“You told them, if they made her cry again, they’d be asked to leave.” Jagger laughs.
“She’s dealt with it, so her mom needs to get her shit together and move the fuck on. Livi has,” I snap at him and bat his hand away. “Is Livi’s old man here?” I ask as I walk toward the door.
“Yes, ten damn minutes.” Morrison holds his hand up, stopping me from walking out.
“Jared here yet?”
“Yeah, and do you know how fucked up that is?”
“He offered. Livi likes him, and he’s family,” I say and start pacing again.
There is a knock on the door, and then Toni peeks in. “She’s ready.”
“‘Bout damn time,” I grumble, but Toni simply smiles. “Thanks, Toni.”
“Anytime, you know that.”
My brothers walk out and I follow. Livi said we should get married on the stage, and I told her the kitchen represented our union more honestly. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I showed her again. I love fucking my girl in the kitchen, less chance for us to be walked in on.
I watch as the door opens upstairs, and she walks out. My girl is wearing a white, floor length gown that nearly matches her pale skin. It skims every curve she has, and yes, it makes me chub up.
Her hair is down and lying over her shoulder. She wears no veil, since I asked her not to. I wanted to see her eyes. I fucking love her eyes. She looks like I imagine an angel would look, even better.
Her mom is beside her as she walks down the stairs toward me. At the end of the stairs, her father waits in a wheelchair that her mom pushes beside her as they walk toward me.
Three people who haven’t been a true family ever are one today on the most important day of our lives. My heart swells for Livi. She deserves this. She deserves the world.
Once she’s at my side, I take both hands and turn her to me. “Beautiful.”
She smiles and blushes a bit.
“When I heard these two were gonna tie the knot, I asked to be part of it,” Jared starts. “Livi laughed, thinking it was another one of my jokes, but it wasn’t. I’m sure no one here could believe I am capable of much, but Hendrix trusted me. Well, Livi insists he trusts me.”
Everyone laughs at Jared’s joke.
“I’ve seen love before, been in love before, but I haven’t seen it in many, many years until the day I saw the way Hendrix looks at this little one.”
I am stunned that this is the same Jared I have known for years, but that was Jared before Livi. She makes everyone around her want to be a better person.
Then, he grins.
Oh, shit, I think to myself, while Livi laughs.
“Don’t encourage him, babe,” I warn.
“I once heard a married man in this very bar say he was happy for twenty years. I told him I hadn’t heard many men say that, and he told me it was the twenty years before he got married.”
Everyone laughs, including Livi, of course. Fuckin’ crazy ass woman, I think with a smile.
“I heard a married couple just the other night arguing. The wife said she was a fool when she married him. He looked at her and said, ‘I know you were, but I was in love and hadn’t noticed.’”
As the crowd laughs again, I look at Livi who is smiling, beaming actually.
“I, myself, was married once. Do you know what I did before that?” He looks at Livi who shakes her head. “Any damn thing I wanted. My wife dressed to kill and cooked the same damn way.” The laughter keeps him going. “We were married by a judge, but it should have been a jury. Our motto was ‘never go to bed mad,’ so we stayed up many nights and fought.” More laughter until he continues, “Don’t get me wrong, I married Mrs. Right. I just didn’t know her first name was Always.
“I’m not alone in my struggles. I passed a church on my way here. The ten o’clock service tomorrow is titled, ‘Preparing for Marriage,’ and the six o’clock one is, ‘A Look into Hell.’ Coincidence? I think not.”
Livi laughs along with everyone else.
“I am sure these two will endure similar struggles, but as you know, I have known Hendrix for years, and I am one hundred percent certain that if he is standing here in his bar, in that damn get up, he’s made up his mind. I don’t doubt his love for Livi. Hell, it’s not like he’s doing it to get laid. The man has had so much pus—”
“Jared, can we move on to the vows?” I shift uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with Livi’s parents.
“I spent three hours online and a few bucks to become ordained, so you’re just gonna have to deal.”
Jared turns to Livi. “Livi, you know he isn’t the last man on earth, right?”
“To me, he is.” She smiles sweetly at me.
In unison, the whole place says, ‘awe,’ and I lean in to kiss my girl
“Not yet,” Jared interrupts. “Hendrix, you know we consider her family the minute you say I d—”
“We already do, Jared,” Jagger chimes in.
“All right, then.” Jared chuckles.
“You wanna marry him, Livi?”
“I do.”
“You sure?” he jokes.
“I am.”
“Hendrix, you know how lucky you are?”
“I do.”