When we turn, Beck and his wife, Dee, are right behind us. They give their hellos much like Greg and Melissa did. By the time we step away from them and walk to where Liam is standing, I’ve already had two men threaten to kill me if I hurt Ember. I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I somehow hurt her, I would welcome their anger.
Lyn, Lila, Stella, and Maddi are laughing with Megan and Molly. By the glances they keep sending my way, I’m sure there is still talk about spit babies by that girl.
“You sure do know how to make an entrance.” Lee laughs. “Hey, Em.” He gives her a hug.
“Yeah, seems so.”
I look around and see Cohen’s brothers have now joined the Cooper boys with the football; they’re too wrapped up in their game, so I skirt my eyes around them to see my and Ember’s parents standing by the grill looking at us. Both our moms have big smiles on their faces, and if I’m not mistaken, tears in their eyes.
“Well, aren’t you looking handsome today?”
I look away from our parents and laugh at Sway.
“I always look handsome.”
“Just as cocky as your father. Come wrap those big strong arms of yours around Sway and give me a proper hello.”
I bend, giving him the hug he wants. “Hey, Davey,” I tell his husband over his shoulder and wait for him to finally let go.
Finally, he does, but not before I get a kiss on my cheek. Ember is at my side laughing at his antics, and I would gladly let that man kiss me again if it means she’s no longer feeling unsure about how we will be received today.
“I think we should probably go finish the rounds,” I whisper in her ear after stepping away from Sway.
She looks up before following my eyes to our parents and gives me a nod. This time, she takes my hand before leading the way. You couldn’t have stopped the grin that came over me at her claim of ownership. My mom passes my nephew, Owen, to my father before walking from their foursome and meeting us halfway. Instead of giving her baby boy a hug, though, she approaches Ember.
She places her hands on Ember’s biceps and says, “Hey, sweetheart. You look beautiful.” I clear my throat and raise my brow when she looks up at me. “What? Do you want me to tell you that you look beautiful too, son?”
“That would be lovely. Yes, you can tell me how beautiful I am.”
She shakes her head and looks back at my girl. “I’m so happy for you two.”
I don’t need to look at Ember to know that her happiness does, in fact, make her look beautiful.
“Thanks, Izzy,” she says softly. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that.”
I give a mock gasp. “You mean you doubted my own mother thought her baby boy was beautiful?”
Ember pulls her hand from mine to give me a playful smack against my chest at the same time my mother does, and we all three laugh.
“Go on,” she tells us before turning and calling Owen’s name. He jumps from my dad’s arms and starts rushing to his grandma. “Don’t let those big men intimidate you,” she warns before walking away.
“Let’s go, baby.”
We move until we’re standing in front of them. My dad reaches out and hooks my shoulder before pulling me to his body. With just a few inches separating our height, his mouth turns to my ear. “Don’t make me hurt my own boy by doing something stupid as fuck to his woman. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” I lament, shoving off him playfully and turning to Ember’s dad.
He has his arms crossed over his chest and his face gives nothing away as to what he is thinking. It doesn’t matter that he knows about us. It doesn’t even matter that I have his blessing to be with his daughter. Right now, he’s playing the part of a father that is, in a sense, letting go of the daughter he has loved and raised for twenty-one years and giving her to the man who will spend the rest of her life being the one to make sure no harm comes to her heart.