Page 39 of A Love So Hard

“He’s also the person who lied about everything, and kept you away from me with more lies. He knew all along what had happened to you?”

“He did,” I admitted. She nodded her head.

“He took my son’s father from him with more lies. I can’t ever look at him again,” she finally got out. “If I ever see him again, I will wish him dead, and worse I might do something to make it happen. I never want to speak to my parents again. Not ever.”

“Then we’ll make sure that happens.”

“But what about Timeless? He was just as guilty. I’ll have to see him when we go to the clubhouse,” she stated evenly.

“You would really go back to the clubhouse?” I questioned it, because I had thought for sure that she’d never want anything to do with that place again.

“If what I thought had been true, then no, I would never step foot there again. Knowing what I know now, I can’t hate the place because evil people committed evil deeds there. It’s your home and your family. I’d never take that away from you. Plus, Toby deserves to know the rest of your family too. He will especially need that since I don’t have one of my own anymore.”

My heart was thudding so hard in my chest again; it was a wonder the damn thing hadn’t broken something yet. “Luce, you and Toby are my family. This is our home.” It occurred to me then that she might not actually want to be with me after all the time and heartache that had separated us. “That is if you want me here.”

“Of course I want you here, you idiot. Just try to keep me away from you now that we have you back.” That was music to my ears.

“Timeless won’t be a problem. If you never want to see him again, you won’t have to,” I reassured her.

“He’s the president though.”

I shook my head once more. “Not anymore. He stepped down, and he’ll be facing some club justice for his part in keeping you from me too. If I say he shouldn’t be there when you are, the club will agree. They all owe me that fucking much since the club – even through fucked up members and hang-arounds – is what took you from me.”

“Whose president then?”

“Merc,” I told her with a grin.

“Oh! Heaven help your club!”

Yeah, I had to laugh at that. She hadn’t been here the past few years to see the way Merc had cleaned himself up. I thought she’d be pretty impressed once she realized how much some of the things had changed, and were changing, hopefully for the better.

“I don’t have the ring anymore, Luce, but I can’t go another day without doing what I planned that night. I still want you; want to marry you, if you’ll have me. We can take the time to get to know one another again, but knowing Toby’s here now too…”

“Yes,” she said, not allowing me my speech. Nothing else I had to say mattered anyway. That one word was all I needed to hear. I cradled her face with my palms and leaned in to kiss the woman I’d loved so hard for the past eight years. She was finally going to be mine, and we had a son together. A boy. My boy. Shit! My life was getting ready to change again in a crazy way. This time, though, it would be all good.

Chapter 17

(Lucy – age 24-28, Double-D – age 27-31)

We took four months getting to know one another again before we tied the knot. It was never a question as to whether we were going to do it. I just wanted to make sure that we were both certain since so much time had passed. I knew CJ said he didn’t blame me for finally moving on with something else, but I wanted him to have time to process the fact that I’d been with another man for almost a year and a half before he found us. Jordan and I had practically been living together. Compared to the one time CJ claimed he couldn’t even remember having sex with another woman, that was a lot to swallow. I didn’t even like to think about the fact that he’d willingly been with another woman since me. I knew if my jealousy left a tiny open wound, his must have had to deal with something far larger. He never showed it though.

He was always true to his word. That was why I was standing there looking in the mirror at the beautiful ivory gown that draped down my body in a waterfall of silk. It was a simple slip gown with thin straps across my shoulders that billowed out into silk sashes that draped down the back of my shoulders and stood in place of a typical train. I hadn’t been thrilled with too many of the dresses on option in South Carolina at the time with their poufy shoulders and too much lace. I wanted simple, and CJ made sure I got the simple I was looking for. It was lovely, and I couldn’t wait for him to see me in it.

I already knew that CJ and our son would be wearing matching outfits and waiting for me at the altar. They were both in black slacks, black leather motorcycle boots, a crisp white dress shirt, and each wore their own black leather kutte. Toby’s had “T” on the front where Double-D’s name was embroidered on his own over his left pec. Then on the back was the Aces High Insignia of the smoking skull with the top hat sitting on all four aces from a deck of playing cards. The top rocker above that stated Aces High MC. Below it simply read In Training. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen and I couldn’t wait to see what my men looked like today. I knew what they were wearing, but I had yet to actually see them with the whole ensemble on. CJ informed me that if he had to wait to see me in my dress I had to wait as well. He was a jerk like that, but secretly… I loved it.

Tiger Lily was the only one there for me in my wedding party. I didn’t want anyone else to stand by my side. Since I didn’t have a father here to stand up for me, despite apparently having had two of them my whole life, Merc was standing in to give me away. I met him just inside the lobby of the brick church and once the wedding march started playing on the piano the doors were opened and I got my first glimpse of my boys standing there waiting for me. I watched as CJ reached down and took our son’s hand in his, and had no doubt that was to keep him in place so he wouldn’t run to me. It made me smile even bigger knowing that. Merc started walking me down the aisle and I almost stumbled when I realized he was chuckling beside me.

“Slow down,” he whispered to me. “Making him wait up there is half the fun.” I heard a few chuckles from the club members and their families who were sitting closest to us when he said that.

“I don’t want to wait any longer,” I mumbled back just as quietly and was still just as overheard as he had been judging by the fact that those chuckles had grown louder.

“Who has the honor of presenting this woman in in holy matrimony to the man standing before us today?”

“I do,” Merc stated clearly before leaning in and placing a quick kiss on my forehead and then gently settling my hand in CJ’s. “That’s her heart in your hand, Brother. Don’t ever let go,” he said to my man before taking his place just behind where my man stood before me. My Toby came over and I leaned down so he could kiss me the same way. Then he looked up at his father. “Love my mom and me so hard we feel your hugs even when you ain’t there,” he told his dad. I nearly lost my stuff in front of the God, the pastor, and everyone before Merc took my son’s hand and pulled him up so he could watch us form the lofty height his Uncle Merc graced him with. We didn’t write our own vows, instead opting to just say the ones the pastor laid out for us. It didn’t matter, we knew we were pledging our forever to one another. The minute the words “I do” slipped from my lips CJ had his mouth on mine.

“Well, son, you didn’t let me get to that part,” the pastor teased and our Aces High family all joined in with raucous, though church appropriate cat calling and laughter. It was the perfect day. The perfect moment. And I now had my perfect family together the way it was meant to be in the beginning.

Chapter 18

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