Chapter 88

Carlos and Jake met Kevin and Bron in the hallway.  Carlos gave Kevin a nod and the four of them entered the elevator.  “Do they have to go too?”  Bron griped. 

Kevin nodded and Jake spoke.  “Gee thanks Sis and all this time I thought you loved me.”

“Sorry,” Bron muttered in despair.  All I want is time alone with him.  I need to talk to him about last night.  She became suddenly mute and in deep thought.  Kevin watched her and knew she must have been thinking about what went down last night.  They would have time alone this afternoon; he had made sure of it.  First stop was the Courthouse to get their license. 

As they got off the elevator Bron headed for the lobby but was abruptly steered to the back of the hotel.  A van was waiting for them at the service entrance to the hotel.  “This is a bit much don’t ya think Lurch,” she looked at him a little dismayed. 

“Nothing is going to stop up us from getting this done,” was the serious reply she received from him. 

The ride to the courthouse was silent until Kevin reached in Bron’s purse and removed her wallet.  He flipped it open and then closed.  Casually he placed it back in her purse.  “Anything I can help you with Kev?” she said as she glared at him. 

“I couldn’t remember if I put your driver’s license back.”

Bron was fighting it; she really wanted to slap him in the face.  It was just a reminder of how controlling he had been since they were together.  Jake was grinning at her waiting for the fireworks.  “Wait until we’re home,” she muttered under her breath.  Kevin heard it and turned to look out the window.  He didn’t want her to see the faint smile growing on his face.

Arriving at the Courthouse both Jake and Carlos went into their security mode.  “We’ll go in first,” Jake spoke to Kevin.  Bron visibly tensed, this was it.  “You and Carlos?  This is so sudden Jake.  I had no idea,” Bron snickered. 

Carlos frowned and Jake grimaced at the remark.  “Hey, don’t you start.  I lost my girl because of you.  Following your ass all over the country side.” 

Bron gave him a haughty look, “Yeah right, you haven’t had a piece of ass in months, that’s your problem.  Those little snobs you hang out with are jerks.  I tried, but you’re hopeless and picky.”

Jake glowered at her, “I’m not picky and your friends are as weird as you are.  You guys are nothing but a bunch of horny....”

“Stop!”  Kevin spoke in one octave below a yell.  “Knock it off, both of you.” 

Carlos stood outside the van listening to Jake and Bron argue.  He grinned at Kevin who winked at him.  The plan changed they would have to go in together.  Carlos walked next to Kevin and whispered quietly as he watched the two in front of him continue the argument.  “Just like sister and brother,” he chuckled. 

“For sure,” Kevin answered him.

Discreetly they signed in and silently prayed that no one would make the connection of whom Kevin was.  After a very long wait they were called to a cubicle by a woman in her mid fifties and began answering the questions the she asked them.  She asked for Kevin’s identification and he produced it.  The woman smiled as she looked at the license.  “This isn’t necessary I know who you are, but technically I have to check.”  Kevin shifted in his chair, uncomfortable that she knew who he was.  Bron groaned a little louder than she wanted too and the clerk heard her.  “Hey I won’t tell, I promise,” the woman smiled.  Jake and Carlos hung off the doorway of the cubicle chuckling. 

“Going to any of the concerts?”  Kevin grinned at the clerk. 

“Why are you going to give me tickets?” the clerk grinned back.  “I will if I have too,” he answered her. 

“Not necessary, I have great seats for my granddaughter and I,” she replied with a smile.  Bron rolled her eyes at both of them.

“Let’s continue shall we,” the clerk spoke.  She asked for Bron’s license of which Kevin reached down and into Bron’s purse grabbing her wallet.  He pulled the license and handed it to her.  Jake was snickering behind Bron and she could hear it.  “He’s so helpful,” Bron replied with a plastic smile on her face.  Kevin bit his bottom lip and prayed she would contain that temper of hers for just a few more minutes. 

The clerk took Bron’s information and asked for the spelling of Bron’s first name.  Bron opened her mouth to answer but Kevin had spelled it before she even got the B out of her mouth.  Bron’s temper went higher on the scale.  This time both Jake and Carlos were chuckling behind her.  The woman asked for Bron’s last name and again Kevin answered for her.  Bron’s hand went to Kevin’s leg.  The woman who sat behind the desk thought it was a sweet loving gesture.  The two standing behind them knew Kevin was just in trouble.  They could see her nails digging into his leg.  Casually he lowered his hand to cover hers, trying to remove her claw like grip from his thigh.  He wrapped his hand around her wrist and tugged not so gently.  He squeezed hard enough to make Bron shift in her chair and she released his leg.

“Last name you are going to use with your marriage?” the woman grinned at Bron.  “Cooper,” came out of Bron’s mouth followed by “Richardson,” from Kevin.  Bron turned and narrowed her eyes at Kevin; he had the exact same expression in his eyes.  Jake backed up a little and whispered to Carlos, “Sticking point.”

The woman watched, “I need to make a copy.  I’ll be right back.”  The woman left the cubicle hastily.  “Look you are marrying me you will carry my name not C.W.’s.” 

Bron had a know it all smirk on her face, “Cooper is not C.W.’s name it’s mine.  I didn’t take his name when I married him either.  Looks like you missed that little bit of information.”

“Well you’re taking mine,” Kevin announced.  If I find out who didn’t tell me, I’m gonna clean the floor with them, he groaned to himself.

“Kevin I am in a business where I bank on my name.  I’m already established.”  Bron hissed at him.

“Mc said you were changing the company name so what is the big deal,” Kevin shot back.

Bron stood there ready to blow, “That wasn’t my freaking idea you ass, that was his.  I said no and he said yes.  I lost.  I said we would relocate.”

Kevin watched the woman slowly make her way back as she tried to give the two of them privacy.  Kevin leaned over to Bron’s ear and whispered something that was inaudible to Jake and Carlos.  They scrutinized Bron from behind, her shoulders squared off and her back went straight as Kevin leaned back into his chair.  The woman took her seat, again she asked the same question, of which this time she received the same answer from both parties, “Richardson.”

A loud scoff was heard from behind and they both knew it had come from Jake.  The woman finished the paperwork and requested the fees.  Kevin paid the fees and the woman left again to record it in the register.  Bron said nothing and glared straight ahead.  Upon the woman’s return she handed Kevin the license.  “Good luck,” she smiled.  “Luck has nothing to do with it,” Bron muttered as she stood up and walked away.

Kevin stood up and shook the woman’s hand and gave her a genuine smile, “She’s just nervous.” 

“Uh-huh,” the woman grinned.  Kevin turned to see Carlos waiting for him.  Jake had followed Bron, who had gone directly to the van.

Kevin and Carlos joined Jake and Bron.  “Wanna do lunch?”  Kevin asked. 

“I’m not sure ape man, oh I mean Master, why don’t you decide?” Bron snarled. 

Kevin bit the side of his cheek.  “Lunch it is,” Kevin grinned.  Silence and tension grew in the van and Jake couldn’t stand it.  This was suppose to be a happy day not one of fights and arguments.  “Okay Kev, what did you say to change her mind?  She’s carried her name since birth.”

Kevin just smiled and refused to answer, but Bron did answer.  “Easy, he’s got all my damn money in Richardson he said it would take weeks to fix it, if he could.  I would go back to Lexington with an empty wallet.”  Bron swung her arm back and slammed Kevin in the chest.  He coughed at the contact he wasn’t ready for,

“Oww!” he groaned as he grabbed her arm.  “Be nice,” he hissed.

Nothing more was said as they arrived at a small out of the way restaurant.  The party of four was seated at two different tables across from each other.  “Did you eat this morning?” he asked. 

“No,” she grumbled. 

“How can you forget to eat?”  Kevin asked her. 

“I’m still alive don’t worry about it.” 

A waiter came forth with menus and Bron stared at the menu and then set it down.  “I’m not hungry,” she stated.  “You have to eat, you’ll fall on your face if you don’t.  It’s going to be a long afternoon and evening.” 

“Don’t remind me,” she uttered.

Kevin rolled his eyes and ordered lunch for both of them when the waiter came back.  “

I said I wasn’t hungry,” she reminded him. 

“I heard you,” Kevin answered her.  “Bron you need to calm down and relax.  This should be a piece of cake for you.  Look at it like your negotiating a deal.”

Bron closed her eyes, as the drinks were set in front of them.  “I would but there is give and take in negotiating, you don’t do that give part very well.”

“After tonight I will,” he answered as plates were dropped on the table. 

Bron was still recovering from the quickness of the order.  “They’re fast here,” Bron said staring at the plate. 

“Eat and talk.  I want to know what happened last night that caused your nightmare,” Kevin said to her.

Bron exhaled loudly and she started babbling.  She explained to Kevin that Mc was still very sorry about everything that had happened back then.  That his anger did get the best of him where she was concerned.  Bron stopped short of the most important part that Kevin wanted to here.  “Bron did Mc tell you why you never had a physical relationship?”  Kevin looked at the dazed look on her face as he said it.

Bron’s eyes misted over and she dropped her head.  Kevin frowned at her being upset, if he lied to her, I’ll kill him when I get back there, he screamed in his head. 

“Yes,” she said discreetly. 

“What did he tell you babe?” he asked gently.

 “That it wasn’t my fault that it was a physical problem of his and it wasn’t me.  He said he wanted nothing more than to be with me and that was why he got so angry all the time.  He said that if I was any other woman I would have figured it out, but that I was blind to the obvious.”  Bron raised her head to look at Kevin as a tear slid down her cheek.

“It’s not your fault Bron, don’t ever think it is.”  Kevin spoke as he leaned forward and wiped the tear from her face with his napkin.  “You love with everything you have and sometimes you don’t see what others see.  There is nothing wrong with that.  You don’t hide your affection and that is a gift.  You take care of and love everyone, even that ass that you call your partner.”

“If I had known Kevin I could have helped him.  My life could have been very different.”  Bron spoke softly.

“Maybe, do you think he would have stopped beating on you Bron?  Would you have given up Kaylin and C.W. for him?”  Kevin added to her thinking.  “No, never,” rushed out of her mouth.  “Things happen for a reason darlin’.  You two weren’t meant to have that kind of relationship,” he verbalized as he swung his chair next to her.  He settled an arm around her shoulder, “Now you need to eat.”

That sat and ate silently, watching each other.  The waiter cleaned the table and dropped the check.  “Kevin would you be mad at me if I um tried to help Mc now?”

At first Kevin felt threatened and then jealous.  “I don’t honestly know.  I don’t like the idea.  I know that.  I’m feeling pretty insecure about us right now and I don’t think I could handle it.”

“Could we talk about this after we get settled in?”  Bron asked demurely.

“That we can do,” he whispered to her as he lowered his head to rest on the side of hers.

“I hate to interrupt but it’s getting late and I do believe you have something special going on in a few hours,” Carlos declared.

Bron glanced at her watch, “Oh God Kevin they are going to be so pissed at us.  Look at what time it is.”

Kevin glanced at his watch and stood up.  He grabbed the check and the one Carlos was holding.  Quickly he totaled it and dropped cash on the table.  “My mother is gonna kill us, she’s put so much into this for us,” as the four them practically ran out of the restaurant.

The traffic wasn’t bad and they hustled up to the suites as fast as possible.  It wasn’t that difficult since there were only a few fans at the back door of the hotel.  As they reached the floor they both were ready for the onslaught from their families.  Kevin went into the suite first followed by Bron.  “How nice you two decided to join us,” came barreling out of his mother.

Kevin mumbled an apology to her as he stood in front of her.  “Get moving,” she commanded as the couple split up, each heading for their own suite.  “Three hours, they show up three hours before they’re suppose to get married.  Unbelievable!”

As Bron walked in she saw Mary, Leigh, and Gillian all glaring at her in anger.  “I’m sorry, he was hungry,” she offered to them.  Bron’s suite door swung open to see Anne standing there, “You don’t have time for chitter chatter.  Get in the shower.”

“Damn,” Bron muttered as she headed for the shower, I guess I know where he gets it from.  Bron took her time with her shower; she wasn’t going to be rushed because of General Anne.  She’d been in the shower for over half hour when she heard Bounce’s voice.  “You better hurry up, Mrs. R is getting mad.”  Bron turned the shower off and stepped out.  She smiled when she saw Bounce all dressed up in the dress she had bought for her.  “You look so pretty,” she said to her as she dried off and took the robe that Bounce was holding for her.

“Thanks for the dress mom,” she smiled.  Bron bent down and gave her a peck on the cheek, “You’re welcome baby.” 

Kevin’s voice rang through Bron’s room as he was confronted with three angry women telling him to get out.  “Get real,” he answered them as he opened the bathroom door.  “Where are my cufflinks?” he asked. 

“With my ring in the box.” 

“Oh,” he expressed as he began to leave, he turned to Bounce, “You look beautiful Bounce.”

“Thanks,” she giggled and Bron winked at Kevin. 

Bron did her hair while Bounce waited for her in the other room with the girls.  Finally Bron came out of the bathroom her hair done, but not her make up.  “Can you be any faster,” Mary said sarcastically. 

“There’s plenty of time,’ Bron answered her. 

“You have an hour and half,” Mary grinned and Bron groaned.  A giggle followed from Tracy, who had joined the ladies.

Bron could here the commotion in the other suite and opened the door to the suite, “What’s the matter Kevin?”

Anne looked at her with a sour face, “He shouldn’t see you.”

“Please, let’s keep the old notions at bay.  We don’t need this.”  Bron answered her.

“I can’t find the damn box,” he yelled from his room.  Bron crossed the suite and went into his room.  She walked to the luggage and pulled the box out of the right side of his suitcase.  “Thanks,” he muttered, as he stood there shirtless and barefoot.  Bron shook her head and left. 

As Bron passed through the suite again she noticed that the room was filled with every male body they knew.  “Nice robe,” Nick snickered. 

“You bought it for me,” she smiled and kept on walking into her suite. 

“Kaos!” came booming from Kevin’s room.

Howie and Brian laughed, “I like the pink one better,” A.J. said. 

Kevin’s head poked out of the door with his commander Kevin face on and they all grinned at him.  “You shouldn’t be discussing my wife’s clothes,” he chastised them.

“Okay, but if Nick can watch...”  A.J. cackled back. 

“Alex!” came from Mary as she stood in the door of Bron’s room.

“Bron where are my socks?”  Kevin yelled.  “In your suitcase,” was the reply he received.  They could hear Kevin cursing; he couldn’t find a damn thing.  He was a wreck.  The fellas were highly amused at this new Kevin.  Mr. in control was flipping out.  “Bronwyn!”  Kevin yelled.  Bron again reappeared this time with flowers in her hair as she crossed the suite.  Again she produced what he was looking for with little effort.  She shook her head as she treaded to her room.

“You know at this rate, we might actually get a glimpse of something sweet,” Nick chuckled to A.J.  Nick’s head slumped forward.  He knew it was Jake who had shoved him.  “Thanks Jake, I know…. she’s your baby sister.”

Bron ambled back through the suite in a state of almost dressed.  “Does this remind you of anything?”  Mc asked.

“Yep, it’s Lucy and Ricky Ricardo,” Jake chuckled. 

Bounce came from the suite and followed her mom into Kevin’s room.  “Complete with Little Ricky,” Stevie laughed.  Everyone laughed but Anne who was getting extremely angry at the antics of everyone, this was in important day for her and her family.

Bron drifted back to her room with Bounce right behind her.  She had no sooner begun to put her make-up on, when Kevin was hollering again for her.  “Where are my dress shoes?” he yelled.

Bron shook her head, “Heaven help me,” she murmured loud enough for everyone in her room to hear.  Bron rolled her eyes around in mock amusement to the girls.  “Just a minute please!” she yelled back to him.  Kevin came in the room looking for her.

Bron held her hand up, “You have to stop this right now.  If you want me down there, get your shit together.”

“You’ll be down there if I have to drag your ass down there,” Kevin spoke with a no-nonsense tone.

Bron glanced to Anne, who had a look on her face of who is that talking.  “You know damn well where everything is in your room.  Getting me angry by aggravating me is not helping.  Your reverse psychology is not going to work today.  If you want me down there as a WILLING participant, handle it yourself.  I’m not going to storm down there and say I do just because you pissed me off to the point of no return.”

Kevin smirked at her knowing she was right.  Bron raised one eyebrow at him, which provoked a small giggled from Tracy as she began to speak to him,  “Don’t forget your tie, tie tack, and the license.  I need to see Carlos, Jake, and Mc when I get downstairs.  Andy is going to be upset.”

Kevin leaned towards her and kissed her soundly in front of all the girls, “Guess that’ll have to hold ya Witch.”  He promptly walked out and didn’t call for her again.  Kevin wondered why she wanted to see Carlos as he left.  The girls were clueless and Bron shook her head at Mary, who had figured out on the second yell what Kevin was up to.

“Don’t worry Bron, all three of them are like that,” Tracy smiled to her.

“Wonderful,” Bron groaned.

Bron slowly dressed but was waiting till the last minute to put her outfit on.  An uproar was heard next door and then complete silence.  “They left,” she sighed heavily. 

Anne promptly joined them again and smiled.  “They’re gone, let’s get you dressed,” she broadcast.

Bron put on the top half of her outfit and grinned, “Who the hell picked this out, I love it!” she exclaimed. 

“Nick!”  Mary grinned at her. 

Bron smiled, “Leave it to Nick to find a wedding gown made out of a Corset, a Bolero Jacket and a skirt.  All made of silk.  The jacket won’t button so this is going to have to do.”

Bron finishing dressing.  As she slipped on the shoes she looked at in the mirror.  “I don’t know who you are lady, but you’re looking good,” she grinned.  “What’s even better is that it’s not white and not a bow to be found anywhere!”

“Awesome,” Mary added.  After that the complements poured forth they headed downstairs to a room just off of the ballroom.  “Sitting pretty high there Bron, think you’ll fall out of the top,” Tracy giggled. 

“Kevin won’t mind,” Gillian cracked as they shut door and headed downstairs.

Next

Back

Contents

Home

Mail

This page © 2001-2005 Bronwyn