Initiative (Suncoast Society #31)(67)

The past two months had been a blur of activity, planning everything and settling into a new routine with Kyle living at home during the week.

But she wouldn’t trade a thing when she saw how happy Kyle was, and how happy Darryl now was, how at peace he was.

He was a good dad.

And it had her shoving away the old regrets, memories of the talks she and John had just started having about kids of their own when he died.

They were in one of the anterooms at the church, getting ready for the ceremony. Grant put his arms around her from behind as she stood in front of the mirror. Darryl had been banished from the room since he was the groom, and Kristin, Tilly, Loren, and Susie’s mom were there helping her get ready.

“Look at it this way, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. “Think about how much pleasure you’re going to get seeing Marcus and Joanie having to wear those sick smiles all evening.”

Susie suppressed a giggle. “Yeah. True.” Marcus had made Joanie do his dirty work and call Kristin a few weeks earlier for a total.

Susie only made them pay for the cake, catering, and florist.

That was more than enough satisfaction for her. And they were the most expensive parts of the whole thing, too.

Susie and Grant were paying Kel and Mallory to handle the photography and videotaping for them, and they hadn’t rented tuxes, so for the most part, other than her dress and the rings, there weren’t any other expenses. Even the church was free, courtesy of Darryl working there.

Grant kissed her cheek. “If I’m happy, then you should be happy, too.”

She pulled his arms tightly around her, meeting his blue gaze in the mirror. Then he winked at her before releasing her and heading out to track down the nervous groom.

Grant, Kyle, and Rusty were standing up as best men. Chelsey had wished them well and taken off for a last-minute weekend in the Bahamas with her latest boyfriend despite it being one of her weekends with Kyle, and despite her and a “plus one” having been invited to the wedding.

And Chelsey hadn’t asked for a make-up weekend, either.

They suspected Chelsey thought that would slow down the lovebirds, except that Kristin and Ron were now taking Kyle, their two grandsons, and several nieces and nephews over to Disney for the whole weekend, leaving right from the church once the reception was over.

And that didn’t hurt Kyle’s feelings at all. Especially when Susie slipped him a pre-paid credit card loaded with three hundred string-free dollars to buy whatever he wanted in the way of souvenirs.

A win all the way around. Excessive? Absolutely, but the kid had been true to his word about keeping his mouth shut.

Susie also wanted to make up in some small way for the shit the poor kid had to put up with to get to that point.

Once the wedding was behind them, then they’d finish the process of getting Grant’s house emptied and ready to sell. He wanted to take some of the equity he’d receive from the sale and put it into Kyle’s pre-paid college fund.

At least Susie’s house was larger. They hadn’t completed the physical process of blending the two households, but they were now all living full-time at Susie’s. One room of her house had already been turned into a playroom.

For gaming.

Of the non-explicit, child-friendly kind.

The weekly D and D game was now held at Susie’s, and Kyle had joined the campaign and was learning how to play. It meant they all had to tone down their banter, but it also meant more bonding time with the three of them and Kyle, who seemed far happier now that he was living full-time with them.

Even his grades had shown a marked improvement with his home situation stabilized. And with him spending most weekends at Chelsey’s house, it meant the three of them could still get out and go to the club and be with their friends.

Susie’s father entered the room. “Ready?”

At least her parents had managed not to start bickering at each other.

Yet. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Tilly hugged her and whispered in her ear. “Remember, we’re all here for you.”

“Thanks.”

Loren gave her a hug and then she and Tilly went to take their places with Kristin as Susie’s bridesmaids, her mother following so she could go take her seat.

For the wedding gown, Susie had gone with a white cocktail dress and no veil, with a very simple bouquet. John had given her a storybook wedding and an even more fairy-tale life.

She didn’t need to out-do that. Darryl and Grant would continue that fairy tale, and all she needed was them.

Tonight, after they went home, she and Darryl would slip a wedding band on Grant’s hand, a ring that matched hers and Darryl’s.

“I’m surprised your in-laws are here,” her dad commented as they made their way to the back of the sanctuary to await the music cue for their entrance.

John had never made it a secret how he felt about his parents.

“Oh, they sort of have to be. They’re paying for it.”

“They are? I thought you couldn’t stand them.”

“I can’t.” She brightly smiled. “It’s a long story, Dad. They’re simply…indescribable.”

When she’d confessed to Tilly, the woman had laughed and given her a high-five.

As they waited for the processional to start, Susie stared at the church full of people. Some of them were people from work, or people she and John had been friends with.