Tangled Web: A Small Town Romance (The Cortell Brothers Book 6) by Giulia Lagomarsino (an ebook reader txt) 📕

born. Robert, you’re finally getting what you want. Eric, who gives a shit how you get married as long as you do. Charlie, suck it up, buttercup. You’re about to be married to a boy again. Josh and Carly…don’t blow anything up. Joe, try not to get cow shit on Sofia today. It’s her wedding day. And Andrew…try not to…die.” She looked around at everyone and grinned. “So, are we ready to do this?”

She didn’t even wait for an answer as she turned and walked away. Her boots crunched in the snow as she walked toward the back of the house where I assumed the rest of the town was gathered. Small snowflakes started drifting down from the sky, landing softly on the ground.

“Who is that and what has she done with Anna?” I asked.

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Robert said, just before running off after her.

“So, are we really doing this?” Lorelei asked me. “We’re just…going to get married.”

I scratched the back of my head. “I mean…I guess?”

“You don’t know?”

“Do you?”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing that’s happened in my life.”

“Or mine,” I agreed. “Although, I’m still going to be on the lookout for falling tubs. Don’t think you’ve gotten yourself out of that one.”

“And I’ll always have my lawyer on speed dial, you know, in case you decide to have me thrown in jail.”

“Me? I would never do that.”

“But I would,” Jack said as he walked up to us.

I turned to him warily. “Jack.”

“Do you have a permit to have this many cars parked here?”

“On our own property?”

“What about a liquor license?”

“For what?”

“All the booze that’s being served,” he said, as if this was totally normal.

“We’re not selling it. Hell, we just got back here! We didn’t have anything to do with this!”

He shook his head slightly, pulling out his cuffs. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take you in.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

He snapped one cuff on my wrist, but then shocked the hell out of me when he cuffed the other to Lorelei’s wrist. His lips twitched slightly. “Just in case you were deciding to run. I have strict orders from your mother to make sure you attend this wedding.”

I frowned at him. “Wait, so you’re just fucking with me?”

“Do you really think any of the bullshit I just said would stick?”

“Well, no, but I thought you hated my family.”

He nodded slightly. “Maybe, but I can set aside my anger for one day.” He looked up at the trees, at the snow that had just started falling. “She would have loved this,” he whispered, swallowing hard. Clearing his throat, I caught the faint glimpse of tears in his eyes before he turned back to us. “Come on, you have a wedding to get to.”

Lorelei

I couldn’t believe this. Was I really going to go through with this? It was insane. I couldn’t marry a man I hardly knew. On the other hand, Andrew probably knew me better than anyone. He had been there for me when others would have walked away. Sure, I had Callum, but after we set things right in our town, we both came to an understanding that our relationship was over. It was time to move on and forget about the past.

“Would you two hurry up!” Andrew’s mom shouted to us.

He gripped my hand and we headed to where everyone was gathered. There was nothing particularly fancy about this wedding. None of the brides wore pretty dresses, and the grooms were just wearing whatever they had on. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. And as we approached what I assumed was meant to be the altar, I noticed a big, bald dude wearing camo pants and a heavy leather jacket.

“Who’s that?”

“Hunter. He’s a friend of Derek’s.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “And why is he standing up there?”

Andrew smirked at me. “Apparently, he’s an ordained minister.”

My jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re getting married by a man dressed in camo?”

“Hey,” Hunter snapped, obviously hearing me. “I’ll have you know that I’m kind of the unofficial official…officiant?” His brows crinkled and he shook his head. “Whatever. I’m the guy that does this for everyone at Reed Security.”

“So, we should be honored,” Andrew grinned.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed dangerously and his muscles flexed. It was hot, and it didn’t escape my notice that all the rest of the women thought so as well. We were all lined up, six men and six women, in the strangest wedding ceremony I had ever witnessed.

“Is this legal? I mean, shouldn’t we have had to file paperwork and all that?”

“Hell if I know,” Andrew shrugged.

Hunter cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentleman, we’re gathered here in front of the whole goddamn town to marry this man and this woman…and this man and this woman…and this man and this woman…and—“

“Yeah, we get it,” Derek snapped. “You’re marrying a shit ton of men and women.”

“Boys!” Ma scolded. “Language.”

“Sorry, Ma,” Derek said, elbowing Hunter in the side.

“Sorry, Mrs. Cortell,” Hunter grumbled. “Anyway, we’re gathered here to marry all of the Cortell family…” He shook his head. Yeah, it sounded unbelievable to all of us. “I really wish we had some explosions or death going on right about now,” he muttered. “It would make this so much more fun.”

“Can we get on with this?” Eric grumbled. “It’s bad enough I have to share my wedding day with five other men, but I also have to have a fake minister officiating.”

“Fake? Who are you calling fake?” Hunter snapped. “At least the people I marry actually end up married. You’ve tried how many times and still can’t get it right?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I was pushed off a bridge.”

“Oh my God!” Carly said in exasperation. “Can you two just put aside your tiny man balls so we can get this over with?”

I snorted, but bit it back when Hunter glared at me. He started at the end of the line with Eric. “Do you have