Page 50 of Buck (Diver Downeast #2)

Thanksgiving hadn’t come quickly enough.

Bobbie had been wearing Buck’s ring since July, and she was ready to add that shiny gold band to make things official.

September had certainly been a bright spot. Not only had her brothers gone to trial quickly, but they’d been sentenced to twenty years. Perfect.

Bobbie had also put on one hell of a spread for Ellen and Guy Sothard’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. It had been epic.

Glancing into the room adjacent to where the ceremony was being held today, Bobbie watched people bustling about without being part of it, which was a funny thing.

Normally, she was in charge of these parties; making sure things went smoothly.

Today, she was a lady of leisure; Roberto’s Catering having been sidelined for the festivities.

She’d recommended a place she respected to cater her wedding—with one special addition from her staff—and she knew the crew wouldn’t disappoint.

Bobbie supposed that was a good thing. It would be hard to get married while worrying over food. And with her best friend Mel as her maid of honor, neither of them would be able to successfully help wrangle victuals and wait-staff, if things went sideways.

She’d gotten really lucky with her choice of chefs to add to todays’ roster.

After Monsieur Provard had been picked up and charged with felony possession and distribution, for which he was also going away for a very long time, his staff at the mansion had been out of work.

She’d been able to contact Allain, the chef who had been so good to her, and she’d offered him a job.

He’d accepted with alacrity, and had already received his work permit which allowed him to be employed in the states.

She caught his eye, now, as he gave a practiced inspection of the tables, and sighed happily. He was going to make her life so much easier from here on out.

Bobbie smoothed down her fall-inspired, mocha colored dress, appreciating the way the silk wrapped to her body almost like a second skin.

The ladies attending her, Melo, Tabitha, Everlee, Rowan, and Sheila, were all in pumpkin and spice colors to compliment the fall theme, and they all looked…

delicious as they floated down the aisle.

Four little pups, Reyghan, Cooper, Duck, and Izzy had been duded out as tiny cornucopias, covered with fall flowers and fake fruit which, as they’d walked down the aisle on either side of Shiela, they tried to bite and pull off.

Most everything survived. Sort of.

And now it was her turn.

Standing proudly beside her was Buck’s dad, Guy Sothard, ready to walk her down the aisle.

Was she sad it wasn’t her own father? Not even a little bit. She did miss the woman who’d been her mother once, but that’s as far as familial feelings went. Her brothers were both in jail, and they wouldn’t have been invited, anyway.

She was completely done with the pair.

As soon as she’d fixed up the old family homestead once it had been legally hers again, she’d put it on the market and sold it off. She hadn’t needed the memories, mostly bad, that were wrapped up there, and getting out from under it had been a huge relief.

She and Buck had bought a cute, three-bedroom home, halfway between her work and his, because both or their businesses had taken off in the past few months. Bobbie’s, because the holidays were always crazy, but Diver Downeast had, in October, received a huge boon from the Canadian Border Patrol.

They’d been so appreciative of Buck, Spencer, and Tabitha’s help, that they’d awarded them a comfortable retainer so that Diver Downeast would be on call for any deep-sea needs that arose in the future.

And they had. Arisen already, that is.

The trio of owners had helped bust another drug smuggling operations, already more than earning their money.

Because of that notoriety, Diver Downeast had been in the local news numerous times over the past month, and work was now coming out of the woodwork so fast that they were thinking of hiring on more people.

Bobbie knew part of Buck’s hopes for the future of Diver Downeast would come out at the reception after the ceremony when the Sothard family was all together, and that would be fun.

Bobbie didn’t begrudge, one bit, that some of the attention would be off her.

As a matter of fact, it would be a relief.

She’d never had so many eyes sent her way, in her life.

Bobbie actually couldn’t wait to get back to being the woman behind public events, instead of being the event itself.

The first strains of the wedding march sounded, and Guy Sothard, as handsome as any of his boys who were standing up with Buck, hooked her hand onto his arm.

“Are you ready for this, daughter?” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at her.

Yes, she was finally going to be someone’s daughter again.

“Don’t make me cry,” she huffed, trying to hold back tears. “I don’t want to ruin the makeup that Rowan spent so much time on, and look ugly as we head to the altar.”

“You could never be ugly,” Guy assured her as they started to walk. “And if you don’t believe me, just look at the stars in my son’s eyes.”

Yes, Buck was staring at her all the way from his place up front.

His love was at the forefront, washing over her like gentle waves.

Not that they wouldn’t encounter storms in the future, because that’s what all relationships faced, but she knew that for every tsunami that rose up between them, it would be followed by a calm lapping of waters, where sea met sand.

Gentle. Comforting. Everything she’d ever wanted.

It was almost surreal that she’d finally made it here, and she couldn’t have done it without Buck, his friends, his colleagues, and his family.

She was truly blessed.

The ceremony went by so fast that Bobbie barely remembered a word that was said. She and Buck had written their vows together, so she already knew the profound way they’d pledged themselves to each other.

But as far as following the minister? Hearing when she and Buck had been pronounced man and wife? It had all gone over her head.

When they finally kissed, then walked into the other room for the reception, Bobbie was ready to move on, and already anticipating the next big part of the day.

Bobbie kept glancing at Buck once his entire family had been seated at two, big round table.

And Bobbie did mean big. There were a whole lot of Sothards.

There were Guy and Ellen.

There was one set of living grandparents, Guy’s folks, who were enjoying a bit of wine before they began—as they proclaimed—“cutting a rug” on the dancefloor.

There were all Buck’s brothers, from oldest to youngest; Trask, Vincent, Kyle, Mason, Julian, Spencer, and Seifer.

Add to those numbers, Mason’s wife, Everlee, and their almost one year old daughter.

Rowan, Kyle’s wife who was hugely pregnant with their first. Tabitha, who fit right in as a daughter-in-law as well as a business partner.

And Sheila, Tabitha’s sister who was the marketing brains behind Diver Downeast.

The crowd also included Buck’s cousin Maygan from Massachusetts, along with her husband Prez, and their brood of three; two teenagers and one very active toddler.

Bobbie had heard the stories of how Buck and his brothers, especially the oldest, Trask, had scared the living crap out of someone who’d been stalking her in college.

The whole group was very tight-knit.

It was one hell of a crew, and…would it be getting larger soon?

Bobbie’s hand dropped inadvertently to her flat stomach. Without really discussing it, she and Buck had stopped using birth control about two months ago. She didn’t yet have proof that she was pregnant, but her body was feeling…different, and she hoped to be able to share good news, soon.

But that could wait.

Right now, Buck was getting ready to drop his bomb.

Ding, ding, ding .

The glass tapping normally used for kissing between the newly married couple, was what Buck used to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay, son,” Guy Sothard was the first to bite. “What is it? You’ve been looking fit to burst since we all sat down.”

Buck stood up. “You’re right. I have. And the news is good.” He cleared his throat.

“Diver Downeast has just signed a lucrative and long-term contract, thanks to Tabitha. It’s with an underwater demolition company out of Florida with whom she’s done business before.

They want to tap this area to see if it’s lucrative ground for them.

We’ll be their contractors for anything that comes up in the next two years, then they’ll decide whether to establish themselves locally, or simply continue with us. But in the meantime…”

Buck looked around at four of his brothers in specific:

Trask, at forty-seven years old, was married to the Marines. Vincent was a career navy man. Julian, locally based, was still in the Air Force. And Seifer, who, two years ago should have been out of college, was still milking that gig for all it was worth.

“…I need more bodies. Diver Downeast has already gotten too busy for just the three of us. So before I start hiring outside the family, I thought I’d throw it out there. Are any of you reprobates interested in finally having a life outside the service? Because if you are, we could sure use you.”

The silence lasted all of ten seconds before Trask stood up, folding his napkin neatly in front of him and staring at it as if the material held all the answers to the universe.

Nothing in Bobbie’s experience prepared her for this taciturn brother’s next words.

“Yeah. I’m in.”