Smiling, he saw Chip leading her down toward him. Stepping down to take her hand, he nodded at Chip, and then his wife was there.
“Finally,” he said.
“Sorry, the car wouldn’t start,” she said.
“Was that part of your plans?” he asked.
“Not at all.”
He faced the priest, aware of the many eyes on them. Some of the locals of Vale Valley, Lindsey’s work colleagues, and the club were there to see this. He didn’t want all of them at the clubhouse, but for now, he’d deal with it.
The priest started speaking, and Pie tried to listen. Instead, he focused on Lindsey’s hand within his. Together they were united and strong.
“Do you take this woman…”
Pie smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I do. I take this woman.”
Lindsey did the same, and when he announced them husband and wife, Pie couldn’t recall a moment where he ever felt happier. Pulling her into his arms, he claimed her lips, sinking his fingers in her hair, holding her close.
The audience went wild, cheering, whistling, and he ignored it all. The only person who meant anything to him was in his arms.
“I love you, Lindsey, more than anything else in the world, and I’m going to spend all my life proving it to you.”
She cupped his cheek. Everything else faded away for him, and the only person who held his attention was his wife.
“You don’t have to prove anything to me, Pie. I know deep in my heart that there is no one else in this world that is like you. You’ve made me the happiest woman alive, and I only hope that I can make you the happiest man.”
With their hands still locked together, they turned to face the crowd.
He lifted their arms up, and everyone cheered.
“Time for the photographs.”
It was time for the rest of their lives.
Epilogue
Ten years later
“Honey, can you change Dylan’s diaper?” Lindsey said, shouting out to be heard over the heavy music being played from their eldest daughter’s bedroom. Celia was a pain in the ass, but still, their daughter made her smile.
“Celia, turn that fucking music down before I throw it in the trash,” Pie said, yelling upstairs.
“Daddy swore,” Penelope said.
“Daddy needs to swear, otherwise he’d commit murder, honey,” Pie said, coming into the kitchen. He held Dylan in his arms. “This dude has left a stick-o-gram, and it is gross.”
“Change him for me. It hurts to bend over.” She rubbed her back.
Dylan was only one year old, but that hadn’t stopped them going for another baby. Ten years of marriage later, and they got pregnant within the first month, on their honeymoon in Italy.
Since then, it had been nothing but constant chaos and babies. She loved it though. Finishing Penelope’s hair, she gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“I don’t like it when Drake bullies me. He’s mean.”
Drake was Duke and Holly’s eldest. Lindsey put her hands on her hips. “I will have a word with him.”
“It’s fine. Strawberry said to just kick him in the balls.”
Lindsey gasped. “I’m going to have to talk to Leanne and Crazy about their daughter and her language.”
“Mom, please, I’ve heard worse when Daddy has Uncle Chip over and Dime. They both keep on talking.”
“Penelope, what have I told you about your lies?”
“Oops, sorry, Daddy. Yes, Mom, I won’t kick any guy in the balls unless they deserve it.”
Lindsey watched her daughter walk away and laughed. “You see what I’ve got to put up with.”
“Penelope’s growing up so fast,” he said. “Kind of like that one upstairs.”
“Celia’s pissed at you for calling her ‘Miss Messy Room’ at school,” Lindsey said. When she picked up their eldest daughter, Celia had been mortified about what her father had said for everyone to hear.
“You want her to have a clean room, problem solved. I bet you she’s cleaning up that room.” He finished changing Dylan’s diaper. “What do you say, squirt, shall we go and check?”
She reached out to take Pie’s hand, locking their fingers together like they had been doing for so long now. It was their thing, and just by doing it, she felt happier knowing he was there, that he was waiting for her.
“What is it, baby?” Pie asked.
“Are you happy?”
He placed Dylan in his crib and pulled her into his arms. No matter how much she cleaned there seemed to be clothes and toys lying around.
“Am I happy?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I have the most beautiful, sexy wife in the entire world, who has given me seven kids with another on the way. Honey, there are no words good enough to describe how fucking happy I am. I love you. I love our family, our children, and our life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m still as greedy for you, as in love with you, since that moment I realized I wanted you for myself.”