Page 112 of Badd Baby

Papa Lucas sent a warning glare at us offenders, and then gestured to Rune. "Now that my family is being rude, it's your turn, Rune, my dear."

"Thanks, Papa Lucas." Rune takes a deep breath, focusing on Duncan. "Dunc, my love. Falling in love with you was definitely not in the plans, but it's absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me." She covers her slight bump with one hand. "Becoming a wife and a mother were always someday goals for me. But life has a funny way of throwing twists and turns at you, and now, suddenly, I'm getting to be both of those things, and I could not be more excited. We get to discover life together, Dunc. I'm so incredibly grateful to have found you." She looked to Lindsey and then Raquel. "Linz, you encouraged me to stop hiding and running and get back out there after certain things took a very wrong left turn. Raquel, if it wasn’t for you and Hamish planning your wedding here, I'd never have met Duncan."

"Good thing the Old Toby burned down then, eh?" Hamish called, to much laughter.

Rune took another deep breath, held it, and squeezed Duncan's hands. "I promise to love you as hard as I can, Duncan. I promise to always forgive you when you're a jackass, and I promise to never run when things get hard. Or, if I do, I promise to at least let you catch me again." More laughter. "I can't promise to obey you all the time because I've never been good at that, but I'll definitely try to listen to you. I love you, Duncan Badd, and vow, here and now, in front of everyone we know and love, that I will spend the rest of our lives learning how to love you more perfectly."

"If anyone has reason to object," Papa Lucas said, with a dramatic pause, "keep it your damn self. These kids are gettin' hitched. Now. Rune. Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and at least try to obey Duncan for the rest of your days, no matter what?"

Rune sniffled, nodded. "Yes. I do."

"Duncan, grand-nephew, do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and at least try to obey Rune for the rest of your days, no matter what?"

"Absolutely I do," Duncan said, blinking hard.

Oh god, he's crying.

Shoot me.

I glanced at Lindsey, and I guess I must have rolled my eyes or something because she was glaring daggers at me. Or maybe the glaring-daggers was for some other reason. I honestly wish I knew.

Maybe I can corner her fine ass and get some answers out of her at some point this evening.

"Well then, by the powers given to me by the good ol’ internet and the great state of Alaska," Papa Lucas said, with a big old grin, "I now pronounce you two beautiful kids married as hell. Kiss'er, kid."

Duncan yanked Rune against his chest, hooked one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, dipped her backward, and kissed her stupid.

I couldn't help myself. "Get a room, you two!"

"That's the plan," Duncan said, lifting his wife to her feet. "But first, we party! Let's get it, Badd boys and girls!"

Cheers erupted and white roses were thrown at the couple as they walked down the aisle together toward the Passage, Aunt Eva snapping roughly a hundred photos every few seconds. As choreographed, Lindsey and I were next, meeting at the front of the aisle and pausing so Aunt Eva could get a portrait of us together. At the very last second, as my aunt was crouching to get the right angle, I snagged Lindsey's hand and stepped closer to her, angling my body toward hers as if we were not just standing up in the wedding together, but actually were together.

"Aww," Aunt Eva crooned as she snap-snap-snapped. “You two are adorable together! Lindsey, sweetheart, turn toward Dane a touch. There you go. Perfect!"

Aunt Eva stepped out of the way and snapped again as we walked hand-in-hand toward where Duncan and Rune were waiting.

Lindsey, the second Eva turned to focus on Raquel and Jax, yanked her hand out of mine. "What the hell was that?" she hissed, sounding absolutely furious.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, trying to sound innocent. "Just posing for the photos."

"You made it seem like we're together," she said, still hissing her words with serpentine venom. "We are not together and you know it."

"We aren't?" I said, faking shock—gasping and clapping a hand to my chest. "My god, if only I'd known….oh wait, that's right." I snapped my fingers. "We fucked exactly once, after which you freaked the fuck out, bolted without a word, and haven't so much as acknowledged my existence since, let alone offering me some kind of an explanation."

She stomped with blatant fury radiating from every pore. "Maybe it just wasn’t that good," she snapped, “and I'm just not interested in a repeat."

"And maybe you're full of shit." I leaned toward her. "It was goddamned fantastic and you know it, Lindsey. You owe me an explanation."

"I don't owe you shit," she answered, now speaking through gritted teeth as we reached Duncan and Rune. She left my side and hurried to Rune. "Congratulations, bitch. I can't believe you're married and pregnant!”

The girls embraced and I sidled over to Duncan, wrapped an arm around him, and shook him. "Congrats, I guess." I bumped my head against his. "For real, bro, I am happy for you. You snagged a winner."

He turned into me and pulled me into a hug. "Thanks, Dane. I know I did." He put his mouth near my ear. "When are you gonna tell me what the actual fuck is going on with you and Lindsey?"

I blew out a frustrated breath, squeezing him closer and embracing him hard. "Soon as I fuckin' know, man. She won't talk to me."

He laughed, the bastard. "Ah. So…what'd you do?"