Page 57 of Sweet Redemption

I drag my eyes away from him and let them linger momentarily on her. Coppery honey-gold hair blows in the soft breeze, and suddenly, I’m eighteen again, standing on a beach, waiting for my life to start. Wanting it to start with her. Hell, wanting it to end with her too.

She’s sitting next to Rafe fucking Langley. But when our eyes catch, for a split-second, it’s as if I’m looking at my Serena again.

There’s no hate shining back at me.

Not even hurt.

Just a smile.

The most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen on any woman.

Serena Kingston has always been the most gorgeous woman in any room she’s stood in, no matter where she is. It doesn’t matter if she’s in pajamas or wearing a soccer uniform, drenched in sweat, with pink pre-wrap holding back her hair. She could be completely makeup-free coming out of the shower, in that little black and white bikini from senior year, or in a nude gown covered in embroidered flowers sitting ten feet away on the arm of another man.

She’s the real deal.

The whole package.

But tonight, with her long hair down around her shoulders and the fading sun catching on her coppery golden waves like we’re on the beach instead of at a wedding—looking at me like that . . . Like she doesn’t hate me . . . I have no words.

Well, almost none.

I turn back to the guys with my final piece of advice. “Worship your wife. Love your kids . . . Just enjoy life.”

Because you never know at what point the life you thought you had becomes the one you’d give anything to have back.

And second chances aren’t promised.

I should know, I’m staring at mine.

Luckily, Bodhi didn’t strip naked during the ceremony. I’ll take the win, even if he yanked off his bowtie and kicked off his shoes like it was killing him not to. And really, who could blame him anyway?

We survived pictures with Ryker and his wife and the entire bridal party . . . barely.

When the photographer asked Bodhi to smile, he told him he already had.

I kinda want to see the picture he snapped then. Those smiles were definitely real.

By the time cocktail hour ended, he’d danced with Mom twice, ate enough junk to be up all night with a stomachache, and flirted with every woman in a fifty-mile radius. Kid’s going to be a heartbreaker one day.

Even if he was disappointed to realize it wasn’t today.

Thankfully, Gracie’s nanny picked him up and took him back to Ares’s and her house for the night.

Fuck. I need a nanny.

“Henny . . .” Delaney stops beside me, a glass of water with a slice of lemon in hand, and rests her head on my shoulder like we’re old friends.

“Are the Kingstons overwhelming you yet?” I ask, only partially kidding.

She looks up, feigning innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Say the word, and I’ll grab the getaway car.”

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” She motions to the dance floor, a small smile on her face. “Want to tell me who you’re staring at?”

“Not really,” I laugh. “Want to tell me who you’re hiding from?”

“Does it count if I say everyone?”