When We Run (Mason Brothers Book #4)

Chapter 11

CADE

“You boys all look so handsome, I think I might cry!”

I hug mom and kiss her on the cheek. “Stop mom, you’re going to ruin your makeup, and then Eve will yell at all of us and I don’t want to get yelled at today.”

She dabs the corner of her eyes with the tissue that she’s been carrying around all morning, “Okay, okay I’ll get it together, but this is the second time I’ve seen you all dressed up, for this reason, and it just makes my heart happy.”

We’re all mingling in my parent’s living room while we wait for the limo to come to pick us up and drive us to the golf course where Eve and Damon are going to be getting married today. Damon is busy pacing back and forth, looking at his watch, while the rest of us are trying to keep the conversation easy so we don’t stress him out even more.

My mom takes a seat in the front living room and I head back into the larger family room, grabbing a glass of bourbon from the bar and sliding it in front of Damon. “Drink up, buddy. It’ll calm the nerves.”

He pushes the drink back, “I’m not going to be drunk while I say my vows.”

“First of all, we both know there is no way THIS amount is going to get you drunk. You had more before you left for prom your senior year. Second of all, the wedding isn’t for two more hours so you will be just fine.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He grabs the glass from me and throws it back in one gulp. He makes a face at the burn hits, but it doesn’t last long before I can almost see the nerves leave his body.

“Better?” I clap his shoulder.

“Yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”

When the limo shows up, all of us guys, plus mom and dad get in and we head to the golf course that is about a 45-minute drive away. Joey and Zach went with Eden. Something about not trusting Fletch to dress them the right way or something. The wedding coordinator that we met yesterday opens the door to the limo once we pull up to the location. She ushers us out and into another room that we’ll be waiting in until it is time to go to the ceremony. 

While we go into the room, mom waits at the entrance, “I’m going to go check on the girls.”

“Hey mom, can you take these to them?” Damon stopped her before she turned for the hallway and handed her three small boxes.

“What are they?”

“Gifts for the girls. The bigger one is for Eve, the other two are for my girls. They’re both the same so it doesn’t matter who gets what.”

Mom starts to tear up again, patting Damon on the cheek, “You’re a good man, Damon. I’m so proud to call you my son.”

“What did you get them, Damon?” Fletch asks from behind me.

Nothing huge, just matching necklaces to wear today. Gotta make sure my girls are taken care of.”

“I taught you boys well,” Dad comes up from behind and puts his arms around Damon.

“You really did, Dad. We all know how women deserve to be treated and it is all because of the example you showed us with mom.”

Dad swallowed the limp in his throat. We were a close family, but we didn’t often get sentimental. This has changed a bit as my brothers have started settling down. “If I do nothing else with my life, I’ll know that I passed on the greatest gift to my kids and that is to respect their partner in life and show them that love every single day. You’re all growing up to be such amazing young men. Even you, Adam, if thought you’re not “technically” mine.”