Blades of Glory (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 4)

“Yeah, I can paint any mural. Just let me know,” Piper says as she pats Posey’s hand. “I would love to.”

“Are you sure? I know you quit doing them eons ago.”

“For everyone else. For you, I will do it. Just give me an idea of what you want.”

Posey beams. “Thank you. I’ll text you.”

They embrace as I ask, “We don’t want to discuss what the mural will be of? Hockey or butterflies?”

Posey rolls her eyes as she pushes me playfully. “Not telling.”

Piper holds up her palms once I throw my gaze to her. “I know nothing.”

I glare. “Okay, Jon Snow.”

She laughs at my joke about Game of Thrones. I remember going to parties at her house for the show. I was too young to watch it at first, but even when I was able to watch, I didn’t want to. I was too busy hanging with everyone and staring at Aiden as he did his homework.

A grin pulls at my lips as I walk through the crowd of people who have been in my life since I was born. All these women have played such a huge part in my life. I love Fallon like a second mom. I was in Reese’s dance classes. I helped Piper do the mural in Quinn’s room. Audrey has made everyone single one of my cakes, and I’ve made myself sick on her cupcakes just because. I babysat their kids for Lucy, Kacey, and Brie, time after time. When Brie would be on the air for the Assassins, her kids were usually with me. I spent summers helping Lacey ship her lingerie to cancer patients.

Speaking of Lacey, I wrap my arms around her waist, and she twists to wrap her arms around me. She kisses my temple, and my heart aches. Her cancer has come back. I squeeze her tightly, and she laughs. “I will not accept that you are getting married. I’m still struggling with Posey being married with a baby coming.”

I grin over at her as Nicole tries to grab the strings on my dress. “Soon, it’ll be Nicole.”

She gives me a wide-eyed look. “Don’t you even. I’m not ready for any of it!”

She holds me as she goes back to talking to Fallon and Mom about a new line she is coming out with. She wants to do another Assassins wives’ shoot, and a thought springs to mind. “You should open it up to all the NHL.”

She looks back at me. “Really?”

“Yeah. We know Nico Merryweather from the IceCats—his wife, Aviva, is a breast cancer survivor who had a double mastectomy. I think opening it up to the whole NHL family would be good for unity. Bringing all these amazing women together would be awesome. In all honesty, I wouldn’t want to buy a product being modeled by women who aren’t fighting what I am, you know?”

She nods slowly, and Fallon beams at me. “I think it’s a great idea, Shell.”

Lacey kisses my temple. “You blow us all away, Shelli Grace.”

Just then, the doors open and the guys start to spill in. “Ooh, let me go find my man.”

They all laugh as Kacey says, “Aw, to be young and almost married. Now, I let Jordie find me.”

I grin as Jordie comes up behind her, picking her up off the ground and kissing her jaw from behind. Kacey giggles loudly as she gushes over his play, and my heart soars. Such wonderful examples of love surround me as I walk to find the man of my dreams. I love how supportive the wives are, telling the guys how great they did and loving on them. Yeah, they’ve all had issues and even some heartbreak, but the number one thing that everyone refuses to do is give up on each other. Sometimes, that stubbornness is the key to a successful marriage.

And communication, from what my mom tells me.

When I see Aiden, his lips curve as he comes right for me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his mouth to mine. I revel in his kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck as he squeezes me to him. We part slightly, and he says, “If I can’t have children, it’s my dad’s fault.”

I grimace. “He cup checked you like nine times.”

He nods. “And I felt it every time.”

“Ack.” I grimace, and he laughs. He kisses my nose and then my lips before hugging me once more, tighter. I kiss his jaw. I’m in complete shock that, in a month’s time, I’ll be Mrs. Shelli Adler-Brooks. I’ll be his wife, and our lives as one will start. How could anything get better than that?

Our lips meet once more just as the clinking of glasses starts, and I hear my mom yell, “A toast from our host and hostess!”

We part with grins and break apart as Owen comes toward us with two glasses of wine. I sniff it, eyeing him. “Is this the good stuff?”