Use Me (Caldwell Brothers)

I pull out the ring, the one I found in one of the boxes. I know it was my grandmother’s because it was left to Maria. Then I take her hand and slowly push the ring that my sister one day dreamed of wearing onto Tatum’s finger.

A few months ago, I would have never been able to do this. It would have felt like a betrayal. How could I go on with my life when Maria had no life to live. But Tatum changed all that. She changed everything, and I am in awe of the woman who loves me, believes in me, trusts me, and pushes me to breathe again.

Once the ring is on her finger, I kiss her hand and stand.

“You sure about this?” she asks.

“One hundred percent.” I nod, then realize something. “We don’t have rings, like the bands and shit.” I feel the panic rise up in the thought of wearing a piece of metal on my hand for life not because I don’t want it with Tatum.

She smiles and looks at her finger. “I do and we make it work, Angelo.” She sighs happily. “We always make it work.”

“Not so damn fast, little lady,” Jared says sternly.

“I meant—”

“Sally, serve me a drink,” Jared cuts her off. “I got a wedding to perform.”

It’s overwhelming and rushed, but that’s the way everything has been since Tatum came into my life.

“You ready?” I ask.

She smiles and nods, both gestures ease my anxiety.

I look at her mother, feeling like I should have asked for her hand. She simply smiles and nods at me, too. Then I look toward the stage where Jagger and his brothers are moving things around and making room for where I assume we will say our I do’s. It seems like it takes all of thirty seconds.

With my hand laced in hers, I give it a squeeze before we walk up to the stage where we stand in front of Jared with Melanie and her mom to her left behind her. Her people.

I’m glad she has more than me. She deserves every happiness in the world for who she is and what she has done for me, for us. My reality is that she is all I need.

Jared nods over my shoulder, and I look back to where Jagger and Buck stand behind me. I nod in appreciation to them and feel a little bit of emotions boiling up inside from having these two men at my back. Two men who can’t get along for nothing are standing behind me in a strange type of brotherhood, supporting me. I imagine Shaw would be proud.

When I look back at Tatum, nothing fucking matters, not the fact we don’t have rings, not that we are getting married in a bar, by a man who is drunk. The only thing that matters from this moment on is her and I.

“Friends, we’re gathered here to celebrate a milestone. Our beast, Kid, has found his beauty, Tatum... Thank fuck because the man is hard to handle without her.”

I look at Tatum and smile. It feels so good to smile.

“I know there is concern that there aren’t any rings, but there is a reason for that. Kid, the beast, told me minutes ago that he didn’t want rings because they bring back bad memories. Apparently, they remind him of handcuffs.”

Tatum squeezes my hand, and I shake my head at the man’s joke because I didn’t tell him that, not that I would argue.

“We’ll get rings.” I say more to Tatum than anyone else. “Or tattoos,” I add not having an issue inking my finger for her.

“And handcuffs?” Jagger asks from behind me.

“If she wants those, she’ll have them,” I answer.

Tatum’s jaw drops, which makes me laugh.

“Just write it down, Tatum. Your wish is my command.”

She smiles now, that big bright beautiful smile, framed in pink lips, her eyes twinkling.

“You are so damn beautiful.” I lean in to take her lips, but Jared puts his hand between us.

“This is my show,” he says.

I start to say something when Tatum laughs. “Then do your thing.”

“How many novelists does it take to write a romance novel?” Jared asks.

Tatum shakes her head and smiles. “How many?”

“Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and one to give it a surprise twist at the end.” Jared winks.

Melanie laughs. “Romance readers don’t like surprise twists at the end.”

“But they like nipple clamps and paddles.” Jared smirks.

“Oh, my gosh.” Melanie covers her face and laughs.

“What’s the difference between a publisher and Isis?” Jared asks Melanie.

“I have no idea.” She laughs.

“You can negotiate with Isis.”

Tatum laughs and looks back at Melanie. “So true.”

“Lucky for you, it worked out very well, didn’t it? Bestseller and a muse turned husband,” Melanie says matter-of-factly.

“If you’d all quiet down and let me do my job, she may end up with a husband. At this rate, it’s not looking good,” Jared says, deadpan.