The spirals of the church were dark and ominous against the gray clouds hovering low in the sky. They matched my mood. I hoped it rained. Or hailed. Then my prickliness would be properly portrayed. The parking lot was roped off when we pulled up, and Sam was standing there, looking all scary and imposing in his suit and dark glasses. He used to be the bouncer at Pete’s Bar, but now he was Kellan and Kiera’s personal bodyguard. He took his job very seriously and was keeping an eagle eye on the lot, ceaselessly on guard to keep the riffraff out. I expected him to open the makeshift gate the second he saw my Hummer, but he only stood there, bulky arms crossed over his chest, his face expressionless.
Pulling up beside him, I rolled down my window. Before I could speak, he held up a hand. “I’m sorry, this is a private service today. You’ll have to come back next Sunday.”
My eyes narrowed. “I know that, douchebag. It’s my ceremony.”
Removing his unnecessary sunglasses, he looked over my face. “No, sorry. The service is for a two-month-old girl. You don’t match the description. You’ll have to leave.”
I was about to reach over and rip the grin off his face, but Anna beat me to it. “Hey, Sam. Today’s probably not the best day. He’s having a moment.”
Sam looked over at her, nodded, then sighed. “Fine. Take all my fun away.”
He turned to open the gate and I flipped him off. “Asshole!” I shouted.
Anna laid a comforting hand on my thigh. It soothed me. Some. A blow job would be better. “He’s just playing, Griffin. Relax, babe.” I tried to, but my mood was sour, and nothing short of another orgasm would fix it.
The parking lot was a large one, but nothing was open near the front door. Muttering a curse, I parked in the back. The rest of my entourage pulled up beside me, and Anna grabbed Onnika while I scooped up Gibson. I’d dressed her in a plaid skirt, white leggings, and a white sweater with a giant red heart on it. Fucking adorable. I could dress kids professionally, if that wasn’t really creepy sounding.
My family got out of their vehicles, and the swarm of us headed toward the dark stone church. Once my daughters were spotted, they were both stolen from me. I wasn’t even sure who grabbed them, they were just gone. Clumps of oohing and aahing people pinpointed where they were though, and I caught glimpses of Gibson’s skirt as she twirled in a circle. She finally had a group of people paying attention to just her; Gibby’s adjustment period to the new baby wasn’t going as smoothly as Anna or I had thought it would. We’d assumed Gibson would see Onnika as a doll to play with twenty-four/seven, but so far, all Gibson had seen was a rival. One she wanted to get rid of. She was in hog heaven now that the spotlight was back on her, for a little while at least.
Matt and Evan were standing together near the doors. As I headed their way I saw Matt shake his head and hand Evan a ten-dollar bill. With a sigh, Matt told Evan, “Wow, I really thought I had that.”
Wondering what Matt had thought he’d had, I asked him, “What was that for?”
Matt smiled. “I bet him that you’d be incinerated the instant you set foot on holy soil, but, here you are…not burning.”
“Funny,” I muttered, not in the mood.
Looking around, I spotted Kiera talking to Abby; Abby looked like she was only half listening to her client as she cooed at Onnika in her arms. Denny and Abby represented Kiera in her writing career, as well as the D-Bags. The two of us were their only clients though. For now. I was sure they’d expand one day, once they got tired of their day jobs at some swanky advertising agency.
Beyond them Anna was talking with her father, while her mother fussed over Gibson dancing at her feet. As I turned to head inside the church, I heard Matt say to Evan, “Hey, double or nothing he combusts when he steps inside the church?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Evan shrug. “Sure, why not?”
Twisting my head, I glared at each of them. “You guys are assholes.”
Evan frowned and looked over at Matt. “I think I’m gonna lose this one.”
I stepped inside the church and instantly heard Matt groan. Looking back, I saw him muttering something as he handed Evan more money. Just to further emphasize his loss, I stood in the church’s doorway and, using my feet to hold the heavy doors open, I flipped him off with both hands. Incinerate that, asshole.
That was when I noticed Anna’s dad watching me. Dropping my hands, I gave him a feeble chin nod. Trying to be the polite, dutiful son-in-law that Kellan was, I asked him, “How’s it hangin’, Mr. Allen?” See, I’m just as cool and friendly as Kyle. Instead of answering me, Martin rolled his eyes and gave his daughter a look that clearly said, Why did you do this to me?
Turning around, I ignored him and continued on into the church. I’d tried, but the odds of that man ever warming to me were slim to none. Oh well, his loss. The doors boomed shut behind me, and the people inside the quiet space twisted to look. While I gave the group of women closest to me finger guns, I spotted a few more friends and family. Denny and Kellan were talking near the front, Liam was a few rows away from where they were standing, clearly eavesdropping.