Gabe

One year and a few days later . . .

Voices carry across the pub in a loud roar of drunken celebration. When the final note of the traditional Irish wedding song is sung, the crowd erupts in cheers. McKenna laughs and leans toward me, and I kiss her for all to see, dipping her back, putting on a show. Because that’s how the Irish celebrate a wedding.

She laughs again as she leans away, her hair in big loose curls, her body decorated in white vintage lace, her makeup light and stunning. She gestures at the bar. “I’ll go get us another drink.”

“I’ll be here,” I reply, smacking a hand against the table and dropping down in the chair closest to me.

She gives me another bright smile that could warm the coldest of souls, and then she’s on her way toward the bar, where there are people we don’t know working tonight for our wedding. I’d hired the catering company to handle things so that O’Keefe’s employees could enjoy the wedding after our outdoor ceremony at Crissy Field Park. From the stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay at the ceremony, to the beautiful day with big fluffy clouds in the sky, McKenna had the perfect wedding, and for that I’m insanely glad.

I reach for my near empty lager, when a sudden low voice comes from behind me. “You’re so full of shit.”

Recognizing the voice immediately, I chuckle and glance over my shoulder, finding Dmitri, a CEO from Las Vegas that’s been a friend for years. Tall, blond, and exuding a heady dose of arrogance, he always did fit in with our crowd. “Pray tell,” I say with a grin. “Why am I so full of shit?”

Dmitri’s brows wing up over intense blue eyes. “I do recall you all telling me once that being locked down wasn’t for you.” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his black slacks and gestures with his chin. “Now look at you all. Not one of you is single.”

I bark a loud laugh and follow his gaze, finding Micah, Ryder, and Darius, surrounded by their ladies, before I address Dmitri again. “Coming from the guy who’s come to San Francisco with all of his friends, who either have families already or are expecting babies any day now, that’s rich.”

Dmitri chuckles, his gaze falling to where all the Las Vegas crew were standing. I’m not close to Dmitri’s wife, Presley, nor any of his nearly dozen friends, only meeting them tonight for the first time, but the moment Dmitri heard I was getting married, the entire gang of them came for the trip. If I took a guess, I’d say that’s because Dmitri missed Micah’s wedding, along with Darius’s and Ryder’s too, so he likely came now out of respect to show his support of us.

We’d all known each other a long time, but hadn’t see each other in a while. Dmitri had a sex club of his own in Las Vegas, and he often sought advice from us on how to run it, because we’d all been successful in hiding our dirty little secrets.

Of course, until we weren’t.

Dmitri eventually turns back to me and slaps my back. “Love looks good on you.” He gestures again at Micah, Darius, and Ryder. “It looks good on all of you.”

“Thank you, Dmitri,” I say to him and offer my hand. “I appreciate you making the trip out here.”

Dmitri smiles, returning the handshake. “You gave us a good reason to come and enjoy your clubs out here for a few days. I think all our ladies are thanking you for that.” He releases my hand. “You should come see us in Vegas sometime.”

“We just might take you up on that,” I reply with smile.

Dmitri leaves then, returning to his group, taking his wife into his arms and kissing her.

“Who was that?”

I glance up, finding McKenna holding two beers. I take both, placing them on the table before pulling her onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her. “They’re friends from Vegas.”

She’s watching them, squinting her eyes. “Isn’t that Allie’s assistant? What’s her name?”

“Liv.”

“Right, Liv.” She turns to me. “Is that her boyfriend?”

I chuckle, knowing exactly what she’s talking about. One of Dmitri’s friends that he introduced me to earlier, Miles, has Allie’s assistant in a kiss that is as explicit as it is hot. “I don’t believe they are dating, no, but it looks like that might change.”

“No kidding,” she says with a laugh, then she sighs it away and sips her beer, relaxing in my arms.

I brush my knuckles across her cheekbone, suddenly feeling like it’s just me and her with no one else around. “How is my beautiful bride?”

She gives me her sweet smile then studies the people around her. “I’m not quite sure I’ve ever seen so many drunk people in the pub.”

I nod. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

“Yeah, they do,” she whispers, staring at something over my shoulder.

When I look to the source, I find Evan, who’s standing at the bar with his girlfriend. They’re talking to my mother and father, who for the most part seem to be having fun. While it took my mother a while to get on board with the small wedding idea, she happens to love McKenna to pieces.

McKenna didn’t only change my life, she made it a whole lot better.

I realize then, as I stare at Evan, who found himself a straight and narrow life out in Arizona, how much has changed in a year, and not just for McKenna and me. Across from us, Micah has his arm around a very pregnant Allie. Taylor isn’t showing yet, as she sits on Darius’s lap in the chair, but within a month she will be, and their children will grow up together. Even Ryder, who’s hugging Hadley from behind, married six months ago and is thinking of starting a family soon. Life has moved on. Slowly, but surely, there aren’t dirty little secrets anymore, there is only love.

“What’s that look all about?” McKenna asks, dragging me from my thoughts, sliding a hand across my cheek.

I smile into the warmth of her eyes, knowing nothing can ever break us. “It’s you.” I cup the face of the woman who made my life unravel and then somehow put it back together better than before it was broken. “It’s this. It’s everything.”

A soft smile creases her cheeks as she leans into my touch. “It’s us.”