SWNOVELS My Ex-Boyfriend’s Brothers: Chapter 40
I leaned against Jackson’s shoulder in the helicopter on the way back to the lodge. I was exhausted from spending the day out but I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been happier. Seeing Mom with the guys had been soul warming. As much as Brad had drained me since I’d arrived at the lodge, the day with my favorite people had refilled my reserves. After a few hours of sleep, I’d be able to tackle the rest of the wedding, no problem.
I tried to stay awake to watch the city lights fade into the vast darkness that surrounded the lodge but I nodded off a few times and missed most of it. Each time I opened my eyes I saw Luke or Ryan watching me with smiles on their faces. I felt just as happy. I felt more than happy. I felt like I’d woken up in the fairytale I’d always wanted and in just a few short days, I’d fallen for the princes of my dreams.
Jackson swore as the helicopter dropped faster than he seemed comfortable with. “Goddammit, Luke. If your helicopter pilot kills me, you’d better go with me or I’m coming back to haunt the shit out of you.”
Okay. Maybe calling them princes was a stretch but they were everything I’d always wanted. And more, honestly. I never would’ve dreamt of having all three of them. I never would’ve dared dream of having even one of them. Yet there I was, stumbling over myself to fall for them. More accurately, I was pretty sure I’d already done the falling. It’d taken me eight months to tell Brad that I loved him. It wasn’t even taking eight days for me to feel just as strongly for his big brothers.
I wasn’t truly ready to think about that and what it meant, though. When the wedding ended, we’d go our separate ways and then…probably nothing. They were important men with full lives. I was…me.
When we landed back at the lodge, we had to get out and run through the wind tunnel that was the helicopter blades since the pilot was taking the giant bird back to wherever Luke had him park it. Jackson put his hand on the back of my head and kept my head tucked as we ran, even though he was much more likely to get his head chopped off by the spinning blades. The idea of him worrying about me when they were all three at least six inches taller was hilarious to me and they all stared at me in confusion as the helicopter flew away and the night regained some semblance of normalcy.
“What’s so funny?” Jackson tried pushing my hair out of my face but the tangles were intense.
“You! Trying to protect my head! I would’ve been the last one of us decapitated.”
“Hey!” Brad’s angry shout jerked me right out of my good mood. He was coming at us with his hands on his hips and a dark scowl on his face. “What the fuck is this?”
Surprisingly, it was Ryan who stepped in front of our little group, his shoulders set in a confrontational way. “Who are you cursing at?”
“Why did the four of you just get off a helicopter? What is going on here?”
I could feel a shift in the older three Heath brothers like it was my own mood. I knew without a doubt that they were going to tell Brad that we were together. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to know or that I was ashamed of what we were doing. I just couldn’t have him find out before the wedding. I was trying to save my business. If he fired me or told everyone I was unprofessional, I would’ve done his wedding for no reason.
Jackson stepped forward. “What’s going on is that we-”
“I went with them to help them pick out the right wedding gift, Brad. Stop asking questions or you’re going to ruin the surprise.” I took a deep breath and tried to plaster an easy-going smile on my face while avoiding eye contact with the three men closest to me.
Brad continued to stare for another few seconds but then he sighed and rubbed his face. “Whatever. I need your help, Maggie. Christina wants us to each write our own vows and I’m lost.”
“You want Maggie to help you write your vows.” Luke sounded pissed off and ready for a fight.
I didn’t want to risk anything happening so I walked closer to Brad and kept on smiling. “I can help with the structure and stuff like that, but the feelings and words have to be your own. Which shouldn’t be an issue since Christina is amazing. Lucky for you, I’m a full service wedding planner. Let’s work in the dining hall.”
It didn’t help that he tossed a smug look back at his brothers. “Perfect. You’re the best, Mags.”
I cringed when he put his arm over my shoulders but there was nothing I could do. I tried to look back at the guys but Brad was right there, in my face. There was no getting past him.
I was silent on the walk to the dining hall, lost in thoughts of the guys being upset with me for hiding our…thing. Whatever it was, I wasn’t sure what to call it. I was worried they’d feel like I was choosing Brad over them. I wasn’t, though. I was just trying to do my job and finish out the wedding with enough of a reputation to get a few more jobs.
Brad didn’t make my life any easier. He asked about moving the meeting to somewhere more private about a dozen times. He was worried someone would hear his vows. After his last shannanigan with the wedding invites, though, I wasn’t budging. I led us straight to a table at the back of the dining hall and sat down with a finality that must’ve shown Brad that I wasn’t budging.
He sat across from me and blew out a deep breath. “Where’d you really go?”
“I already told you. Come on, Brad. We work on the vows or I’m going to my room. I’m tired.”
He looked like he was going to argue but then he stopped and nodded. “Alright. Fine. Let’s work on the vows.”
“What do you have so far?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your vows. What have you written of your vows so far?” I saw Gregor stick his head out of the kitchen and spot me. He didn’t look surprised, though, and I got the feeling that Luke had called him and asked him to check on us. I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or annoyed.
Brad stared at me with a blank expression. “That’s why I asked you for help. I don’t have anything.”
I barely resisted the urge to scowl at him. “What you say in your vows matters a lot, Brad. Christina is going to expect to hear your feelings for her wrapped up in them. You want to make sure you tell her how you feel and tell her what you love about her. You’re committing yourself to her in front of all your friends and family. Let everyone know how amazing she is.”
He had the nerve to scowl at me. “That’s too much. Christina isn’t going to expect me to be all emotional in front of everyone.”
“She asked you to write your own vows. That’s a sign that she wants you to be emotional. Come on, Brad. This is the woman you’re marrying. You’re spending your life with her. You know all the reasons you love her. Just start naming them. We can put it together in a nice way after.”
He winced and blew out a long sigh. “Fine. Let’s do this, I guess.”