Epilogue Ruby
Six months later…
“I can’t believe you made me wait six months for a wedding.”
I gave my mother an exasperated look. “Mom, I told you I wanted to wait until the season was over so neither Dad nor myself would be distracted. Besides, this way you got a Christmas wedding.”
Mom brightened. “That’s true.”
It was hard to believe that Cassie and I had been officially mated for six months.
As Lois predicted, shortly after Radu went into federal custody the Romanians arranged a prisoner swap.
Supposedly he was on house arrest in Bucharest, but Lois’s sources shared that he’d gone right back to running his criminal empire.
Fortunately he’d given up on his vendetta against the International Games women’s soccer team, no doubt taking Lois’s threats seriously.
Part of me felt sorry for him. I was sure it was hard for him to lose his daughter like that, but then again, none of that justified all the players he’d harassed and freaked out.
It was only because of a coordinated effort between the league and Sapphic Security offices around the country that no one had been seriously hurt or killed.
“How do I look?” I held my arms out and did a little spin.
Mom’s eyes turned misty.
“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
There was a knock on the door and then Dad stuck his head in. “Are you ready?”
We were getting married here at a hotel downtown.
Both Cassie and I had done our best to keep the guest list down, despite Mom’s strong preference to invite everyone she knew.
We’d finally settled on one hundred guests, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Mom had lowballed that number.
Cassie and I had a bet going about how high the actual number of guests would be.
“Ready.”
I moved between my parents, and we walked arm in arm down the hallway towards the ballroom where the ceremony was taking place.
The wedding coordinator saw us coming and stuck her head inside, cueing the music.
The doors opened, and for a few seconds I just stood there between my parents, looking up the aisle towards where Cassie stood with our pastor and Alexei, who was standing up for her.
Eleanor, who I’d asked to be my attendant, gave me a wink from the other side of the makeshift platform.
My eyes snagged with my fiancée. My mate. My best friend.
Cassie had moved into my condo soon after we foiled the Romanian murder plot.
We both traveled a lot for work, but when we were together, we made the most of it – cooking together, redecorating the condo, and just hanging out enjoying each other’s company.
We were two very different people with different personalities, but we made it work. I’d never been happier.
We spent a lot of time with Alexei and Eleanor, and we’d gradually got to know each other’s friends as well. We had a good life together, and I was excited that we were taking this final step in our commitment to each other.
Well, the final step in our couple commitment. Kids would come at some point. We both wanted them, but not for a few years. I wanted to finish my soccer career first. Luckily we had time.
I walked up the aisle with my parents, and they both gave me a kiss before handing me over to my bride. I stepped carefully onto the platform, and Cassie grabbed both of my hands.
“You look like a fairy princess, mate.”
I’d insisted that we not see each other’s outfits before the wedding. Mom and I had picked out a princess cut dress with a white, flouncy skirt and a fitted bodice. I wasn’t normally a girlie girl, but I loved this dress and how it made me feel.
I’d assumed that Cassie would wear a suit, but to my surprise she was wearing a long, fitted white silk dress with a high slit up the leg. I’d never seen Cassie in a dress before, but she looked surprisingly comfortable in it.
“You look beautiful too, but I thought you didn’t like dresses because they’re too hard to fight in,” I whispered.
“This one’s got a slit that allows me to kick and hide a weapon,” she said proudly. “Plus the material is thin enough I can easily tear off the bottom in an emergency.”
I grabbed her face and pulled her in for a kiss, which earned me a throat clearing from the pastor.
“Save the kissing for after the wedding, shall we?”
“Sorry,” I said, rolling my lips in to keep from laughing.
“Are you girls ready to get married?” he asked.
Cassie and I shared a long, tender look. “We are.”
“In that case, dearly beloved, we are gathered together…”
***
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