Page 77 of Big Daddy Christmas
“Exactly. Keep that in mind, or I will spend our entire evening reminding you who you belong to.”
Ducking her head, Cordelia pressed a short, hard kiss to Ivy’s lips before turning and striding toward the door, waving for Aria to follow her.
“Seriously,” Aria mumbled under her breath, her tone filled with awe. “Someone teach me to be her.”
At the door, Cordelia paused and cocked an eyebrow in Aria’s direction. And as much as she might want to imitate the badass Domme, Aria was clearly not immune to her power, because she hurried to follow Cordelia out the door and across the hall for their own round of pictures with the groom’s party.
With all of the bridesmaids dressed, it was finally time to get the bride ready. Frankie and Lottie were both sniffling back tears, as were Eva and Portia, the other half of their childhood friend group as they helped Lottie into her dress.
And fuck, what a dress it was. While her arms were covered in intricate lace from her shoulders to her wrists, Lottie’s back was completely bare right down to her waist. She was a vision. A real-life princess, and Ruby found herself blinking against her own tears as she watched Lottie take in her reflection for the very first time.
“Oh my god.” Lottie’s words were a low, reverent whisper worthy of any house of worship as she pressed trembling fingers to her lips. “I look…”
“Stunning, Lottie-baby.” Stepping up beside her best friend, Frankie slid her arms around Lottie’s waist and squeezed. “You are the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen.”
“I am.” In the reflection, Lottie’s lashes fluttered as she blinked rapidly. “God, I wish my mom could see this.”
“She sees you, baby. There’s no way she’d miss this moment. Even Jesus himself couldn’t keep her away.”
Lottie’s watery laugh filled the room. “You’re right. But fuck, I miss her right now.”
“We thought you might say that.” It was Portia now, stepping forward to join her childhood friend and holding up an old antique locket. “That’s why we all pitched in and got you this.”
Fingers trembling so hard now Ruby worried she would drop the necklace, Lottie popped open the locket, a quick, sharp sob bursting out of her as she stared down at the photo of her mother Frankie had gotten from Lottie’s father months ago when Portia had come to them with the idea.
“You guys… I can’t… Thank you. It’s perfect.” With another of those shaky laughs, she passed the locket to Frankie. “Help me get it on.”
“Actually we had a different idea.” Turning, Frankie picked up the giant bouquet of red and white roses from where the photographer had set it aside for pictures earlier and artfully arranged the necklace so the chain nestled inside the flowers with the locket resting just above where Lottie’s hands would rest. “Now she can walk you down the aisle with your dad.”
“Fuck, you guys. You’re going to ruin my makeup before I even make it down the aisle.”
One by one, she turned to hug each of them. Ruby was last, and thankfully Lottie didn’t seem as teary-eyed as she pulled Ruby in for a tight hug.
“I’m so, so happy you came to work at the club,” Lottie whispered. “I love you so much, Ruby.”
“Me too. And me too,” Ruby added with a tear-filled laugh of her own. “You guys are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Pulling away, Lottie winked, and Ruby was once again left with the feeling that she was being left out of something. But then Lottie turned, and the moment was lost.
“All right, girls. Let’s go get me married!”
Beckett
* * *
He didn’t consider himself an emotional person. But fuck if watching Braden standing there at the end of the aisle, fidgeting with his tux as he waited for his bride, didn’t have Beckett feeling some kinda way.
When the music for the bridesmaids began, his heart kicked into high gear as Emily made her way slowly down the aisle, a shy smile on her face as everyone watched her entrance. She was followed by Titania, then two women Beckett only vaguely recognized as old friends of Lottie’s.
Then came sweet Ivy, her smile practically lighting up the room, followed by a radiant Silver.
And then his world narrowed to the vision that was his Ruby Red, the fire in her hair somehow brighter than usual against the emerald green of her dress. It didn’t matter to him that she was wearing a variant of the same dress everyone else was wearing. On them, the dress was simply pretty.
On his babygirl, it was fucking breathtaking.
She looked up, her dark gaze latching onto him, and when she smiled, he swore his heart literally stopped. The ring in his pocket seemed to grow heavier as every step forward brought her closer to him. And damn if he wasn’t half tempted to drop to his knees then and there and beg her to marry him.
But not only would Lottie kill him for messing up the plan, his babygirl deserved better. She deserved a proposal she’d remember with fondness rather than horror.
