Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(145)

“Jude! We are in a church.”

“We are in a barn on church grounds, Mom.”

“God can still hear you, boy,” she snapped as her grip on them went tighter. “Now, shut up. I’m nervous.”

“Nervous?” Lucy asked, confused. “I thought you wanted this?”

“If you don’t, Mom, I can cause a distraction. Jayden will get you out of here—no wait, Jace will. And we’ll have Jayden tell River while Lucy grabs the kids,” Jude decided and everyone nodded, while Lucy was convinced she was related to idiots.

“Are you crazy? I am in love with that man,” Autumn declared and all four of them gagged, on cue, simultaneously. Lucy was quite impressed. “We are doing this. I’m just worried he won’t like my dress or something.”

“What? You’re gorgeous,” Jude said.

“Prettiest woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” Lucy agreed.

“He’s a lucky dude, Mom. You’re beautiful,” Jayden said.

“What they all said. I’d say you’re hot, Mom, but that’s kinda gross,” Jace said simply and they all shook their heads. But like they wanted, their mom smiled.

Holding on to them, she cleared her throat before saying, “I just want you four to know I love you. So damn much. And I’m so proud of the people you have become. I hate that it’s not your father, but, well, he didn’t want me. But River does, and he’s such a great guy. So thank you for walking me down the aisle, and thank you for loving and supporting me,” she said. And of course, Lucy started to cry.

“Is Lucy crying?” Jude asked.

“She knows how to do that?” Jayden asked as the boys gawked at him.

“Man, Lucy, are you pregnant?” Jace asked and she threw her hands up.

“No, *s. I’m happy for our f*cking mom, okay?” she snapped just as the door to the barn opened.

Everyone, including Pastor Dwayne, looked at them with wide eyes. Like always, because it was just her luck, Lucy wanted to die.

Cracking up beside her, Jace said, “God sure heard that.”

Kill me now.

With a bright red face, Lucy’s eyes met Benji’s as he sat with Angie in his lap, and a grin covered his handsome face. He was wearing a dark blue suit, a rose-colored bow tie, and he hadn’t shaved since Tuesday. She knew this because she was living with the man and waking up every morning to that face. It was glorious, and she knew she couldn’t be happier.

That was until he mouthed, “You’re f*cking hot.”

That made her grin.

Big.

When her mom started down the aisle, Lucy’s gaze went to River.

He was a bubbling mess of tears, and that only made Lucy cry harder.

“Coach is crying,” Jace whispered. “I’m scared.”

“Shut up,” Lucy snapped, wiping her face.

“You guys are a bunch of babies. It’s a wedding, not a funeral,” Jude called over and Jayden scoffed.

“Dude, you cried at your wedding,” Jayden accused.

“Did not!”

“Good Lord, you guys bicker about everything. Shut up, I’m trying to get married,” their mom barked and all four of them snapped their mouths shut, fighting back their laughter. It felt like when they were kids, but they weren’t kids anymore. They were four different personalities, all grown-up, paving their own ways. For once, Lucy didn’t feel like she was missing out on anything.

Looking back at Benji, who had his arms wrapped around Angie as they watched, she curved her lips into a satisfied grin.

She knew she had everything she never knew she needed.





Benji had never seen a set of siblings bicker and pick at each other the way Lucy did with her brothers.

“Benji, I shit you not, she still picks her nose,” Jude decided.

“I saw her do it before we walked out, and she cussed in front of God and everybody,” Jace added. “She’s gross.”

“She stinks too. Believe me, she farts like a dude,” Jayden teased, holding back his laughter as Lucy glared.

“I’ve never seen or smelled either of those things, but thanks, guys,” he said and Lucy shook her head, her eyes dark with annoyance. Though she was still gorgeous. Her hair was down in curls along her shoulders. The dress she wore was simply lethal, and he was convinced she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. She was hotter than the bride, and he knew that was taboo to say, but she was. The wedding, though, had been amazing. Benji even shed a tear or two for the beautiful couple. It was clear how much River loved Autumn and her in return. It was gorgeous. Their vows were sweet, and looking over at them, he couldn’t help but smile.

Relationship goals.

That’s what they gave him.

“I got you three, I really do,” she said, and they all laughed her off. “Fine, Jude would crap his pants, and instead of going to my mom to get cleaned up, he and Jayden would paint with it.”

“Ew! Lucy, I’m eating,” Claire complained while Angie giggled loudly.

“You played with his poop? Not even your own, but his?” Baylor asked as Lucy grinned.

“I was, like, one.”

“Three.”

“You were crapping your pants at almost five?” Claire asked, horror all over her face.