Wright Kind of Love, page 17
“I was there,” Bailey declared excitedly. “It was a beautiful ceremony.”
“I cannot believe you didn’t invite me!” Annie said. She pushed Chase, and he laughed, and then she threw her arms around him. “Married! My best friend is married. I’m so fucking happy for you.”
“Thanks, Annie.”
“Pissed, mind you. I should have been there.” She pointed her finger at him.
“I know, but we wanted it to be for us.”
“We can have a big reception here, and everyone will be invited,” I promised her. “I really want to wear my wedding dress again.”
Annie giggled. “I bet.”
“It was black!” Bailey told everyone.
“I have pictures,” I told them, pulling out my phone to show the dress and the few pictures I had from the ceremony. Ivy had had a photographer there, but we wouldn’t get the official pictures back for weeks. I only had a sneak peek picture that I showed off to the girls.
They took the phone and oohed and aahed appropriately.
My cousins stepped up, offering their own congratulations. Many of them understanding the desire for an elopement over a big ceremony. Except West’s wife, Nora, of course.
“I’m a wedding planner,” she said with a pout. “I wanted to help.”
“You can plan the reception. I mean, honestly, would you plan the reception? I’d love that so much.”
“Yes! I am so doing that for you.” Nora glanced back at West. My brothers were still hanging back, looking at each other in shock. “Give them a minute. They’ll come around.”
“Thanks, Nor.”
“I’ll cut them if they don’t get their asses over here soon,” Annie promised.
Eve nodded. “A hundred percent.”
But that wasn’t necessary. Once my Wright cousins cleared out, my brothers stepped forward as a unit. Chase straightened under the eyes of Jordan, Julian, Whitton, and Weston, prepared to take another punch. His joke had only been half a joke anyway. We had no idea how they would respond. We just hoped they’d accept it.
“You’re happy?” Whitt asked.
I nodded. “Beyond happy.”
“And this is what you want?”
I slid my hand into Chase’s. “This is where I belong.”
“Then, I’m happy for you.” Whitt drew me into a hug, and I melted into my brother.
West jumped in next, throwing his arms around both of us. “I’m happy, too,” he declared. “Though it seems a touch fast.”
“Mom said I’m in my rebellious era.”
West snorted. “It’s about time,” he said at the same time Whitt said, “Isn’t that every era?”
They glanced at each other and laughed. Twins.
“Like mother, like daughter,” I offered.
“Well, I, for one, think you could do better,” Jordan said as he held his hand out for Chase.
“Fair,” Chase said.
“You’re not changing your name, right?” Jordan asked. He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know if I could call you Harley Sinclair.”
“What about Chase Wright?” I teased.
Jordan’s eyes rounded. “Is it possible I like that less?”
“We’re not changing our names,” Chase told him with a headshake. “Don’t worry your little head.”
“Maybe we’ll hyphenate!” I dared.
Julian laughed. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Harley Sinclair-Wright has a ring to it,” Chase agreed.
“You mean, Wright-Sinclair,” I fired back.
“Whatever you like, dear.”
“That’s the right answer,” Julian muttered under his breath.
“Anyway, it’s all to say that the family feud is over,” I let my brothers know. “Arnold is sacked from Sinclair Realty. He’s not part of the business anymore. Ashleigh actually helped take him down.”
Julian’s eyes widened. “Ashleigh did that?”
I nodded. “Couldn’t have happened without her. Look, neither side is perfectly innocent, but I want this to end. Chase is the new CEO at Sinclair Realty. He’s my husband. Let’s put the past behind us.”
“I will if you will,” Chase said to my brothers.
Whitt and West shrugged at each other. Julian crossed his arms, clearly lost in thought about Ashleigh’s involvement. But it was Jordan who finally laughed.
“If anyone could do this, it’s you, Harley.” He pulled me into a hug. “I’m happy for you.”
“You are?” I whispered, tears in my eyes.
Jordan took a step back and raised his voice. “Let’s give a cheer for the newlyweds! The Wright-Sinclairs!”
The crowd roared their approval. Everyone was applauding and going wild, yelling for us. A tear tracked down my cheek at the love from my family. Even my brothers, who had hated Chase so much at the beginning of all of this. It was amazing that we’d ever made it this far. That we were here right now.
Chase slid his hand around my waist. “A toast to my wife.”
“For my husband,” I breathed.
He smiled. “Might as well give them a show, huh?”
“Chase!”
But he was already turning me in place, dipping me low to the ground. A burst of laughter escaped me as I stared up into my husband’s bright blue eyes. They were full of adoration. Like he’d never seen anything he wanted more in the entire world. And I was that something.
Years of pining.
Months of yearning.
Weeks of longing.
Days of need.
Had all led to this moment here—forever.
Epilogue
Harley
Four Months Later
Fall was just blowing into Lubbock. Reluctantly brushing off the ninety-degree weather with easy seventies while the leaves turned crimson, squash orange, and mustard yellow. And I was in my black wedding dress in front of the vineyard.
“I will never get tired of seeing you in that dress,” Chase said. His hands moved to my hips, drawing me in closer. “Or out of it.”
“The reception hasn’t even started, and you’re already talking about getting me naked.”
He arched an eyebrow. “There is nothing wrong with wanting my wife naked underneath me.”
“Or on top of you.”
“Or bent over,” he agreed. “Whatever position you prefer, baby girl.”
“All of them.”
“I’m convinced.”
“Y’all ready?” Nora called as she strode toward us in her mile-high heels. I still didn’t know how she navigated them like a pro. “Everything is set.”
I kicked one Doc Marten–covered foot out from under the floof of my dress. “We’re ready.”
“We could use fifteen more minutes,” Chase said at the same time.
I lifted my brows. “Filthy.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that so I don’t have to hide anything from West,” Nora said with a laugh.
“We’ve been married for months. He knows we’ve had sex, right?”
“We had sex years before that,” Chase added under his breath.
“Uh-uh-uh, do not need to know,” Nora said with a laugh. “Let’s get you into your reception.”
“We’re ready,” I said again.
Chase took my hand in his and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “We are.”
We followed Nora to the entrance to the Wright Vineyard barn. We’d agreed to have the reception here with both of our families, fathers excluded, even though we could have gone with neutral territory.
We’d stuck to it—the Wright-Sinclair feud was over.
Our fathers might be trying to hang on to it, but we were done. Arnold was out of Chase’s life and dealing with the aftermath of being taken to court for his sexual harassment cases. I was personally rooting for the girls to win and take him for everything. Chase and I didn’t need his money.
Even better, my mom had left Owen.
She was waiting for us at the closed barn doors. She pressed a kiss to my cheek. “So proud of you, honey.”
“So glad to have you here.”
“Glad I finally made the move.”
Oh yeah, and she’d moved to Lubbock to be with her kids. Grandma and Grandpa had reluctantly come, too, and were now in a home down the street from Mom’s new house. She could walk there every morning to check on them for a fraction of the cost of where they’d been in Seattle. It was the best of all worlds.
“Me too.”
She hugged Chase. “My wonderful son-in-law.”
“Anything for you, Tanya.”
“And for me?” Charlotte Sinclair asked as she took up the other side of our set.
“Of course, Mom.”
We’d compromised on our entrance. Since no one else had been invited to our elopement, we’d wanted our moms to walk us into our reception. Let them have the moment we’d denied them four months earlier. As strange as the pair were—a former groupie and a trophy wife—they’d become friends. Maybe because my mom had just moved into town and Chase’s mom was freshly divorced. They had more in common than they’d ever known.
“Let’s do this,” Nora proclaimed.
The doors opened. I took Chase’s hand in mine and looped my arm through my mom’s. Then, the four of us were striding inside to the announcement, “Mr. and Mrs. Wright-Sinclair!”
The room was crowded with Wrights, but also Sinclair friends and family as well. It was nice to see it was full of all the people in our lives. Ashleigh with her new boyfriend, Matthew. The first guy she’d ever really been herself with. I was happy for them. Kai and Elsie with her pregnant belly. My work friends clustered around Courtney in her wheelchair. Blake and Ivy Holliday, all the way in from New Mexico. Bailey still wouldn’t tell me what was going on with them, but I’d get it out of her sometime.
I kissed my mom’s cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, sweetie.”
Chase released his own mom, and then we were on the empty dance floor. I’d chosen our opening song—an instrumental version of “Ziggy Stardust”—and the first notes made Chase laugh.
“Of course. It’s our song.”
“Not quite the same without Bowie’s lyrics, but I wanted something we could show off to.”
And show off we did.
Because we’d spent the last four months in ballroom dancing classes. Chase’s love for dancing had taken me by surprise, and when I’d suggested that we learn to dance together, he’d been above and beyond excited. Now, we were in classes every week, and I didn’t see it stopping just because the reception was over. I still stumbled compared to his smooth steps, but I was getting better.
The crowd cheered our moves. Not quite choreographed as I followed Chase through all the steps we’d learned over the last couple of months. My confidence growing the longer we were out there. Until I was smiling and twirling and enjoying myself in a way that I’d never known I could off the ice.
At the end of the song, Chase dipped me to a round of applause. I laughed and leaned up to steal a kiss.
“I have another surprise for you,” I whispered against his lips.
His eyes lit up. “What’s that?”
The music changed.
Chase burst into laughter. “You’re joking!”
He whipped me up to my feet just as the opening of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” played through the speakers. I could still remember that first night we’d shared together all those years ago. How this song played through his speakers and we danced like fools around his living room. He lifted me into his arms, twirling me in place. Then, I slid down his front, and sparks had leaped to life every place we touched.
“I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it,” he confirmed.
And then we were dancing our asses off. Our friends and family joined in the mayhem. All of us singing the song at the top of our lungs and dancing like no one was watching. It was a joyous, heartfelt moment. A bit of nontraditional in the middle of our very traditional reception.
We moved from there to dinner—a plated three-course meal from a caterer that Nora swore by. It was one of the best meals of my life. Almost as good as the restaurant we’d eaten at in New Mexico for our wedding night. I’d asked Nora to limit the toasts, but somehow, that memo hadn’t gotten around to my family.
After Bailey and Annie gave a toast for each of us, other members of our families stood up and began to speak for us. The words that flowed was like a balm for my soul. A fresh spring in an empty desert. Watching all the people who were my entire world not just accept me and Chase, but also prove that this was the union they believed in meant the world.
I had to swipe tears from my eyes by the end of it. Chase squeezed my hand under the table. A smile on his face.
We had cake, and I threw my bouquet. I even let Chase dig up my skirts for the black garter Bailey and I had picked out for the moment. His wicked smile when he reached for it only made me more excited for the night to come.
And then we danced.
And danced.
And danced.
We danced so long that my feet ached and sweat beaded my pale skin and joy filled my entire being.
Chase grasped my hand, tugging me out of the spotlight and off of the dance floor. “A secret for a secret?”
I grinned. “You first!”
“Someone is stealing my wife,” he said with a raised eyebrow as he tugged me out of the barn and into the night air.
“You’re stealing your wife,” I said. “That isn’t a secret.”
“All right. I have one.” He faced me, walking backward toward the vineyard. “I booked our honeymoon.”
My eyes lit up. “Without me?”
“You couldn’t decide.”
“Rude.”
He laughed. “You’re going to like it.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“A castle in the Scottish Highlands.”
“What?” I gasped. “Really? A whole fucking castle?”
“Yep. And you can read as many thrillers as you want and drink my hot chocolate and wander the wilderness in your Doc Martens.”
“We’d better have a huge bed.”
“Of course. Because I will be fucking you every night in it.”
I laughed and threw myself into his arms. “I can’t wait! Can we sneak down to London? I want to take you to all of my favorite places.”
“Yes. You think I planned to take you there and not get to go to all the places in London that you taunted me with when you were on study abroad.”
I grinned. “This is the perfect surprise.”
“You owe me a secret, you know?”
“Well, I was going to show this to you later, but I think now works.”
I reached into the folds of my skirt for the pocket that had been added to my tulle skirt now that I’d had enough time for alterations. I removed a piece of paper and passed it to him.
He took it and searched the words in the moonlight.
His eyes snapped up to mine. “It’s official?”
“Wright-Sinclair.”
“For both of us?”
I nodded.
He swept me up into his arms. We swung in a circle, and a giggle escaped me. He set me gently back on my feet. His hand went to my face, tilting it up to his.
“Now, we’re the same. No more family differences at all.”
“I like it. I never thought I’d change my name.”
“Well, I certainly didn’t,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s only fair that we both do.”
“Then, our children will have the same name.”
His eyes widened. “Children?”
“Not another secret,” I assured him. “But one day…”
“One day,” he agreed.
We came to the bench where we had been together all those months earlier. The time when we had come out about our relationship to our entire family, and now, we were in the same place again, but everything had irrevocably changed. And it was all for the better.
This was what we had been leading toward.
A life where we had saved both of our families and created a new one in the process.
A life worth living with the person worth living it with.
Thank you so much for reading WRIGHT KIND OF LOVE! Their angsty messy story was one of my favorites ever to write. I loved seeing them both bloom around each other and learn to fight for one another. So to all the Wright-Sinclairs, this one is for you!
Want a FREE bonus epilogue with Chase & Harley? Grab it for FREE here!
What’s coming next?
CATCH A KING
(Dorset & King, #1)
Unofficially, officially, Malcolm King is my next contemporary romance. He and Arden Rivers are a fiery pair.
* * *
Think: arranged marriage, fake dating, oil dynasty, (more) rival families, chronic illness rep, and one HUGE Texas family.
* * *
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Turn the page for a sneak peek of chapter one of CATCH A KING…
Catch A King
Chapter 1
Arden
The last box didn’t fit in the truck.
It was hard not to see this as a metaphor for my life.
“Come on, Arden,” Grayson said, reaching for the box in my arms. “You don’t have to go.”
I glared at him as I stepped backward. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“You shouldn’t be carrying anything that heavy.”
“Oh so now you care about my symptoms?” I asked, my voice laced with heavy sarcasm.
I set the box on the back of my truck, opened the front door and slid the final box into the passenger’s seat. It was piled three high and was probably a danger to my safety if I got into an accident, but at least it was done.
