My fingers flew furiously over the keys as I typed up my latest debriefing. As I relived the takedown, I couldn’t help smiling. After all, it wasn’t every day that you apprehended a gun trafficker who carried his shipment in a clown-decorated ice cream truck.

It also made me think of Gavin and how he would have hated the case. The one thing he was afraid of was clowns. A year might’ve passed since his murder, but I still thought of him and missed him every day.

A knock came at my door, but I didn’t look up. “Yeah?”

“Are you still here?” Peterson asked.

“Just finishing up.”

“You should have left an hour ago.”

I glanced up at him. “Since when do bosses encourage their employees to be slackers?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he countered, “When that employee has a wedding rehearsal in less than two hours.”

After hitting save on the file, I held my hands up in defeat. “Fine, fine. I’m leaving now.”

“Good. If I had to see one more text from your future sister-in-law about where you were, I was going to scream.” At my laugh, he narrowed his eyes. “Just exactly how did she get my number?”

“You’re in the wedding party, and as the wedding planner, Alexandra needed your contact number.”

“I see.” He motioned me with his hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you out.”

I had to smile at his overprotectiveness. Even though it had been close to a year since Eddy attacked me, Peterson still insisted on walking me out if he was in the building when I left at night. He would also be walking me down the aisle tomorrow at Bishop’s and my wedding. Although I could have asked my older brother, Steven, or my stepfather, Peterson had really been a father figure to me over the years.

We took the elevator down to the parking garage, and then Peterson walked me over to my car. “See you in two hours.”

“Drive safe.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Peterson gave me a wry grin. “You better watch that. I might just get a kick out of it in a dirty-old-man way.”

I laughed. “Get out of here.”

He waved and then headed down the row to his car. Just as I started the car, my phone rang. I smiled at the ID. “Hello, Future Husband.”

A chuckle came from the other end. “Hello, Future Wife. You leaving work?”

“Yep. On my way to the clubhouse now.”

“Good. I’ve had Alexandra and Annabel on my ass most of the afternoon.”

“Oh man, double trouble there.”

“Damn straight.”

Since I lacked the girly girl gene for interest in wedding planning, Alexandra and Annabel had taken over the details. Whenever they tried to make it too much, Bishop and I would veto them. In the end, we decided to get married in the same place that Annabel and Rev had. It made sense to do it at Tohi Ama. It was where we had spent our first night together. The place where we started our relationship. It made sense that we would become man and wife there as well.

“So I picked up your mom and stepdad at the airport. Your brother and sister and their families won’t get in until later tonight, which will be better for you to make the introductions.”

“Thanks for doing that. How are they?” What I meant to ask was how they were adjusting to being at an MC clubhouse surrounded by bikers. My mom, who still harbored a lot of prejudice against bikers, had had a hard time when I told her about Bishop. She hadn’t wanted to accept our relationship for a long time, and I think she hoped I was just sowing some wild oats or something rebellious like that. She couldn’t understand how someone with my history could ever trust, least of all love, a biker.

But as the months went on, Bishop and I remained serious. When we got engaged, she tried through numerous phone calls to talk me out of it. Over and over again, I tried explaining to her that the Raiders had gone legitimate, and while Bishop and his brothers had killed in the past, they were nothing like that anymore, least of all like the man who had killed my father.

It had taken a face-to-face meeting for her to actually start to warm to Bishop. We had gone down after Christmas and spent New Year’s with my mom and stepdad. Bishop was extremely patient with her and kept his temper when she was openly hostile. Finally, it all came to a head over dinner one night at my mother’s favorite restaurant.

After Bishop picked up the check, he turned to my mother. “Mrs. Bennett, there’s something I need to say to you.”

My mother pursed her lips at him as she reached for the last of her wine. “What is it?”

Bishop drew in a deep breath as my stepfather and I leaned forward anxiously in our chairs. “I’ve spent most of my life dealing with people thinking I’m the scum of the earth because I wear a cut and ride a Harley. I’ve learned to accept that. And while my brothers and I weren’t always model citizens, I can swear to you on my life that we are decent, law-abiding men now.”

My mother waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, yes, Samantha has told me that a hundred times. But it still doesn’t change anything for me.”

“I hate to hear you say that. I want you to be able to be happy that your daughter is in love and that she is loved in return. I will work until my fingers bleed to provide for her a safe and stable life. I will always put her life before mine.”

I reached over and squeezed Bishop’s hand. “Just like he has done not once, but twice.”

“Twice?” my mother questioned in surprise.

While she knew what had happened with Eddy, she had no idea what Bishop had done during the Diablos’ attack. Her hardened expression relaxed when I told her about Bishop throwing himself on top of me. “I see,” she murmured.

“More than anything in the world, we would like your blessing,” Bishop said.

My mother played with a piece of lint on the tablecloth. “I can’t say that I’m ever going to feel completely comfortable with Samantha being a biker’s wife and being involved with outlaws—”

“Former outlaws, ma’am,” Bishop argued with a grin.

She nodded. “But at the same time, I don’t think she could find a man who would love her more than you do.”

Although I was never one to cry, tears pooled in my eyes. “No. I couldn’t.”

“So all I can say is I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bennett.” With a wink, he added, “Just you wait. I’ll win you over before you know it!”

And he did. By the time we left to go home, my mother had made huge strides in coming to accept Bishop. Of course, he was only one biker. Now she was about to face a roomful of men in cuts.

“I’d say it’s going okay. I steered them down to Mama Beth’s, since I thought it was a safer bet than keeping them out of the roadhouse.”

“Good thinking. I’ll go straight there when I leave. I’ll have Peterson with me. He’s still a little skeptical about this whole marrying-in-the-woods thing.”

Bishop laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me.” At the sound of voices in the background, Bishop sighed. “Look, I gotta go. I’ll see you in a little while.”

“Okay. Bye. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

No matter how many times he said it, I never got tired of hearing Bishop say he loved me. There was a time I thought I’d never get to hear the words, so that made them even sweeter. I was thankful he wasn’t the type of man to shy away from saying how he felt.

As we started into the clearing at Tohi Ama, the sun sat low on the horizon, sending streaks of pink, orange, and purple across the sky. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful evening, and furthermore a more beautiful location to have my wedding ceremony tomorrow. “Okay, once the bridesmaids are in place, then we’ll cue the wedding march, and, Samantha, you’ll come down the aisle.”

“Now?”

Alexandra waved her hands wildly. “No, no, no! It’s bad luck to walk down the aisle during the rehearsal. Mr. Peterson can walk down the aisle, but you need to come around the chairs.”

“I stand corrected,” I replied with a grin. Alexandra was taking this wedding stuff way too seriously. But the last thing Bishop and I needed was more bad luck, so I decided to humor her for the both of us. After bypassing the aisle, I rejoined Peterson at the altar, where Bishop waited. Both Rev and Deacon were his best men, and Mac, Boone, and Breakneck evened out the groomsmen.

Besides my sister, Sophie, my bridesmaids represented the world I was entering, and there was no one from my past before Bishop. Alexandra, Annabel, Kim, and Annie filled the spots. It was a no-brainer that Willow would be the flower girl, and Wyatt was going to try his best at being the ring bearer. Since he wasn’t quite two, it was going to be interesting seeing how he did.

“Now we’ll practice the vows.”

The minister, who was a Raider from out of town named Fuzz, went over the parts of the service with us without our actually saying the vows. That would be reserved for tomorrow. “And then it’ll be the ‘by the power vested in me’ jazz, and you may now kiss the bride.”

Bishop drew me into his arms and brought his lips to mine. I melted into his embrace, letting my hands run up and down his back.

At Fuzz’s whistle, we pulled apart. “Now, that’s enough of that. You weren’t supposed to practice that part,” he said.

Bishop grinned. “But I needed to make sure I get it just right for tomorrow.”

“Like you need practice,” I mused.

Alexandra stepped forward again. “After the kiss is the processional and the service is done. Once we do some pictures, we’ll move on to the reception.”

“Speaking of the reception, I’m starved. Let’s head back for dinner,” Bishop said.

Back at the clubhouse, we had a sit-down dinner of homemade BBQ and sides. It wasn’t fancy or classy, but I loved it all the same. Bishop and I were making a dent in an enormous piece of chocolate cake when a scream of pain echoed through the room. Two tables down from us, Kim’s daughter, Cassie, was bent over, huffing and puffing. Considering the special circumstances of her pregnancy—she was the surrogate making Rev and Annabel’s dreams of parenthood come true—everyone’s attention was immediately riveted to her. Turning over their chairs in a rush, Rev and Annabel sprinted over to Cassie.

“Are you okay?” Rev questioned.

“Is it Braxton Hicks?” Annabel asked.

Cassie looked up and gave a grim smile. “My water just broke.”

“Holy shit!” Rev shouted as Annabel started to cry happy tears. “We need a doctor! Where the hell is Breakneck?”

“I’m right here,” Breakneck replied with a grin. Rev was so beside himself he hadn’t realized Breakneck was sitting next to Cassie.

“Oh, sorry,” Rev said sheepishly.

Breakneck rose out of his chair. “First thing we need to do is to take a deep breath and calm down.”

“But—” Rev started to argue.

Breakneck shook his head. “You have to calm down. This will go a lot easier for you and especially for Cassie if you’re calm.”

With a reluctant nod, Rev asked, “Okay, what else?”

“We need to get her to the hospital. Cassie, do you have your suitcase?”

“It’s at Mom’s.”

Kim shot out of her chair. “I’ll go get it.”

After she raced out of the room, Breakneck said, “Then let’s get you to the car.”

Bishop and I got up and followed the crowd outside. Once Cassie had been eased into the front seat of Rev’s SUV, Rev turned to Bishop. “I can’t drive.”

“What?”

He held out a hand to show that it was visibly shaking. “I’m too fucking nervous to drive.”

While I bit back a smile, Bishop wasn’t quite so thoughtful. He busted out laughing. “Seriously, dude? After everything we’ve been through, you’re losing it now?”

“This is my child, B. A child we’ve been through hell to get,” Rev argued.

Bishop’s expression grew serious. “I get it. I’ll be happy to drive you.”

“Do you want me to wait here?” I asked.

Shaking his head, Bishop said, “Of course not. Hop in.”

“But aren’t we going to be a full house with five of us?”

“You, Rev, and Annabel can squeeze into the back.”

“If you say so.”

When we opened the back door to get in, Cassie turned to us with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry to have ruined your night.”

I leaned forward in the seat to pat her back. “Oh, honey, you haven’t ruined our night. You just made it a whole lot more special by having our future nephew or niece come into the world.”

“Exactly,” Bishop said as he cranked up the engine.

Deacon and Alexandra waved to us as they got in their car. We then led a caravan of cars to the local hospital. Bishop roared up to the ER entrance and screeched to a halt. Before the car was in park, Rev was out the car door and running inside to get a wheelchair. When he returned, he and Annabel got Cassie into the wheelchair and then Rev wheeled her inside.

After a flurry of activity at the front desk, the mechanized doors opened up, and Cassie was whisked away with Rev, Annabel, and Kim. At the sight of us standing around, a nurse said, “You all should go on up to maternity to wait.”

Our herd then moved on to the fourth floor, where we took up half the room and got settled in to wait. Deacon and Bishop played cards while I helped Alexandra with Willow and Wyatt. Hours went by. Wyatt fell asleep in my arms, and finally Willow went to sleep in Deacon’s.

It was a little after two a.m. when the doors opened up and Rev appeared with a beaming smile and a tiny bundle. “It’s a girl!” he cried.

A whoop of joy went up in the room. Rev and Annabel had wanted the sex to be a surprise until delivery. Everyone started hugging and swiping tears from their eyes. Then we gathered round to ooh and aah at the baby, who looked an awful lot like her father. “What’s her name, Daddy?” Bishop asked.

“Natalie Elizabeth . . . for me and Mama Beth.”

Mama Beth grinned. “Good choice, son.”

“You’re welcome,” Rev said. He then passed Natalie into Mama Beth’s waiting arms. With tears in her eyes, she kissed her newest granddaughter, then handed her off to Deacon, who then gave her to Bishop.

“I better get her back to the room. You can come back and see Cassie in a little while. She did amazing.”

After Rev left, Alexandra took Wyatt from me so they could go home. “We better head out, too. Big day tomorrow,” I said.

“Yes, the day I get saddled with a ball and chain,” Bishop teased.

I smacked his arm playfully. With the elevator full of our family and friends, we took the next one down alone. “You looked awfully natural with Natalie,” I mused.

“I’ve had a lot of practice with Wyatt.”

“Think you’ve had enough practice to do it for yourself?”

Bishop’s brow lined in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“This isn’t exactly the place I had in mind to tell you, but it just feels right.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Bishop Malloy, you’re going to be a father.”

His blue eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

I grinned. “Remember how we decided to go off my birth control a few months before the wedding to give it time to be out of my system?”

“Yeah . . . And?”

“And I’m pregnant.”

The elevator doors opened, and Bishop ambled out. “A baby . . . You’re pregnant.”

Considering the rough-and-tough man he was, his reaction was pretty priceless. “Are you okay?”

He turned back to me and blinked. It took a few more seconds for a beaming smile to light up his face. “Okay? I’m fucking amazing!”

He pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tight. “You just gave me the best wedding present anyone could ever ask for.”

“I’m glad to do it.”

“I hope it’s a girl, and she looks just like you.”

I laughed. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a boy.”

“Oh Lord, another Malloy to raise hell.”

With a shake of my head, I argued, “No. The Malloy boys’ days of raising hell are over. The last one officially becomes an old married man tomorrow and a father in seven months.”

Bishop grinned. “You’re right. My son will have a different future.”

“But I’m sure he’ll want to ride bikes and patch in to the Raiders.”

“You don’t mind?”

I stared into Bishop’s eyes. At one time, the prospect of a child of mine joining an MC would have been absolutely unthinkable to me. The last thing on earth I would ever have wanted was for my son to be a biker. But times change and people change.

“No. I don’t mind. We’re going to need a good, solid generation of Raiders to keep the new traditions alive.”

“I totally agree.”

Bishop slid his arm around my waist and led me to the car—and to the new future that awaited us as husband and wife and mother and father.