Epilogue
Five Months Later
“Whose idea was this again?” Grover complained as he tugged at the tie around his throat.
“Yours,” Lucky said with a laugh.
“Well, it was stupid,” Grover grumbled.
Their entire team laughed.
They were all standing in a back room at the church his parents had been going to since they’d moved to St. Louis.
One night in the middle of a mission, when Grover and Lucky were lying in the dirt in Siberia, waiting for a man they were watching to make a move, Lucky commented that Grover’s mom was driving Devyn crazy, continually asking when she was going to get married.
Grover knew exactly how pushy his mom could be, and he’d casually made the suggestion that maybe he and Sierra could have a double ceremony with Lucky and Devyn.
He’d also mentioned it to Devyn, and she’d mentioned it to their mom…and now here they were. In St. Louis. Waiting for the signal to go out in front of the minister and watch their brides walk down the aisle.
This wasn’t Grover’s thing. And he didn’t think it was Sierra’s either. But they’d both sucked it up because his mom was so excited. And Sierra’s parents were too. Before anyone knew it, the two mothers had planned everything. So they’d all flown up to Missouri and now they were getting married.
“Bet you wish you’d just done the courthouse thing like Gillian and I did, huh?” Trigger asked.
Grover growled at his friend. He was cranky. And hot. And he hadn’t seen Sierra all day. His mom had insisted it was tradition, but he found himself missing her dreadfully.
“Hey, I did do the courthouse thing,” Lucky reminded them.
“It’ll be worth it when you see her,” Lefty said, ignoring Lucky and slapping Grover on the back.
“And when we get to the party…er…reception later,” Lucky added.
Grover nodded. He was tired of waiting. He wanted this done. He couldn’t wait to make Sierra his, legally. She was already his in every way that mattered.
Finally, the time came for them to go out into the church. The entire team lined up at the front and waited for the music to start.
When it did, Grover was confused at first. Because instead of the wedding march he’d been expecting, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye blared out of speakers in the walls around the interior of the church.
He heard Trigger snort first. Then Lefty joined in. Grover couldn’t hold his chuckle back. Then everyone in the church was laughing so hard, the music could barely be heard.
After Gillian, Kinley, Aspen, Riley, and Ember walked down the aisle, Devyn and Sierra began walking toward them, arm in arm. They were both wearing floor-length white dresses, each carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Grover had no idea what kind they were; he only had eyes for his woman.
Her pixie hair—at least that’s what she called it—had a flower pinned to the side, and she looked absolutely radiant.
She’d gained back a healthy amount of weight and her cheeks were rosy, either because it was a bit warm in the church or because she’d had a few mimosas with the girls. But most of all, she looked happy.
So damn happy.
Grover remembered when she’d turned to him and said those two words. I’m happy. That was all he wanted for her. He’d do whatever it took for the rest of their lives to keep her that way.
He couldn’t wait for her to see the wedding present he had waiting back in Killeen. He’d found two miniature donkeys that needed a home. They’d be added to their growing animal sanctuary of a cow, two goats, and countless chickens.
“Damn, I’ve never felt luckier than right this second,” Lucky murmured.
Grover couldn’t agree more.
Instead of waiting for Sierra to make it all the way down the aisle, Grover jogged toward her. He heard more laughter around him, but didn’t take his eyes from Sierra.
“Hi,” she said when he was standing in front of her.
“Hi,” he returned.
Then she reached out a hand for him, and the second Grover’s fingers closed around hers, he breathed out a sigh of relief. This was what he needed. His love by his side, her hand in his. She made everything right in the world.
Lucky had followed behind him, and the four of them walked back up to the front of the church to stand in front of the minister.
“We are gathered here today…”
He tuned out the words as he looked down at Sierra.
She squeezed his hand, and he smiled. Then he looked over at his sister and Lucky.
And past them to Trigger, Lefty, Brain, Oz, and Doc.
Glancing to his left, he saw Gillian, Kinley, Aspen, Riley, and Ember.
He was surrounded by the most important people in his life…
Grover was happy.
Lucky headed back to his wife with the mango margarita she’d asked for. His wife. Even though they’d been married for a while, it hit him suddenly that she was well and truly his, not just in secret. He was a lucky son-of-a-bitch.
The smile on his face faded quickly when he couldn’t find Devyn. She wasn’t sitting at the table where he’d left her.
Looking around, Lucky frowned when he didn’t immediately spot her.
After putting her drink down, Lucky wandered the room, searching for her, wanting her right by his side.
She looked gorgeous in her wedding dress, and as much as this fancy shindig was a pain in his ass, he wouldn’t have denied Devyn anything.
Seeing how happy her parents and siblings were made it all worthwhile.
The only blight on the day was her missing brother. Lucky hadn’t wanted to invite Spencer, not after everything he’d done to Devyn, but his woman, being the compassionate and forgiving person she was, had insisted.
But, to Lucky’s relief, Spencer hadn’t responded to the invitation. He was out of rehab and, from everything Devyn’s parents said, doing better…but Lucky wasn’t quite ready to forgive the man yet.
“Lose your wife already?” an older gentleman joked as he passed Lucky.
“Misplaced, not lost,” Lucky told him with a smile.
“Well, I saw her heading for the door about five minutes ago,” the man informed him.
“Thanks,” Lucky said, then headed for the entrance to the ballroom. He had no idea why she might leave the reception. At this point, he was just mildly curious, but if something was wrong, he wanted to be there for his wife.
Lucky nodded at some of the guests as he passed and headed for the front of the hotel. He was relieved to see Devyn standing just outside the revolving doors—but his relief quickly turned to unease when he saw who she was talking to.
His steps sped up as he hurried to get outside. He pushed through the revolving doors, mentally cursing when they didn’t move as fast as he wanted them to.
He opened his mouth to ask what the hell Spencer was doing there, when Devyn stepped close to her brother and hugged him.
Lucky stopped. He wanted to pull Devyn away from the man who’d caused her so much pain, but he checked himself, hovering behind the siblings as they embraced.
Devyn pulled away from Spencer, then, as sensing Lucky standing behind her, turned her head and gave him a small smile.
Spencer took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. He nodded once at Lucky, then turned to walk away.
Lucky immediately wrapped an arm around Devyn’s waist and pulled her against him. “Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. He sent me a text and said he was out here. He asked if I would come see him for a minute.”
“And?” Lucky asked when she didn’t continue.
Devyn turned in his embrace and looped her arms around his neck. “He’s doing really well,” she told him. “He feels awful about everything that happened…and I believe him when he says that he’s changed. He just wanted to congratulate me.”
Lucky knew he and Spencer would never be friends, but Devyn loved her brother and wanted to repair their relationship. He would respect her decision.
“That’s good, Dev.”
“It is,” she agreed.
“I got your drink,” he told her, ready to change the subject. Thinking about Spencer on today of all days wasn’t high on his list of things he wanted to do.
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. But you know, I have a better idea.”
“What’s that?”
“We could go up to our room and order a bottle of champagne from room service.”
Devyn laughed and shook her head, but he could see the desire in her eyes.
“We can’t,” she said. “We still need to cut the cake. And do the first dance. My parents would be so upset if they didn’t get pictures of all that.”
Lucky sighed dramatically, then grinned. He knew she was going to say that, but she couldn’t blame him for trying.
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you, husband.”
“And I love you, wife,” he returned.
As they entered the lobby of the hotel to head back to the reception, Lucky turned to look in the direction Spencer had gone.
Devyn’s brother was standing outside, his gaze locked on his sister. When their gazes met, Spencer dipped his chin respectfully.
Lucky returned the gesture and watched as Spencer disappeared around the corner.
“Thank you for not freaking out,” Devyn said softly.
Lucky leaned down and kissed her temple. “He fucked up. Huge. But he loves you, and I can’t blame him for wanting to see you on your wedding day.”
“And that’s one of the million and one reasons why I love you so much,” Devyn said with tears in her eyes.
“Come on. Let’s get you back in there before your parents freak out,” Lucky said.
“I wasn’t gone that long,” Devyn protested.
The second they stepped inside the ballroom, Devyn’s mom rushed up to them and exclaimed, “There you are! The photographer is getting the cake set up for pictures!”
Lucky looked down at his wife and raised an eyebrow.
She burst out laughing. “Okay, you were right.”
Lucky kissed her once more. “Go on. I’ll be right there.”