The Risks We Take Duet Box Set

Epilogue I

EPILOGUE I

I flip the sign on the door of Le Désir to Closed and hurry next door to Sweet Temptations, where I’m meeting the girls for coffee. The shop officially opened the first week in December, and it’s hard to believe how busy we’ve been in the five months since. Chloe’s already negotiating new contracts with a manufacturer and a new supplier in California, so we can keep up with demand.

We’ve been trying to get together once a week since football season ended a few months ago, when Aiden and Sabrina and Nattie and Brady all moved back to Kroydon Hills for the off-season. Well, we also waited a month or two because... so many babies.

I swear, the girls gave birth like dominos.

Belles started it off in December, having a beautiful little boy, who they named Leo.

Sabrina was next, with my nephew, Jameson.

Nattie followed, managing to make it to thirty-seven weeks before Lyla and Noah joined the family.

Lenny and Bash’s son, Maverick, was the last little one to be born, making his entrance a month after the twins.

I basically get to snuggle a baby whenever I want, then can give them back to their parents when they get cranky or blow out their diaper. Definitely my version of winning.

During football season, it was only Chloe, Daphne, Maddie, and me who would meet here or at the Busy Bee. But once the other girls came home, our little foursome grew. And apparently, I’m the last one to arrive today. I wave, make my way to the counter for a Chai tea and vanilla-bean cupcake, and then join our crowd in the back corner. I steal Jameson from Sabrina and sit down. “What’s up, ladies?”

“Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” Nattie cuddles a sleeping Noah while Chloe holds a bottle to Lyla’s lips. “Are you ready for this weekend?”

I glance over at Chloe. “We’re doing my final fitting this afternoon. And most of our friends from California are flying in tonight or tomorrow. Mom’s got the caterers and florist handled, and I spoke to Jack this morning. He promised they’d be here Friday morning.”

“I still can’t believe Six Day War is playing at your wedding, Carys. I love them,” Belles informs me for the millionth time since Jack and Theo confirmed they’d be able to be here for the wedding.

Daphne swipes her finger through my frosting. “I guess it helps when you have a writing credit on their first hit song.”

“I guess.” I blush. “They’ll always just be Jack and Theo to me.”

“Lucky bitch,” Belles snickers.

“Says the girl married to the number-one quarterback in the country,” Nattie chides.

Lenny shakes her head. “You’re just salty that Brady is ranked seventh. I already reviewed his stats with him and told him how to improve them.”

“Your brain scares me, Len,” Sabrina says softly.

Lenny laughs. “The Secret Service agents around the room don’t make you feel safe enough, Sabrina?”

Maddie leans over and whispers in my ear, “The one over there is kinda hot. Are they allowed to date her friends?”

We both giggle. Jameson’s big green eyes pop wide open, and he gazes up at me and smiles.

We spend the next hour talking about anything and everything I might still need to do for Saturday. All the girls act like I should be stressed about it all, but I’m not. I don’t really care about most of it. I love my dress. Chloe and I designed it ourselves. I love the dresses Chloe, Daphne, Maddie, and Emerson will be wearing too. We’ve got an enormous tent rented for the backyard at our house, in case it rains like it’s supposed to, but even that doesn’t worry me. Cooper and I had some of our most intense moments in the rain.

Some good, and others not so much. But they’ve all led us here.

Chloe and I don’t stay too long today before we head back to Le Désir and finish my final fitting. My gown is a beautiful white French crepe that drapes perfectly, skimming my body and hugging my curves. The bodice dips into a low V in the front and is held in place by thin straps that wrap around each shoulder and show off my entire back, dropping into a dramatic cowl right above the dimples at the base of my spine. Tiny white buttons start there and make my ass look fantastic as they form a line down to the train.

It’s incredibly simple and incredibly perfect for me. I love it.

Better yet... I think it’ll drive Cooper wild when he sees me in it.

Cooper

D eclan and I stand at the end of the aisle, in front of the dock on our property, which we bought from Hudson a month ago. We’re waiting for the girls to make their way down to us, but they still haven’t appeared. Carys has four bridesmaids and Everly and Gracie as flower girls.

I didn’t want to have enough groomsmen to form a football team, so I asked Declan to be my best man and left it at that. Murphy is walking Carys down the aisle, and Brady and Bash, along with Ford and Trick, are all helping me out as ushers. Rook stands behind Declan and me, ready to officiate our ceremony.

Ford’s still in the Navy, working as a trainer in Coronado. Rook finished up his time and left for private contracting with his brother’s company. Trick was medically discharged, along with Wanda, who never served again after our last op. Now, she’s a very happy, spoiled pet, who’s sitting at the end of the aisle, next to her human. We all came away from that op with our own demons, and Wanda helps Trick deal with his.

The music changes, and the bridesmaids finally line up at the back of the aisle.

“You ready for this, Coop?” Declan smiles proudly at me as Emerson begins her walk down the aisle, followed by Maddie, then Daphne. Chloe turns around and says something to Everly and Gracie before she, too, walks toward us.

The twins wear matching white dresses with emerald-green ribbons tied around their waists. They scatter red rose petals along the aisle runner as they skip toward their father. I’d love to say I notice anything else, but I don’t. Because that’s when Carys and Murphy step up to the end of the aisle and wait.

She is magnificent.

Her hair is pulled back in some kind of intricate, low bun at the nape of her neck. Her dress is simple. No rhinestones or sparkles. Just a gorgeous dress draped over her beautiful body. The only flashy thing about her are the emerald earrings I bought her for Christmas and the smile stretching across her face as she walks to me.

When she reaches the end of the aisle, Murphy takes her hand and places it in mine, then kisses Carys on the cheek. “Love you, Care Bear.”

Her smile stretches wider. “I love you too, Aiden James.” Then she turns to me, places her other hand in mine, and winks. “What do ya think, Coop? Still want to marry me?”

“More than my next breath, baby.”