Hold On

Due to her attitude, her relationship with both her sons was strained and had been for years. She was invited because Jasper was a good man. And no matter how strained things were with his mom, he was also a good son and he wanted her there.

But Gabby was not happy to be sitting in a pew with the ex-husband she hated and his wife, who she detested, and, being Gabby, she wasn’t hiding it.

Which pissed Layne off.

It also pissed off his mother, Vera, who was right then sitting in the pew behind Gabby, staring daggers at her.

Devin had Vera’s hand clamped tight in his, which indicated to Layne that Vera had said something that made Devin feel he needed to contain her.

And Layne did not want a catfight at his son’s wedding.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Devin was containing her.

Devin gave him a look, then he used his free hand to reach into his tux pocket to pull out a flask.

He unscrewed it one-handed and took a hefty tug.

Vera turned while he was doing it and snapped quietly, “Devin!”

His mentor, best friend, and now stepfather turned to his mother. “You don’t act up, I won’t feel the need to get liquored up.”

Vera huffed and sat back in her seat, resuming her glare at the back of Gabby’s head.

Devin returned the flask to his pocket.

Layne caught only a glance at a tight-faced Gabby, who was completely ignoring them (luckily), when he looked to his wife.

“Kinda get that, sweetcheeks,” he muttered.

“I’m not talking about Gabby,” she whispered back. “We’re all used to Gabby. I’m talking about the fact that both CeeCee and Bel have a crush on Jack Colton.”

Layne looked beyond his woman to his two daughters sitting in the pew next to her.

Right then, neither of his babies cared about Jack Colton. Both CeeCee and Bel had their eyes glued to the door at the side of the church where they knew their brothers were going to walk out very soon.

They were getting along for Jasper’s big day.

This wasn’t unusual and not just his girls being good for their beloved big brother. If they weren’t fighting, they were doing each other’s hair, giving equal time to both endeavors.

Layne didn’t get it.

He didn’t try.

Rocky got it.

Layne got to spoil two daddy’s girls.

Rocky got to raise two daughters and share all the goodness she had with them.

So it worked.

“None of them but Jack are in double digits, Roc. I’m not sure we gotta be worried about that yet,” Layne replied, casting his gaze to the altar.

“Okay, well, if you don’t think so, then you don’t know Angie Callahan also has a crush on him,” she returned.

Shit.

He looked to his wife. When she caught his eyes, she lifted her brows in her nonverbal, See?

“How ’bout we get Jasper tied to Keira before we worry about another love tangle with the Callahans?” he suggested.

Rocky grinned.

The side door to the church opened and Jasper, followed by Tripp and then several of Jas’s buds, stepped out.

A few minutes later, Layne stood in a church, watching his son watching Keira Winters walk down the aisle.

Rocky was watching something else and he knew it when she leaned deep into his back and again found his ear. “Every time Cal walks one of his girls down the aisle, why do I take one look at his face and wanna burst into tears?”

Layne tore his gaze off his boy to glance at Cal.

Then he looked back at Jasper and he saw something that was different but all the same on his son’s face.

So he pointed out the obvious.

“’Cause that’s the look of love, sweetcheeks,” he whispered back.

She found his hand. “Yeah.”

He curled his fingers around hers.

Cal gave Keira away.

Jasper accepted her.

Layne’s throat hurt through it all.

But when he watched his son kiss his bride, the pain released.

And all he felt was his wife’s hand in his…

And happy.

*

Mike

September, Seven Years Later

“Um…baby, I think we have a problem.”

Mike looked from shuffling through the mail on the kitchen counter to his wife.

He knew that look on her face.

“Please, Angel, do not tell me my daughter is pregnant again.”