Chapter Twelve
When Hope came around the corner, Blake about swallowed his tongue. He had thought she couldn’t get any more beautiful last night, but he was wrong. She glowed, and her eyes were bright, and the smile on her face made his stomach settle.
“Fuck me,” he murmured and then flushed when the judge coughed to hide his laugh.
Blake straightened and reached for her when she came even with him. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from her. It took the judge to gain his attention.
The ceremony itself was a blur. He knew he said the right things because she was still smiling. When he was told he could kiss the bride, he didn’t hesitate. He would have had her stripped and under him if no one had been around. Instead, he had about twenty people standing around, getting in his way, and making him converse with them.
Everyone came up to hug her and congratulate them. His father waited off to the side, drinking with the judge, a long-time friend of his.
Hope got his attention. “I’d like to go talk to your dad.”
Blake nodded and led her over to him. He was so damn proud of her when she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you for letting me become a part of your family.”
“I have to say, I’m thrilled to get a third daughter, and it looks like I might get a fourth if my other son can get his head out of his ass.”
Hope laughed. “I have to warn you, my sister Angelica is stubborn and will give him a run for his money.”
Angus laughed. “Good. That’s exactly what he needs.”
Beth came over. “Are you ready for dinner, you guys?”
Angus took her hand. “Yes, we are, my daughter.”
Blake saw the tears that shone in Beth’s eyes and the bright smile on her face. He knew this stemmed from when Beth tried to leave Alastair and the family because she didn’t think she belonged. There was no way they were letting her go. Alastair would die without her.
“Thank you, Father,” Beth said.
Angus kissed the back of her hand. “Let’s go.”
Blake walked her into the dining room, and they sat in the middle of the long table. Angus sat at one end with his friend next to him, and Alastair sat on the other with Beth on his right. Her mother sat across from her with her men on either side.
For the next few hours, they ate a delicious prime rib meal, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh rolls. Bottles of champagne were passed around the table several times.
Blake’s cousin Drew took pictures of everything. He made them pose a few times and took a picture of them cutting the cake.
“You know, you’d make an excellent wedding planner,” Blake said with a grin.
“Fuck off.” Drew laughed.
Blake especially liked Drew’s picture of Hope, her sisters, and her mother.
“If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t be able to guess which one was the mom,” Logan, his brother, said.
Mateo cleared his throat. “They definitely got their looks from their mother.”
Blake smiled at the love and affection the man had for his mother-in-law. She deserved to have two men love her after everything she’d been through. He’d heard she’d lived in hell for over twenty years, and he couldn’t imagine doing that or the strength it would take to put up with the abuse for so long.
The night was still young, but Blake had had enough. Since the wedding, Hope had been by his side, but he felt he still wasn’t close enough. He needed them to be away from people so he could make love to his bride.
“Let’s go.” He squeezed her hand and looked down at her by his side.
“Right now?” she asked.
“Yes.”