Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“Is it just the siblings and the kids? Because if that’s the case, it’s okay.”
He frowns over at me. “What are you worried about, Wildfire?”
“I’ve barely seen your parents since I’ve been back. Just briefly at Blake’s engagement party.”
“Okay. My parents always loved you.”
“Sure, before I was the bitch who broke their baby boy’s heart.”
Suddenly, Brooks pulls the truck over to the side of the road, jumps out, and strides around to me. He opens the door, unfastens my seat belt, and turns me to face him. His hands cup the sides of my neck.
“You will never refer to my wife as a bitch ever again. Do you understand me?”
Holy fucking shit.
“It’s an expression, Brooks—”
“One that I won’t tolerate. You’re mine. I love you so much that I would burn this fucking world to the ground for you. So you won’t speak about yourself that way again.”
“Br—”
“Say you understand.”
I rub my hand up and down his chest. “I understand.”
“Good.” He leans in to nibble my lips. “It’s going to be great, baby. I promise, I wouldn’t take you into a situation that could hurt you. Never.”
With a nod, I offer him a smile. “Okay. Maybe the hunger was making me act unreasonably.”
With a snort, he bites my lower lip, then gets me back into the seat belt. Within a few seconds, we’re back on the road.
“So it’s a party.”
“I’m not telling you anything more.” He shoots me a grin. “Love you. Mean it.”
“You’re a weirdo.”
Shaking my head, I can’t help but reach for his hand as he pulls onto the ranch road, and a couple of minutes later, we pull up to the old farmhouse that Brooks grew up in. I spent so much time at this house back in the day.
“Beckett and Skyla live here now,” he says as we just sit for a minute and let the memories come. “Mom and Dad have a place in town. Not too far from us, actually.”
“There are about twenty million cars here.”
“Or, you know, twenty.” He smirks and climbs out and then comes to fetch me again. “Let’s go, Bride.”
“You’re getting such a kick out of this.”
“Fuck yes, I am.”
With his arm wrapped around me, Brooks leads me around the house to where there’s a tent set up with tables, food, flowers, balloons, and music. There’s even a table full of desserts.
And every person that we love is here, including Jackie, all of the Lexingtons, the Wild family, most of whom I haven’t seen in a long time, all of Brooks’s family, and even Ava and Tucker are here.
It’s a party.
“How did you do this?” I ask Brooks. No one has noticed we’re here yet.
“I called my mom while you were in the shower.” His lips twitch into a smug smile. “And she put everyone to work. Charlie and Connor made calls. Everyone scurried. Happy wedding day, Wildfire.”
“Oh my God! They’re here!” Billie is the first to notice us, and then we’re engulfed by hugs and chatter. Everyone wants to see my ring, and I can’t even count the number of times someone says, “It’s about time.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“Oh, my sweet girl,” Brooks’s mom, Becca, says with a kind smile as she wraps me in a hug. “I just couldn’t be happier for the two of you.”
“Are you sure?” The question is a whisper, and has her backing up to frown at me. “Are you sure this is okay? I hurt him so bad before, and then I made him marry me without any of his family there, and he’s your oldest son. I’m sure you would have wanted to be there, but I was selfish, and—”
“It’s your day,” she says, cutting me off. “And it should be exactly how you want it. That’s the only thing that matters. Yes, you hurt him, but honey, you were both so painfully young. I’m so happy that you found each other again. This is where you belong, you know. With all of us to love you.”
“Welp, looks like I’ll just be crying all day today.”
Becca laughs with me and then hugs me again. “You’re such a gorgeous bride. Let me see your ring.”
I proudly hold it up to her, and she sighs. “He kept it for you.”
“You saw this ring? Before?”
“That was my ring, once upon a time.”
My jaw drops. “No.”
Her brow furrows. “I hope that’s okay.”
“No. Yes. Oh shit, of course it’s okay. I love it so much. I just can’t believe … you know what? Never mind. I love that I have your ring. I’m surprised you gave it to Brooks since you’re still married and everything.”
She snorts out a laugh. “Well, for our tenth anniversary, Brandon upgraded my ring for me, and Brooks asked if he could have the original when he decided to propose to you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“What’s sweet?” Brooks wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. “Mom, you’re monopolizing my wife.”