“Oh, my God, The Blair Witch Project made me hurl just from flipping channels!” Cass moaned at the memory. I smiled and dipped another pickle in the ice cream, feeling so blessed to have these amazing women around me.
I had friends. Tomorrow, I wouldn’t just have friends, my gran, and a boyfriend. I would have a husband. I knew I would be a real part of the Untouchables and Hell Raisers family. And in about eight months, I would have a baby.
I snuggled into the sofa, put my feet up, and watched the rest of Practical Magic, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.
Chapter Forty-Two
Shane
“Nice suit,” Mason said, giving me a once-over. “How are you feeling?”
“Like something the cat dragged in,” I muttered, the bright afternoon light hitting my eyes. “You?”
“Oh, Mich had my special Bloody Mary mix ready. I feel great,” he said with a smug wink. “You look fine, though. You always were too pretty for your own good.”
“Thanks,” I said, giving him the stink eye. “Any chance you have any of that here?”
“The bloodies? Hell, yes. The bartender took one taste and poured his premade mix in the garbage. Come on.”
I trailed Mase toward the bar area. Hunter had rented out the first floor of a fancy ass hotel where Cain liked to take Kelly for adult playtime. I hadn’t needed to know the details about that part, but it was a really nice setup. The rooms are nice, too, I thought, remembering the night before. I’d made love to Parker all afternoon, eating in the room before heading down to the bachelor party in the dark oak barroom.
After that, however, things got fuzzy.
Apparently, the girls had stayed in the honeymoon suite, eating ice cream and drinking girly drinks, while us boys had tried to one-up each other with how much alcohol we could consume.
Even Hunter. The dumbass.
“How’s the groom?”
“That fucker is fine. He tipped the bartender to water down his drinks before we all got there.”
“He what?” I demanded, totally outraged. “That’s cheating!”
“Yeah, well, he had a good reason.”
“I bet his lovely almost-wife was not as well-behaved,” Connor said.
“Oh, she was,” I said, looking at them strangely. “What? You didn’t know?”
“Know what?” Cain’s deep voice rumbled as they all joined us at the bar.
“Know that we’re having a baby,” Hunter said proudly. “Just found out a few days ago.”
The guys whooped and hollered, slapping Hunter on his back. I took a more dignified approached and shook his hand before pulling the big guy in for a bear hug. The bastard hugged me back, slapping me just as hard.
I couldn’t complain. I deserved it. But man, these fuckers were my family. Who gave a shit about a couple of cracked ribs?
“Are you ready, man?” I asked as we came out of the hug, still with our hands in a biker hand grip. “It’s a lot of changes.”
“I’ve always been ready. I just didn’t know it until I met her,” Hunter said, his words almost sounding like a vow, the kind of thing you said in church or under oath. But I knew exactly what he meant.
“You goddamn bastards,” Preacher groaned, grabbing the Bloody Mary from my hands and downing a large gulp. “What did I miss?”
“Hunter is expecting.”
Preacher raised an eyebrow over a bleary, bloodshot eye.
“Don’t you mean Claire is expecting? Unless there’s something else you want to tell us, Hunter.”
Hunter laughed good-naturedly. Preacher and Cynthia’s best friend was a trans woman. She was just as tall as Hunter but a hell of a lot prettier.
“No, I’m good. And you’re right. My old lady is doing all the work.”
“She’s not yours yet,” Preacher said with a wink. His days of kissing the bride might be over, but he still had tricks up his sleeve, the dirty old bastard. “Goddamn, who puts vodka in tomato juice? This level of hangover requires tequila.”
“The hair of the actual dog that bit you, eh?” Jaken said with a laugh as Preacher headed to the bar muttering something about making a ‘Bloody Maria’.
“Watch your back, Hunter,” I said under my breath. “That sly fox is up to something.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed at the dirty old man as he pushed his way behind the bar and started mixing himself a drink. I slapped his back.
“I’m glad I’m not you today, my friend.”
“He kissed your bride but good,” Hunter snarled. “We were all there to see it.”
I had been furious at the time, but now I just laughed about it. Parker was mine. I never doubted her faithfulness for a second.
“That he did, my friend. That he did.”
I had a feeling Hunter was in for some sort of trick. I could hardly wait to see what it was. And since I was one of the best men, I would have a front-row seat.
“We’re starting in a few minutes,” the concierge said, passing by on her way to do something else. Hunter paled and glanced at Preacher. But then he squared his shoulders and nodded.