Page 131 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
He had a kid he barely got to see even though he lived in same town as his ex did.Delaware?Shit.“Come talk to me tomorrow.I’ll get a lawyer on it.”Being regional president had to count for something, right?
Sketch smiled.“Thanks, boss.”The slump didn’t quite leave his shoulders as he quietly exited.I felt every step of that weight on him.I was once that man.Living without my family.Not knowing or being there for the milestones and the little moments.
But that was going to change.Starting immediately.
Chapter 36
Septemver 13—Kate
Sprout swore he’d never dreamed that his lake house wasn’t big enough for a party.Against my wishes, Jackson pulled out all the stops and invited every chapter in the region to our wedding.He conned Sprout into erecting a series of tents on the outdoor gun range to handle the overflow.The largest of them was where Jackson held court.
And in doing so, placed me at his side to meet every member from every club, their ol’ lady—if they had one, and the children.
Numerouschildren.
At a biker party.
They ranged in age from a few months to almost adult.
I glanced at Zoe.She looked beautiful today in her tea-length, plum-colored bridesmaid dress.A few roses in my bouquet matched that deep shade of purple.Zoe’s idea.The black ones were Jackson’s.Since we didn’t know if he was joking or not, we ran with the concept.
The rest of the wedding was a group effort.The Hagerstown chapter had talented event organizers and chefs in their arsenal of wives, and thatcomplimented Danielle’s vision for my wedding.And a post-wedding party befitting the new regional president.
Of course, the guest list was all Jackson’s fault.I couldn’t argue with him inviting the Destroyers, now could I?I put my foot down about one thing—the ring.
He wanted a gaudy diamond-encrusted tribute to the skulled Destroyers patch.I said no, remembering the fake diamond Shock stuck on my hand.Simple was my directive.Nothing flashy, nothing gaudy.Real was the only other stipulation.
Jackson complied with the engagement ring, up to a point.The three-carat diamond caught on everything.I almost made him return it.He argued he couldn’t, as Nonno gifted it to him in apology for what he did.
I had it appraised just to see what an apology from the head of the Destroyers Club was worth.Apparently, at least thirty grand.In retrospect, I should have carried on believing it was a fake.But I’d worn it every day since, except for today.Jackson took it back to have it set inside a ring guard I hadn’t seen yet.I fiddled with my bare finger while I waited for the cheers to die down so I could hear my music cue signaling me to walk the gauntlet of black leather coats, beards, and scattered dress clothes.But the noise wasn’t stopping.
Gina motioned for me to start despite the ruckus.She stood by Zoe, the only other person I wanted at my side, as I said my vows.Without her, neither Zoe nor I would be here.
Sprout stood to Jackson’s left, being his mother’s escort for the day.Beside him, Bear looked completely out of place in his designer suit, braided mohawk, piercings, and tattoos.I didn’t ask them to wear suits; they did that on their own.The three men matched with soft gray linen summer dress wear and pristine white shirts.Not one of them wore a tie.Apparently, ties were against some biker code.
Jackson tipped his head with a lifted eyebrow as if to say, “Getting cold feet, lady?”
I sent him one right back, which made him smile.
Resolute, I took that first step forward.
The whole way down the aisle, Jackson’s men pumped the crowd to holler, cheer, whistle, or make noise.It was daunting, to say the least.
I finally got to my place at Jackson’s side.That was when the crowd finally quieted.
Jackson leaned in.“Zoe told Sprout you hate music.But Danielle had already hired the string quartet.”
Oh.That explained it.I leaned in, gently tapping my soon-to-be-husband’s beard with my nose.“You should have warned me.”
“Surprise?”he whispered.
“I expect every day will be a surprise with you.”I didn’t say it loudly, but the people seated in the front rows heard it and snickered.
From the back someone yelled, “Hurry up, the beer’s getting warm!”
Jackson shot a glare at the audience.“You should have brought a flask, dipshit.”
“I did, it’s empty.”
