Page 72 of Ryder

Pulling me from the room, Jagger laced his fingers with mine and led me back outside to join everyone. Up ahead, I saw Sully talking to Reece and Braylen, and all of a sudden I had the sudden urge to share my news. Turning toward Jagger, I tried to tug my hand from his, but he held on tighter. It wasn’t until the third try that he realized I wanted to tell him something.

“Bad habit,” he admitted, flashing me the sexiest grin.

Should I tell them about the engagement?

He looked uncertain, and for a moment I thought maybe he was having second thoughts. I knew it was stupid to think that way, especially seeing as how he just told me he wanted to buy me a ring to make it official, but sometimes I couldn’t help but be a woman, second-guessing and overthinking things too much.

“I would love nothing more, but how about we wait until afterward? I just don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder. You understand, right?”

Of course.

And I did understand. I understood that while Jagger wanted to shout from the rooftops that we were going to be man and wife, he didn’t want to overshadow his friends’ big day. He was always thinking about others, aware of how his friends felt. Jagger didn’t look like a big softie, his tough exterior exuding the exact opposite, but the man had a heart of gold.

He’d never viewed my inability to speak as a hindrance, instead finding ways to communicate with me. Texting was the easiest, but when he’d wanted to explain himself, for me to hear the sincerity in his voice, he’d called me and asked me to press the keys on my phone so I could answer his yes or no questions.

One for yes and two for no.

The biggest sign of his interest, however, had been when he asked Sully to teach him sign language.

I never dreamed I would ever find someone like Jagger. Every day with him was special, fate’s sweetest gift, and soon the world would officially know we belonged to each other.

Stone

Goddamn, my soon-to-be wife looked gorgeous. The way her cream-colored dress hugged her in all the right places, her sun-kissed blonde hair styled casually in loose waves. I told her not to even bother with some fancy hairstyle because I was only gonna mess it up as soon as we had a moment of privacy.

I knew people said it was bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony, but we’d already had our fair share of shitty circumstances since we’d been together.

I’d been shot while helping Marek rescue Sully from Vex, her crazy ex.

I’d been run off the road, ending up in Addy’s ER so she could patch me up.

Her uncle, Trigger, had shot me in the leg when he found out we’d not only been seeing each other behind his back, but that I got her pregnant.

And most recently, I’d been shot in the head during our final battle with the Reapers. Well, the tip of my ear had been taken off, but it could’ve been a lot worse if Marek hadn’t tackled the fucker who fired at me.

Come to think of it, I’d been shot quite a few times, but none of my close calls even compared to what Addy had dealt with when she was pregnant with Riley. Ovarian cancer. I’d almost lost her. Could’ve lost them both.

Shoving aside thoughts of the past and what could’ve happened, I turned in my seat to stare at the woman who loved me beyond reason, who I would gladly die for if the circumstance ever called for it.

“Don’t even think about it, mister,” Addy warned, a small smile curving her delectable lips.

“What are you talking about?” I reached over and caressed the side of her face before snaking my hand under her hair to lightly grip her neck, her rapid pulse telling me she was more than ready to give me what I wanted. What we both needed. I pulled her close but she placed her hand on my chest, my frenzied heartbeat giving away what my eyes tried to shield.

“You know what I’m talking about. Don’t start something we can’t finish right now.”

Before I could even think of something witty and convincing to say, a rap sounded against my driver-side window. Grunting in annoyance, I turned toward the intrusion and saw Jagger’s face staring back at me. The way he looked at me, as if I was the one holding him up, told me it was time to greet everyone who’d gathered to share in our day.

Our wedding day.

I’d wanted to marry Addy the day I found out she was pregnant with Riley, but she’d refused, telling me that having a child was no reason to rush into marriage. So I’d allowed her the time she needed, finally proposing at our daughter’s baptism. Then when she was pregnant with our second child, our son, Lincoln, I wanted to get hitched soon after, but she wanted to wait until after she gave birth so she could fit into her dress the way she wanted. I reluctantly agreed.

It didn’t take much on my part to convince her to name him after me, his need for his mother only rivaled by my need for my woman. The little one was attached to her, whereas Riley was Daddy’s little girl. Don’t get me wrong, she still preferred her mother for certain things—reading bedtime stories, for one—but whenever she hurt herself, it was me she came running to, crawling into my lap and resting her head on my chest.

“I guess that’s our cue.” Addy laughed. Once she’d exited, she popped her head back inside the SUV, that time in the back seat as she fiddled with Lincoln’s car seat. Our son was sleeping, but he started to stir once Addy lifted him into her arms. He nuzzled into her and fell back asleep.Don’t blame ya, buddy.The nine months since he’d been born flew by in a blur. I only hoped the clock ticked by slowly today so I could cherish the moments.

I got to work helping Riley from her seat, her eyes intently watching me, waiting for me to do what I always did whenever I was near her—make a funny face. Twisting my lips and sticking out my tongue, I made a noise before tickling her.

“Daddy.” She giggled, her two-year-old face lighting up as she tried to wriggle away from me. Her laughter filled my ears, and I swore it was like the sun shone all day long.

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