“Brennan, you’re too much like your daddy.” BJ picked up her son and placed him on her hip as she moved towards the nursery. “Sleep sweet, baby mine.”
She tucked him into the crib, made sure he had his favorite stuffed lizard, and kissed him on the forehead. He snuffled a bit before yawning softly and bringing the toy up to suck on. When he sank into sleep, she walked out of the room and pulled the door mostly shut. Humming softly, BJ headed back to the kitchen to finish her homework for the computer course she was taking.
As she settled into her chair, the phone rang. Picking it up, she clicked the button and held it up to her. “Hello?”
“Good morning, caro. How’re you doing?”
“Good, Mom. Brennan just went down for a nap, and I’m getting ready to finish my homework. What’s up? We still on for lunch?”
“Yes, we are, but I wanted to talk to you before that. Have you seen MTV today?”
“No, should I?” BJ looked for the TV remote.
“Not necessarily. I wanted to tell you before you heard any rumors.”
“Oh, God. You aren’t breaking up with AJ, are you?” The young woman gripped the table with her free hand.
“No, no. We’re still very much together. In fact, we’re adding to the family.”
“You’re buying another dog?” BJ frowned, wondering why this would be news.
Meredith just laughed. “No, I’m pregnant.”
“What?!”
Lance had come home after a short day at the studio, ready to spend time with his family, when he heard BJ’s voice. Hurrying towards the kitchen, he looked at her in alarm, but she just grinned at him.
“That’s wonderful. I am so happy for you two. When are you due?”
“August 23. Howie’s hoping for a day early.”
“Of course he is.” BJ grin widened. “This is just too cool. I really can’t wait to see you now.”
“Tomorrow, in Downtown Disney. See you, caro.”
“Bye, Mom.”
BJ hung up the phone and smiled at her husband. “Mom’s pregnant.”
“Whoa. That’s not what I was expecting.” Lance sat down next to his wife, pulling her close for a kiss and a hug.
“Me either.” She accepted the kiss, sighing appreciatively when it was over. “What are you doing home so early?”
“JC and Justin are fiddling with a song that they insist has to be just so. The rest of us decided to call it a day because they won’t be done for a while. I wanted to spend time with you and Brennan.” He brushed his finger down her cheek.
“Brennan’s asleep, and I’ve got homework.” She sighed as she looked at the books spread out across the table. Turning to look into loving green eyes, she made an instant decision. “If you’ll watch Brennan when he wakes up, I can be persuaded to wait on the homework.”
Grinning, Lance took BJ’s hand and pulled her out of the chair. “Anything you want, babe. Anything at all.”
They giggled down the hallway to their bedroom.
***Backstreet Boys***
The week before Valentine’s Day was a blur of activity as Kevin and Irene prepared for their wedding. The trip to Kentucky was relatively easy. The group arrived quietly at night and were whisked away from the airport. Kevin, at his mother’s insistence, left Irene at the hotel, heading over to Ann’s house to stay there. The wedding would take place in the small church his family had attended for years. The group dispersed to their rooms, anxious to turn in after the long day of traveling.
Michael and Cecilia arrived the next morning and settled into the hotel suite next to Meredith and AJ. Before her suitcase was even unpacked, she was knocking on the adjoining room door.
AJ answered it and accepted Cecilia’s hug. “How are you, Alex?”
“Good, Cecilia. How was your trip?”
“Long, but that’s the price you pay for living overseas. Where’s my daughter?”
He smiled. “In the shower. She should be out in a moment. I’ll let her know you’re here.”
Disappearing into the bathroom, he opened the shower curtain a little. “Love, your mom’s here.”
“I’ll be out in a few.”
He winked at her before heading back into their room. Cecilia was holding a picture frame, studying the photograph.
“It’s a good picture of you two. It shoes how much you love each other.” She looked at the young man before replacing the picture on the nightstand.
“I love her with everything I have.”
Cecilia wrapped her arms around AJ, hugging him again. “I know, and I appreciate that. You’re going to be a wonderful father to my grandchild.”
He blushed slightly, tipping his head down. Meredith stood in the doorway and watched, smiling. “You’re not hitting on my man, are you?”
The couple laughed as they separated, and Cecilia stepped forward to hug her daughter. “I’ve got enough to handle with your father, I don’t need anyone else. How are you, my darling?”
“Great, Mom. Although, I have noticed my increasing lack of forgetfulness since I got pregnant.”
After the hug, two women moved to the loveseat in front of the window. AJ slipped out the door after motioning to Meredith that he would be down the hall.
“Just one of the symptoms, dear. Brain cells fall out your ears, but I’m fairly sure they return right after birth.”
At that moment, Meredith realized how much she had missed her mother. She moved closer, dropping her head to rest on the older woman’s shoulder.
“I’ve missed you.”
Cecilia stroked the auburn curls. “I’ve missed you, too. Your dad and I are planning to take a long break when the baby comes so we can be here to spoil it rotten.”
The young woman chuckled. “You’ll have to get in line, I think.”
***Backstreet Boys***
Irene knew that having all five Backstreet Boys in Lexington was bound to cause a scene, so she was somewhat prepared for the camera flashes that happened at unexpected times. They managed to make it all the way to the rehearsal before word started spreading, and she kept her fingers crossed that things wouldn’t get really bad until after the wedding.
For a long time, she had managed to just be thought of as Kevin’s unidentified girlfriend, ignoring the ugly e-mails on the various lists she subscribed to. An enterprising reporter had discovered her identity before the end of the tour, and she groaned as she saw her name pop up on lists. After that, it wasn’t long before people discovered that she and Meredith were sisters, both of them being accused of helping each other steal Backstreet Boys. She sent the more amusing posts to her sister, shaking her head at the sometimes frightening zeal of the group’s fans.
She walked into the living room that joined her suite with Meredith and AJ’s, studying the magazine she held in her hands. At the gurgling, she looked up and found Lance wheeling a baggage car into the room, followed by BJ and Brennan.
“Hey, you made it!” She hugged the adults, stealing the baby from BJ’s arms to hug him close.
“Yeah, and we even managed to escape detection by the fans.” Lance grinned as he wrapped his arms around BJ’s waist.
“That’s not going to last long. I’m sure once word gets out that *N Sync is here, there’ll be brawling in the streets between rival fans.” Irene winked at the young man before turning her attention back to Brennan, who was drooling as he sucked on her sweater.
“Sorry about that. He’s got a tooth coming in.” The young woman leaned down and pulled a cold teething ring from the diaper bag.
“No problem. I’ve had worse, trust me.” Irene just winked.
AJ opened the bedroom door and peeked into the living room. Smiling, he walked out and shook hands with Lance before kissing BJ’s cheek.
“I see you got here safe and sound.” He looked at all of the luggage. “And you brought enough to stay for a while.”
Lance just laughed. “Half of that is for Brennan. Our room isn’t ready yet, and they didn’t have a place to store it. I didn’t want to wait in the lobby any longer than necessary. Fan radar was pinging pretty loud.”
AJ nodded. “Yeah, we’re seeing more and more of ‘em outside the hotel. We’ll move you down as soon as the room’s ready.”
Meredith walked in, lured by the familiar voices. “Hey, caro.” She hugged BJ.
“Hey, Mom. You look great.” BJ studied the older woman, recognizing the “glow” that surrounded her.
“You, too. How’d you do?”
“She got an A. The highest grades in the class.” Lance’s proud smile made BJ blush. He stepped forward and hugged Meredith. “Hey, Mom. You’re blossoming.”
Grinning, AJ wrapped his arms around his lover. “Hey, watch it.”
“What?” Lance batted innocent eyes. “She looks beautiful, just like a rose does when it finally blooms.”
“Ooooh, that’s good.” Irene chuckled.
BJ laughed and leaned back against Lance. “Yep. I’m keeping him.”
“You keep him, I’ll take Brennan.” Meredith smiled as she reached for the baby, who kind of fell into her arms. “Hey there, handsome.”
Holding him close, she breathed in the scent of baby powder before kissing the soft brown hair. AJ’s heart skipped a beat as he watched her, his throat tightening at the thought that he would see her holding his child in a few months. Leaning forward, he brushed his fingers across Brennan’s cheek and laughed when the baby latched on to his fingers.
“What time do we…” Nick walked into the living room, a smile lighting his face as he saw his sister. “Hey, Beej. When did you get here?”
He hugged her tightly before shaking Lance’s hand. She smiled. “A few minutes ago. Our room isn’t ready, so we’re homesteading.”
“Cool.” He looked around and found his nephew in Meredith’s arms.
Walking over, he leaned down and brushed a kiss across the baby’s crown. “Hey, little man.”
Meredith winked at him when he looked at her, and he just chuckled.
“What were you going to ask, Nick?” Irene headed for the bar to grab a bottle of water.
“What time do we have to leave for the rehearsal?”
“In about twenty minutes.” She looked at the newcomers. “You guys coming? The rehearsal itself won’t last long then we’re heading over to the restaurant. If you come now, there’ll be safety in numbers.”
“Sounds good. We can carry a couple of extra people in the Expedition, if you don’t mind the possibility of being drooled on.” Lance gestured towards Brennan’s enthusiastic hand waving a wet teething ring.
“Allyson and I will ride with you.” Nick smiled at his brother-in-law.
“Let’s gather the troops and get down to the church.” Meredith made shooing motions with her hands, and everybody began to scatter to gather their belongings.
Fifteen minutes later, the group was heading down to the parking garage to load into vehicles for the short drive to the church. Lance’s phone beeped as he pulled out into traffic, and BJ answered it.
“Hello?” “Hey, we’re heading to the church. Whichever you prefer; we’re going to the Black Angus for the dinner if you just want to show up there.” “Okay, bye.”
Lance spared her a brief glance. She patted his thigh as she turned off the phone. “J and C are here. They’re not sure if they’ll get to the church or just come to the restaurant.”
He nodded before turning into the church parking lot. They climbed out of the SUV, gathering all of the paraphernalia needed for Brennan before following Nick and Allyson inside. They were greeted by the missing members of the group and their respective girlfriends. Tim, Jerald, and Ann were introduced to the new guests before Tim explained what would be happening.
The group walked through the whole process three times before Irene was satisfied that everyone knew what they were doing. As they finished the last time, AJ saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see JC and Justin slip into a back pew. He nodded in recognition before turning to face the altar again.
“But I think I need a rehearsal…just to be on the safe side.” Kevin looked at his brother with wide eyes.
Tim just sighed and looked at Irene. “Are you sure you want to marry him?”
Sighing and shrugging, she nodded. “Well, you and Jerald are already taken.”
“Hey, now.” Kevin narrowed his eyes.
“Fine, fine. Kevin, you may now kiss your bride.” Tim intoned the words solemnly, despite the twinkle in his eyes.
Stepping forward, he dipped Irene, causing her to shriek with laughter before he gently nipped her nose.
“I’d better get a real kiss tomorrow, bucko.” She pointed at him when he set her upright.
“Never fear. I’m gonna knock your socks off.” Kevin winked at her before escorting her down the aisle.
“You do that every day, babe.” Irene squeezed the bicep under her hand as they strolled towards the back of the church.
“Are we done yet?” The plaintive voice of Tim’s older daughter made everyone laugh.
“Yes, we’re done.” He tousled his daughter’s hair as he stepped down from the altar towards the group of people gathered around the first two pews.
There were more introductions as Justin and JC eased towards the group before everyone gathered coats and belongings to head towards the restaurant. Sheer necessity required that Kevin rent out the entire restaurant for the night, so people settled around various tables as waiters and waitresses scurried around to fill water glasses and bring out rolls while orders were being taken.
Irene and Kevin sat with Michael, Cecilia, and Ann. Nick and Allyson joined BJ and Lance, Nick sitting next to the high chair. AJ and Meredith sat down with Justin and JC, and Brian and Serenity joined Howie and Lumien. Tim, Jerald, and their wives were at a table, with the kids close by.
Conversations flew back and forth between the tables as the guests shared stories before the big day. A happy group finally made its way outside around eleven, with Brian dragging a reluctant Kevin away from Irene and pushing him into the car. Irene simply waved and blew a kiss at him before slipping into the backseat of AJ’s rental and riding back to the hotel.
***Backstreet Boys***
Irene smoothed the tulle overskirt with her fingers. “How do I look?”
“Like a princess.” Meredith grinned at her sister.
She studied the sweetheart neckline of the sleeveless bodice as it narrowed into a point at the waist. The dress was amazingly simple, the only decoration the tiny crystals sewn into the tulle. A small diamond tiara secured the dark curls atop the bride’s head.
“Considering I’m marrying Prince Charming, that’s rather apropos, don’t you think?”
“I suppose it is.” Meredith smoothed the blue silk across her slight belly. “You’re lucky I can still fit into this style of dress.”
Irene arched an eyebrow. “You think I wasn’t planning for all contingencies?”
“Silly me. Whatever was I thinking?” The redhead rolled her eyes.
“Those hormones are doing a number on you, aren’t they?”
Meredith shrugged. “Mom said I’d lose brain cells. I just hope they come back after the baby’s born.”
Laughing, Irene shook her head. “Somehow, I think you could lose most of your brain cells and still be better off that most of the people you work with.”
The two women shared a laugh as they finished applying lipstick. Michael knocked on the door, smiling at his daughters as he entered the room.
“You look beautiful.” He kissed Irene’s cheek.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Michael turned to his oldest child, hugging her close. “You look beautiful, too. When am I going to do this with you?”
Meredith simply looked at her father before she smiled and slipped into her cape before picking up her bouquet. “Are we ready to go to the limo?”
“Yeah, baby!” Irene slipped into the white velvet cape and satin gloves and grabbed her bouquet.
They met Cecilia in the hall, and the four of them headed downstairs, catching glances from other patrons as they headed for the limousine parked outside the hotel entrance. The rest of the wedding party was already at the church. Irene stared out the window as they drove, excitement thrumming in her veins. When they arrived, the chauffeur helped everyone out of the back seat, and they headed into the front doors of the church.
Nick held the door open for them. “Thank God you’re here. We were afraid we’d have to tie him up or something. He’s pacing so much Tim has threatened to make him replace the carpeting.”
Irene giggled as she removed the cape. Michael, Cecilia, and Meredith also removed their outerwear. Nick whistled in appreciation.
“Let’s get this party started.” She winked at Nick before he disappeared into the sanctuary to get the processional started.
Ann walked out of a waiting room and stopped to look at the young woman in front of her. “Irene, you look lovely.”
“Thank you, Ann.” The young woman pressed her cheek against her mother-in-law’s.
“Mom, please.”
“Mom it is.”
Michael, Irene, and Meredith shifted to the side so that the doors could open and the mothers could be escorted down to their seats by Nick and Brian. Meredith pulled the blusher over Irene’s face, settling against the bodice before handing the bouquet back to her sister. Then she peeked through the door jamb to see Kevin standing at the altar with his brother Jerald beside him and Tim wearing his vestments as the presiding minister.
As Ode to Joy began to play, Meredith stepped to the archway and began her walk down the aisle. AJ smiled as she passed him, and she winked back. When she reached the altar, she turned around and looked at the back of the church. She turned to look at Kevin just as Irene stepped into view, wanting to catch the look when he saw her.
The look on his face was so overwhelming, she felt tears prick at her eyelids. Turning quickly, she watched as her father and sister walked up the aisle. Although it was a solemn occasion, the words spoken were filled with joy as Kevin and Irene pledged their love before God and the witnesses. When Tim finally pronounced them husband and wife and told Kevin to kiss the bride, Irene just arched an eyebrow at him.
He carefully lifted the blusher and folder it over her head. Stepping closer, he brushed a thumb across her cheek before leaning forward and pressing a warm, deep kiss to her lips. When they parted, Irene opened her eyes and smiled at him, winking quickly before she took her bouquet from Meredith.
As they turned to face the guests, Tim smiled. “It is my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Richardson.”
When the couple reached the pew where their parents were sitting, they stopped for hugs and kisses before continuing to the back of the church. Meredith and Jerald followed them, with Tim behind them. The photographer quickly sorted out the wedding party to send them back to the altar for pictures. Tim smiled at the guests.
“If y’all want to head over to the hotel for the reception, drinks and hors d’oeuvres are waiting to tide you over until we get there. Hopefully, it won’t be long.”
Several people laughed at the look on his face before they departed. AJ sat in the back and watched as the photographer quickly and efficiently placed the groups for maximum effect. When the pictures were finished for the wedding party, the group headed towards the hotel, following the limo carrying Kevin and Irene.
Pulling up to the hotel’s side entrance, Kevin was glad to see that there weren’t any fans waiting to accost them as they exited. He stepped out and held out his hand for his wife. The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he smiled into her blue eyes as she looked at him. They left their coats with one of the staff and entered the room to applause. That started a round of hugs and kisses as they made their way through the room to the head table situated next to the dance floor.
A jazz quartet was playing soft music as people slowly made their way to their tables for the sit-down dinner. Dinner was a leisurely affair as people wandered from table to table after they ate. When everyone finished and the plates were cleared away, Kevin stood and looked at Irene. He held out his hand, and she took it as she stood. He led her towards the floor as the quartet began to play Have I Told You Lately. Irene settled into Kevin’s arms and closed her eyes as he sang to her. She smiled, knowing that this was just the beginning of the happiest days of her life.
When they finished, Kevin relinquished Irene to Michael while he danced with Ann. The next song brought several people out onto the floor as people began to get into the party atmosphere the DJ was creating now that the quartet had stepped away. The music stopped briefly for the cutting of the cake, but picked back up when Irene announced she wanted to shake her groove thing. There was laughter and singing along with the various songs being played. Everyone knew that the evening was special.
As they danced, he looked down at her, mesmerized by the joy in her eyes. He knew without a doubt that she was the one. When the song ended, they headed off the dance floor. When she no longer felt him beside her, she turned and gasped. He took her hand, smiling at her.
“I love you so much, and I never want you to doubt that. Lumien, will you marry me?” Howie sank to one knee, the small velvet box extended in his free hand.
Lumien pressed trembling fingers to her mouth, unable to speak as she nodded. He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed it gently before standing and wrapping her in his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as their friends gathered around to wish them congratulations.
Meredith leaned back in AJ’s arms as he smiled at his friends. Life was very good, indeed.
Table of Contents
Chapter One