The Will (The Magdalene Series) (Volume 1)(209)

His eyes kept going through the guests talking, drinking and eating the fancy shit from silver trays that waiters were carrying around.

As they did, he saw Bert. Troy. Mickey. Coert. Pearl. Junior. Reverend Fletcher and his wife Ruth. Girl Taylor’s parents. Boy Taylor’s parents. Nearly every member of his gym. All his bouncers and their women. All his dancers and their men. A bunch of his kids from the junior boxing league and their parents.

He also saw, mingling with the townies, the makeup artist Jean-Michel DuChamp, the supermodel Acadie and the front man for Bounce, Lavon Burkett. Not to mention, some big name designers Amber had freaked when she found out they were coming and more recording artists that all his kids had freaked when they found out they were coming.

And last, he saw Josie standing close to the cliff, the sea her backdrop, her face bright with a huge smile as she stood listening to Amond.

Taking her in yet again, he noted her gown was un-f*cking-believable. He thought it right then. And he thought it an hour ago when she walked out of the house on Tom’s arm, both of them moving to him, his boys standing at his side, Alyssa and Amber having just made the same journey.

The designer Josie worked for made the gown especially for her.

It was white and hugged her from shoulders to knees. Sleeveless, v-neck, a deep vee in the back exposing a lot of skin, the dress flared out in a wide but elegant puff of netting at her knees.

But the white body of the gown was covered in a deep lavender lace that bled into the netting that had some pieces of the lace stitched into it.

She looked what she was.

Pure class.

Pure style.

Total beauty.

Except her hair was up.

It looked f*cking gorgeous but he’d be taking it down the first chance he got.

His attention was taken from his wife when his kids huddled close.

He looked to Conner. “Con, do me a favor, get a pen.”

Conner reached into the inside pocket of his tuxedo and pulled one out. “Already got it.”

Jake smiled at his boy.

“Dad! Let’s do this!” Ethan demanded impatiently.

Jake looked down at his youngest.

Yes.

He was impatient.

And this was for him as well as Josie. It was for Jake, too. And it was for Conner and Amber.

But mostly, it was for Josie.

And Ethan.

And what his boy and his woman wanted, Jake wanted to give to them.

Therefore, Jake looked up and shouted, “Yo! Slick!”

Josie turned her head his way and even from the distance, he saw the fall of her grandmother’s diamonds and amethysts sparkle at her ears.

With the help of his daughter, it was his diamonds and amethysts that sparkled at her neck and wrist.

The huge ass diamond he’d planted on her finger Christmas day right in front of his kids was also his. As was the band set with diamonds he’d planted on it that day.

Josie had taken Amber on a girl’s trip to New York so Amber had seen her dress. She’d also gone with Jake to pick that shit out. Last, she’d given Jake’s necklace and bracelet to Josie during preparations because Amber, Alyssa nor Josie would allow Jake to see his woman prior to her walking down the aisle.

He found this annoying. He liked tradition at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween.

He did not like sleeping without his woman.

But he couldn’t fault their strategy. That gown she wore was amazing but it was even more amazing him seeing her in it for the first time as she walked to him in order to become his wife.

He jerked up his chin again to communicate he wanted her ass moving his way.

He couldn’t see her roll her eyes but he knew she did it.

Then he watched as she said something to Amond and he swallowed a bark of laughter when she started coming his way, got tangled in the netting around her legs or got the heel of her freaking expensive shoe stuck in the grass and she started to take a dive.

Amond luckily caught her but Jake saw her mouth move and he knew she’d snapped “drat.”

Cute.

Klutzy.

His woman.

His wife.

After averting what would be considered a wedding disaster, Amond clearly thought it necessary to escort Josie across the grass because he did this.

“You summoned?” Josie asked when she arrived and Jake grinned at his wife then transferred his grin to Amond.

“Thanks, man,” he said.

“Grass stains would not go good with that dress,” Amond replied.

This was true and Jake again swallowed laughter but his kids didn’t. He had to do it yet again when he saw Josie roll her eyes.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close and told her, “Kids wanna give you our wedding present.”

She lost her annoyance immediately and smiled bright, looking to Conner, Amber and Ethan.

“How fun,” she declared.

She had no idea.

Amber bit her lip.

Conner smiled at his father.

Ethan jumped forward, grabbed Josie’s hand and tugged her toward the house, nearly shouting, “Come on!”

Josie turned happy, but curious, eyes Jake’s way before she let herself be pulled into the house.

Ethan had one of her hands, Jake the other, and he felt Conner and Amber follow them in.

Jake tossed a grin at Amond as they went.

Amond grinned back.