“Travis, from the time I met you eleven years ago, you were the standard I compared every man I met to and they all fell short. I’ve loved you all that time, and I’m ready to bind my heart with yours, to be your wife and your lover, and your helper. I promise to hold you, love you, and be faithful to you. I promise to be honest with you, to share my joys and my fears with you, and to believe in you with all my heart.”
Kate handed her Travis’s ring and she placed the heavy platinum band that matched Hank’s on Travis’s ring finger. She stroked her hand over the top of his and squeezed it, and then he leaned toward her and slid his hands around her waist, hugging her as if she was the only real treasure in the world. His hands were warm and comforting on her back as she cradled the back of his head and stroked his shoulder for several seconds. Tears wet his cheeks when he looked up at her once more and rose to his feet.
Hank knelt before her, smiling up at her with love burning in his eyes as he spoke, reaffirming vows he’d said earlier, and delivered his promises to her before kissing her palm and holding it to his cheek exactly as Travis had done. She’d seen it before at Maizy’s wedding but the moment was so intimate, so individual and unscripted that she felt like she was the first instead of one of many women to be claimed and loved in that manner.
She spoke her promises to him, catching his wink as he, too, looked at the platinum choker while she promised to obey him and to seek his guidance. For some odd reason, the thought of seeking a spanking came to mind and she had to stop and collect herself before she could continue. The sparkle in his eyes suggested he was guessing her thoughts.
The rest of the ceremony was filled with such a sense of joy, she felt as though she was floating off the floor. The heat and territoriality was blatant in Hank’s eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He buried his face against her abdomen for a long moment and she felt the barest trace of a vibration from his chest as he held her, that growly rumble of something primordial that was inside both her men. A part she loved, that part that claimed her as his woman—their woman.
Hank rose to his feet and he and Travis each took one of her hands. Grandma Kate nodded at them and smiled. She spread her hands, palms up, and in a jubilant voice, she proclaimed, “And now your journey begins, and your adventure awaits. May you forever remain steadfast, one in the others, and may love light your way, always.”
Veronica went into the arms of her men, receiving their kisses. Before Grandma Kate could slip away, Veronica stopped her and hugged her. “Thank you.”
“For what, sweet girl?” Grandma Kate asked with a sparkle in her eyes.
“For sharing your anniversary date with us.”
Bending down to kiss her cheek, Hank said, “That will always be a precious, precious thing to us, Grandma Kate.”
Travis said, “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have found the one woman meant for us, ma’am.”
Kate’s eyes grew misty and she cleared her throat before saying, “The three of you have already started your adventure and you’ve included me in it and that, my loves, is a precious, precious memory to me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Veronica took deep, cleansing breaths as she cried under the showerhead. Her tears had come upon her suddenly in the shower while she’d been preparing for her wedding night. The reunion with her family hadn’t been cathartic. Confronting them hadn’t provided any sense of closure, but she’d definitely felt like it was a new beginning. Only time would tell.
Perhaps the tears were brought on by the realization that whether her family took advantage of the opportunity or not, Veronica had her men, and they loved her and accepted her, and would defend her. She was free.
The hot tears finally stopped as Hank and Travis came to mind. With smiles and kisses, they’d sent her to the shower, telling her they wanted to make things ready for their first night as men and wife. All she’d wanted was them, but they’d insisted she take her time and relax.
A long, shaky sigh slipped from her lips as she recalled how they’d undressed her and caressed her breasts and sucked her nipples, teasing her clit and stroking her ass cheeks. Travis had growled softly as they’d finally sent her to the steamy bathroom.
A loud noise sounded from somewhere on the other side of the house. With the shower on, she couldn’t tell from where. After rinsing the last of the lather from her body, she shut the water off. She shook her hair loose after removing the clip and listened for the sound of their voices. She jumped as she heard another loud noise outside the house, but otherwise there was only silence. She was reaching for the towel hanging near the shower and as she stepped from the wet tile, the lights went out, casting the house into inky blackness.