“My darling girl,” Mama said, folding me in a hug. I hid in the living room, peeking out toward the yard. Maxim had figured out what was happening, and he’d pounded Cormac on the back before he wiped away a tear. Cruz had blown his nose into a large handkerchief twice, and Coach Whittaker had threatened the new rookie with bodily harm if he spouted off any crap.
I was so excited these people were mine as much as they were Maxim’s.
* * *
Maxim
Cormac leaned in closer. “Your eyes.”
“What?”
“The color of the ribbon,” he said. “Ida Jane told Keelie it had to match your eyes. She’s been obsessed with it and bought out entire stores.”
“Oh.” My lips turned up slowly. “I approve.”
Cormac chuckled. “Yeah, like that was an issue.”
“Thank you for going to all this effort.”
Cormac grinned, but it was Keelie who answered. She’d come to stand on the other side of the altar. “This was fun! I rarely get to be crafty.”
“Because you suck at crafts,” Naomi said, sidling up next to Keelie. They wore matching long dresses of pale blue. Keelie’s baby bump poked out the front of hers and she rubbed it idly with one hand while she cradled pale blue flowers in the other.
Beside Cormac, Stol, Cruz, and Naese stood, hands clasped, solemn.
I turned back in time to watch Millie walk down the aisle. Her baby bump was larger than Keelie’s and her gaze never wavered from Stol, who stared back, equally rapt.
Oh, yeah, those two were going to create some fireworks.
Then came my lovely krasivaya, who walked down the aisle on her father’s arm. Jacob beamed and Ida Jane looked like a dream in thesame white gownshe’d worn in front of the justice of the peace.
I cleared my throat, struggling to maintain my emotions—and what Ida Jane was signaling by wearing the same dress. She wasalreadymine. Now, she was telling our friends and the world what we’d been too afraid to admit for months: we belonged together.
Jacob placed her hand in mine, and I raised her left hand to my lips, kissing both her rings. “You are the most beautiful of brides, Mrs. Dolov.”
She smiled at me through her veil, her eyes luminous. “Only for you, Maxim.”
* * *
The reception wasin full swing, and my teammates were showing the rest of the guests that we knew how to celebrate. The boys crowded the dance floor, surrounding my precious wife who was showing off some spectacular moves. She never ceased to surprise me—was that the moonwalk? I guffawed as Ida Jane owned the floor, enjoying the guys’ hearty approval. Those who weren’t dancing crowded around the round tables, plates loaded with food.
“Thank you for helping Ida Jane set this up,” I said to Jacob and Loreen, who stood on the edge of the dance floor, beaming.
Ida Jane had told me her parents had footed the bill for the catering and cake, while Keelie, Nicole, and Naomi had purchased the decorations and flowers. “It was a team effort—a show of support for their new captain.”
“Oh, this was our absolute pleasure,” Loreen gushed. Her eyes were bright.
“Seeing our baby girl so happy…” Jacob broke off and cleared his throat. “You put her first, like you promised me. Thank you, Maxim.”
I clapped his shoulder and squeezed, but he wasn’t having that. He pulled me into a hug, and I reveled in his approval.
“Don’t you worry about Dillon,” Jacob murmured. “He’s definitely getting prison time.”
“I like the sound of that. And the pregnant woman?”
“Stella Lincoln.” Jacob shrugged. “Harder to say, but she’s not too pleased you won public opinion and ruined her sugar daddy situation, so I’m guessing that’ll work itself out.”
“Excellent. I’m going to go dance with my wife,” I said.
