“No need to thank me, Sunflower. Just speaking the truth.” He pulls me into his side to share his body heat. I should have put on a jacket, but I didn’t even think about it.
Sunset has just finished, and there is a glow to the sky. The evening air has a chill that seeps into my bones. No different than a fall night in Michigan. Fashion over function won out tonight. Thank god my man is a space heater. I snuggle in closer to him and wrap my arm around his waist.
“Okay, everyone is here.” The wedding planner, I think her name is Marcy, calls out. “Thank god for lighted paths, Miss Sanders. We wanted to do this before the sun set.”
Remind me not to use this witch if/when you get married.
I chuckle at the thought, and the woman glares at me. “Sorry,” I say quickly and look at the ground.
“Alright, let’s head towards the spot.” She directs us all to the start of the trail. “The girls will have a get-ready room at the main lodge. Then they will walk down this path.”
Marcy leads us down the path, softly lit by ground stakes. I am in heels, and my ankles wobble slightly. Cal looks over at me and holds his arm out to steady me. Mouthing a quick thanks to him so as not to disturb the already pissed-off Marcy, we walk down the trail.
“Hey, Marcy.” Cal puts on his thousand-watt smile when she spins to face him.
“Yes, Mr. Hutchinson.”
Where the fuck did Nyx find this woman?
“Is Graham walking with Miss Sanders?” He asks so sweetly that I think we all just got diabetes.
“He will be standing up with Demitri for the main ceremony.” Her leer looks over at Nyx. I’m pretty sure she is judging them for their relationship. Graham chimes in before Cal can respond, seeing that his brother is helping to steady me.
“I’ll walk you down the trail, Ky. I don’t need broken ankles on our wedding day.”
“It’s not even your wedding.” The bitch mumbles under her breath.
“Alright, you epic bitch. You have mumbled and sneered enough for a fucking lifetime.” Nyx steps into her line of sight. “Do you have a problem with us? You seemed to be fine over the phone when we talked.”
“How didyouland the two of the hottest men on the planet?” Her glare swings to me. “And then there’s her.”
“Okay, you can head back to the lodge. We have had enough of you. Graham, do you mind escorting Marcy back up to the lodge and getting the manager to find a new day of coordinator?” Dee looks at his best friend while clenching his fists at his side. She is lucky they are trying to behave.
“Got it.” Graham grabs Marcy and walks away.
“Fuck.” Nyx lets out a breath, and I walk over to her and pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry, guys.”
Her voice breaks slightly. Before Dee walks over and pulls her from my arms, and lets her wrap around him like a koala bear.
“Nope, you aren’t blaming yourself for this, Little Fox.”
Fuck, their love is so precious. These big, strong Marines and an Army vet, who should be able to manage on their own. But they feel so safe and comfortable to be able to let go, which just warms my heart. I can only hope that Cal and I can be the same.
We are all settled around a giant table in the dining room of the lodge. Every single person we love is here. Of course, my bestie and her men, Cal and I, Jason and Alyra, are awfully cozy. He left Ariel at home for this trip because she threw a fit about how long they would be gone. David is staring longingly at Molly, who is talking with Nyx.
Devil Dog hired a few new guys to cover the active contract they have while we are all gone. The business, according to Dee and Graham, is doing amazing. Callum has officially joined the ranks, and he decided to build a house on the lot next door to his brother. They broke ground the week before we left.
I have a sneaking feeling Nyx has been involved in the design because she kept asking me for my opinion. Why her opinion mattered to Cal, I will never know, and why she wanted my input.
Because they both knew you were endgame.
Chuckling to myself, Cal looks over at me, confused.
“Wanna enlighten the class, Sunflower?” He has that pantie-melting smirk on show, and I can’t help but answer him.
“Oh, just thinking about why Nyx’s opinion matters on your house build,” I reply with a smirk of my own.
“Because my love, I was never going to give up on us. I gave you the space you needed, but you were it for me. I want to make sure to build a house you would love. Hence why I built it next to your best friend.”
