The Healing Touch - Apryl Baker Page 0,97
working on a historical romance?”
She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, it’s been in my head for days, and I forced myself to stop writing today so I could focus on y’all.”
The limo came to a stop, and the women piled out. Not one car in the small chapel lot. Nikoli had bought out the venue. She knew the men were in there, and she longed to feel Dimitri’s arms around her, to help calm her nerves, but she forced her nervousness away, rubbing her belly.
“Don’t worry, Buggy, your daddy isn’t going anywhere. He loves us.”
Sara Jane hugged her, and it helped. It was a trick that really helped to ease a panic attack. Just hug someone hard and let them feel your body heat and hear your heartbeat, and it calmed them down.
“Better?”
“Yes.”
“Ready to go get gussied up and knock our men’s socks off?”
Becca nodded and allowed Sara Jane to drag her inside through the side door and toward the room set aside for them.
~*~
Dimitri paced back and forth. He’d flipped off the Elvis poster more than once. He wanted it gone, but Becca and Angel thought it was funny and demanded he leave it alone.
“What is taking so fucking long?” he muttered to Viktor.
“Women take time to get ready, asshole.”
“Language!”
They winced when they heard their mother screech at them. Turning, Mason was behind him, his iPad aimed at them with their mother’s very angry face.
“You are in a church! No cussing.”
“Uh, Mama, I’m pretty sure this doesn’t count as a church.” Viktor took a step back when Babby appeared with her wooden spoon.
“You!” She waved it at him. “I say no bad words at church. You did same thing at Nikoli’s wedding. Don’t make me get on a death trap to come whack you!”
Viktor looked horrified, but the rest of them snickered, remembering Nik’s wedding. Poor Viktor had been trying to hush them up, but all their babushka heard was the curse words falling off his lips. He’d been stalked and whacked with that wooden spoon all day.
Thank God she was in Russia and unable to whack any of them.
“I see what you think, Dimitri. I will get on the death trap to whack some manners back in you.”
Dimitri found himself backing away from his grandmother and her wooden spoon. He half expected her to reach through the screen and whack him.
“No more booty calls for you, Dimitri. Becca is a good girl and not a booty call!”
“Mama!” Irinia Kincaid gasped. “Do not use that word.”
Babby waved her spoon dismissively. “He needs to know we’re watching him!”
“Witch, leave the boy alone. He’s got enough to worry about without you threating him.” Ronin Kincaid took his wife’s place. “Congratulations, son. I’m happy for you, even if you’re getting married in an Elvis chapel.”
“I told you why, Papa.”
“And I told you I understood, boy. You do what you need to do to keep your woman feeling loved and safe. If that means the Elvis minister, then that’s what she’ll get.”
Dimitri blinked back sudden tears. He had no idea why the urge to cry hit him, other than his father’s absolute acceptance of Becca with all her flaws, and he loved her like his own daughter.
“This was a good idea.” Ronin nodded. “We can be there, even when we can’t. You tell Rebecca how much it means to us we were able to attend her wedding.”
“I will, Papa.”
Ronin Kincaid did something then that scared that scared the hell out of Dimitri. No one saw it but him.
He coughed, and blood trickled out of his mouth.
He wiped it away quickly.
“Papa…”
“It’s fine, son.”
He knew better, but just then the chaplain, dressed in all his Elvis finery, came in and announced the women were ready.
“Go take your place, Dimitri. It’s time to greet your new wife.”
He didn’t want to leave until his father explained what was going on, but he couldn’t do it because Rebecca was coming.
“Go, Dimitri,” Ronin said softly. “We’ll talk when you get back from your honeymoon. I promise.”
Dimitri pursed his lips but nodded instead of arguing.
Becca came first today.
But his father was going to explain that trickle of blood.
He took his place at the altar, and Mason stayed where he was so their parents could watch the wedding procession. Not that there was much of one. Viktor was back at the hotel playing babysitter. Delia hadn’t wanted to come either, and she was probably trying to convince her new Papa to let her watch Adventure Time. Dimitri had let her watch, not knowing