A Warrior Wedding (18 page)

“This was supposed to be your day.” Nicole walked up to Jill hugging her close. “How did you pull this off?”

Jill’s eyes sought out Caroline who was waiting patiently with others to congratulate them. “It was my idea, but Caroline put it all together with the help of the men.” Jill held Slade’s hand tightly. “And this is
our
day.”

After hugging Tessa, Lana, Pam and Angelina, she let her eyes take in the scene around her. This was
her
clearing, the one she had sat, played and laid dreaming of a simple, but beautiful wedding. Her heart was definitely full. Dusk was falling and the tiny lights in the trees and bushes made it look magical and, in truth, it was magical.

Spotting Trevor, she watched as he held up a finger at her, walked away from the crowd and pointed at their vine which was decorated with lights. He swung it as if inviting her. Okay, he wasn’t inviting her. The ass was daring her. Giving him a narrowed glare, she laughed when he shrugged.

“Jilly!” Seth fought his way through the small crowd surrounding Jill and Slade.

Slade swooped him up before Seth could jump on Jill. His laughter at being caught in midair echoed through the clearing. “Hey there, little man.” Slade smiled at the boy. “You don’t want to get your sister’s pretty dress dirty, do you?”

Seth shook his head, his eyes roaming Jill. “No.”

“Look how handsome you are.” Jill fixed his little bow tie.

Seth beamed, looking down trying to see his tie. “Mom said I can keep my costume.”

“She did?” Jill’s eyes opened wide in mock surprise.

“Yep, and I’m going to wear it every day.” Seth wiggled to get out of Slade’s arms.

Slade set Seth on the ground and they both watched him run off having the time of his life.

“I hope I did everything you asked.” Caroline made her way close to Jill and Slade.

“It’s absolutely perfect,” Jill cried, pulling Caroline into a hug. “Even better than I ever imagined.”

“Thank you.” Slade also hugged Caroline.

“It was my pleasure. Thank you for letting me be a part of this.” Caroline glanced around with a proud smile. “I’m going to grab my helpers and get the tables set up to make room for dancing.”

Jill nodded, feeling her excitement build. “That sounds great. Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Caroline tossed her a wicked grin. “It’s not every day a girl can order handsomely dressed Warriors around.” She winked at Jill before walking away.

******

R
unning around, Caroline made sure everything was perfect. She had spotted Jax and secretly hoped he would ask her to dance. Damn, that man was fine looking in a tux. With one last look at him, she spun and ran into her mom and dad.

“Slow down, honey.” Her dad caught and steadied her. “We’ve been trying to catch up with you all night.”

Caroline held onto her dad with a laugh. “I’m sorry.” She kissed his cheek, then her mom’s. “This has been the craziest experience I’ve ever had.”

“You’ve done a beautiful job.” Her mother looked around with tears in her eyes. “I am so proud of my two girls.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Caroline glanced at her younger sister, Jamie. “So what do you think?”

“Who is that?” Jamie answered her question with a question.

Caroline’s gaze followed Jamie’s landing on Hunter. “Oh, no you don’t.” Caroline stepped in Jamie’s line of vision. “He’s way too old for you.”

“Yeah, but he’s hot.” Jamie grinned, trying to look around Caroline.

“Come on, Jamie.” Her mom dragged Jamie in the opposite direction.

“And I thought you and Lana were a handful.” Her father sighed. “How’s the house coming along?”

Caroline had waited for the question and there it was. She knew her dad was only being a dad so she smiled. “It’s going,” she answered, then laughed at his downfallen expression. “It’s going well, dad. Now stop worrying.”

“I’m your father. I worry,” he replied. “You keeping your doors locked and your gun near you?”

The mention of door locks sent her mind swirling with thoughts of Jax, but she pushed them back. “Yes, sir.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, working his human lie detector on her. She must have passed, because his face softened. “Okay, I’ll let you be and get back to what you were doing.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Dad,” she said to his retreating back. Caroline went back to making sure everything was running smoothly. A line was forming where the caterers were set up and the food smelled delicious. She realized she hadn’t eaten anything since that morning and her stomach growled loudly in agreement.

Greeting a few people, she made her way to the food, but spotted Steve near the cake. “Don’t you dare,” she scolded, watching as he discreetly lifted a finger toward the beautiful three-tiered cake.

“I know.” Steve spun around, his eyes wide with guilt. “It’s a sickness. I crave icing so badly, have since I was little and can’t keep from doing one swipe of the finger so I can taste it.”

Caroline really tried not to smile at his confession. In truth, she was the exact same way and wanted more than anything to do just that. “Step away from the cake, Steve.” She used the cop voice she had heard Lana use.

Steve raised his hands in the air, stepping away from the cake, then smiled before turning toward the food table.

Caroline laughed, but her eyes went to the cake, her fingers itching to take a swipe. “Don’t do it.” She told herself, forcing her feet to move away.

“So what are you doing after this eating thing?” Hunter asked one of the pretty caterers, holding up the line.

Caroline knew the poor girl was a goner when she stared at Hunter in awed fascination. Stepping up beside Hunter, Caroline grabbed a plate. She knew she was cutting, but she had the job of saving this poor girl from the big bad wolf. “Hey.”

Hunter growled at his flirting being interrupted. “Hey.”

Caroline placed three meatballs on her plate as she nodded toward the female bartender across the clearing. “She wanted me to let you know she’s off duty in a couple of hours and to meet her on the trail.”

Hunter fully turned to Caroline, a ‘that was so not cool’ expression on his face. “Really.”

Caroline knew he wasn’t asking a question, but she pretended he had. “Yeah, really.” She nodded with wide-eyed innocence.

They both glanced at the pretty caterer whose furious glare indicated she was no longer interested. Hunter huffed, moving down the line and Caroline followed, putting a few more tasty treats on her plate. When they were away from the table, Hunter gave her a hurt look.

“That was mean.” He plopped a meatball in his mouth.

“You were holding up the line and that girl was too innocent for you.” Caroline raised her eyebrow at him.

Hunter chewed thoughtfully for a minute before glancing at the bartender. “So did you really talk to the bartender?”

“Seriously, Hunter?!” Caroline’s head snapped back as she walked away from him. “You are too much.”

“That’s what they all say,” Hunter called after her, plopping another meatball in his mouth, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Shaking her head, Caroline swiped a beer from the bartender then headed for one of the tables further back in the clearing. Sitting down, she toed off her high heels with a relieved sigh of pleasure. As she ate, she watched everyone and was pleased to see no problems. Sid and Lana were on the dance floor slow dancing. She could practically feel the heat from where she was sitting. They made a beautiful couple. They all made beautiful couples. Her eyes landed on Blaze who was talking with a pretty red head. Caroline really didn’t know Katrina very well, but she seemed sweet.

Taking a long swig of beer, Caroline leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a few seconds, wiggling her bare toes in the cool grass. She was wiped out.

“Care to dance?”

Caroline knew by the voice it wasn’t the man she really wanted to dance with, but she smiled and opened her eyes. “So the great and powerful Sloan dances?”

“I’ve been known to tear up a dance floor or two.” He grinned, holding out his hand.

She took another drink of beer before letting him pull her from the chair. “Oh, I bet you have.”

******

J
ax stood in the shadows watching Sloan approach Caroline and then lead her out to dance. The low growl building in his chest escaped when Sloan pulled her close saying something that made Caroline laugh.

“I think it would be really bad for you to kill your boss.” Hunter had appeared at his side, a beer in one hand and a shot glass in the other. “Here, you need this more than me.”

Looking down at the shot, Jax grabbed it and downed it in a second flat. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” Hunter gave a short nod. “Yeah, your sweet little Caroline pretty much ruined my night.”

Jax looked away from Caroline for a split second. “How so?”

Hunter told Jax what Caroline had done, all the while a small grin of respect curved his lips. “So now all the pretty ladies here think I’m a player.”

“Aren’t you?” Jax raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, yeah.” Hunter snorted. “But it was a secret until your girl blabbed.”

“Caroline is not my girl.” Jax wished he had another shot of whiskey.

“They have a history?” Hunter pointed his beer toward Sloan and Caroline.

“No,” he answered, but then realized he wasn’t really sure.

“Then you better make a move my friend, before they do.” Hunter gave him a parting look before walking off.

“You’re still on the job,” Jax called out after him. “You need to worry about that instead of playing matchmaker.”

Hunter just threw up his hand in a wave, indicating he heard him loud and clear.

“Asshole,” Jax grumbled, his eyes focused back on Caroline who was walking back to her table, alone. Jax headed her way. He’d be damned if he left without dancing with her at least once.

As soon as he made his way to her, she bent to pick up her shoes. His eyes automatically went to her ass which was cupped beautifully in her pale blue summer dress that fit her body perfectly. She straightened without the shoes and turned around, a small smile blooming across her lips.

“Hi.” She smoothed her dress, her eyes never leaving his.

“You look beautiful.” Jax’s voice was deep with a rough edge.

“Awe, thank you.” She gave him a once over. “And you are very handsome in a tux, Jax Wheeler.”

Jax cursed himself for being so awkward, his hand fidgeting in the pocket of his slacks as he stared at her. “Dance with me.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Caroline’s voice turned husky, making his desire for her soar.

Instead of taking her where others were slow dancing, he pulled her in his arms and danced her into the shadows. Her softness against his hardness was almost more than he could stand. Sloan’s scent still lingered on her, his alpha side reared its ugly head. “You and Sloan have a thing going?” he asked a little more harshly than he intended.

“Sloan?” Caroline moved her head off his chest to stare up at him. “No. I mean he’s very handsome, but...”

Anger consumed him. “It’s a yes or no question, Caroline.”

“Oh, then no.” Caroline touched the corner of his mouth gently. “You really shouldn’t frown so much, Jax.”

“Then don’t tell me you find other men handsome,” Jax replied, surprised the words came out of his mouth. What the fuck was wrong with him? He knew exactly what was wrong with him and he was holding her in his arms.

––––––––

C
HAPTER 21

Jill finally found a minute to sit down and glared at the pack of crackers sitting on the table. With a huff she grabbed one while her eyes roamed. Spotting Slade talking to Jax and Caroline, she looked back at her cracker.

“Let me have one of those.” Adam sat down grabbing a cracker and glared at it.

“To us.” Jill held up her cracker for a toast.

Adam chuckled, tapping her cracker with his. “To us.”

They both took a bite and chewed. “Mmmmm.” Jill tried to sound like the cracker was the best thing she’d ever eaten, but her face of disgust said otherwise.

“It tastes like ass,” Adam grumbled, tossing the cracker down on the table.

“Don’t know what ass tastes like, but thanks for making the only food I can eat less appetizing.” Jill threw the cracker aside.

“Sorry,” Adam said with a sheepish grin. “Thanks, Jill. What you’ve done means so much to all of us.”

“Don’t thank me, Adam.” Jill sighed with a happy smile. “It’s what I wanted to do. This is my family and sharing this with you all has been awesome.”

Adam nodded, but kept silent.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” This was going to be awkward as hell, but she needed to know before tonight.

“You can ask me anything, Jill. You know that.” Adam closed his eyes leaning his head back. “Shoot.”

“Did Slade tell you not to...you know...” Jill cringed in embarrassment. “...with Angelina tonight?”

Adam opened one eye to peek over at her. “Have sex?”

Jill only nodded, knowing her face flushed bright red.

“Hell no.” Adam shut his eye. “And if he did, I’d laugh in his face and tell him to go...you know what...himself.”

“So you and Angelina have been—”

“Yes, Jill,” Adam interrupted her. “Now, how about we stop taking about this. I didn’t know when you said personal question it meant
that
.”

“What did you think I meant?” Jill asked, curling her bare toes in the cool grass, enjoying the feel.

“I don’t know.” Adam sighed. “Something like...have I been having a hard time pissing since I’ve been sick.” Again he peeked at her with one eye.

“Oh.” Jill frowned. “Have you?”

Adam sat up. “Yeah, but I think I’m dehydrated.”

“You need to tell Slade,” Jill demanded.

“I will after tonight,” Adam promised then chuckled. “We sure get ourselves in some messes, don’t we? Here we are on our wedding night talking about having a hard time pissing.”

Jill slapped her hand over her mouth and soon they were laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe. At the same time, they took deep breaths through their noses and sighed.