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I’m nearly out of the door to save her when I notice Leon step down from the stage area and toward Jacinda. He stands next to her and casually wiggles his pinkie. After she grips his finger, they walk to the stage, where she smiles at everyone, now totally calm.
Next up is Hector as the ringbearer. He starts off down the aisle just fine. Laszlo is the one who gets spooked and runs away. Hector looks around, confused about where to go.
Bear calls his name. His grumbly voice calms our boy in the same way it does me. With a destination in mind, Hector gets his confidence back and finishes walking down the aisle. Once Leon takes the pillow with the rings, Bear lifts the boy into his arms.
Siobhan hugs me when I get teary-eyed. “Don’t mess up your makeup,” she warns. “Just focus on smiling and getting to the finish line in Bear’s bed tonight.”
Obeying Siobhan, I exhale my drugged-up drama and grab hold of my Kovak cold. I soon stand still while the staff touches up my makeup, steams out any wrinkles in my dress, and attaches my veil.
Despite my calm demeanor, I’m not really here, right now. My mind is already sailing through the wedding.
I see my bridesmaids walking down the aisle with their groomsmen, joining Petra and Leon at the front.
I can feel my arm wrapped around Viktor’s. My father will whisper a compliment in my ear, leaving me glowing with pride.
We’ll walk down the aisle to where Bear holds our son. I know he’ll be a wonderful father. He already pays the kids more attention than Andrew ever did. They make him laugh, and he offers them security.
In my head, Thibeaux Hall won’t be filled with strangers. I’ll only see Bear and my family and friends. Our wedding might be a business deal between powerful factions, but my heart is all-in with Bear O’Malley.
Before I ever step out of the dressing room to meet my father, I’m floating on a cloud.
BEAR
Natasha can’t stop smiling. She’s wearing a soft grin when she starts down the aisle. It grows bigger when Hector starts bouncing in my arms at the sight of her all dressed up in a blinged-out gown. Jacinda jumps up and down nearby as she holds Leon’s finger.
I don’t blame the kids for getting excited. Natasha looks like a God damn princess as she walks with Viktor. Her smile is supernova bright when he kisses her cheek and takes Hector from me.
The boy almost flips out until Natasha whispers, “Crab apple.” Hector goes quiet and nods like they’re sharing a secret. Natasha smiles at how he calms down. She also gives an approving head nod to Jacinda who stops loudly whispering, “Mommy’s a princess!”
Once the wedding gets going, Natasha can’t peel her gaze away from me. She holds my gaze through the vows, stares at me while I slide the ring on her finger, and even looks at my face while she slides my ring on my finger. Natasha is stuck in a lovestruck trance, unable to see anyone else.
As we’re declared husband and wife, I never have any doubt Natasha loves me. The marriage might be a business agreement between my club and her family, but the smile on her face belongs to me.
NATASHA’S EPILOGUE
The first night at Bear’s house isn’t a particularly romantic affair. I doze off in the limo on the way home from the reception. The kids are beyond exhausted and more than a little cranky by the time we reach the house. Nat helps me get them in bed. As she goes to unpack in her newly furnished room, I sit in the chair between the kids’ beds and read a story. They’re both asleep long before I finish.
Bear watches me from the doorway, yawning and hurting after a long day. Both of us are due for our pain medicine. After the evening nurse doses us up, we shuffle into his bathroom and help each other undress.
This isn’t our first shower together. Bear joined me under the hot water a day ago. We soaped each other up and got handsy enough to both come. Tonight, we can’t even do that much. I forget all about wearing his vest. Instead, I crawl in bed, collapse on my belly, and sleep instantly.
Around midnight, I wake to pee and check on the kids. Using their Elmo nightlight to see, I find they haven’t moved. I smile at how exhausted they are after a long, nap-free day.
The nurse remains in the living room. Though I accept the pill she offers, I rest it on the bed’s nightstand. As I crawl back under the covers, I notice Bear is awake and watching me.
In our haste to get in bed, we left the shades open. Moonlight fills the room, allowing me to see Bear’s frowning face.
“The kids are okay.”
“Are you?” he asks in a ragged voice.
“I could use some ravishing, but I worry your dick is too drugged to fill me up.”
Bear slides his hand up my oversized T-shirt and sighs. “I could probably work up a boner. Say something sexy.”
“I like cock.”
“Say something sexier.”
