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Chapter Thirty Eight - June 11 - Las Vegas, Nevada

"Wow, this place's electric bill must be really HIGH!"

I laughed. "I bet it is, kiddo."

There wasn't a happier girl on this earth than Shelby the day that I proposed to Molly.

"Santa listened!" she said as she jumped around. Molly looked over at me in confusion, but I just smiled.

This Santa wasn't about to tell.

"Are you going to get married today?" she asked, her face pressed against the bus window. We passed chapel after chapel.

She had been asking that question every single day.

Patience wasn't a virtue for Shelby.

I looked over at Molly. I didn't think I could have loved her more, but when May 9 hit so did all of the feelings I had kept bottled up inside since Ro died. Molly had been right there for me and didn't flinch when I needed to throw something or just cry like a baby. Once I calmed down, she even came with me to her grave.

The thought of waiting until October to even begin planning the wedding seemed ridiculous. Moll looked at me in surprise. She usually let me answer the wedding question.

"I don't know, maybe," I said lightly.

Shelby's eyes lit up. "Well don't get married at that one. There's big boobies at the top of the building."

I peered out. She was pointing at a strip club which was right next to, you guessed it, another wedding chapel. I decided today wasn't the day to explain about strippers.

"I don't think that one looks good," I assured her.

"Are you serious?" Molly whispered once Shelby had bounced off to entertain Ally and Joe. The bus turned the corner and I saw our hotel in the distance. I shrugged.

"Why the hell not? I don't know about you, but wedding's are stressful."

Molly's face broke out into one of her signature thousand-watt smiles.

"It sounds good to me."

We slowed down and I saw the other guy's busses behind me.

"How about we make this a surprise?" I said. Molly glanced at Shelby.

"You just told the worst secret keeper in the world," she said. I whistled. Shelby turned.

"Hey, if I buy you a pretty dress to wear tonight can you keep this a secret?"

Her eyes widened. "Can it light up?"

I had no fucking clue where I was going to get a light up dress, but if that what it took...plus this was Vegas. If anyplace had a light up dress it would be here. I smiled.

"Sure."

"Okay!"

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We all hopped off the busses and got settled into our rooms. Shelby ran off to place with Mason and Ally and Joe entertained each other in the playpen with a huge soft squishy ball. I handed Molly the laptop and she went to work.

"What about rings?" she asked.

"We'll buy something here and upgrade later," I said nonchalantly.

"Dress?"

"While I'm at the show tonight you can go buy whatever you want," I said. I opened my wallet and held up my credit card.

"So we're really doing this?" she asked.

"If you want to do it."

"Of course I want to do it!"

"Then we'll do it!"

"You can do eet!"

Nick was standing in the doorway.

"What we doing?"

Leave it to Carter to be a snoop.

"Taking Shelby and Mason to the M&M factory tomorrow if we have time before we have to leave," I said. Nick's eyes lit up.

"Oooh, that would be cool. I gotta tell Liv."

He turned and walked down the hall. I crawled up on the bed and kissed Molly's temple.

"I have a feeling someone's going to find out about this," she said.

I shook my head. "Nope. It's going to be the best kept secret of the year."

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"Can you watch Brooke and Noah tonight?"

Nick was giving me his puppy eyed look.

"Why?"

His face slowly broke into a lazy grin. "Well, last time we were in Vegas our plans were ruined and I kind of want to...unruin them."

"So you want me to watch your kids so you can pork your pregnant wife?"

Nick slid his hands in his pockets. "Well when you put it that way...yes."

I shook my head. "I can't."

I was already wasting time. I took the fastest shower of my life. Molly and Shelby were waiting for me at one of the chapels. Shelby had even found a light up dress.

"Oh, c'mon. I've watched all three of your goobers tons of times!"

"Nick, I really can't. Molly texted and Shelby's sick. I don't want Brooke and Noah to get what she has."

It was a down right lie but I knew that the last thing Nick wanted was sick children on the road.

"Well, maybe I can ask Bri..."

I smiled and patted him on the back. "Good plan. Have a fun night!"

"You too. Buy some Kleenex!"

I took off out of the MGM and hailed a taxi right back to the hotel.

We were staying at the Bellagio which was also where Molly found the wedding coordinator of her dreams.

I just prayed we could go undetected.

By the time I got there, Shelby was running around looking like freakin' Rainbow Bright. But she was absolutely adorable. Molly had tied up her hair with a huge white bow.

"How do I look?" she said. I grinned.

"Beautiful."

"Mommy's not coming out. She wants you to be surprised. She looks pretty and I didn't tell NO ONE!"

Shelby paused to inhale.

"You're not going to wear that t-shirt are you?"

I pinched her nose.

"I'm going to go get dressed. Where's Ally and Joe?"

"With mommy."

I met the officiant and then went and changed. Every single one of us guys had our tux measurements listed through several of the major chains. It was a snap to get a tux in a moment's notice when we were anywhere in the U.S. I unzipped the garment bag and got ready.

I was just zipping up my pants when there was a knock at the door. I opened it.

It was Kevin.

"So you really are getting married?"

"How did you know?"

Shelby made Mason play wedding all day. I had a sneaking suspicion. I was going to take Mason to the pool when I saw Ms. Sparkles dancing around the chapel.

I groaned. Kevin grinned.

"So, am I invited?"

I couldn't help it; I laughed. "I guess so."

"At least we're not in swim trunks yet," Kev said. "But shorts and flip-flops will have to do."

I snorted. "That's fine."

"Do you need someone to take the kids tonight?"

I looked at him in surprise. He snickered.

"Do you want a honeymoon night?" he asked. "You're not going to get one with Shelby around."

I laughed. "That's true. Yeah, I'd love that."

Kevin kept me company and then went out to make sure the kids weren't tearing the chapel down bit by lacy bit. After another ten minutes, the officiant knocked on the door.

"Molly is ready. Shall we get started?"

I walked out and straightened my tie. "We're ready."

Shelby was modeling her dress for Mason. Her white bow kept smacking him in the face as she turned and all he would do was laugh. She stopped when she saw me.

"Wow. You clean up NICE!"

I grinned. "So do you."

It was a beautiful, simple, stressfree ceremony. Molly had picked a beautiful off the shoulder white dress and had piled her hair up and adorned it with white baby's breath.

We had both decided that we wanted the minister to add something extra to our ceremony for the kids. After Molly and I said our vows, I watched Shelby's face.

"And do you Alex take Shelby to care for, encourage and love as your own, for so long as you may live?"

Shelby's eyes widened in surprise. She looked at me and all I could see was hope radiating out of her little face.

"I do."

The officiant knelt down.

"And do you Shelby take AJ to listen to, respect, and love for so long as you may live?"

I think it blew her over that she actually got to say something. She looked back at me and then at the officiant. She smiled.

"I yabba-dabba-DO!"

The officiant had Molly take her vow to Ally and Joe. The little ones got a free pass.

It's implied," I said with a laugh.

"Well then by the city of Las Vegas in the great state of Nevada, I know pronounce you husband and wife."

Our small audience of Kevin and Mason clapped. Shelby looked up at the officiant.

"Well can't they kiss?" she said haughtily. He laughed.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Molly beamed. I pulled her to me.

"Hi, Mrs. McLean."

"Hi, Mr. McLean."

I kissed her long and slow and with a million promises of the night to come. Her fingers lovingly pressed into my cheek and I relished in the warmness.

"Can you breathe in there?!"

Molly laughed right into my mouth. We pulled away and looked down at Shelby. She was holding the big bouquet of flowers and looking at us like we were really gross.

"Little one, what am I going to do with you?" I asked. Shelby plucked a flower and tucked it behind her ear.

"I dunno, daddy!"

I laughed. "Alright then, daughter."

After a quick clothing change and a stop for ice cream, we distracted Shelby enough to leave the kids with Kev. Molly and I rode up in a private elevator to our suite, but I stopped it halfway up. She smiled.

"What are you doing?"

I pressed her against the elevator.

"Making love in an elevator with my wife," I whispered. Her eyes lit up.

"And after that?"

I kissed her neck and pulled at her curls playfully.

"Then in the living room...and the bedroom...and the shower...the balcony..."

"You think we can get all that done in one night?" she whispered. I smiled next to her skin.

"We can sure as hell find out."