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“How’s Sam?” she rasps.

“Good. He’s good.”

That little boy is remarkable. He’s stepped up and been the man Tessa has been raising for the past seven years. He hasn’t faltered once in front of her. He keeps his emotions tucked inside and has been everything she’s needed him to be. He’s said it because they’re a team. It’s what they do.

“Why are you crying?” I ask her as I wipe the tears that continue to flow.

“I was so afraid I wouldn’t wake up. I was so afraid that I was going to leave you and Sam.”

She gives me a worried smile. Her lips are dry and cracked, results of the chemo, and her eyes that were once bright are lined with dark circles and are slightly sunken in. Her cheekbone protrudes from her skin with sharp edges. I swallow a lump in my throat.

She’s fucking beautiful.

“You can’t think like that, baby. You aren’t going anywhere, Tessa. I’m not done with you yet. I’ll never be done with you.”

I place a kiss on her forehead. My heart pumps with adrenaline at the thought of me losing her. She’ll never know, but I was scared shitless in that waiting room. My biggest fear is losing her, living a life without her.

She’s fucking amazing.

I place my forehead on hers and close my eyes. “Marry me.”

She blinks. “What?”

“Marry me. Be my wife, Tessa.”

A sob breaks from her chest. “Hawk,” she whispers my name.

“I love you, Tessa. Please marry me.”

“Yes.”

And with one word, my heart fucking soars.

Hawk

1 year later

Remission.

I never thought I’d be so damn grateful for that one word, but the moment Tessa’s doctors told us the transplant worked, it became my favorite word. Well, right after wife, because in a few short moments, Tessa Reese is going to become my wife.

We’re at the local church, a place I never thought I’d be, let alone be getting married in, but when your girl tells you that it has always been her dream to get married in the church she grew up attending, you do it. Little did I know that getting married in a Catholic church also meant that I’d have to become Catholic. There was so much damn stuff we had to do to get to this point, but if I had to do it all again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Tessa wanted an intimate ceremony with just family and Martha. She didn’t want to invite her parents after everything they put us through with Sam, and I understood. I’m just sorry that her brothers weren’t men enough to stand up to their parents and support their sister. But it doesn’t matter, Tessa has enough brotherly love in Sin and Cut, not to mention all the other guys from the club.

“You know you better treat her like a queen, right?” Cut says from my left. We’re standing at the altar, waiting for Tessa to walk down the aisle.

I glance his way. “Yeah, Cut, I know that. Do you doubt me?”

“I’m just saying that’s my sister you’re about to marry.”

“Don’t try to vie for favorite brother now, man,” Sin says just to the left of me. He’s standing in between us since he’s my best man. “That spot is already taken.” He wipes his hands down the front of his vest. Yeah, the kind you rent.

“You wish,” Cut says, but I just shake my head.

“You guys need to check your pants to see if you’ve lost your dicks because you both sound like a bunch of pansy ass pussies,” Lick remarks from the far left. He tugs on the collar of his dress shirt. “Why the fuck are we wearing button-up shirts. This is some stupid ass shit.”

“Shh!” Bianca hisses from the front row. She’s bouncing Matthew Sinclair Jr on her lap, making sure he doesn’t fuss.