdad couldn’t get away from work, so they were leaving straight after the ceremony to head back down to Florida.
“Holy fucking shit,” Eagle muttered, probably regretting now agreeing to walk Hadley down the aisle. “Okay, let’s just stay calm.”
“Joking,” she yelled, followed by an insane maniacal laugh like she was so damn proud about making us all go into cardiac arrest. “My water is perfectly fine. Although, a little bit of pee might have leaked out.”
I had to sit down, my heart ready to leap out of my chest.
Holy shit.
“That wasn’t funny, Hadley,” I yelled, trying to slow my breathing.
Eagle was as unimpressed. “I just had this image flash through my mind of me having to catch a baby as it flew out of your vagina,” he said quietly as if he’d just seen a horror movie play over in his mind.
Skylar was the only one not silent, her laughter brightening the whole room as she walked toward her man and tucked herself into his side.
“I’m not fucking joking, woman.”
“I know you’re not, and that’s why it’s so hilarious.” Skylar giggled. “Send him into battle, and he’s already loading his guns. Threaten to squeeze a baby out your pussy, and suddenly he’s scarred for life.”