I was about to reach over and rip the grin off his face, but Anna beat me to it. “Hey, Sam. Today’s probably not the best day. He’s having a moment.”
Sam looked over at her, nodded, then sighed. “Fine. Take all my fun away.”
He turned to open the gate and I flipped him off. “Asshole!” I shouted.
Anna laid a comforting hand on my thigh. It soothed me. Some. A blow job would be better. “He’s just playing, Griffin. Relax, babe.” I tried to, but my mood was sour, and nothing short of another orgasm would fix it.
The parking lot was a large one, but nothing was open near the front door. Muttering a curse, I parked in the back. The rest of my entourage pulled up beside me, and Anna grabbed Onnika while I scooped up Gibson. I’d dressed her in a plaid skirt, white leggings, and a white sweater with a giant red heart on it. Fucking adorable. I could dress kids professionally, if that wasn’t really creepy sounding.
My family got out of their vehicles, and the swarm of us headed toward the dark stone church. Once my daughters were spotted, they were both stolen from me. I wasn’t even sure who grabbed them, they were just gone. Clumps of oohing and aahing people pinpointed where they were though, and I caught glimpses of Gibson’s skirt as she twirled in a circle. She finally had a group of people paying attention to just her; Gibby’s adjustment period to the new baby wasn’t going as smoothly as Anna or I had thought it would. We’d assumed Gibson would see Onnika as a doll to play with twenty-four/seven, but so far, all Gibson had seen was a rival. One she wanted to get rid of. She was in hog heaven now that the spotlight was back on her, for a little while at least.
Matt and Evan were standing together near the doors. As I headed their way I saw Matt shake his head and hand Evan a ten-dollar bill. With a sigh, Matt told Evan, “Wow, I really thought I had that.”
Wondering what Matt had thought he’d had, I asked him, “What was that for?”
Matt smiled. “I bet him that you’d be incinerated the instant you set foot on holy soil, but, here you are…not burning.”
“Funny,” I muttered, not in the mood.
Looking around, I spotted Kiera talking to Abby; Abby looked like she was only half listening to her client as she cooed at Onnika in her arms. Denny and Abby represented Kiera in her writing career, as well as the D-Bags. The two of us were their only clients though. For now. I was sure they’d expand one day, once they got tired of their day jobs at some swanky advertising agency.
Beyond them Anna was talking with her father, while her mother fussed over Gibson dancing at her feet. As I turned to head inside the church, I heard Matt say to Evan, “Hey, double or nothing he combusts when he steps inside the church?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Evan shrug. “Sure, why not?”
Twisting my head, I glared at each of them. “You guys are assholes.”
Evan frowned and looked over at Matt. “I think I’m gonna lose this one.”
I stepped inside the church and instantly heard Matt groan. Looking back, I saw him muttering something as he handed Evan more money. Just to further emphasize his loss, I stood in the church’s doorway and, using my feet to hold the heavy doors open, I flipped him off with both hands. Incinerate that, asshole.
That was when I noticed Anna’s dad watching me. Dropping my hands, I gave him a feeble chin nod. Trying to be the polite, dutiful son-in-law that Kellan was, I asked him, “How’s it hangin’, Mr. Allen?” See, I’m just as cool and friendly as Kyle. Instead of answering me, Martin rolled his eyes and gave his daughter a look that clearly said, Why did you do this to me?
Turning around, I ignored him and continued on into the church. I’d tried, but the odds of that man ever warming to me were slim to none. Oh well, his loss. The doors boomed shut behind me, and the people inside the quiet space twisted to look. While I gave the group of women closest to me finger guns, I spotted a few more friends and family. Denny and Kellan were talking near the front, Liam was a few rows away from where they were standing, clearly eavesdropping.
Liam’s face was alight when I walked up to him; I hadn’t seen him this excited in a while. Maybe he’d just found out that he’d gotten that new gig after all. If so, I didn’t have time to hear about it. He opened his mouth, and I could tell he was going to start spouting about his newfound opportunity. I held up my hands to stop him. “Later. We gotta get this ball moving.”
Sweeping past Liam, I spotted the pastor who was performing the ceremony today and made a beeline for him. Time to ring the bell, or bang the gong, or rev up the organ. Whatever they did to announce the beginning of service. The older man smiled when he noticed me approaching. Anna and I had met him a few times in preparation for today. He was cool. Preachy at times, but cool.
“Good afternoon, Griffin,” he said, smoothing a purple stole around his neck.
“Yo, Pops, or Father, or…whatever. We good to start?”
He looked about to correct me, or chide me, or start in on a four-hour speech about the errors of my ways, but instead, he closed his mouth, smiled, and nodded. “Yes, we’re all set to begin. I’ll go tell everyone to come inside.”
As I watched him saunter off toward the doors, my gaze came across Denny and Kellan. Kellan had a strange expression on his face—broody, like he was contemplating all the hardships in his life. I was sure whatever he was beating himself up about wasn’t really that big of an issue. Oh no! Women obsess over me, the media loves me, and everything I say and do is praised by all. Yeah, tough life you got there, Kell.