Page 81 of Shame

With the way this park is set up, there isn’t really anywhere to hide, so Kaison doesn’t see me yet. Should have thought about that when designing this place, but we’ve made it work by standing behind a group of trees off to the side.

Once the music starts playing, I walk up to my father, who’s standing just a few feet away.

“You ready?” I ask him. He doesn’t answer. I hook my arm in his. “Just walk with me, okay?”

Again, he doesn’t answer.

“See you soon,” Fia whispers as she walks around the trees to meet Kolton so they can walk up there together.

Fia and I have gotten much closer over the last year, and we hang out outside of work now. Well, not that I work anymore because I don’t. Just kind of happened that way. But the club still owns the diner, so I go there oftenenough.

Kolton and I aren’t close, but he and Kaison hang out often enough. He’s polite to me now, which is a step in the right direction. And he’s adorable with Cecilia.

“I’m going to take my seat,” Irene says quietly, sneaking around toward the chairs to sit.

“Let’s walk, Dad,” I say, when I see Fia and Kolton have made their way up and are standing beside Kaison, who looks hotter than hell in his suit. I’ve never seen him in a suit before, and I need to make sure I see him in one again. Because what a wonderful site that is—damn.

In the front row, sits Grizz, the biggest guy in the club, holding Cecilia. She’s drooling all over him, but he doesn’t care. Says he’s had worse bodily fluids on him. Not surprised by that. He’s a strange guy.

Dad and I step around the trees, and thankfully, he walks by my side the whole way. When he sees the empty chair beside Irene, though, he tries to sit in it. I smile and tug him with me, and he keeps going. Once we reach the front, Coyote comes over to lead him off to the side to sit with the guys. He’s always at ease with them. It stings that I’m the only one he seems to not remember, but as long as he’s happy, I’m happy.

Now that he’s sitting, I can finally look up at my future husband. The look he is giving me… well, it could set something on fire. His eyes blaze with love and lust and I just know he’s holding himself back from lunging for me. I step to him as he comes to me, taking my hand and kissing my cheek.

“Fuck, you look so good I could eatyou.”

I stifle a laugh. “Not in front of everyone.”

“Don’t care. I’ll do it.”

“Behave,” I warn as we step up to our places.

Of course, one of the guys in the club is ordained—why wouldn’t they be? And of course he has to be Spam, because again, why wouldn’t it be?

I hardly listen to what he’s saying because all I can do is stare at Kaison. Each day I’m still amazed at what a wonderful life he has given me… what a wonderful life he has shown me. I didn’t know things could be this good.

Our daughter is babbling, which catches my attention. We both look over and smile at her, but she’s too busy looking at her hands to notice us. She’s beautiful in her little white dress, but of course she’s beautiful all the time.

Kaison holds the ring to my finger, and I stare down at the beautiful white-gold band. I can’t believe this is actually happening… but I’ve never wanted something so badly in my life.

“Kaison Christopher Rivers, do you take Cora Lynn Davies to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

“Oh, I fucking do,” Kaison says and there are a lot of chuckles from the crowd. This man and his mouth. Pretty sure fuck is going to be Cecilia’s first word.

Spam repeats the vows to me as I hold the black band to Kaison’s finger, and I give a very polite, “Of course, I do,” then slide the ring on his finger.

“By the power invested in me in the state—”

Kaison does not wait for Spam to say he can kiss me or that we are officially pronounced husband and wife. He dives in, sweeping me back and kissing me silly. Everyone around us claps and shouts. Spam chuckles, and for the record, continues to make things “official.”

Kaison gave me so many things in this life. A family, friends, a better relationship with my father. A child. A husband. The list goes on and on. But the best thing of all that he gave me is love.

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