Page 63 of Knight Watch

Epilogue

Kingsley pacedthe beach suddenly unsure if he had done the right thing.

Shane chuckled at his side. “Will you calm down?”

“What if she doesn’t want this? What was I thinking?” Kingsley straightened his tie again.

“She’s going to love it, and she loves you.” Shane waved his hand at the rows of chairs, the flowered arch, and tiki lights that twinkled. “You know chicks dig this shit.”

Emme glared at him from the other side of the altar. “Nice, Shane. Very romantic.”

Shane looked at Emme his gaze full of love and with a slight begging tone to his voice said, “Baby, you know what I mean.”

The idea had come to Kingsley about two months ago. He and Sydney had never had a wedding, and he wanted to make it official, but every time he’d mentioned it to her, she’d insisted she didn’t need the fancy stuff, just him. He loved her for it, but most women wanted a romantic wedding, and he knew she was no different. He had enlisted Cleo, Caitlin, Emme, and Mercy’s help and they had been thrilled with the plan to have a surprise beach wedding on the first anniversary of their meeting. He wanted all her old hurts and bad memories to be replaced with happy ones.

His phone pinged with a text, and he looked at it with nerves he had never felt before, but nothing had meant so much before.

Caitlin: On our way.

“She’s on her way,” he called to their assembled friends and family. His mom, some of his friends from the UK, including Zack Cunningham, his wife Ava, and their two children, and his mates Dolph and Teddy from the Navy were all there. He was sad there was nobody from Sydney’s past, but she was so tight with the girls now, no one would know they weren’t lifelong friends.

He saw a car pull up to the road behind the beachside restaurant he had hired for the after-party, and his heart jumped to his throat. Dropping out of planes was less nerve-wracking than this.

He watched in awe as Sydney stepped from the car. The plan was that she and Caitlin would go shopping for dresses for another wedding they were all attending and then Caitlin would insist they get hair and make-up done for fun.

Sydney had started to embrace her inner girl with the security of his love and her friends behind her. Of course, he thought she looked stunning all the time, but she enjoyed the girlie stuff, and he loved that she did.

Her eyes searched for his, and she took in the people and the setting. The smile and love he saw on her face settled every last doubt he had. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he watched Malco walk toward her and offer his arm. He didn’t hear the words said between them but saw her kiss his friend’s cheek and take his arm.

The music began as he turned to Shane with a grin, which his best man returned. He and Shane had gotten tight over the last year, and he figured without him and Emme believing in him and giving him the opportunity, he never would have met the woman who owned his heart and soul.

Sydney walked with Malco down the sandy aisle and stopped beside him before handing the bouquet Caitlin had thrust at her back and kissing Malco on the cheek.

She looked at him with a quirk to her lips. “So this is what you’ve been up to.”

“Guilty,” he replied.

Sydney stepped closer and tugged on the lapel of his jacket. He had opted for navy jackets, white shirts, and beige trousers for the men. He’d wanted to be relaxed but look good for his wife.

He lifted his hand and rested it against her hip as his other hand cupped her cheek. “Will you do me the greatest honor of my life and marry me?” he asked as he watched her face go soft and felt his belly flip.

She covered his hand with hers. “I would love nothing more.”

Dipping his head, he kissed her then and it was soft and sweet and full of love and promise. He heard the clearing of throats and pulled himself back before touching his nose to hers. “Let’s do this, Syd.”

Hand in hand they turned to the officiant and officially became husband and wife.

* * *

Five years later

The call camein the middle of the night, waking her from a dead sleep. She moved to grab the phone and saw the text come through. Stepping out of bed silently, she yelped when a hand snaked around her waist and pulled her back into a hard, warm chest.

“Is it time?” Kingsley’s voice was deep and gruff from sleep. The sound always made her want to crawl back into bed and run her hands all over his body.

“Yes, honey, it is. The puppies are coming,” she replied, knowing she was needed elsewhere and crawling back into bed with Kingsley would have to wait.

“Want me to come with you?” he mumbled sleepily, his dark eyes on her.