Please, Goddess above, let it somehow be so.She just needed to stay alive. All of them needed to stay alive.
A few raindrops fell as the last photo was taken, and Scarlett’s first thought was that maybe they were Jules and Sabina’s happy tears. As if in confirmation, a rainbow appeared in the sky above her as the cool drops of water touched her face. They all headed to shelter—slowly, in Scarlett’s case, because of her heels. But then Brayden scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the veranda as the rain began to pour.
Everyone ate dinner at Lachlan’s favorite restaurant. After they’d enjoyed a champagne toast, James suggested they head to The Serpent for celebratory drinks. Inside the wood-paneled bar, Scarlett sat next to Brayden, their families surrounding them, and wished she didn’t have to leave Manon behind in Clair de Lune. She brushed the thought away, not wanting to cry again. There were plenty of things to worry about, and she’d be dealing with them soon enough.
“Make the most of the night,” agreed Nori.“The time to wait will be over soon enough, and you don’t know when you’ll be back again. Carpe noctem!”
Brayden threaded his fingers through hers. He touched the band of her ring with his fingertip, and the diamond glistened in the soft candlelight. Lachlan and Manon were engaged in their own conversation, as were Beni and James.
“This was my mother’s engagement ring,” said Brayden, sounding hesitant. “My dad gave it to me this morning. We can get you a wedding band to go with it. Or you could pick out something different in Soleil—”
“I love it.” She appreciated that he was trying to give her an out if she didn’t like it, but the truth was, she loved the ring. It wasbeautiful and so Clair de Lune, like him.
“You do?” He held her gaze for a long moment before his lips twisted into a one-sided smile.
“Oy, there’s the lovebirds!” shouted Minnie from across the bar.
They turned to see her and Keeley walking toward them. Lachlan and Manon glanced Minnie’s way but continued their own hushed conversation on the other side of the table.
“I invited them. Hope that’s okay,” James said to Brayden and Scarlett.
She nodded rapidly. “Of course.”
“Minnie, Keeley, hey,” said Brayden as he stood to kiss their cheeks. “We…” He looked at Scarlett.
“White dress, and you’re in a suit for the first time I can remember,” said Keeley, gesturing to them. “James wasn’t lying—they got married! Where was our invite, eh? Rude!” But she was grinning.
The bar was getting busier, and there were no empty tables left. Scarlett grabbed her gin and tonic to stand next to Keeley, the champagne hitting her more as she got up. “Sorry! If I’d had twenty-four hours’ notice, I’d have definitely invited you.”
“She’s leaving tomorrow, and I’m going with her. I had to threaten her to agree to marry me before she left. If she bursts into tears, that’s probably why,” Brayden said with a shrug.
Minnie and Keeley laughed.
“I’m happy you’re coming with me,” whispered Scarlett.
“Are you sure?” Brayden’s lips were warm on her ear. “You’ve been awfully teary today.”
“I’mhappy,” she said in a more forceful whisper.No regrets, right?But from the unasked question, fear was born. What if regretting big relationship milestones like sex and marriage immediately after the fact was something Brayden always did in relationships? She’d have no idea, since they’d never really beentogether.
Ignorant to her inner turmoil, he was already turning back to Keeley and Minnie. “I’m glad I got to see you again before you leave for Evory.”
Scarlett thought of the likely war brewing and how it would impact her new friends, but since she didn’t know if that information was public, she said nothing.
“You know, I bet Keeley you’d be an official thing by the end of Scarlett’s trip,” said Minnie. “You’ve exceeded my already high expectations with this last-minute wedding.”
“You didn’t think we’d get together?” Scarlett asked.
Keeley scoffed. “I guessed it’d take till winter solstice. I clearly underestimated how horny you’d be after our ‘help’ the other night. So horny you needed to lock that dickdown.”
Brayden chuckled, looking more like his carefree self, as he took a sip of his whiskey.
Scarlett’s cheeks were hot, but Brayden’s laugh made her grin. She took a sip of her drink too, swishing the juniper-flavored gin around in her mouth.
James and Beni joined them where they stood, leaving Lachlan and Manon alone at the table.
“James, are you shocked your little brother is married?” asked Minnie. “The untamable Brayden Maddox, locked down in record time by the smoldering siren Scarlett Heroux.”
“He’s been obsessed with her for years. I’m not surprised at all.” Smirking, James took a swig of his beer.
