Surrendering Series Box Set

“You’re not going to get cold feet, are you?” he asked.

“Nope. My feet are nice and toasty warm. You?”

“Hell no. I can’t wait.” He was so sure. So confident.

“Well, that’s good. I don’t want to marry someone who’s lukewarm about the whole thing.” He set his burger down and kissed me.

“I’ve never been lukewarm about you, and you know that, Sunshine.” It was true. From the very first moment, he’d been fire. Hot and consuming.

“Ditto. Even if it took me longer to realize it.” He shrugged as if it didn’t even bother him.

“You would have gotten there eventually. Or else I would have thrown you over my shoulder and carried you to the altar.” I didn’t doubt it at all, and there was something wonderful about that. About someone loving you and wanting you that much.

“Is that so?” I said.

“Yes.” He kissed my nose and then went back to his burger. A sweet warmth bloomed in my stomach and I realized just how deliriously happy I was.

~*~*~

Sunday was just as lovely as the previous two days. Lucah and I slept in and then lazed around the apartment until it was time to get ready and go to my parents’. They asked about the cabin and I was able to give them a good report. Dad said he was going to go up soon to get the boat out of storage. I also asked if it was okay for Tate, April and the girls to come up and of course they said yes.

“We should meet all of them before the wedding, shouldn’t we? Since they’re part of the wedding party.” Lucah decided he couldn’t pick which brother should be his best man, so he was having co-best men. I thought it was so sweet, so I couldn’t say no. Fin had been added as a groomsman, so that there was one escort for each of my girls.

“Well, you will at the rehearsal dinner,” I said, but that wasn’t good enough for Mom.

“No, we should have everyone over at least once. Walter, will you get my book so I can see what would be a good weekend?” Mom said. She kept her master schedule in a Kate Spade planner that she was almost never without. In spite of not working outside of the home, my mom devoted her time to charity work and volunteering, so her life was packed with different activities.

She skimmed and picked a weekend three weeks away.

“I don’t think we’re doing anything, but we’ll have to check with everyone,” I said, looking to Lucah for confirmation. He nodded and I wrote it down so I could text everyone and see if they were free, and I realized that Lucah and I were blending our families, not just ourselves. It made me a little nervous, but so far Ryder had (finally) won my parents over, so there was at least that. Plus, everyone adored April and Tate was wonderful. He and Dad would definitely get along and Mom would go crazy over the girls and the baby.

Sloane had brought my mother’s dress for the wedding with her, so they went upstairs for a fitting.

“You should come for the final fitting,” Sloane said to my mom as they came downstairs afterward. Mom looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“That would be lovely.” She came over and hugged me hard.

“I can’t believe my girl is all grown up,” she said, patting my back.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I am getting married,” I said and she gave me a look. I liked needling her sometimes.

She wiped her eyes and Dad cleared his throat.

“Now, now, Eva, don’t cry all your tears. Save some for the wedding,” he said with a chuckle, but I noticed that his eyes were a little damp as well. Je-sus Christ, I didn’t know how they were going to get through this. They’d been emotional like any parents when I’d gone off to college and then moved in with Sloane, but I guessed this was something totally different.

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m just getting married,” I said, but they both just stared at me until Dad cleared his throat again and they stepped back so Lucah could hand me my coat.

“I’ll see you next week,” I said, because they were still looking at me with too many emotions in their eyes.

“We love you, Rory,” Dad said, waving as we left.

“Love you too,” I called out as we walked through the door.

“Oh, your parents are the sweetest,” Sloane said as we walked across the driveway to where we’d parked our cars.

“They’re bordering on creepy right now,” I said with a laugh.

“They love you,” Lucah said, opening the door for me. I got in and once again felt that little niggling poke of guilt that I had living parents and he didn’t and here I was complaining about them.