Forty-One
Colin, six months later
He was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital when Cecilia burst through the doors, a huge smile on her face. “It’s a girl!”
She launched herself into his arms, kissing him soundly on the mouth. “Abby had a perfect little girl.”
Colin stole her lips for another kiss. “How are they?”
“Tired. But healthy and resting.” She pushed herself up from his lap. “We should go relieve Bec. She might not do delivery rooms, but I’m sure Hunter and Carter are running her ragged.”
He smiled, having just spoken with Bec only a half hour before. CeCe’s friend was being run ragged, but she’d also been in on his plan and enthusiastically for it. “I was thinking,” he said and held out a gold ring. On it was an obscenely large diamond surrounded by emeralds that matched Cecilia’s eyes. “We haven’t exactly had the best of luck with planning weddings, so maybe we can go to Vegas instead?”
Her jaw dropped open. “Are you serious?”
A nod.
“I—oh, my God. Col!” Tears streaked down her cheeks, but she eventually managed a “Yes” and let him slip the ring on her finger.
“How mad do you think your friends will be to miss it?” He nodded in the direction of the door that lead back to where Abby, Jordan, and Seraphina were sequestered.
“Furious.” Cecilia grinned. “But I don’t care.” She threw her arms around his neck and stole another kiss. “We’ve waited long enough for this, baby. Let’s do it.”
The jet was ready and waiting, so he just grabbed his woman’s hand and led her out to the waiting car.
“Should we stop by the house and pack some clothes?” she asked when they’d buckled in.
Colin pointed to the trunk. “All taken care of.”
Cecilia’s brows pulled together. “Really? Did you pack me underwear?”
“You doubt me?”
“Bec packed it for me.”
Her face relaxed. “Oh. So why—?”
“I didn’t want you to miss out on anything you might want.” He cupped her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “After all we’ve been through, you deserve everything you could ever dream of.”
“We deserve,” she said. “We deserve a happily ever after.” A beat. “And the only thing I dream of is a future with you. That’s what’s important. Not some silly fantasy, but the fact that I love you with every part of my being.”
Her chest was rising and falling in rapid breaths, teasing his lips, and Colin gave in to the urge to kiss her.
He never had any hope of resisting anyway.
Cecilia tasted as sweet as ever, as intoxicating as a bottle of whiskey, and fuck did he love kissing this woman.
But eventually, and as much as it pained him, he had to take his hands off his woman.
“We’re here, sir,” the driver said with a cough.
CeCe jumped in his arms and pulled back, the tops of her cheeks stained pink.
“You see our need for Vegas,” he told the driver then chuckled when she smacked him across the chest. “Come on.” He snagged her wrist and tugged her up the stairs to the plane. “Let’s get married.”
It turned out that though Bec had helped him keep his plan from Cecilia, she hadn’t kept it a secret from the rest of their friends.
Case in point, Heather.
Who was standing outside the chapel he’d reserved, phone in hand and three tiny female faces crammed into the screen on the other side.
“Don’t mind me,” his business partner said, pointing the phone at them while the interfering hens cackled through the airwaves.
He narrowed his eyes at Bec. “You promised.”
An unrepentant shrug. “We’ll hang up if you guys really want us to, but we love her and need to see her happy.”
“You’re nosy,” he said.
“That’s true.” Another shrug. “But also the other.”
Sighing, he turned to CeCe. She was radiantly happy. “Do you mind?” she asked. “It’s kind of perfect that they’re here this way.”
As if he could ever deny her anything.
He pointed his thumb in the direction of the door. “I guess you ladies are witnessing a wedding.”
They squealed as he held open the door for Cecilia and Heather.
“But you’ll be witnessing it with the volume all the way down.”
Heather smirked, adjusting her phone so that the noise coming through the speakers wasn’t ear-piercing then twisted her thumb and forefinger in front of her mouth. “My lips are sealed.”
He shook his head as his fingers found Cecilia’s. “I love you,” he whispered, “and can’t wait for you to be my wife.”
“Awww!” the peanut gallery’s sighs was audible despite the low volume on Heather’s phone.
Colin rolled his eyes. “Really?”
“Shh, guys,” Heather said. “Or you’ll get us kicked out.”
CeCe gave him a smile that hit him right in the gut. “Let’s go grab our happy ending, shall we?”