Page 112 of Worth the Chase

“No sense in waiting,” I said.

I thought we all subconsciously knew that time was fleeting. That anything could happen at any moment and change it all.Losing our mom the way we had taught us that. It’d affected us, even if we didn’t always realize it.

“Your mother would love all these girls. I hope you know that,” he said, and I got teary.

“Dad, please don’t make me bawl in front of my future in-laws.” Even though they’d seen me cry as a teenager more times than I cared to admit.

“They’ll think you’re in touch with your feminine side,” Patrick said, and I socked him in the arm. “Hey now. Violence is never the answer,” he teased.

“Oh, but it is,” I disagreed because, sometimes, people needed a good ass-kicking.

Bells’s mom and dad walked over.

Her mom pulled me into a hug. “We’re so happy to have you in the family, Matthew.”

“Me too,” I said.

“That ring is simply stunning,” her mom said.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Likeis an understatement,” she added.

Just then, Bells walked over, pulled me aside, and whispered, “Are we not eating? ’Cause I’m starving.”

“Oh. Yes. We have the back room at the restaurant whenever you’re ready.”

She blew out a breath. “I love you guys, and I’m so glad you’re all here, but I might pass out if I don’t get food,” Bells announced to the room.

“You heard my fiancée,” I shouted, loving how that word sounded. It was so much better thangirlfriend. “Let’s eat!”

EPILOGUE

MATTHEW

One Year Later

In two weeks, everyone Bells and I loved was flying out for our wedding on a small private island. Yeah, Bells and I were getting married on a freaking island. It was completely over the top, and I loved everything about that fact. She hadn’t been wrong about her mom wanting to invite all of their relatives, even ones Bella had never met before, but none of that bothered me. As long as Bells was okay with it, so was I. The more, the merrier.

Plus, my bank account had more zeroes in it than I could spend in this lifetime, and I wanted to blow it on the things that mattered, like marrying the woman of my dreams in an exotic location with the people we cared about. And the ones who cared about us.

Both of my brothers’ weddings had suited them. This shit suited me. Where they were more private and low-key in their love lives, I was more of a show-off. And I’d never apologize for it. I was who I was.

Bells had truly fallen for the idea of a destination wedding when we first started throwing out suggestions for the big day. She was concerned about the cost, of course, but I reminded her that she was marrying a very rich man. I thought she still wasn’t completely comfortable with the amount of money I’d spent to make it all happen, but she’d get over it.

“I can’t believe you made me wait a year to marry you,” I whined as soon as she walked into the kitchen, where I sat, holding a cup of coffee.

“You’ve survived.” She shot me a look.

I put the cup down before I reached for her tiny body and pulled her onto my lap.

“Barely. I’ve barely survived,” I complained right as one of the cats jumped onto the counter and smacked me with its tail.

I’d wanted a dog so Bells would feel safe whenever she was at the house alone, but somehow, we’d ended up with cats.Plural. There were three of them now. Not sure how they helped Bells with anything, but these cats were everywhere. They completely owned the place. And to be honest, they kind of scared the shit out of me. I’d woken up before to one of them standing on my chest, staring at me like it was plotting my murder.

I still wasn’t convinced it wasn’t.

I tried to shove the cat away, but it swatted me with its damn paw.

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