Page 29 of Priest’s Sunbeam (Renegade Souls MC: Next Generation #2)

Sunshine

A wedding on a tight schedule was a great motivator.

Especially when she was hyper, running on coffee and frantic adrenaline.

Sitting in the kitchen with a to-do list in front of her, she looked up through her lashes at her parents standing close together, having one of their often silent conversations.

It was like they had their own love language.

It was usually cute to see, but not while she was still unsure how they felt about her impending wedding in two days.

She’d arrived home this morning on the back of Seb’s bike, and they’d told her parents and Clover about it together.

Her mom had squealed and hugged them both, and they even received congratulations from her father.

Even so, she wasn’t sure if he was happy about it.

Once Seb left for the clubhouse, Sunny grabbed a coffee to organize her list, though Seb had most of it in hand.

“I’m not pregnant,” she blurted, and both her parents’ heads raised to look at her. “If that’s what you’re thinking about our quickie wedding. I’m not.”

Her dad’s face drew down in a scowl.

“Sweetheart,” her mom chuckled. “We know. And we figured you and Seb would never have a long engagement. It’s just a lot to do in such a short time.

I’ll call in the girls.” That meant the old ladies.

That biker wives’ squad had been together for ages and could accomplish anything.

Those ladies were formidable, and she couldn’t wait to be part of them, so Sunny nodded.

“That would be great. I only need a dress and shoes.”

“Paige will want to make the cake. Capone’s sandwich place can make those dainty finger sandwiches. They would be cute for the reception. Preacher will do the grilling. Colton, we’ll need the meat and fixings for burgers and steaks.”

By the end of the day, she had a flawless, slim-fitting wedding gown with a long train of beautiful, pale pink lace.

“Will you do my make-up?” she asked Clover, who’d been quiet most of the day. Her sister looked up from her milkshake. “For real?”

“Yeah. You do it so much better than I do.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah, I will.” Clover grinned.

“Thanks, button. I love the dress you chose. You’re going to look killer in it.” She got another grin from her sister, and Sunny quickly hugged her.

By the end of the workday, between logging in to her online classes and collecting extra assignments, she was pooped by the time they arrived at the clubhouse. Her man was nowhere in her eyesight, so she plonked down at a table with Harper, resting her head on her friend’s shoulder with a sigh.

“I should have let Seb whisk me away to get married, like Cain did with you.”

Harper scoffed. “That man locked me in an office and made me sign a marriage license. Girl, he’s crazy.”

Sunny laughed, knowing how in love Harper was with her crazy husband.

“But you didn’t have to do any annoying shopping.”

“The second official wedding, I did.”

“I just want to be married to Seb.” She sighed dreamily, and Harper patted her head.

“I know, sweetpea. It’s been your lifelong wish.”

As joking as Harper was being, it truly was Sunny’s wish.

Be Seb’s wife and his everything. To have an abundance of kids who all looked like him. Be a kickass elementary teacher.

She was on course for at least two of those goals.

Just then, she saw her man, and her blood came alive. He was with Alpha and Dax, and it looked like a serious enough conversation, but when he saw her, his face lightened, and he came over, kissing her lips. “Did you get everything you needed today?”

“Yep.” She beamed, wanting to crawl all over him but feeling shy about it.

Seb wasn’t shy as he cupped her face. “I need to go out for a while, but I’ll see you later, baby.

” Another kiss, and he joined the guys, his grave, almost angry face back in place, and Sunny wondered what that was all about.

Right after they left, Tanner strode out of the hallway, and she swept off her seat, not having seen him since she’d left Seb’s parents that morning to tell them their news.

“Hey, Tanner.”

He looked over and paused his steps. His face was unreadable.

“Do you know what’s got Seb looking like he wants to punch rocks?”

“They got the footage from last night,” he answered.

“Oh, and?”

“The guy was dressed in camo and walked by eight other sweet rides before he slashed up Seb’s tires.”

Doomy rocks filled the pit of Sunny’s stomach. “Shit. So it was targeted then?”

“Looks like it.” he turned his back and grabbed a soda from behind the bar, cracking it open. He drank it with a long gulp.

She wanted to call Seb to see how he was doing. Given her close relationship with him, she doubted he’d handle this well. Occasionally, young troublemakers in the area found it amusing to challenge each other to trespass on Souls’ land. She hoped it was something like that.

Tanner took her arm and started walking her out to the hallway. A few of the younger guys were hanging out. It was strange how Sunny noticed the divide in the club.

Everything was fine within the walls, but the kids all congregated in their own little groups. The older brothers were still the bosses, but the younger ones did most of the grunt work. It was only ever for parties where everyone hung out together.

She supposed it was how it was when organizations passed the baton to the next generation.

“What is it?” she asked Tanner. Assuming he wanted a private word with her.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice raspy and serious as he wiped his mouth with the hand holding the soda can.

Confused, Sunny asked, “About what?”

“Getting married.”

His words floored her, yet confusion was still gripping her brow as it furrowed, unsure why he’d even ask such a stupid question. Anyone who knew Sunny, even for a moment, would know where her loyalty and heart were.

“Am I sure I want to marry your brother? Is that what you’re asking me?”

“It’s soon.”

“No, it’s not soon. It’s what we both want. Where’s this coming from?” She felt a tickle in her stomach, having an inkling and hoping she was wrong, as Tanner stared at her deep in the eyes.

She’d played in the sandpit with him, scampered around kindergarten, and biked and played tag. They’d gamed and shared the same water bottles. But they’d only been friends, just as she was with Saint and Pasha.

She hoped it was just her friend making sure she wasn’t making a mistake.

“Sunny…”

“What?” she asked. If she hadn’t been looking at Tanner when he lunged, his lips would have touched hers. Despite the speed, she saw everything in slow motion. Reacting quickly, she pushed him, his lips grazing her cheek as her hands connected with his chest.

“Are you for fucking real right now? What the hell, Tanner!”

“Shit.” He cursed, putting his fist on the wall.

He cursed again, his dark head bent. He was a mirror image of his father, and in a few years, he’d have the same frame and would be devastating to all women.

Tanner admired Seb, but felt inferior. He probably didn’t realize he was brilliant in his own right; he was handsome and capable.

He didn’t need to walk in Sebastian’s shadow.

There was plenty of room for both Priest boys to shine.

But Tanner and his bruised ego had to realize that for himself.

She sure as hell wouldn’t let another man—Seb’s brother, of all people—try to kiss her because he was feeling inferior or left out.

“Fuck,” he said and turned to her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

“No, you shouldn’t have. Are you nuts? Or do we blame it on alcohol?”

Tanner shook his head. “Sunny, you gotta know…”

She held up her hand and stopped him from going any further, fearful that if he did, any friendship they’d have in the future would be strained.

“I don’t have to know anything, and if you were smart like I know you are, you’d forget whatever you were about to say.

Sebastian is your brother, so I won’t be sharing this with him, because it would gut him to know.

He loves you so much, and he’s always talking about how proud of you he is.

You’re my friend.” She stated firmly, holding his gaze and seeing how her words hit him, but she couldn’t feel bad for not feeling what he wanted her to.

“And you’re about to be my brother-in-law.

You’ve been very aware of my wanting for a long time. ”

“Yeah,” he replied, nodding gravely. And he left her standing there, watching as he strode out of the clubhouse without looking back.

Sunny exhaled.

It wasn’t her intention to keep secrets from her future husband, but this was one thing he didn’t need to know. And she hoped and prayed that Tanner would get over this blip so they could be one big, happy family.

As she retook her seat with Harper, she had a sinking feeling that she would be part of the Souls’ infamous wedding history, where something always went wrong.

But as long as she and Seb exchanged their vows, she didn’t care if a herd of geese gate-crashed their wedding buffet.

But instead of worrying about geese, she worried about her brother-in-law standing up when Pastor Danny asked if anyone objected to their marriage.

Great. Just great.