Page 90 of The Healing Touch

“We don’t have time to do that between Kade’s business, the doctor, and therapy sessions…”

Becca understood. Kade and Angel had a lot going on, especially with the gift they’d been given.

“You’re coming to Vegas for our wedding, aren’t you?” Dimitri arched a brow.

“Do I even need to acknowledge that with an answer?”

“Then you have time. You and Kade can get married the same time Becca and I do.”

Dimitri grinned, thinking he’d killed two birds with one stone. It would make his mama happy, and she’d stop calling him worried about her son’s and daughter’s souls.

“Uh, did you ever once think to ask Becca how she felt about that? A woman’s wedding is special to her. Look at Lily and Nikoli’s wedding. It was gorgeous.”

Becca had seen the pictures, but she hadn’t gone. It was too much of a crowd, and her nerves got the best of her. They’d understood, but she still felt bad about that.

“If we’re getting married in a Vegas chapel by an Elvis wannabe, how special can it be?” Becca smiled wryly. “I can’t do a big wedding. I just can’t. There’s too many people there, and…”

Her hands started to shake, and she took deep breaths trying to calm the panic threatening. Dimitri was right beside her in seconds. He pulled her into his side and started humming.

“Where’s her inhaler?” Angel asked. She, Lily, and Becca had become very close this last year, and she understood her sister-in-law’s conditions better than even the men did.

“She keeps one in the junk drawer.”

Angel found it and handed it to Dimitri. He helped her take several puffs, and she sucked in air. She despised this. Hated that the thought of a crowd could still do this to her.

“It’s okay, babe. You’re okay. No big wedding, I promise. We can go to the justice of the peace. I’ll call and ask him to stay late.”

Becca knew the brothers were deeply religious even if they cussed like the demons from down under and didn’t throw their beliefs in everyone’s face. Not getting married by a Catholic priest would be hard for Dimitri and his whole family.

But they’d go along with it.

Because they accepted her and her hang-ups as she was.

They were her family.

They would do this for her.

“I like the Vegas idea,” she whispered after a few minutes. “If Angel wants to get married, we can share our wedding day with her and Kade. But only if she wants this. She and Kade are married. No one should force them to do anything, including your mother.”

Angel gave her a grateful smile.

“Da, sestra, no one, including Mama andBabby, will force Angel to do something she doesn’t want to do. If she’s happy, that’s all that counts.”

“Thank you, Kade.” Angel rubbed her belly and took a deep breath. “I…I think maybe if it’s okay with Becca, I’d like to do this right. I’d like to bring Ariel into the world without any stigmas on her in our church.”

“If you feel like that, we’ll find a new church.”

Becca watched Kade’s face morph from calm to enraged faster than even Dimitri could. He stood and glared down at his wife’s bowed head.

“Our daughter is not a stigma. She’s going to be beautiful, kind, and if the Church decides to treat her as anything less than the perfect blessing she is, we’ll find another damn church!”

Dimitri squeezed her tightly, his fingers biting her arm. He stayed silent as the two semi-argued.

“No, she’s not.” Angel raised her head and looked her husband directly in the eyes. “She will never be a stigma. We’re married.”

“We are, and we don’t need to renew our vows if you don’t want.”

“But I do want to.” She rested her hands on her belly. “Not for your mother or your grandmother. Not because I think our priest thinks so. I want to get married because we started over, Kade. We were given a second chance, and we were given back so much. I want to celebrate all of it, our fight, our struggle, our determination, but mostly I want to celebrate you and me and our family. I love you.”

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