“I want the other one then,” Miles says, holding his hands out to Ryland, who doesn’t hesitate to jump into them. He lifts her up over his head as she giggles down at him before he sits her on his lap. He kisses the top of her curls and helps her get settled with her princess sticker book that Eve just placed in front of her.
“She’s never seen that one, so it should keep her occupied for a while,” she laughs.
Miles loads his fingers up with stickers hanging off them, and she immediately starts taking them off one by one and placing them anywhere they land on the picture. You would never know, looking at the four of us with tattoos covering mostof our upper body and Miles with his eyebrow and lip piercing, that our biggest weakness is our niece and nephews. They have us wrapped around their little fingers.
“There’s the best ring man I’ve ever seen,” Ryder grins at our oldest nephew Max. Even at seven, he’s the spitting image of us with his dark hair and grey eyes. It was a shock to us when Travis became a dad at twenty-three, but not one of us hesitated to step up and help raise him. His mom left shortly after he was born, leaving Travis as a single parent. In the long run, it was better off that way. Addy had her own demons to fight, and eventually, they caught up to her last year. By then, Travis had already met Sophia and had fallen deeply in love with her. They’ve been married now for two years, and Sophia didn’t hesitate to adopt Max shortly after they saidI do.
“Thanks, Uncle Ryder,” he grins at him. “I was so nervous I was going to drop the rings, but I held on to them tightly just like Dad told me to.” He sits down between Ryder and Miles.
“Well, you did a great job. Maverick and Bella were very lucky to have you keep those rings safe.” Eve smiles at her nephew.
“Thanks, Aunt Evie.” He beams with pride at her compliment. “I’m a pro now. This is my third wedding with Mom and Dad and then you and Uncle Ryder.”
“That does make you a pro,” I laugh. “You are the official ring bearer of the family.”
He giggles and stops when Ryland puts a princess sticker on his hand.
“Ryland, I’m not a sticker book, silly. It goes on the paper, not me.” She starts belly laughing, getting us all to join in on the contagious sound. “Like this,” he says, peeling it off his hand and putting it in the sticker book.
“Max is a pwincess,”she giggles.
Groaning and rolling his eyes, he looks at her. “I’m not a princess, Ryland.”
“Daddy is a pwincess.” She holds out her hand with the sticker, and Ryder leans forward so she can stick it on his shirt.
“I’ll be a princess for my Rybug. Give me a tiara and call me Cinderella.”
Max starts rolling in laughter. “Okay, Cinderella. Just make sure you are home before midnight tonight.”
“With these two?” He points to Ryland and Mason, “I’m lucky if I’ll last until ten o’clock.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Eve laughs. “Gone are the days I party until the sun comes up.”
“When have you ever partied until the sun comes up? In high school, I was lucky if you got through a whole movie without falling asleep on me,” he laughs.
“That’s because I feel cozy and safe when your arms are around me. It’s like a big warm fuzzy blanket putting me right to sleep every time.”
“Awe, that’s adorable,” Savi says, smiling over at them.
“It is adorable,” Ryder says, kissing her on the lips. I watch him nuzzle her neck before she settles back against him, watching her son sleep in Savi’s arms.
They haven’t had the easiest time in their relationship. Eve’s parents were into some shady things that led them to blackmail her into leaving Ryder when she was pregnant with Ryland at nineteen. She wasn’t able to say goodbye or tell Ryder she was carrying their child.
They were torn apart for three years, each in their own little hell. Him—wondering why she left and having to resign to the fact that she was never coming back. Her—fighting like hell to get back to him. I picked up Ryder off the floor more times than I can count when the pain got so bad he would drown himself in the first bottle he could find to make him forget.
When she showed up last summer with Ryland in her arms, they worked through their pain and guilt together and didn’t waste any more time by getting married shortly after. They welcomed their second child last month. If anyone deserves a happy ever after, it’s these two.
We turn our heads as the DJ comes over the speaker, announcing Mr. and Mrs. Lane for the first time. Everyone claps as they enter, followed by the bridal party. They take their seats at the head table, and dinner is brought out shortly afterward. My thoughts keep wandering back to her as I eat my meal and watch every person who walks through the swinging doors.
Frustrated, I throw my napkin down and get up from the table. “I’m going to head to the bathroom. Be right back.” I follow the signs to the bathroom and swing open the door a little harder than intended, with all the thoughts going through my head of possibly never seeing her again. I hear a woman’s cry on the other side of the door, followed by a loud clattering sound.
I peer around the door, and caramel eyes the color of my favorite bourbon stare back at me.
It’s her.
My breath escapes my lungs, and I get my confirmation that what I felt the first time wasn’t just my imagination. It’s like my body being slammed against a brick wall…emotions battering my body one by one.
She’s covered in what appears to be a chocolate dessert. The tray is at her feet, and the wooden floor is smeared with evidence of what smells and looks to have been a delicious treat. She tries to hide the shock on her face when recognition flashes briefly across her face.
