Secured Sevenfold

Joe’s POV
Matt’s hand was caressing mine, bringing all of my attention back to him again.
“I love you” I let out on a sigh, before I let him kiss me “I love you even more, mrs. Sanders to be”. I looked around our spot in the garden. Our friends and my sisters had recently joined us, but the left overs of our diner were still to be seen. I can’t believe he really did it. My dream proposal, on the day, a year after I first told him about it.

This afternoon I came home after a long meeting. The house was quiet and Arin was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. Even though it all played out like I had told Bill and Caren on that first night Matt and I pretended to be married, I still couldn’t believe this was really happening. That realization came when I met Brian and my sister with the little box that would contain my ring. Jacky had smiled widely at me and hugged me tightly whispering an “I’m so happy for you sis!”.
Jacky and I had been so much better after everything that had happened with Joanne, we came out stronger, that’s for sure. After a long sister hug, she had pushed me out. Forcing me to make my way to the man I loved so dearly.

I had barely made it to the spot I knew Matt would be. I was shivering and my knees almost gave in.
Just before I made my way through the trees, I had looked over my shoulder, seeing all the guys and my two sisters standing in the door, waving at me.
Joanne helped me get dressed, she was better now. She was still receiving treatment, but she was definitely on her way back. It was nice to have her as part of this. My sisters both gave me some encouraging looks before they motioned me to finally get where my goal was.

With Matt.

Always.

“Woman, what took you so long! I have been here for ages!” was the first thing he let out with a smile “Hand me that box, we both know what is going to happen, I can’t wait any longer”. He had taken the box from my hands and put it on the table, while he took both my hands in his.
“I love you Josephine, that is actually all you need to know, but I will add to it. You still drive me crazy sometimes, with annoyance, with anger, with love, with lust. Crazy, I am crazy about you. About everything about you. I know we said we wouldn’t rush into things, but a year is long enough, right? I want you to be mine Josephine, all mine. I want to put my stamp on it, the Sanders stamp. I want our kids to have the same name as us both. I want to call you my wife, everything else doesn’t seem enough.”

With shaking hands he had opened the box, revealing the ring he bought for me, that was now sparkling on my finger. And then… then he went down on one knee, grabbing my hand in his, asking me to marry him. Of course I said yes. I wanted everything he said, and even more. I was sure we would have everything together, that was what my life was since I met him. Complete. There had been so much that I had missed during my life, but not anymore. Now was the time to live life to the fullest, with the man I loved more than anything in the world.

An elbow to my ribs made me look to my side, seeing my sister smirk “Show me your ring again!” she squealed, studying the rock. Then she put her hand next to mine.
“Mine is bigger” She held her other hand in the air to be high fived by Brian.
“You wait and see, mine will get bigger after the wedding. It’s not a fair to compare them now! You are already married!”

Jacky’s POV
My sister was faking annoyance with me. The Joe a year ago would have been genuinely annoyed with me, she couldn’t take a joke. That was the biggest change Matt made to Joe, he found her stick and just pulled it out. And replaced it by his own regularly. I chuckled at that childish sexual joke in my head.

“What’s so funny, beautiful?” Brian leaned in and whispered in my ear. His breath tickling on my ear, made me so hot for him. I was still so turned on by him, every time he even came near.
“I was thinking of how good Matt is for Joe. She is so much more relaxed and spontaneous. This proposal…. She took it all so gracefully and she was so nervous! I’ve never seen her like this. And you know… she would’ve never been able to make everything so perfect for our proposal slash wedding.”
“Hey! Don’t give her all the credit, it was mostly me” Brian protested with a smile, but we both knew he had the main idea, but everything else… that was my sister.
“Sure babe, sure” I sofly pinched his cheek and then kissed him softly. I let out a sigh of content and Brian immediately took the chance to deepen the kiss.
“Yours IS bigger, I made sure of that when Matt took me ringshopping” he whispered in my ear with a smirk. I smiled widely and thought back to that day, now 6 months ago. Brian wanted to take me away for the weekend and I got into a fight with him, on the way over.

“You got to be kidding me! Your idea of a romantic getaway is to spend the weekend in Vegas?! How could you even think I would like that?!” I was raging, while Brian was driving, completely untouched by my tirade.
“Oh come on Jacky, where is your sense of adventure. It will be nice. We can play a little, you could be my lucky charm, who knows what we will return home with” He grabbed my hand, but I pulled it out. I wasn’t ready to play nice yet. I was too disappointed that he didn’t take me to Big Bear or something. My sister told me it was beautiful this time a year. And she could know. Her and Matt did the romantic getaway two weeks ago.

I looked over at Brian, who was concentrating on the road. I knew he didn’t mean bad, but did he really think Vegas was the best way to spend a romantic weekend? He glanced over to me with a crooked smile.
“You know… we have the most luxurious hotel suite I could find and I’m planning to see a lot of it. Oh man, the things I want to do to you now.” He let his hand wander up my thigh and my treacherous body responded like nothing else.

After a few hour drive we reached our hotel and Brian did make it worth my while. He made it up to me, and another time, and another time.

“Let’s order roomservice” I was tracing the tattoos on Brian’s arm, laying with my head on his chest.
“Let’s get dressed and go for a walk” Brian pulled me up and dragged me out of bed.To be honest, I should have known, right there and then. Brian saying no to sex, that is weird.

We ended up in front of a small chapel. Before I could really realize what it was, Brian turned me to him and dropped to one knee, getting the ring out of his pocket.
“I have so much to say to you, but the vow part is coming soon, at least if you are willing to go with my plan, and I really want to tell you then. So Jacky, I know it’s fast, but would you please, please, please marry me? Like… Now?” He looked at me with begging eyes, and I noticed he even got a little nervous. I quickly said yes, before the man I loved would get a heart attack.

I was sure the little chapel was the least cheesy one. It looked cute and clean and was run by an older couple, who were over the moon when we told them we didn´t know each other that long, but really couldn’t wait. Once we got inside I realized I didn’t have a dress, and for a second I was sad, but then I looked at Brian. I didn’t need anything else.

Only Brian.

Always.

Just as I made my peace with how this wedding was going to go, Joe stepped out of a door on the side of the entrance.
“Are you coming or what, we only have half an hour to get you ready. You don’t need much, but I’m no miracle worker, you know?”

Brian POV
I knew exactly what the expression on Jacky’s face meant, she was thinking back to the moment I asked her to marry me.
Maybe it wasn’t the most romantic thing that I did there…

I mean just driving her to Vegas, bringing her to the chapel and asking her right there to marry me sure isn´t what every girl dreams off, but it was the best possible way to make her mine as fast as possible.

Then again maybe I should have waited longer, given us more time, but honestly, why would we need more time for something we knew would be right?

I wanted to seal the deal, wanted everyone to know that this woman was taken. Not only taken but mine. Mine alone and I would never let her get away again.

I grinned, now I could smile about the way it went down, but when I was standing there, my heart was beating so fast, I thought it would burst at any second.

I stood in the little chapel and I was nervous as hell, I know that she already said she wanted to marry me but the ceremony still had to happen.
Next to me my best friends were lined up, including Dean, who was not there right now, but I hope he would be back by the time we started and Liv and Leyla stood on the other side, waiting for Jacky and her sisters to come out.

I wanted to keep it as private and small as possible.. I didn’t want to share her with hundredths of people the entire time, I wanted this to be about me and her and our friends, our new found family and nothing else.

I knew my parents, and probably Jacky’s father would disagree on this, but it was my way… and I was used to getting my way.

We could still make a big party afterwards, but today it would be me and her and nothing else.

“Haner? You nervous?” Zacky asked, my best man standing next to me and I inhaled sharply, nervous was not even close to what I felt.
“Do you think we noticed if she ran out the back door?” Matt asked chuckling and I threw him an angry glance.
“If she left through the back door, she would have taken her sister with her, goodbye Matt…” I mocked back and Matt’s face fell.
“They wouldn’t leave, I was just joking.” Matt replied quickly but turned around anyway.

“The half hour must be up already? I mean.. how can 30 minutes take so long?” I asked and was now really questioning myself if I had to go out on a hand to Jacky, did she disappear on me on our wedding day?

All thoughts left my mind, when suddenly the music started and Joanne and Joe came walking towards us with smiles on their faces. They both looked beautiful, but I couldn’t wait to see the woman behind them.
They were about to find their places in the front when Matt stepped forward grabbing Joe and exchanging a very impropriate kiss in front of the altar until they could finally move next to Leyla and Liv.

Then I saw Jacky, my eyes were fixed on her, she always looked breathtaking to me but now, it really stole my breath and now I also noticed where Dean had disappeared, he was walking her towards the altar and I had to chuckle, that ass…

“What’s so funny now, handsome?” Jacky shot back at me and I pulled her closer, watching as all our friends…well let’s just call it family… gathered around Matt and Joe to congratulate them again.
“I just thought back to the day you made me the happiest man on earth… and how that best friend of yours, tricked me in bringing you to the altar…” I closed off and Jacky chuckled.

“I thought that was really cute, now come on… Let’s celebrate… but always keep in mind, we were the first, babe.” Jacky winked at me and dragged over to the others and I couldn’t wait for the party to begin.

Matt’s POV
I couldn’t take my eyes of my beautiful fiancé, how amazing does that sound… fiancé… I couldn’t wait to call her wife.

Would I say wifey? I bet she wouldn’t like that, so I had to keep that in mind… to call her that even more, when we were alone… Preferably in our bedroom… or office…

“So you finally made the big step, huh?” Liv stood beside me also looking at Joe and how Johnny pulled her towards the bar to make some special proposal drinks or whatever he had been talking about.
“Yes… why finally? We said we would wait… I didn’t wait too long, do you think?” I asked Liv with a lifted eyebrow, since she was Joe’s best friend and I got to spend more time with her too, I kinda adopted her as my female best friend, especially when it came to Joe.

“Well, normally I would still say when it came to Joe’s normal standards you rushed into things, but I can see how Joe changed during the last months and weeks… you made her feel loved and safe, Matt. She loves you and you love her more than anything, I can see that. So from the new Joe standards I bet she was waiting for your proposal already.” Liv finished and I gapped at her.
“What? Really?” I wasn’t expecting that.

“Well, Matt… Look, her younger sister got married… MARRIED! After such a short amount of time… and you waited longer and longer, sure she wanted it… don’t act so surprised. But you managed to do it just as she dreamed off, so… I think you did well… now let her have her dream wedding and everything will be alright, believe me.” Liv patted my shoulder and went back to Dean, who grabbed her in a kiss and my mouth was hanging open, was she just teasing me or was she for real?!

I should ask Joe later on… or rather not… not warm up a topic that is done now anyway…
But the thing I knew now was clear… I wouldn’t wait longer than necessary with the wedding, she would be mine as soon as we could arrange everything… Officially mine!

“Come over, Matt! Or are you already second guessing?” Zacky yelled and I flipped him off, while grabbing Joe into my side and letting myself fall down in one of the chairs with her on my lap.
“You better keep that hands to yourself, Baker” I growled playfully but he just smirked.

“Even though you asked her to marry you, doesn’t mean she will stop dreaming about me.” Zack winked at Joe and she blushed and I really didn’t like that, I knew there was nothing but these jokes were going way too far.

Joe must have sensed my thinking and patted my cheek “I’m only dreaming about you, don’t worry.”
“I hope so.” I grumbled back and earned another smile from Joe.

“Guys and Girls!” Arin announced and held his glass up and Johnny gave all of us a drink so we could follow Arin’s lead.

“I just wanted to say that we are all very happy that our family is extending, that Matt is now on his way to the safe haven of marriage with Joe and that Brian already sealed the deal with Jacky. We knew that you girls were something special right from the start and I as your big brother- and no JOE I am taller then you so I get to be the big brother- wanted to let you know how much we enjoy the life with you and cannot think of any other possible way how this life could have turned out. You are more to us than just the wives of our best friends, you are our sisters, our family and we love you.” Arin finished and I smiled, he was such a grown man now… everything we lived through the past months, I think he had outgrown the name kid now for real…

“I still can’t believe that Brian is the first one from all of us who got married.” Johnny chuckled and ruining the meaningful moment, like he always did, but we all chuckled together, because in the end he was right.

“Hey!” Brian complained but grinned “I was just fooling all of you, knowing that as soon as I found Mrs. Haner, I would seal the deal, quick and dirty and wouldn’t let her get out of it… and you Mr. Sanders should have done the same” He pointed at me and I grinned.

“You do it quick and dirty and I do it romantic and meaningful” I said and earned the middle finger of both Jacky and Brian who made me laugh because the next thing they were doing, falling into each other’s arms kissing heavily “Let’s show them dirty…” I heard Jacky murmur and Zack, Arin and Johnny groaned… “Please not this again!”

“I think we can do the same, right fiancé?” Joe whispered in my ear and I felt her hand underneath my shirt, that’s my woman right there.
“Oh I know we can” I growled back and pulled her into a hot kiss, and this fluttering in my stomach I knew… it would never end.

Notes

Soooo.... the final part of this amazing story!!

We wanted to thank all our readers and commenters! We loved every single comment and we are glad that you stayed with us all this time!

We had an amazing time writing this story and hope you had as much fun reading it!

Special thanks to my amazing co-author, who always organizes my plans and ideas so it can become a real chapter and story ;) <3

I promise this won't be the last you read from us ! (That's what I say at least :P MeRi ;))

THANK YOU GUYS!!! <3