Hendrix (Caldwell Brothers)

“I’m so sorry,” she says with sadness in her voice.

“He stopped hitting her after I got older and busted his nose.”

“You fought him?”

“Every chance I got.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

I sit, looking up for a few minutes, lost in thought as I feel her watching me. Eventually, I grab her hand, kiss her ring, and smile.

“It’s all over now. No more looking back. I want to look no farther than beside me, and I want you to do the same. Our lives are ours, not theirs.”

“Do you ever talk to him?”

“Nah, I don’t need to.” I knew she was gonna keep pushing, so I changed the subject. “Livi, you and I are getting hitched.”

A smile spreads across her face. “When?”

“Tomorrow?”

She laughs. “I would, you know.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

“My parents ... Dad is just getting settled. Mom will be here soon.”

“They will be in Thursday night.”

“They will. I can’t wait for my mom to meet you.”

“We’re getting hitched on Saturday.”

“What?”

“I’m serious. Your family will be here. We—”

“There’s no time to plan.”

“I want you to have my last name before we have a family, Livi. We’re getting married this weekend.”

“Where?” She starts grinning again, not seeming like she’s gonna argue with me.

“Here, right fucking here. Already have live music.” I smile and look up. “You can hide out up there in that room and walk down those stairs to me. Say, I do.”

“I do.”

“I meant on Saturday, but I like how enthusiastic you are.”

Her mouth crashes against mine, and our tongues dance until she starts laughing.

“Livi, no laughing.”

“I’m happy.” She laughs again. “So very happy.”

“I’ll make sure you are for the rest of your fucking life.”

“I know you will.”

“You wanna stop pacing?” Morrison says as he reaches up to fix my tie. I am wearing a monkey suit, but I’m not fighting it. I wore one on the night I found my girl.

“No. Her mom and stepdad are here. They don’t seem to like me.”

“You told them, if they made her cry again, they’d be asked to leave.” Jagger laughs.

“She’s dealt with it, so her mom needs to get her shit together and move the fuck on. Livi has,” I snap at him and bat his hand away. “Is Livi’s old man here?” I ask as I walk toward the door.

“Yes, ten damn minutes.” Morrison holds his hand up, stopping me from walking out.

“Jared here yet?”

“Yeah, and do you know how fucked up that is?”

“He offered. Livi likes him, and he’s family,” I say and start pacing again.

There is a knock on the door, and then Toni peeks in. “She’s ready.”

“‘Bout damn time,” I grumble, but Toni simply smiles. “Thanks, Toni.”

“Anytime, you know that.”

My brothers walk out and I follow. Livi said we should get married on the stage, and I told her the kitchen represented our union more honestly. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I showed her again. I love fucking my girl in the kitchen, less chance for us to be walked in on.

I watch as the door opens upstairs, and she walks out. My girl is wearing a white, floor length gown that nearly matches her pale skin. It skims every curve she has, and yes, it makes me chub up.

Her hair is down and lying over her shoulder. She wears no veil, since I asked her not to. I wanted to see her eyes. I fucking love her eyes. She looks like I imagine an angel would look, even better.

Her mom is beside her as she walks down the stairs toward me. At the end of the stairs, her father waits in a wheelchair that her mom pushes beside her as they walk toward me.

Three people who haven’t been a true family ever are one today on the most important day of our lives. My heart swells for Livi. She deserves this. She deserves the world.

Once she’s at my side, I take both hands and turn her to me. “Beautiful.”

She smiles and blushes a bit.

“When I heard these two were gonna tie the knot, I asked to be part of it,” Jared starts. “Livi laughed, thinking it was another one of my jokes, but it wasn’t. I’m sure no one here could believe I am capable of much, but Hendrix trusted me. Well, Livi insists he trusts me.”

Everyone laughs at Jared’s joke.

“I’ve seen love before, been in love before, but I haven’t seen it in many, many years until the day I saw the way Hendrix looks at this little one.”

I am stunned that this is the same Jared I have known for years, but that was Jared before Livi. She makes everyone around her want to be a better person.

Then, he grins.

Oh, shit, I think to myself, while Livi laughs.

“Don’t encourage him, babe,” I warn.

“I once heard a married man in this very bar say he was happy for twenty years. I told him I hadn’t heard many men say that, and he told me it was the twenty years before he got married.”