Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #5)(137)

Though I’d already seen the rock on her finger.

Mine, by the way, might be simpler, but it was still more awesome.

“Yeah, and with four weddings happening before that you gotta buy presents for and help plan, I’ll get the bottom of the barrel with presents and you’ll be burned out on planning. Not to mention,” she skewered Carissa with her gaze, “baby shit.”

“Honey, I’m planning your wedding for you, remember?” Millie pointed out. “And it’s gonna be amazing.”

“And I don’t want presents,” I put in. “Though, I think Hound would feel a couple of six packs would not be remiss.”

“Not to mention, Bev said Tad’s off on one,” Tabby told them. “She says he’s already found the venue and picked the colors and everything. We probably just have to show up for that one.”

They didn’t have the latest news.

He’d also selected the DJ and decreed the cake would be lemon, “because that taste reminds me of sunshine,” he’d told Hound and me while we were throwing some back at Bev’s the night before. “And sunshine reminds me of Beverly.”

Who could argue that? Especially when it was delivered by a hot guy in a silky, deep voice who had a way with talking about wedding cake that didn’t make him sound like a pansy.

Beverly, staring at him all goo-goo eyed and hanging on his arm while he spoke, clearly couldn’t argue it.

“And you’d have to bring a present,” Elvira hissed at Tabby.

“Well … yeah,” Tabby said quietly, giving big eyes to the girls around her.

“Do you think, Elvira, my beautiful friend, that the women standing in front of you do not have enough love for you, just for you, that doesn’t even include how much we adore Malik, to give you all the attention you deserve on your big day?” Tyra asked.

“You better,” Elvira snapped.

“I’m beside myself with happiness for you,” Tyra whispered, and the feel of the room instantly changed.

Because the feel they were getting from Elvira instantly changed.

Tyra wasn’t done.

“After a lot of waiting and confusion and a rocky start with Tack, life has been beautiful and not a small part of that beauty is that during that time, I found you, and since that time, I’ve had you.”

“I’ve waited for this all my life,” Elvira whispered, and the feel of the room changed again.

“I know, honey,” Tyra whispered back.

“I thought he’d never come. I thought I’d never find him,” Elvira kept whispering.

“I know,” Tyra replied.

“And he’s perfect,” she kept going.

Oh man.

Cool!

I couldn’t wait to meet Malik.

“Yeah, he is,” Tabby said.

“He loves me, like … crazy loves me,” Elvira carried on.

Oh yeah.

I couldn’t wait to meet Malik.

“We know,” Lanie said.

“Sometimes I wonder, when I wake up next to him, if I’m dreaming,” Elvira shared.

“I understand that,” Millie said.

“Me too,” Carissa added.

“Me as well,” Lanie put in.

“Absolutely,” Rosalie declared.

“For sure,” Tabby stated.

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Totally,” Tyra said.

“Wait until you have his baby,” Tabby told Elvira. “I don’t know what’s bigger than dreaming a dream, getting it, and that getting better. But whatever that is, a baby is that.”

Now I couldn’t wait to get knocked up with Hound’s kid.

After Tab was done, Elvira looked to Carissa.

“Come here, girl,” she ordered.

Carissa went there and Elvira gave her a big hug.

“Butterflies will be perfect,” we heard her say in Carissa’s ear.

We also watched Carissa’s head nod as she held on.

As if on cue, the door to the garage opened and Tack strolled through holding a baby tucked in one of his arms.

His gaze swept through all the women and stopped on Elvira and Carissa, who were breaking away from each other.

“Christ,” he muttered and looked to his woman. “Drama?”

“Nope,” Tyra answered.

Tack stopped in front of her desk.

“My grandson needs changing,” he told his wife.

She tipped her head to the side. “The diaper bag’s right there on the couch.”

He completely ignored this and turned his attention to Tabby. “Your son needs changing.”

“The diaper bag hasn’t moved, Dad,” Tabby replied.

“I do cuddles,” he rumbled. “I don’t do diapers.”

“You changed both our boys, Kane,” Tyra said, again gaining Tack’s attention.

“Yeah, and I had a direct hand in makin’ those two. This one,” he lifted the bundle cradled in his arm, “it was indirect. My job is done. Diapers and shit like that are behind me. With this one,” he lifted the bundle again, “I just get the good stuff.”

“Oh for God’s sake, give me that child,” Elvira said impatiently, walked on her high-heeled sandals to Tack and divested him of his grandchild.