Page 95 of Father of the Bride

“Ms. Sunny. You aresucha bad bitch for snagging Dr. Bennett.”

Sunny laughed. “Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. By the way, Luke is single. I can—“

“Nope,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “I already have my sights set on somebody else.”

Mark and Sunny followed Jules’ gaze, their eyes landing on Micah.

“Brooklyn didnottell me her uncle is a sports agent. I’m so mad she held out on me. Anyway, congratulations faves!”

As Jules strutted away, Mark turned back to his bride. “I’ll be right back. I need to go warn my brother.”

He ducked into the crowd, weaving his way through handshakes and cheek kisses. His nurses, his admin, his doctor friends, they all lavished him with love. Davion approached him looking a lot less loving, but his words were affirming.

“I’m happy for y’all,” he said. “And just know I expect you to take care of my mother.”

“Yes, sir.”

“She’s been through a lot. She deserves to be happy. Please don’t ever do anything to get in the way of that. Cuz if you do—“

“I got you,” Mark said, pulling him into a hug. Davion relaxed against him, just for a second, then they parted and nodded, all outward signs of affection under control.

Mark continued on his mission, but before he could reach Micah, Sterling stepped into his path.

“Congratulations,” he said, sticking out his hand.

Mark eyed it for a few moments before obliging his soon-to-be ex-partner.

“I’m buying you out,” he said with no fanfare. “You drop your case, I’ll drop mine.”

Sterling nodded. “That’s fair.”

“And this will be our last one-on-one communication. Everything goes through the lawyers from now on.”

“End of the road, huh?” Sterling shook his head. “I hate to lose your friendship, too.”

But Mark was already walking away. “Next time, be a real friend.”

Back at the head table, Brooklyn reached over and squeezed Sunny’s hand.

“I’m happy for you,” she said. “Truly.”

“I feel the same about you,” Sunny said, her voice soft. “Take care of my son.”

“Yes, ma’am. Take care of my daddy.”

Sunny blinked quickly, her emotions rising again.

“Brook…when I look at you, I see a daughter now. In whatever way you want to be that to me,” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I’m not here to replace your mother, but I will love you like one. If you want me to.”

Brooklyn’s eyes filled as she reached over to hug Sunny. They held each other, crying happy tears, until the DJ got going, starting them off right with the Wobble.

“Come on,” Brooklyn said, tugging her to her feet. “Let’s dance.”

Tigra was already barefoot on the dance floor. Brooklyn and Sunny joined her as the rest of the bridesmaids trickled in. Davion and the guys refused to be left out, joining the ladies, laughing and shouting.

Vince slid in behind Tigra. Amari attached himself to Carmen. Mark found Sunny in the crowd and pulled her into his arms. Even the grandparents got their two-steps in. Daisy was still in work mode, but she managed to wiggle a little as she oversaw the festivities.

Sylvan stood at the edge of the dance floor, content to watch the fun. When he locked eyes with his new stepfather, Mark raised his eyebrows. Sylvan replied with a nod, resolved now to keep his promise to his mother.

They all danced well into the evening before seeing the younger couple off as they left in the rented Rolls Royce, headed for the Maldives.

The seasoned couple…well, the villa was a little too crowded, so Mark charted another yacht and took his bride out into the Atlantic where he could do what he wanted as the fireworks exploded above them—and nobody could hear her scream.

The End

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