Cupcake Explosion (Cupcakes 4)

I wiped the tears that had fallen and nodded.

“Just excited,” I replied softly.

I felt his lips on my crown.

“Me, too,” he said gruffly. “I didn’t ask last night; did you find a dress?”

I nodded, then leaned back against him.

“I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Cade turned me around and kissed me soundly. I could hear the dogs running around us, playing and barking, could smell the crisp morning air, and feel Cade all around me. He was here, he was safe, and we were getting married that weekend.

The moment was just about perfect, until Pops said, “If you need me to skedaddle so you can take the edge off, I will, otherwise, we should probably get back. If we’re not there when breakfast is ready, there’ll be hell to pay.”

Cade chuckled against my lips.

Reluctantly, I pulled back, gave the arbor one last loving stroke, then put my hand in Cade’s and we all started back to the house.

“Pops, after breakfast I gotta go get the guys from the airport, and then I’ll take you to see a man about a pig, does that work for you?”

“Hell, yeah,” Pops replied with a grin. “Do I get to see that compound of yours too? Meet your brothers?”

“Yup.”

“I’ve been thinking about getting a new bike. Maybe I can test some out while we’re there, too.”

“Sounds good, I need to look into finding a new bike myself,” Cade replied, while I thought, heaven help me.

AFTER BREAKFAST, CADE and his dad left for the airport and compound, and I’d gotten a call about a case.

Cade’s mom assured me they had plenty to do and didn’t need to be entertained but told me to be back by six for dinner. I’d said, yes, ma’am, then put in a call to Carmen and gave her the address of our new client.

I figured it would be good for her to ride along with me, see how I did things, then she could start taking cases on her own. I didn’t want to throw her into it, but I would like to be able to go on my honeymoon without having to think about what was going on with the business.

Carmen had watched the phones for me before, while we were in Hawaii, but, luckily, nothing had come up.

When I pulled up to the house, Carmen hopped out of her car and waited for me on the sidewalk, obviously excited. She looked refreshed and sweet, not at all like we’d been up all hours of the night being held on an MC compound.

Meanwhile, I look like I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in twelve weeks. Ugh.

“Good morning, sunshine,” I said dryly, but my tone didn’t affect Carmen in the slightest.

She beamed at me and chimed, “Morning. How was your night? Did you hold out?”

She wiggled her eyebrows at me, but I just shook my head, not confirming or denying.

“Oh, come on, don’t be a spoilsport,” Carmen called as she trailed behind me up the sidewalk. “I’ll dish if you do.”

“I can already tell you got it good last night. No one is this chipper after the night we had, unless she got good and laid,” I told her, then turned my head and nodded toward the door. “Ready?”

Carmen nodded enthusiastically.

I knocked and waited.

A few beats later, a woman in scrubs opened the door.

“Hello, can I help you?”