Page 51 of Sinful Bride

My heart squeezes, watching her glow as she talks about her boyfriend. It feels like a weird term to call such a distinguished gentleman, but what else is he to her? Even more endearing is the way Arlo has stepped in as the loving, doting grandfather Taty needs. Without being asked to, I should add. It’s like something instinctual kicked in and he became enamored with her on Day One.

“Thank you so much,” I gush. “But are you sure you want to watch her tonight? We can?—”

“I know what you’re about to say, so I am going to tell you this right now, malyshka.” Mama points a scolding finger at me. “You have one duty tonight and tomorrow and the rest of the weekend: relax, and be my son’s beautiful bride.”

“That’s, like, three duties,” I groan.

Mama mutters something in Russian under her breath, but the twinkle in her eye and the way she squeezes my shoulder as she carries Taty makes me feel the warmth of her affection.

And when she opens the front door, that warmth spreads as my sister and her family burst through.

I’m on my feet to sweep up my niece and nephew and smother them with kisses. Mel does the same to me, followed by Jameson. “You made it! How was the trip?”

“I wanna ride the ‘copter again!”

“Too loud! Too loud!”

Jameson wrangles his excited children and Melanie rolls her eyes with a laugh. “Gremlins! Please tell Uncle Pasha ‘thank you’ for the ear plugs.”

“You’re very welcome.” Pasha chooses that moment to stroll in and join us. His face lights up when he sees Max and Gentry, meeting their excited squeals with a giant bear hug. He spins them around once and drops them back down at Jameson’s feet. “The babysitter just texted me; she’s on her way. You guys get settled in okay?”

“Where are you staying?” I ask because I’m just now realizing how out of the loop I am on… well, everything.

Not because he never included me. I just chose to zone out half the time.

“Next door.” Pasha tucks me close to his side and kisses my brow. “I bought the nearest apartment and had it furnished for guests. This way, our family can stay close and safe?—”

“And Mommy can get drunk without feeling guilty about it!” Mel grins and beelines for the kitchen. “Love you, new brother!”

He just chuckles and shakes his head. “Come, moya plamya. We need your thoughts on the dessert.”

I take his hand and follow him into the kitchen. For all that I’m overwhelmed right now, dessert is the one area where I still have some expertise.

The next few hours are spent laughing and talking with our family while tasting a huge array of foods and sipping down a litany of wines.

We eat our appetizers and main meal with the kids, who are obsessed with their baby cousin. As small as she is, Max insists on trying to hold “da bay-bee” and pouts when we try to explain why Taty is too little. Gentry has done a complete one-eighty from resenting Taty to being overprotective, declaring himself her “big brother” since she doesn’t have one to protect her.

This earns him an appreciative ruffling of his hair from Pasha, who thanks him for being such a good little man.

With the main course done, and small desserts fed to the little ones, we bid them goodnight and Jameson ushers them to the apartment next door for the babysitter to take over. As we wait for him to return, the rest of us adjourn to the living room with glasses of wine and a few as-yet unopened bottles.

Personally, I’m sticking with sparkling grape juice for now. I still haven’t given up on trying to breastfeed, so I don’t want to mess up any chances of feeding Taty by tainting my milk.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look?” Pasha murmurs in my ear as he settles into the chair and nestles me onto his lap.

“Not yet.” I blush and nudge him with my hip. “But feel free to wax poetic.”

One of the caterers wheels in a cart of chocolate truffles arranged in an elegant pyramid. Chocolate-covered strawberries line the base, with a fanned border of delicate wafer cookie sticks completing the spread.

I want to be able to fit into my gown tomorrow, but damn. I need that in my mouth, stat.

Mel greets her returning husband with a full wine glass and a dessert plate piled with truffles. “Helen said she’ll text us when they’re in bed so you can say goodnight,” he explains.

“Perfect.” Mel snuggles into his side on the couch. “Now, sit your ass right there and hold me.”

For a moment, we all sit together in comfortable, loving silence. Jameson and Mel take up the middle section of the couch, with Hazel munching on a strawberry next to them and Sofi happily sipping her wine on the very end. Asya and Arlo share one end of the wraparound, nestled in together with his arm draped around her. Makari sits in the corner next to them, periodically casting glances at Arlo that vary between uncertain, suspicious, and… relieved? Admiring? Hard to say for sure.

“I want to thank everyone for coming tonight.” Pasha raises his glass with his free hand. The other is busy anchoring me to his lap. “I know this was on short notice, but it means a lot to both of us to have you here. And a special thanks to Hazel—” He tips his head in her direction. “—for twisting my ear until we got this done.”

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