RYDER (Slater Brothers 4) (38 page)

“Haven’t you ever heard the phrase
don’t distract the driver
?”

I wanted to thump him.

“You suck.”

“Still not telling you.”

I let go of my box and crossed my arms over my chest like a five year old who didn’t get her way. Ash wasn’t bothered though, he only laughed at my little tantrum.

“We’ll be there in about one minute if these sets of lights stay green.”

They did stay green because he didn’t slow down. I sat very still as we pulled into an area that had very uneven ground if by the way Ash’s car was jumping around was anything to go by. When we exited the car, I waited for him to come around my side and help me out. I held onto my box and Ash held my bag with one hand, and took my arm with his other as he instructed me to walk.

“It’s bloody freezin’,” I grumbled after Ash instructed me to take my time as we climbed a few steps.

I listened as a large door was opened and felt Ash’s hand on my lower back as he nudged me forward. I jumped when Ash let the door go and it shut behind us with a little force.

“You could have done that gentler!” I chastised.

“Sorry, mum,” he chuckled and took my arm once more.

He told me he brought me to a room and that I was to take a seat. I sat down when he told me it was safe to do so and almost instantly I heard a door open.

“Ah, right on time.” The voice belonged to a female that I had never heard before.

“Branna, listen to me carefully, okay?” Ash began. “This lady, Sandy, is going to remove your blindfold and do your make-up and hair for you. You’re not to open your eyes, not even once. Sandy won’t speak to you, so don’t try and get any info from her. Got it?”

“You’re a right bloody arsehole, do you know that?” I grumbled.

Ash tittered. “I’m aware of it, yep.”

I sighed. “You’re obviously goin’ through a lot of trouble to surprise me with Ryder so I’ll bite. I’ll do what you ask, okay?”

Ash was satisfied with my answer because I felt my blindfold being removed and I listened to Sandy when she spoke only to tell me what she was going to do while I was in her care. I wasn’t good at keeping track of time, but I think I was in the room Ash brought me to for forty minutes or so while she applied makeup to my face, and curled my hair with a curling iron then pinned it up and plated some kind of braid, too.

I broke a rule and tried to get some information out of Sandy, but she took whatever vow of silence Ash made her take
very
seriously.

When she asked me to stand up I did. She gently put the blindfold back around my eyes, but it was much looser that before so it would smudge my makeup. After Sandy left the room, I jumped with fright when I heard familiar female voices.

“Bronagh?” I questioned. “Ado, Keela, Lana? Is that you four?”

“Yep,” my sister chirped.

I sighed with relief. “What the hell is goin’ on?”

“It’s a surprise,” Aideen stated. “And don’t say Hell here.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“No questions!” she quipped.

“Mate, come on!” I pleaded.

“You aren’t gettin’ any information from us, Bran, so zip it.” Keela chuckled, making me groan.

“Okay, fine,” I grumbled. “What’re you four doin’ in here?”

“We’ve to help you get dressed,” my sister said and I think she was about to cry from her tone of voice.

“Bronagh?” I pressed. “Are you okay?”

“She’s fine,” Alannah chirped. “Now, let’s get you out of your work uniform and dressed.”

I knew better than to ask another question so I gestured with my hand for them to get it over with. They took my blindfold off once more and I forgot about it altogether because I was bloody mortified when I was stripped down to my birthday suit and used my hands to try and retain some modesty. Apparently wearing new under garments that was bought for me was
very
important.

When I got my underwear on Aideen put something around my thigh that had me asking all kind of questions, but she said I’d find out soon enough if I
stopped
asking questions.

I was quiet until they made me put on heels, then opened my box—I bloody
heard
them open it—and put on a dress that I’m pretty sure was inside of it.

“It didn’t crease,” my sister said in a relieved breath. “Thank God.”

They put the dress on me and it was a snug fit and floor length. It felt like a very elegant dress, so I ran my hands over it and asked, “Is this lace?”

“Most of it is,” Alannah replied.

I shivered when my sister clipped a necklace around my neck, but I smiled when she kissed my cheek. She removed the blindfold after I promised not to open my eyes, but it was very hard they I heard everyone’s sniffles.

“Okay,
why’re
you all bloody cryin’?” I asked, impatiently. “What’s goin’ on?”

“You look beautiful,” Bronagh whispered. “Just like ma.”

Like our mother?

“Bronagh, what is—”

“Come with us,” she cut me off. “It’s time.”

Time for what?

“I’m about to blow a fuse,” I said as I grabbed onto the hands that took hold of my forearms.

We only walked a maximum of twenty steps when I was brought to a halt and my sister said, “We’re going inside now, and when you hear the sound of a door shutting, I want you to open your eyes then when you’re ready, I know you’ll follow us.”

“Follow you
where
?” I asked my sister.

I heard the
clip clop
of heels then the sound of a door shutting. I sighed and shook my head before I slowly opened my eyes. I almost jumped out of my skin when in front of me was a floor length mirror, and in the reflection was… me.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered and covered my mouth with my hand.

I looked down at myself and touched the dress I wore and the necklace that dangled from my neck, too. My
mother’s
necklace. I would know it anywhere. It was silver with diamonds set in an intricate pattern. I remember admiring it as a young girl and always begging her to let me wear it.

“
One day, sweetheart.” She told me with a breath taking smile. “One day when you’re old enough to understand the significance of diamonds and forever you can wear it.”

“I think that day has come, ma,” I said aloud, knowing she was right beside me.

I
felt
her. My father, too.

With a lump in my throat, I looked back into the mirror, and roamed my eyes over my dress. I was wearing was the most beautiful, delicately laced white sheath gown I had ever laid my eyes upon. The bodice had a deep v-neck with straps that went over my shoulders. It was simple but elegant and perfect.

It was the dress I showed my sister weeks ago when we were looking at bridal magazines for fun. It was even more beautiful than it looked on the model in the photos.

“Me weddin’ dress,” I whispered.

I’m wearing a bloody wedding dress.

My heart began to pound against my chest as I reached up and touched my beautiful hair that was clipped up into a stylish updo of curls with a French braid plated across the front of my head acting as a hairband.

My makeup was done beautifully too. It matched my light skin tone perfectly.

I managed to tear my gaze away from myself when I noticed next to the full length mirror that was clearly put in the hallway just for me was a side table with a few items on it. I walked up to it and picked up a card that had a message for me.

Branna,

Your dress is something new, your gartar is something blue, your necklace is something old and borrowed, but not quite as sweet as you.

Meet me at the altar.

I’m waiting for you,

Ry x

I sucked in a deep breath, and had to re-read the message on the card a couple of times before I could think clearly. Ryder wanted me to meet him at the altar, in a wedding dress with something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

I carefully pulled up my dress until I saw the blue gartar that I felt Aideen put on me before I realised what it was.

“They’re all in on it,” I gasped as I lowered my dress back down to the floor.

My sister and my friends, they got me ready for my
wedding
. That was why they were crying, and my sister said I looked like my mother.

Oh, my God!

“If you cry and ruin your makeup, I’m not taking the heat for it.”

I spun around when Ash’s voice broke through my thoughts and I stared at him with my mouth agape, while he stared right back with me with the same expression.

“Branna,” he breathed. “Wow!”

I looked down at my dress then back up to him.

“I can’t believe any of this.”

My friend smiled a big toothy smile. “I can, you told me how brilliant Ryder is to you, and how much he adores you. This proves it.”

I quickly fanned my face with the card with his message on it to keep my tears at bay. And I had to fan faster when music began to play inside what I now knew was a church hall. Ash walked over to me and picked up the beautiful bouquet of peach and white roses from the table and handed them to me.

“That’s our cue, Angel,” he said as I touched the stunning arrangment.

“Our cue?” I repeated.

“It’d be my honour if you’d allow me to give you away, Bran,” he said, his eyes a little glassy.

“Oh, Ash,” I whispered. “Yes. Yes, I would
love
for you to give me away. I love
you
!”

“And I love you,” he said, his voice breaking. “You’re my best friend and you deserve every bit of happiness in life. No one deserves it more, Bran.”

“Don’t cry,” I said to myself. “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

“Are you ready?” Ash asked and wiped his eyes with his free hand.

“You have no idea how ready,” I replied, still not wrapping my head around what was happening.

Ash and I began to walk forward, and I gasped when the huge double doors that lead to the stunning church hall opened wide automatically. We stepped forward into the hall, and the first thing I saw were flowers that matched my bouquet were tied in the same stunning arrangement on the end of each bench I passed by as I walked down the aisle.

The next thing I noticed was Bronagh, Aideen, Keela and Alannah were standing to the left of the church altar in matching floor length peach dresses. Bronagh was holding Georgie who was wearing a tiny version of the dress, too.

I shifted my eyes to the right and saw Kane, Alec, Dominic and Damien standing to the right of the altar in matching black suits with peach ties, and Kane was holding Jax who matched the lads with a tiny tailored suit.

Sally, who was sitting on the front row of benches next to her husband, twisted in my direction with a smile in place. All eyes were on me. Especially
his
. I could feel my skin tingling as his gaze lingered on me. Ryder was in the middle of the altar, wearing a black suit and peach tie like his brothers, as he stood next to the current Parish priest.

“Nanananana!” Jax suddenly shouted.

Without hesitation I said, “Heya, darlin’.”

He was seven months old now, and I claimed he was saying my name because he said it often, probably because there were a lot of N and A letters that he had fun with. The rest of the time he blew spit bubbles, and murmured gibberish.

He was a delight.

“You ready to become Mrs Slater?” Ash murmured to me as we walked.

I sucked in a breath before I said, “Hell
yes
.”

That made him chuckle under his breath.

We neared the end of the aisle, and for the life of me I couldn’t look away from Ryder. His eyes were trained on me too, and I felt every flick of his gaze caress me.

When we reached the altar, the priest asked Ash a question, and he replied, but I missed it because I was too focused on Ryder. I snapped out of it when he stepped forward and took my hand that Ash was offering him.

“Thanks, Ash,” Ryder said, gratitude in his voice.

“Take care of her,” my friend replied then winked at me before he took a seat on the front bench next to Sally and her husband.

How the hell had she gotten here with Doctor Harris, and how she was dressed up in pretty clothes when I literally saw her an hour ago was beyond me.

I turned my attention to Ryder when he squeezed my hand.

“Ry,” I whispered.

He had tears in his eyes as he said, “You look so beautiful, sweetness.”

Warmth filled my pounding heart when he suddenly dropped to his knee and reached for my left hand, which I gave to him freely.

“What’re doin’?” I asked, my heart pounding against my chest.

“I didn’t do it correctly the first time around, but I want to start off by doing it the right way now.”

Oh, my God.

“There’s no one but you, Bran,” Ryder began, his chest puffed out. “I never thought I’d be the type to settle down and get married until you, quite literally, fell into my life. I never thought I’d want a wife, a family, and someone to love me as much as you do until you smiled in my direction and took my breath away. I never thought, after everything I’ve been through in my life, that someone as beautiful, smart and selfless as you would stick by my side through thick and thin, but you have. I’m not perfect, and I have my flaws, but you love me in spite of that. You have changed me, and my entire life for the better. You love my brothers, like they are your own, and you made us part of your family. You’ve given me purpose. Will you do me the greatest of honour of being my wife?”

It took the might of God and willpower I never knew I had not to burst into tears there and then. I squeezed his hand to the point of pain and said, “
Yes
!”

Ryder’s shoulders sagged with relief, and I heard practically everyone release a shaky breath. I looked to my family and friends and raised a brow, “You all thought after six years I was lettin’ him out of this church
without
puttin’ a ring on me finger,
really
?”

Everyone laughed, even the priest.

“We were hoping you’d say that,” Ryder chuckled as he got to his feet.

“You don’t need to hope anymore.” I took his other hand in mine and said, “I’m ready.”