Chapter 10
Arching an eyebrow down at the midnight blue tuxedos, Mark stared over at her, and asked, "What bout you? I hope you got a dress in there, darlin'." He said, recalling her earlier words about a dress be damned.
"Man, she had this planned." Steve moaned, walking over to examine his own tuxedo, and nodded in approval. "Nice Challie."
Smirking, Chalice rolled her eyes at her brother's slowness, and giggled before walking into the closet. A few minutes later, she emerged, carrying a beautiful white gown that was in plastic, and laid it gently on the bed. "Of course I got a dress, sweetie."
Mark growled, shaking his head and walked across the room to pull her into his arms, kissing her passionately, hungrily. "You're a wench, but I love you." He whispered, nuzzling her neck. "The dress is gorgeous, darlin'."
"Get a room." Steve groaned, taking his tuxedo, and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower.
"I'm not putting it on until you're out of eye sight." She informed him, kissing him back just as passionately, and moaned softly in his mouth as she whispered, "Wait until after we get married, sweetie." She giggled when he growled at her again and picked her dress up, already dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top. She'd changed while in the walk-in closet before emerging with her dress.
Mark took the dress from her, laying it gently on the bed before unfastening her jeans, and slid them down her legs. He grimaced when he heard Steve singing in the shower. "How bout I help you get undressed then?" He whispered in suggestion, kissing her inner thighs teasingly.
"Mark, no! You can't see me in the dress until I walk down the aisle!" She gasped out, her body already trembling against him. Being pregnant, all of her senses were extra sensitive and twice as pleasurable. "Steve's here!"
"He's in the shower…singing, might I add." Mark replied, kissing her through the panties she wore, and slipped a finger underneath the material to gently stroke her throbbing clit.
As if on cue, Steve shrieked out, "Woo! I feel good! Da da da da da da…I knew that I would!"
"Oh god, Mark…" She whispered out breathlessly, immediately melting against him, and nodded as she leaned further against him, her knees buckling. "Mark please…I'm so sensitive right now…" She bit back a cry of pleasure and that disappeared when she heard her brother. Bursting out in laughter, Chalice pulled away from her fiancé and pulled her jeans back up. "Oh my god…"
"So nice! So nice…I got you! Dun dun dun dun OWWW!" Steve chortled as he continued to sing in the shower. "Christ, how much shampoo do ya need?" He shouted, seeing around five bottles on the edge of the bathroom and knocked one over, groaning when it landed on his foot. "DAMN!"
Mark shook his head, no longer in the mood either and stood up, trying not to laugh. "He sounds worse then me." He joked, staring down at her longingly, and licked his finger clean of her essence he'd gotten before they were interrupted.
"Stevie was NEVER a great singer to begin with." She rasped out, laughing so hard, she was rolling on the bed holding her sides, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Gimme five more minutes! I gotta shave my legs!" Steve hollered, busting up laughing at himself before bursting into another song.
"I'm using the downstairs bathroom…" Mark grunted, shaking his head again, then cocked it to the side. "Is he singing…It's Raining Men?"
"No, I think he's singing I Shot the Sheriff, sweetie." Chaliced rasped out because she was rolling on the ground, holding her stomach, and laughing harder, the tears never stopping. She didn't care how she looked. Her brother was hysterical and Chalice loved him for it. Just one of the many qualities from her lovable brother.
Mark shook his head again. This time actually walking out of the bedroom, laughing his own ass off. He winced when Steve hit a high note and clamped his hands over his ears. Fairly certain Eric Clapton had never meant for that note to be reached. He grunted, shaking himself mentally, and walked down the stairs into the bathroom. He'd managed to grab his tuxedo on his way out of the bedroom while Chalice was busy rolling on the ground laughing her ass off at her brother.
Chalice groaned as she covered her ears as well while still laughing, giggling uncontrollably, and somehow managed to stand up on her feet. She walked over to her dress and shook her head, not believing they were actually going to do this. Another round of laughter escaped when her brother started singing Celebration and looked down at her stomach. "Your uncle is a madman, I warn you now. Do NOT be like your uncle or I'll have to kill you." She spoke to her unborn child.
Steve poked his dripping wet head out of the bathroom door, blinking water out of his eyes, and had overheard her. "And just what exactly is wrong with bein' like me?" He demanded, tightening his towel with his hands. "Got a comb? One that ain't been in Mark's hair?"
"You're bald, you moron." Chalice reminded him, raising her eyebrow in question, and truly wondered where her brother's sanity had gone off to. "I don't want my kid like you because I don't want my eardrums bleeding anymore than they already are."
Steve sighed dramatically with a roll of his eyes. "I KNOW I'm bald, jackass, notice how I never need shampoo or hairspray? Ya got a comb or not?"
"A comb for what, dick weed?" Chalice shot back, placing her hands on her hips while her blue eyes shot icicles back at him. Her lips were pursed together so tight, a piece of paper couldn't be wedged between them.
Steve sighed, pointing to his eyebrows and facial hair. "I don't have my little grooming comb here. Gotta keep what little hair I got nice and neat." He leaned forward to tap his finger against the tip of her nose. "Calm down, Challie girl."
"I am calm." She stated with a serene smile and kissed her brother's wet forehead. "Hold on, let me see if I got something for you." She walked over to the dresser that had virtually anything in it and started sifting through. A few minutes later, she pulled out a grooming comb and handed it to him. "Mark hasn't used it, I don't think, but you'll have to suffer if he has. After all, he IS going to be your brother-in-law." She giggled cheerfully and walked back over to her dress, contemplating whether or not to put it on now or later.
Steve's blue eyes narrowed as he studied the comb, finally plucking out a fine red hair. "I am NOT usin' somethin' he's used to groom god only knows what." He protested, putting it in the drawer before licking his fingers and smoothing out his eyebrows then his goatee. "I'm still a handsome devil without it. So, how bout ya get on in there and put that dress on, darlin'?"
"You are somethin' else." She drawled with a smirk and shook her head, knowing Mark and Steve would never see eye to eye on a lot of things. She was happy that they had built their odd friendship back to semi-normal and couldn't believe she was actually going to marry Mark. "Nope, I'm waiting until we get to the chapel. It's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before she walks down the aisle." She informed her brother, who was still grooming in the mirror, and giggled. "Why don't you try running scalding hot water over it and THEN use it?"
Steve snorted. "Fine be that way." He headed back towards the bathroom to finish getting around, freezing when he heard her suggest trying the water, and shot her a pained look. "Challie, darlin', what if he used it downstairs? Ain't water hot enough to fix that!"
Sighing exasperatedly, Chalice threw her hands up in the air and shook her head while trying really hard not to laugh. "Fine! You men and your damned problems! You try carrying a baby for nine months while puking and having cravings and THEN come complain to me." She stated and walked away from the bathroom door, finishing getting ready. She slipped her socks and shoes on, grabbed some jewelry that she'd bought with the dress, along with shoes that matched it, and walked downstairs, waiting for her favorite men to finish up.
A few minutes later, Steve came thudding down the stairs, looking uncomfortable in his tuxedo, but seemed to be handling it. He frowned when eh seen Mark hadn't come out yet and went to pound on the bathroom door. "Hey ol' man, pop some Viagra and let's go! Ya got a gorgeous woman out here to marry!" Steve's eyes widened when the door creaked open and he was pulled inside. A second later, he came out, grabbed Mark's long leather trench coat, and passed it through the door.
"Marcus Calaway, get your ass out here right now!" Chalice demanded, standing up, and planted her hands on her hips with narrowed eyes. "I'm going to see you WITHOUT that stupid duster on!" She stated, no room for argument in her tone of voice.
Mark stepped out, his hair brushed back nice and neat. Though he had wrapped himself in the black leather trench coat. His green eyes took in her appearance, noting she wasn't wearing the dress, and simply stated, "You can see me when I can see you."
"It's BAD luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding!" She protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and couldn't believe how stubborn her future husband was being. "NOT the other way around, Mark."
Mark folded his arms over his own chest, shaking his head. "You can see me at the chapel, darlin'. Come on." He extended his hand to her, his green eyes piercing into hers.
"Trust me, he don't look that good anyway." Steve piped in with a boyish grin on his face, winking at his baby sister.
Sighing and holding her dress with the bag of items that went with it, Chalice walked over to Steve and took his arm, smirking over at her fiancé. "Nuh uh, you ride by yourself to the chapel. I want to talk to my brother for a few minutes alone." She didn't want to hurt Mark's feelings, but this was a really big deal and step for her and she wanted to talk to her brother. She wanted to hear his reassurance that this was the right decision and that he supported her. Mark nodded, bending down to kiss her gently before nodding at Steve. He then walked out of the house, but not before shooting her a loving glance.
Steve took Chalice's hand in his, squeezing gently, and softly asked, "What's on yer mind, darlin'?"
Chalice didn't answer right away as they walked out of the house toward her brother's truck. She made sure to lay her dress out so it didn't wrinkle before sliding in the passenger side, sighing deeply. She loved Mark and she knew he loved her, but she needed her brother more than ever right now. "Stevie, are you really okay with this? I mean, me and Mark getting married and having a baby?" She asked softly, almost fearfully, and bit her bottom lip as the tears swelled in her eyes.
Steve arched an eyebrow at her, his hand hesitating with the key. "Chalice, ya know if I wasn't okay with it, I'd of said somethin' the minute I found out bout both. I don't keep my mouth shut for no one, ya know that, darlin'." He reminded her with a sigh, draping his arm across the backseat as he backed out of the driveway. "Havin' second thoughts?"
Sniffling, Chalice ran a hand through her hair and shook her head back in his direction. "After what happened with father, I just really need your support through this Stevie. I can't do this by myself and I don't want to lose my big brother. I just want to make absolutely sure that you're okay with this and that I-We have your blessing." She started crying then, burying her face in her hands, and began to tremble. She was getting married and it scared the Hell out of her.
Steve pulled off to the side of the road, moving her dress so it hung on a hook in the seat behind them before hugging her. "It's alright, Challie girl, you both have my blessin'." He assured her in a soothing voice. "I know ya love each other and I know he's goin' to do his damnest to make ya happy. Don't cry, darlin'." He stroked her back relaxingly, trying to get her to calm down, especially with the baby.
Chalice wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and held onto him for dear life, sniffling as she buried her face in the crook of it. "I love you, Stevie. You'll always be my number one, no matter what." She whispered heartfelt, meaning what she said, knowing not even Mark could take her brother's place in her heart. They were too close for that and she refused to allow anything to come between them. Steve had been there for her through everything. Kicked her in the ass when he needed it and supported her throughout her entire life so far. It meant everything to her that he was giving both her and Mark their blessing about the marriage and the baby.
Steve sniffled, trying not to cry himself. "So," He cleared his throat. "Does this mean I can teach my niece or nephew the stunner?" He asked hopefully, his blue eyes twinkling back at her, and pressed his forehead to hers as he sighed. He still couldn't believe how grown up she was, about to be a mother, and now she was getting married. Time was going by way too fast for Steve's liking, but he had to accept it.
Giggling softly and pulling back to stare into her brother's eyes, Chalice sighed resignedly and nodded. "I trust you with my life so I should trust you with my child's as well." She stroked his cheek with her hand and kissed it before hugging him again. "I love you my brother. Now get me to the damned church!" She ordered, pulling back with a bright smile on her face, and wiped her tears away. "I got a certain Deadman I have to make whole again."
"Dairy Deadman." Steve corrected, putting the truck in drive, and hauled ass to the chapel in downtown Houston. So many thoughts ran through his mind while driving, not believing his baby sister was getting married to the last man he ever expected her to. Her and Mark weren't that much alike, but then again, they shared a lot of the same qualities. As long as he treated her right, that's all Steve cared about. If he ever hurt her, Steve would make him regret it and he knew his future brother-in-law knew it just as he pulled up to the chapel.