Page 93 of Lost the Handle

Another tear escapes, and I wipe it away. “Ready for your first kiss as my husband?”

My heart almost explodes in my chest as I nod jerkily. “First, we gotta get through the vows.”

Her brows pinch. “Can we skip all that?”

I grin as everyone chuckles around us. “We can if you want.”

She looks around and then back to me. “This is nice and all, but I’ve waited too long for you to be mine.”

“Agreed,” I say, threading our fingers together. “I just want to be yours.”

“We should have gone to Vegas.”

“Our moms would have killed us.”

“Yup,” Mom says as Fallon adds, “I would have.”

Emery’s lips curve as she leans into me, and we wrap our arms around each other for a moment. “You’re so beautiful,” I tell her, totally entranced by her, ignoring the world around us. “And all mine.”

Her cheeks flush. “I love you. My life is colorless without you in it. I choose you as my husband.”

So, we’re doing this our way. That’s on-brand for us. I’m lost in her beautiful eyes, my voice thick with emotion. “My heart is yours. My soul belongs to you. I love you, and I choose you as my wife.”

Satisfied, we both glance at the minster, who looks a bit out of sorts while everyone laughs around us. This wasn’t the plan, but who cares? I’d give her the world if she asked.

“Um,” he stammers. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

I grab her face and tilt it up for better access, and I’m thankful the music is still playing. Because as my lips descend to Emery’s for our first kiss as husband and wife, I love how the memories of our past play on a loop in my head.

I shouldn’t be surprised this is how our wedding turned out. What Emery wants, Emery gets, and I love that about her. I love that, no matter how much I think I have a handle on her, I never do.

She’s a loose cannon.

And I wouldn’t have my wife be any other way.

Epilogue Two

Emery

Owen and Evan grin at us as all our siblings surround them. Of course, Aiden is holding Shelli, and it makes me grin to see them like that. I used to think it was weird, but I think it was jealousy all those years ago. I wanted to marry an Adler.

Quinn Adler.

I lean into Quinn as Owen reminisces. “Emery dropped her gloves and threw her stick at Quinn from the goal when he scored on her. I mean, she slung that sucker and got him right upside the head!”

“Mind you, she was the goalie, and it was his job to score on her,” Evan says through laughter. The whole room is in a fit of hysterics too. Even I can’t keep my giggles from spilling out of me. “I think that’s when I knew they would end up together.”

Shelli takes the mic then. “No. It was when he sang ‘Ocean Eyes’ at the chalet that I knew. They both looked so stricken, and I couldn’t look away.”

Aiden leans in. “For me, it was when I heard about him singing to her at Brooks House because she was on a date with Dimitri.”

Everyone laughs loudly at that, and I don’t miss the glare Quinn throws Dimitri’s way. Austen sits in his lap, laughing, as Dimitri holds up his hands. “It wasn’t a date! It was drinks between friends.”

I grin widely at that. I thought I wanted to sleep with Dimitri to get Quinn off my back. It didn’t work. I ended up sleeping with Quinn that night. Before I can look away, though, I notice Flynn staring at an auburn-haired beauty who has Posey’s son in her lap. I lean in and whisper to Quinn, “Who’s that with Zac?”

He looks over and then leans into me, his lips moving against my heated skin. It’s hard to concentrate on what I asked with the fire he stokes coursing through my bloodstream. “That’s Posey’s assistant coach, Luna Morozova. Heard she might be carrying Posey and Boon’s baby.”

My eyes widen. “No shit!”

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