“It’s okay.”

“It’s not.” He shakes his head.

“You will never have any piece of her,” Ginny yells, and Kim’s body jolts. “You don’t deserve to have a piece of her, so fuck you.” She points at Kim then she swings her hand around, pointing at everyone else. “Fuck all of you.”

“Are the cops on the way?” Talon asks, looking at my dad, and I see him nod before watching Ginny’s eyes get wide.

“You called the cops on me?”

“You’re wasted. You drove here wasted. No fucking way am I gonna let you get behind the wheel of a car in the state you’re in,” Dad mutters, and she starts to fight, but with six giant dudes holding her, she is barely struggling when the cops pull in and put her in cuffs.

“Well, now that’s done, how about we go celebrate?” my mom suggests with a smile fifteen minutes later as the cops load a still screaming Ginny into the backseat of the squad car.

“Seriously, babe?” my dad scolds with a grin twitching his lips.

“What?” My mom frowns at him.

“Nothing,” he mutters, pulling her in to kiss the side of her head.

Leading Kim away from everyone, I wait until we’re out of earshot then tug her into my front and rest my hand around the side of her neck, dipping my face close to hers. “You okay?”

As she pulls in a breath, her head tips back and her hands move to rest against my chest. “I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I think I needed that. I used to wonder why Kelly cared about her so much and why she kept going back. I thought maybe I was missing something or that I was missing out on something,” she confesses, dropping her forehead to my chest. “I’m glad I know now there is nothing for me to mourn. She’s just a person. Yes, she gave birth to me, but she will never be a part of my life, and I will never be a part of hers.”

“Baby.” I kiss the top of her head, keeping my arms tight.

“It’s for the best,” she adds, then she lifts her head and looks around my shoulder when footsteps get close. I know who it is without looking, so I kiss the side of her head and let her go to her friend.

“I’m so sorry,” Chris says, and I can hear the stress in his voice as Kim steps forward to hug him. As much as I want to be pissed at him for what went down, I can’t be. He didn’t know the bitch would make a scene, and he was trying to do something for my woman.

“It’s okay,” Kim whispers, patting his back as he cries.

Thankfully, by the time we make it into the restaurant, the drama for the evening has come to an end and we’re able to do nothing but celebrate with our friends and family.

*

LYING IN BED with Kim asleep against me, I stare up at the night sky as my mind replays what went down with Ginny and the pain I kept seeing in Chris’s eyes throughout dinner. Even with Kim telling him that it was okay, he was still a mess. “Fuck.” I rub a hand down my face then carefully get out of bed and get dressed.

“Baby, I’ll be back,” I say as I take a seat on the side of the bed touching her hip, and her sleepy eyes blink open to meet mine.

“What? What time is it?” she asks.

I look at the clock then mutter, “It’s 12:15.”

“Where are you going at 12:15 at night? On the night before we are supposed to get married?” she asks, getting up on her elbow.

“I need to take care of something,” I answer vaguely, and her body gets tight.

“Should I be worried?” she asks, wrapping her hand around my jaw and smoothing her thumb over my bottom lip.

“No.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Sleep. I’ll be back.”

“Okay,” she whispers, leaning up and touching her mouth to mine, then dropping her head back to the pillow. “Be safe.”

“Always.” I kiss her once more then leave the room, closing the door as I go.

Heading out of the house, I set the alarm then get in my car and take off toward town. When I pull up in front of Chris’s house forty minutes later, I shut down the engine and hop out, slamming the door behind me. Walking up his front porch, I pound on his door twice and wait for him to answer.

“Hey.” He pulls the door open. “Is Kim—”

“Not here about Kim. Get dressed. You’re coming with me.”

“What?” His eyes get big and fill with panic. “Where are we going?”

“Alabama,” I tell him, and the panic slides out as realization filters in.

“I’ll be right back.” He runs off, and I shake my head, feeling a smile curve my lips. Two hours later, we break into Ginny’s house. Three hours after that, I climb back into bed with Kim, who only wakes enough to turn in my arms and cuddle close.

Kim

STANDING AT THE end of the aisle with my arm tucked into my dad’s, I look around and tears blur my vision. The hall is beautiful, more beautiful than I could have imagined, with nothing but white tulle and bright pops of red and orange flowers everywhere that match my bouquet.

Touching one finger to the pendent around my neck, my throat closes up. A few hours ago, when I was getting ready before I had my makeup done, Chris came in to see me and gave it to me. At first, I thought it was just a beautiful necklace. I didn’t know what the significance was. But then he explained that inside the pendent was a little bit of my sister’s ashes.

I didn’t ask him how he got them. I knew. After he told me that, I cried, because even if Kelly and I didn’t have the best relationship, I want to believe that she would have wanted to be here with me today. So being able to carry her with me meant a lot.

“Don’t cry,” Dad mutters, handing me a handkerchief out of his pocket.

Turning my head his way, I smile. “I’m trying not to.”

“Well don’t, ’cause I don’t want to cry,” he says, and my heart gets warm as his eyes water. “You make a beautiful bride.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

“I love you. One of the best things that ever happened in my life was you,” he whispers, kissing the side of my head, and I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t cry.

“I love you, too.”

“I know,” he mutters, and then the music starts up and he squeezes me in with his arm. As we make our way through the chairs lined up on each side of the aisle, my heart lodges in my throat.

I had imagined a million times what it would feel like to walk toward Sage on our wedding day, but I had no idea I would feel so complete. Watching his eyes heat and darken as they move over me in my wedding dress, and seeing the love and possessiveness in his gaze almost brings me to my knees. I love him. I love him more than I ever thought I could possibly love another person.

Seeing him step close, my eyes stay locked on him as he takes me from my dad, and then I’m in his arms, right where I’m meant to be. As we stare at each other, speaking our vows and holding on to each other tight, I know everything that has happened to me in my life led me to him.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the pastor says, and my husband’s hands hold my face gently as he kisses me, and the moment he pulls back, Monopoly money rains down on us, making me laugh.

“I love you, Kimberly Mayson,” my husband tells me.

“I love you, too,” I whisper, and then I wrap my hands around the back of his neck and pull him down for another kiss, hearing a cheer go up in the crowd.

Epilogue

Kim

Two years later

“HARDER.” MY HEAD falls forward to the mattress and my hands slide out in front of me across the bed. “Please.”

“Fuck,” Sage growls, bending over me, and then his arm is under my breasts, lifting me up. With my back to his front, his free hand slides down over my stomach, zeroing in on my clit.

“Yes!” My hips rock into his fingers on my clit while his cock fills me over and over. “I’m going to come.”

“Kiss me,” he demands. Turning my head so he can capture my mouth with his, I feel his tongue slide between my parted lips. Oh, God, my body shakes as I come. Thrusting his hips once… twice more, he plants himself deep inside me, following me with his own orgasm.