RYDER (Slater Brothers 4) (39 page)

“Really ready?” he asked.

I nodded, forcing back the tears that gathered when he told me how much I meant to him. “I’ve never been more ready for anythin’ in me entire life. I
need
to be your wife, honey.”

He leaned his forehead down, and rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. With his voice, and body, trembling he said, “You’re my everything, sweetness.”

“And you’re mine.”

His lip twitched. “Have I surprised you?”

I closed my eyes and breathed him in. I bathed in his scent, touch, and the love he offered me in waves. I re-opened my eyes, and looked up into his shining ones.

“Surprised me?” I repeated. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this is real. You have given me everything I didn’t know I wanted in a weddin’. Thank you so much.”

Ryder hugged me tightly before we separated, held hands and looked at the priest.

With a smile he began to read prayers, and I’m sorry to say that it all became background noise because my entire focus was on the man before me. He clouded all of my senses, and I had zero problems with that.

I was pulled from my Ryder clouded thoughts when the priest asked me if I wanted to recite the standard vows to take Ryder as my husband, but I told him I wanted to go with my own. I stuck to the original first line then spoke from my heart.

“I, Branna Fiadh Murphy, take you, Ryder James Slater, to be my husband. I promise to never leave you. I promise to
always
be there to say good night. I promise to never go to bed angry. I promise to always take care of you, to love you, to cherish you. I promise my heart, body and soul to you—forever. I love you so much, darlin’.”

I held my breath when Ryder began to speak.

“I, Ryder James Slater, take you, Branna Fiadh Murphy, to be my wife.” I beamed when he decided to do the same with his vows to me, and repeat it back to me what I said instead of sticking to the original one.

I looked to my right when my sister stepped up with Georgie and together—with a little more take than give from Georgie—they gave me a beautiful silver band that I slipped onto Ryder’s ring finger, and Kane stepped up and gave him the matching ring that he slipped onto mine.

It was magic.

And if I thought it was a dream before, it most definitely was when Ryder surprised me again. He turned and took a beautiful candle with lace tied around the middle with names engraved on it in gold from Kane.

My
parents’
names.

A sob tore from me before Ryder even spoke, and he smiled at me when he saw how touched I was.

“Branna,” he began, “I know that if your parents were here today they would be so proud of the woman you have become. We light this candle today in remembrance of them. In honour of them. They raised the woman who I love more than life itself and I wish so much that they could be sitting with us today.”

My sister joined me in crying tears of love for Ryder, and our dearly missed parents.

Together, we both lit the candle as the priest read the final prayer of the ceremony. We placed the candle on a stand next to us, then took one another’s hands once more.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest joyfully announced, his voice echoing around the hall. “You may kiss your bride, Mr Slater.”

“Thank God,” Ryder breathed.

I cried and laughed as he came at me, grabbed hold of my face and covered his mouth with mine. I thought I saw a flash, but I wasn’t sure if I did, or if Ryder was just blowing my mind.

My sister and friends cheered, and my
brothers in law
whooped and whistled.

We broke apart, hugged everyone, and then had to sign our names onto our marriage license that I had no knowledge of Ryder ever obtaining. I got a fright when a strange man took a picture of us signing the document, and Ryder filled me in that he was a professional wedding photographer.

He had been out of sight when I came into the church, but Ryder said he took pictures from the moment I began to walk down the aisle, he had tripods set up around the hall, too, with cameras recording the wedding at different angles that he would later edit and send to us.

After we signed the official document binding us together as husband and wife, the photographer snapped several pictures of Ryder and me. When he got what he needed of us, he took pictures of just me and my bridesmaids, then Ryder and his groomsmen, the kids with me and Ryder, then all of us together and finally us with Ash, Sally, and Doctor Harris.

By the time picture time was over my cheeks felt like they were about to split in two, but the slight pain was overshadowed by the warmth that filled my heart when I turned and looked up at Ryder.

“You’re me
husband
,” I whispered in awe.

He smiled with pride. “And you’re my
wife
.”

Holy. Shite.

“We’re
so
grown up,” I replied making him laugh.

“We’ve
so
much to look forward to together,” he beamed.

I nodded. “I know, and I can’t wait to spend every second of me life with you.”

Ryder growled as he lowered his head to mine. “Right now, I’m thinking of a week in a secluded cabin, and you naked day and night in my bed.”

A week in a secluded cabin?

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

Ryder’s eyes gleamed. “You think we’d get married and not have a honeymoon?”

“A honeymoon?” I gasped.

Ryder nodded. “Yes, you and me. A week away. Sex, relaxing, sex, sleeping with no alarms, sex, peace, sex, nature—”

“You said sex four times,” I cut him off, laughing.

His lip twitched. “Well, we need to have a
lot
of sex for two reasons. One, I love being inside of you and two, I need to put a baby in you.”

My heart stopped.

“Really?” I whispered. “A baby, Ryder?”

Say yes.

“Really, really,” he smiled.

I stared up at him in disbelief. “You
want
us to have a baby?”

“I want us to have a baby.” He nodded.

When I had the confirmation I needed, I silently lifted his left hand that I just put a ring on binding him to me forever, and placed it over my stomach. Ryder stared down at his hand for a few seconds, then he looked back and forth from his hand to me and back again.

“Branna.”

I smiled. “I found out a few days ago and was waitin’ for the perfect moment to tell you, and this was it.”

“You’re
pregnant
?” he asked, the shock he felt was obvious in his tone.

I nodded. “I’m twelve weeks exactly.”

He sucked in a huge breath before he encased me in his arms and hugged me like his life depended on it. When he pulled back, he stared at me then looked around and shouted, “She’s pregnant!”

Gasps and excited squeals filled the church and even a “No fucking way” followed by a quick “Sorry, Jesus” was heard.

“Branna!”

I turned my attention to my sister. Bronagh was right next to me, with my beautiful niece in her arms. I hugged both of them and smiled.

“This little chubster is gettin’
another
cousin,” I gushed.

Bronagh began to jump up and down and scream. Georgie laughed at the movement, but because she was still very young, Dominic came over and took his daughter so Bronagh could continue her jumping and screaming.

She all but dove on Ryder and me when she was baby free.

“Can you believe all this?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “I really can’t. I had no clue what the hell was happenin’, Ash would barely talk to me on the way here.”

“This has been in motion for
weeks
, I helped get your dress.” My sister beamed.

“You sneaky bitch!” I laughed and hugged her.

Georgie began to cry so Bronagh moved over to Dominic who was soothing her and swaying her from side to side.

“Here’s mama,” he said when Bronagh approached.

I looked from them with a smile and turned my focus back on Ryder.

“While you were in work, we spent the day putting up a white tent out in the back yard. We decorated it, too.”

“You mean… like a reception too?

“Yeah. We put up twinkling lights, more flower arrangements, and I have that restaurant from the village that you love so much catering.”

My lower lip wobbled, and I lifted my fingers to my eyes, and carefully wiped under them.

“You have made me so happy, honey.”

Ryder smiled. “Are you ready to go home?”

“I don’t care where I am as long as it’s with you,” I replied honestly.

He squeezed my body against his and said, “I feel the same way….
Mrs Slater
.”

Oh. My. God.

I gasped, and it made Ryder snort.

“What?” he asked, amused.

I blinked up at him. “I’m somebody’s wife.”

“Not just somebody’s,” his lip curled upward, “
mine
.”

Shivers raced up and down my spine. “Yours,” I whispered and pressed my face against his chest, breathing him in. “Forever.”

“It’s only forever,” he murmured, “that’s not long at all.”

He just quoted the late and great David Bowie and it only caused me to fall in love with him that much more.

I closed my eyes and thought about how things have changed. A few months ago I dreaded every waking day, but now? Now I couldn’t wait for the rest of my life by Ryder’s side. By my
husband’s
side. I had a fecking husband. Emotion filled me, and for the first time in a long time I felt nothing but delight. Everything was how it should be. I had my family, my friends, my husband, and my whole life with him ahead of me.

My eyes welled up with tears and I smiled. For months I willed myself never to cry because I was afraid it would show as a weakness, but now I knew it was another way to express pure happiness.

It’s okay,
I told myself,
you can cry.

This is one of my favourite parts of writing a book. This section is where I get to thank my team of people who make my books possible. Without this team there would be no
Slater Brothers
series, or L.A. Casey in general. Without these people, I wouldn’t be me.

My daughter – everything I do is for you, I love you.

My sister – thank you for always been there, and allowing me to use you as a scratchboard to bounce the craziest of ideas off of. I love you.

Jill Sava – you’re more than a brilliant PA, you’re a true friend who I am so happy to have by my side. You. Rock.

Yessi Smith and Mary Johnson – you both are what keep me sane when I’m sure I’m about to dive off a board straight into Crazyville. Thanks for keeping my feet on the ground, and for giving me some much needed laughter in my insane life.

JaVa Editing – Jen, you’re superwoman.
RYDER
has been a very trying book to write, but you stuck by my side and arranged your schedule to accommodate mine. I’ll forever be grateful to you. You saved my arse. Thank you.

Mayhem Cover Creations – LJ, your covers are the bomb diggity. Just when I think I can’t love another cover, you create one and prove me wrong.

JT Formatting – Jules, you’re a life-saver. Thank you for making the inside of my books look beautiful time and time again.

My readers – we’re eight books into this series, and you guys are still by my side and wanting more. That blows me away every single day. This book is for all of you. Thank you all for allowing me write stories for the characters that dominate my heart. <3

L.A. Casey is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
best-selling author who juggles her time between her mini-me and writing. She was born, raised and currently resides in Dublin, Ireland. She enjoys chatting with her readers, who love her humour and Irish accent as much as her books.

Casey’s first book,
DOMINIC
, was independently published in 2014 and became an instant success on Amazon. She is both traditionally and independently published and is represented by Mark Gottlieb from Trident Media Group.

To read more about this author, visit her website at
www.lacaseyauthor.com
.