Page 131 of Rebellious Hearts

I chuckled. We all knew my mom loved doing stuff like this. Yeah, the timeline had been a little short, but that had only spurred my mom on more, and she’d really given it her all.

Luke arrived, wearing his suit, too.

“Eh, looking sharp,” he said when he saw me and shook my hand. “Well done. Turns out youcanlook decent.”

“Fuck off,” I laughed.

Luke shook my brothers’ hands, and we bantered back and forth for a bit before it was time to head to the chapel.

“The limo is here,” Alex said, glancing at his phone.

I nodded and my stomach twisted for a second, but these were the good kinds of nerves. I was about to marry the woman of my dreams.

We filed out of the room. I stepped out last, throwing back the last of my drink and shrugging into my jacket.

Dad waited for me. He looked dapper in a gray tailored suit, his hair and beard neatly trimmed.

“Ready to go?” I asked.

“In a minute,” he said. “I want to have a quick word.”

I stopped and nodded.

Dad studied me with steely eyes, and I was just about to ask if I was in trouble when he started speaking.

“I’m proud of you, Ben.”

I blinked at him, suddenly emotional.

“You’ve grown, you’ve come into your own, and I know it was hard. We all have our demons to fight, and I know you boys have more than the average man’s demons to bear. But you’ve done so well, and you’ve become more than the sum of your parts. And I’m proud of you.”

“Dad…” I didn’t know what to say. My voice threatened to catch in my throat.

“I know that it’s been hell and you came from a shit place. You started at lower than zero, and you fought your way up. It takes some longer than others, but you did it, and I’m proud to call you my son. Do you hear? You’re going to be a good man to Sofia and a good father to your child.”

He grabbed me, hugging me, and for a second, he held onto me.

And this was it. The moment when I understood.

I was a Blackwood. I might have come from somewhere else, but I wasn’t whoever that little boy had been that those people had given away.

I was Benjamin Blackwood, about to be a husband and a father, and I had the perfect role model to follow to know how to be a dad.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Dad finally let go of me, and we both blinked a few times.

“Let’s get going. We shouldn’t keep your bride waiting.”

I smiled at him when he clapped me on the back, and we walked to the limo together.

Inside, the others were already waiting, and when we sat down, I’d never felt more part of a family than I did right now.

The chapel was bustling with people. Mom had gone all out, and the guest list was larger than five-hundred people, all available at such short notice. But no one wanted to miss a Blackwood wedding.

I greeted a few people close by as I walked through the crowds. They were still filing into the chapel. I spotted a group of people, all Sofia’s family. We’d flown to Oregon shortly after Sofia had met my family, and I’d been introduced to hers, too. Now, they’d all come to see us get married. Mom had insisted on paying for everyone—airfare, transport, accommodation.

After all, they would be family, too, now.