Runaway (Wolfes of Manhattan 3)

“You have women here in Vegas?” Rock asked.

“Bro, I have women everywhere.”

Then a knock on the door.

“Probably the caterers to clean this shit up,” Rock said. “I’ll get it.”

I helped Riley gather our dishes and trash together. Damn. I’d just gotten a marriage proposal. From a supermodel. A supermodel I was madly in love with and who loved me back. Yeah, we had problems to deal with. Big ones.

But I had a ridiculous grin on my face anyway.

Tonight I would marry the woman of my dreams.

Tomorrow we’d deal with the rest.

“Where should we get married?” I asked Riley.

“Whichever chapel is closest. I can’t wai—”

Her mouth dropped open.

Rock stood in the doorway to the meeting room with a woman.

“Zee…” Riley said.

“I… I’m sorry I didn’t show up. I mean… I’m here now.”

“Of course.” Riley walked to her and touched her hand lightly. “We’re glad you’re here. This is my family. My fiancé, Matt Rossi, and you know Roy. That’s his fiancé, Charlie, and my other two brothers, Rock and Reid. Then Rock’s wife, Lacey.”

She nodded nervously. “N-Nice to meet you.”

“Hey,” Riley said. “I’m sorry we’ve already eaten, but would you like to join us tonight?”

“For…what?”

“A wedding! Matt and I are getting married, and so are Roy and Charlie.”

“I’m not suitably dressed…”

“That’s a fabulous idea,” Charlie said. “And you’re dressed just fine. This is a come-as-you-are thing.”

“We’re all going like this,” I said. “Right?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Roy said. “You should come with us.”

“But I—”

“You can be my date,” Reid said.

Riley’s eyes shot wide open.

So did Zee’s.

“You’d be doing me a favor,” he said. “I’m the only one without another half for this occasion.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Sure you can.” From Riley. “We all want you to come.”

Zee smiled. Sort of. “I guess. I don’t have any other plans.”

“Then it’s settled,” I said. “Let’s get married, Riley.” I pulled her close and whispered into her ear, “I need to talk to you. Alone.”After we excused ourselves for a minute, I stood with Riley alone in the hallway. She fidgeted with her fingers, biting her lower lip.

I opened my mouth, but she pressed two fingers to my lips.

“Don’t. I know what you’re going to say.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t.”

“I do. You didn’t want to embarrass me in front of my family. You don’t want to—”

This time I quieted her by leaning down and pressing my lips to hers in a searing kiss. She opened for me, but then broke the kiss after only a few seconds.

“Don’t,” she said.

“Honey, I love you. I want to marry you. Tonight. But I can’t have any secrets with my wife, and there’s something I never told you about my past.”

“Your past doesn’t matter to me.”

“I know that, and yours doesn’t matter to me. But I have skeletons too, and I don’t want to go to the altar with you before you know about them.”

“Your parents…” she said.

I nodded. “My childhood wasn’t exactly idyllic.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing compared to what you’ve been through, but it’s not fair of me to make you go in blind. I have a few hang-ups myself.” I drew in a deep breath. “My mother committed suicide when I was in high school.”

Riley gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. “Matt, I’m so sorry!”

I cupped her cheek. “I’m okay. It took some time, but I’m okay. She suffered from depression most of her life, and I guess one day it got to be too much. My father didn’t help things.”

“What did he do?”

“He was a drunk, Riley. And not a nice one. He didn’t beat up on either of us, but he did a lot of damage to our home and to others’ property when he was on a bender. After my mother died, he went crazy. He…”

“Oh, Matt. What happened?”

“He killed a man, Riley.”

She went white in the face. “Oh, God. Not you too?”

“Having an asshole father? Yeah. But honey, I’m okay.”

“Do you see him? Ever?”

“Once a year I make the pilgrimage. That’s all I can stomach. Anyway, after my mother died and my dad was locked up, my uncle got custody of me. He saved me. I was an angry kid. I didn’t make it easy on him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“I don’t talk about it, and the people in town know better than to bring it up around me. Then, once I found out what you’ve been through…”

“No. Don’t. Your past is your past just like mine is mine. There aren’t degrees of horror.”

I didn’t argue the point, though I disagreed vehemently. She had strength enough for both of us. I pulled the pink sapphire pendant out of my pocket, then, and placed it around her neck. “I wanted to give it to you in Sumter Falls, but you wouldn’t take it. I offer it to you now. It’s no engagement ring, but—”

“It’s better than any engagement ring. It’s perfect.” She melted into my arms.