Chapter 79: The Unexpected Gift

Chapter 79: The Unexpected Gift
Nadine Black's POV:

I couldn't for the life of me figure out why someone would want to use birdseed and toss that at a wedding? I mean, why not use rice instead? That is how they are supposed to do it.

As I continued to ponder this particular idea and the question of why someone would do such a thing, I didn't notice that my mother had walked around to stand to my left, while Damian stood on my right, waiting for everybody else to get into position.

"My dear?" My mother calmly questioned. "You do know why they use birdseed, don't you?"

"How did you..." I started to ask when I turned to look at her, stunned, as my previous questionable expression relaxed to a normal one as I glanced over at my mother.

"They use birdseed, as that is a natural food source for the animals that pick the sidewalk clean," she stated as we both looked over the path, as the lady with the tray of cups filled with birdseed was just about done passing everything out. "Rice will kill the birds. It would swell in their bellies as soon as they take a drink of water. But birdseed they can naturally digest, as it is one of their food sources."

"Oh..." I said as my eyes went wide as I raised my eyebrows and slightly nodded my head in stunned knowledge. "I honestly didn't know that."

"You learn something new every day, my dear," my mother said, just as softly, as she finally led us a few steps away from me, as it was just about time for us to head up the aisle towards our awaiting vehicle.

It was at that precise moment that Damian looked down at me, and I looked up at him.

"You still have yet to respond to me," Damian spoke up.

"Oh... I'm sorry," I said quickly, looking down as I reached up and interlocked my fingers, as my one arm was still holding onto his elbow. "I... I didn't mean to neglect your question."

"It wasn't a question," Damian said, looking back in front of us as his men at the other end of the row of people gave him a nod. "It was an informative notice as to what is about to happen."

"All right," I said, looking back as Damian started to walk forward.

Just as we took our first few steps, people on either side of the street started to throw birdseed up into the air as we continued to walk underneath a reigning shower of little pellets that fell upon us, and you could even lightly hear them showering across the ground. Well, at least the birds were going to get something out of this.

Before I even realized it, I had looked down to notice my feet were surrounded by tiny bits of birdseed when we reached the vehicle. I didn't realize that I allowed Damian to guide me the entire way, just to the vehicles.

"Congratulations to the wedded couple," I heard someone call out as both Damian and I turned to face the crowd that had now filled the aisle, where we stood beside the open door of the vehicle.

"Have a safe trip," someone else called out.

"Don't have too much fun," called out another person, along with several other comments of splendid pleasure that I was no doubt soon to experience later once we arrived at our final destination.

I had absolutely no idea where we were headed. Did I care at this moment? Not precisely. I knew that between my father and Damian, they certainly had something planned. As to what exactly... I didn't exactly care. I just knew that I was literally going along for the ride.

Right then, Damian turned to look at me and said, "Go ahead and go on. Then we can be on our way."

I didn't say anything as I turned around and took a step up out of the seat behind the passenger. Just then, as Damian was climbing into the seat as I had scooted over, Clay had walked up with Bryce. I was surprised to see them.

"Excuse me, sir," Clay called out at that precise moment.

Damian didn't say anything as he turned around to look at Clay and the other man walk up to the open doorway, as Andre was holding onto the door, just about to close it. As I turned to look towards the open doorway, I noticed that a lot of the people had turned away from us, so they weren't exactly paying attention to the conversation in which we were about to partake.

"Good evening, Sir," Bryce spoke up as he was standing directly beside his brother Clay. "If you will allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bryce Rice."

I could tell right then that Damian recognized his name.

"I see," Damian said as he turned to glance at Clay before looking back at Bryce.

"I have come to wish congratulations to both you and your bride," I heard Bryce speak up.

The entire time, Bryce didn't so much as glance around Damian to look at me. I couldn't help it as I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering why that was. Then, in the back of my mind, I recalled something that happened last night. While we were at dinner, Damian threatened me. He told me to never look at another man. Did Bryce somehow know about this particular threat?

"If you will," Bryce spoke up right then, preventing Damian from cutting him off. "I have a gift for the bride."

"And what might that be?" Damian asked, his tone still just as monotone as it was before when he first spoke up, seeing both Clay and Bryce walk up to the open doorway.

"Here," Bryce said as he reached up and tucked his hand inside his suit jacket.

I wasn't exactly sure what he was grabbing, but even then, I'm pretty sure Damian's men would have rushed him if I thought he was a threat. No sooner than his hand vanished from view, it emerged again. I was shocked to see what he held. It was an elongated dark red velvet box, small enough to fit into his inner suit jacket pocket. Outside the box was a thin black ribbon tied into a small bow.

"What's that?" I couldn't help but ask.

This was the first moment that Bryce glanced at me before immediately looking back at Damian.

"If you don't mind my saying so," Bryce added his comment. "Seeing everything today..."