“I love you, too.”
“Now, let’s officially make you my sister.” I laugh.
“Hell yeah, fuck being his wife. We’re about to be sisters!”
All the girls pile into the car to head over to the club. Colette met us at the house so I could get Maggie ready. Colette’s been the one solid parent in Shane’s life since he moved here. Gran tried, but even she couldn’t get through to him like Colette can. Shane asked her if she’d sit in the front with the parents, and she burst into tears.
The girls stow away in one of the rooms to wait for the ceremony to start.The black leather couch sticks to the bare skin of my back. Jess plops down next to me, adjusting the straps on her black heels.
“So, what’s your deal with JT?” I ask.
“What? Nothing.” She shrugs. “It’s casual.”
“Oh my god. Jess, do you like him?” I whisper-yell.
“No! Shut up. It’s just sex.”
Narrowing my eyes, I tease, “Liar.”
“You know what, Ash?” She whips her head in my direction, flinging her hair over her shoulder, and pins me with a dirty look. “Worry about your own shit.”
“Okay, but don’t fuck him over. He’s a nice guy and he doesn’t deserve your bullshit.”
“Yeah, okay. Got it.” She stands, stomping away.
I step out into the hall for a second to make sure everything’s ready to start, when I run straight into someone.
Gabriel’s in an all-black suit with his hair pulled back.
“Holy shit, General,” he says with a slow drawl.
I roll my eyes; I did not miss that nickname.
Okay, maybe I did.
“You cannot wear that. You’ll never make it down the aisle before I drag you into a dark corner and rip it off.”
“Shut up.” I swat his arm. “You look pretty good yourself.” I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Want to see Maggie?”
He grins. “More than anything.”
Everyone is dancing and drinking at the reception when Maggie races over to us.
“Daddy, did you see that?” She grabs Gabriel’s arm.
He goes still, staring at her for a second before swallowing. Then his mouth spreads into a smile and he picks her up.
“Yeah, Mags. That was awesome.”
He lets out a warm laugh, hugging her tightly.
I know he said he didn’t care if she never called him that, but it’s obvious he hoped she would one day.
She hops down, taking off to dance with the other kids.
“Daddy,” I say, nudging him as I try to hold back a grin.
He pulls me to his chest, bringing his mouth to the shell of my ear and purrs, “We will be ditching this reception if you start calling me that.”
