Twisted Fate by Summer Cooper
22
Keily
Once upon a time, Keily picked out the most expensive dress she could afford, invited everyone she knew, even in passing, to her wedding, and stressed herself out completely over everything being just right. In short, she’d been a bridezilla.
This time, she didn’t care who was there, so long as her sister, niece, best friend, and Logan and their girls were there. She chose a dress that was comfortable in antique ivory lace, a beach dress the saleswoman called it, but that wasn’t what Keily cared about. It wasn’t virginal white, there was a slim ribbon belt at the waist, and it showed off enough cleavage to hold Logan’s interest. There was a bit of girlishness in the flare at the bottom of the dress, but otherwise, it was suitable for a mother of three and a woman still young enough to want to feel pretty.
They didn’t get married at a church, neither of them attended one, so they decided on a destination wedding and got married in Charleston, on the beach as it happened. Keily stood on the sand in bare feet, her toenails newly painted a bright, gaudy orange that she loved, and smiled up at her soon-to-be husband.
The girls were with Avery and Violet while Rosa served as her maid of honor and Logan stood with his second-in-command, Wally. He was the closest thing Logan had to a best friend. Keily noticed the way Wally kept eyeing Rosa, but she’d just broken up with her couple, she wasn’t the least bit interested in a man. Or maybe she was… Keily had to wonder.
Alice served as their flower girl and ring bearer and that was the whole of their entourage. The only people that really mattered to any of them. Logan had invited Judith, but she’d declined because she had a cousin getting married the same day. That was fine, but they’d have liked the housekeeper, almost a mother to them both now, to be there.
Keily heard the words, repeated what she was supposed to, and stood there with a smile on her face, but she couldn’t tell what was happening or if the ceremony was almost done. She was too caught up in the emotions flitting across Logan’s face and the way his eyes kept getting sort of misty and red. He really did love her and it was heaven to know that for sure. She’d spent the majority of her life wanting to be loved, adored, but in the wrong ways, up until she met Logan. He’d changed everything, even her and now their girls were ten months old, and they were almost married.
Logan made his vows almost as robotically as Keily, but with a few more smiles and a charm that knocked her socks off. Her veil blew around in the breeze coming off the ocean and she pushed it away with annoyance. If that was the only thing that marred her day, however, she didn’t care.
The officiant declared them man and wife, had them sign a paper, and was then off to go to another appointment. The few true friends and family they had rushed up to congratulate them and Keily hugged everybody, too caught up in the moment to hold back. With a baby on both hips and one on Logan’s they left the beach to take pictures, and then went into the resort they’d booked into for the weekend.
“It all went so well,” Violet exclaimed, her eyes full of happiness for her sister.
“I know. It’s so much easier when you don’t care who you’re impressing or not impressing.” Keily replied, and paused to let Rosa take Zoe from her hip as they walked into a restaurant for a private lunch reception. Although, with so few people, it might not really be a reception, Keily took comfort in knowing that these were the people that mattered, the only ones she and Logan wanted with them.
Logan had promised to take her on an adults-only honeymoon, back to their island escape later in the fall so this time with the family meant the world to Keily. The family she’d chosen for herself, not the one she was born with and forced to be around. Although, she refused even that now, she didn’t have to be around people she didn’t want to be near, and that was that.
“I imagine it is.” Violet sighed and leaned over to her sister. “I’m getting married at Christmas.”
“What?” Keily gasped and turned to stare at her sister. “You and the doctor?”
“He asked me just before I left to come here last night.” Violet’s cheeks turned red and she pulled Keily down into the chairs reserved for them. “He doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to have a family of our own soon.”
“Violet?” Keily gasped again, her eyes filled with joy. “Oh, my goodness! Come here.”
Keily hugged her sister close and brushed at tears that spilled from her eyes. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Not as happy as I am for you, Keily. And I mean that. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, sis.” Keily squeezed a little tighter before she pulled away. “I’m glad you told me.”
“Of course,” Violet replied smartly with a teasing smile. “You’re my big sister, who else would I tell first?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad it was me.” Keily thought about how they’d lived separate lives, how they’d grown apart for a while, and was glad that they were back in each other’s lives. Her sister was important to her and always would be now.
“Let’s toast the happy couple, shall we?” Wally called out from Logan’s left and stood to address the small crowd at the circular table covered in a white tablecloth. “I just want to say thank you to Logan for placing so much trust in me over the years, and for asking me to be his best man. I have to say, I never expected this, or for him to marry, but he couldn’t have found a better wife than he’s getting with Keily. And Keily, keep up whatever you’re doing. I’ve never seen the man smile so much.”
Logan groused at his best man but laughed. Keily leaned over to kiss away the moment of grumpiness from him, but his smile told her he wasn’t really grumpy anyway. Once they’d eaten, Avery and Violet took the girls up to the suite Logan had rented and got them down for the night. Violet said she might come down later, but Keily had seen the tired tilt to her eyes and had a feeling she was snoring away in her own suite.
Keily had to stop breastfeeding quite early on because she wasn’t making enough milk for all three babies, a product of the hysterectomy, her doctor told her. That and it was hard to keep three babies fed. They were on solid food now and not so dependent on her 24 hours a day. Which meant she could have a drink with her new husband and their friends, and they went down to the bar around 8 that evening. She wore a beach-ready simple black slouchy dress, still her favorite style, and a pair of strappy heels. Logan had on a pair of dark blue jeans with a black t-shirt that showed off just how in shape he was.
She knew exactly how in shape he was and planned to explore that body a little more later that evening. For now, she sipped at a gin and tonic and talked with Rosa.
“I can’t believe they didn’t want to come to the wedding,” Keily said and glared at nothing in particular. “Or that they wanted you to not come.”
“I don’t know, something’s going on there. They were starting to get really controlling and I’m not big on that. It’s a reason I got divorced, you know? I wasn’t about to let people I can’t even marry do that.” Rosa brushed it all off, but Keily knew she’d invested a lot of hopes and emotions into the unconventional relationship. “Maybe it’s for the best. I don’t think it was going to go much further anyway. Neither were ready to admit to their family that we were together, that I wasn’t the best friend that just hung around a lot.”
“I can understand fearing judgment, but maybe it’s best if you walk away. You’re past the caring about judgment phase. If they aren’t, then it won’t work.” Keily answered her friend with a pert nod. “No more fear.”
She held up her glass and Rosa clinked her glass of wine to Keily’s glass. “No more fear. And maybe some of whoever that guy is.”
“Oh, you mean Wally?” Keily giggled and glanced over at her husband and his best man. “He is rather hot.”
“Even if he does have an old-fashioned name.”
“We can’t help what our parents name us.” Keily reminded her snickering friend. “Poor Logan was strapped with Eugene, remember?”
“I can’t believe they did that to him,” Rosa said, and Keily knew she meant more than the name. Logan had given Keily permission to explain a little about his life and the reason his parents weren’t coming to the wedding was at the top of that list.
“I guess we aren’t all meant to be parents. It seems his are getting divorced, at last.” Keily revealed with lifted eyebrows. “He only found that out because his dad needed Logan’s signature to turn over the house. Seems his dad has decided he wants to spend his golden years with his boyfriend.”
“I see,” Rosa said with a few rapid blinks. “That might explain things a little.”
“Yes, it’s hard to love someone when you don’t love yourself.” Keily picked up her glass and had a sip. “I’m going to go snag my husband for a dance, why don’t you ask Wally, and you two join us?”
“I think I will. I’m not scared. Even if he is over six feet tall with the most gorgeous face I’ve ever seen.” Rosa giggled in a rather girlish way and that set Keily off.
The giggles subsided once they joined the men standing at the bar for some reason. “What are you two doing over here on your own?”
“Just a minute of business babe, but it’s done now,” Logan answered his wife and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Want to dance?”
“I’d love to.” She twirled with his hand clasped in hers and pulled him towards the dance floor.
“Shall we join them?” She heard Wally ask Rosa and knew romance was in the air all around.
“Violet’s getting married.” She whispered to Logan who leaned back enough to stare down at her.
“Really?”
“Mmhmm. And she’s pregnant.” Keily’s eyes were wide with excitement. “I’m going to be an aunt again. Apparently, daddy doesn’t know yet, so that’s just between us until she tells him.”
“Our first secret as husband and wife. Ah, the life we’re going to lead, Keily.” Logan laughed and moved her around the floor expertly.
They danced to one of Logan’s favorite songs, the one about what love was that John Lennon wrote, the one that nearly broke him oh so long ago. Keily held onto him as the song touched off all the feels she could possibly feel and more. “I didn’t know a song could be so perfect.”
“I didn’t either until I listened to it properly one day,” Logan revealed and pulled her to him tightly, one last time, before they left the dancefloor and went back to the table where Rosa and Wally were chatting over new drinks. “I think love is in the air.”
“Lust at least.” Keily smothered a giggle and sat down. Rosa turned to her for a moment, her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes scrunched up with excitement, before she turned back to Wally.
“I don’t think we’ll be missed if you want to head up to our suite.” Logan leaned over to whisper into Keily’s ear. Not many men could pull off a seductive whisper but most things Logan did could be considered seductive as far as Keily was concerned.
“Let me observe for a few more minutes, just because I’m nosy when it comes to Rosa, and then we’ll go.” As much as she loved her husband, she was consumed with curiosity about what was going on between Rosa and Wally.
They ended up staying for one more drink, and two more dances, before Logan growled in her ear that he’d had enough. “If you don’t come with me now, I’m going to have to take you out somewhere dark and quiet and push that dress up around your hips, Keily. Do you want that?”
“Maybe I do, Logan,” Keily whispered back, her gray eyes full of seduction. “Maybe I want a little bit of badness from you tonight?”
“Maybe I’ll spank you if you keep that up.” He growled again and grabbed at her bottom when he knew nobody was watching.
“Maybe I want you to.” She growled back and reached up to kiss him quick and hot.
“We’re going up, people, thanks for a beautiful day, but ours isn’t over yet.” Logan pronounced to their two friends suddenly and pulled Keily to him. “Ready, Mrs.?
“Ready, husband dear.” She purred and waved at the couple at the table. “Night, night, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
“I doubt I’ll be sleeping if there’s bedbugs, Keily. And if there is, I’m invading your room!” Rosa warned, but Keily had a feeling she wouldn’t notice much of anything once Wally kissed her, which he clearly wanted to do if the way he looked at Rosa meant anything.
“They’re definitely going to hook up.” She said to Logan once they were alone in the elevator.
“Good for them, that’s great.” He muttered as he backed her up against the wall. They were on the fourth floor, so it wouldn’t be a long ride, but long enough. “I don’t give a fuck what they do, as long as it doesn’t interrupt us.”
“Hmm, but what about employee relations or whatever it’s called.” Keily pulled back away to tease him as she tried to remember the right word. “Fraternization. Isn’t that a no-no in the employee handbook?”
“My lawyers put that in there to cover my ass. I don’t care if those two fuck the night away, now shut up and kiss me or I’m going to die, Keily.” He crushed his lips to hers in a fierce kiss that she didn’t want to break. She wanted more of this slightly aggressive, just on the right side of bad Logan who was about to strip her down in an elevator. It was going to be one memorable night.
