Page 206 of Felonies are Forever

After the incident at the dock, Jack and I spent the next couple days at the house, talking everything over, including the phone call he got from Carter explaining that he and Arianna were together.

It was a moment of shock, but I recovered faster than Jack. He was pretty touchy about it and when Carter and Arianna came back for a visit, Jack took him for a long ride. I’m not surewhat exactly was discussed, I just know they came back both looking a little disheveled but their friendship was intact.

Carter proposed to Arianna that next day and Jack proposed to me. They’d already discussed having a double wedding and none of us wanted to wait very long, so here we are. A month later, dressed and ready to walk down the aisle.

“Are you ready?”

My stomach flutters and flips. “Yes. I’ve dreamed of this for a long time.”

“Me too.” We smile at the other and Arianna looks at the clock on the wall. “We have about five minutes. Hey, did you get Jack a present? It all got planned so fast…I was just wondering.”

Heat bursts onto my cheeks. “Yes, I got him something.” It’s been hard not to tell my best friend the news, but I really wanted to tell—well, show—Jack first, but I’m ready to explode with excitement. “I’ll show you.”

I step over and slip my hand down into the front pocket of my suitcase, and pull out a black leather box.

“A watch?” Arianna asks, but I shake my head.

“No. It was just the right shape box.”

I step closer, my heart pounding a thousand beats a minute, and flip open the top, watching Arianna’s eyes snap wide.

“Oh my god,” she says, bringing her fingers to her lips. “I can’t believe it. You’re pregnant?”

The white plastic stick with two blue lines sits on the black velvet interior of the box and I nod.

“I was going to wait, but this morning…I wanted to know. I couldn’t stand not knowing. My period was supposed to start two days ago. I figured it was just stress and excitement about everything, but I had to check.”

“You’re not going to believe this.” Arianna turns and grabs her purse, and I already know what’s coming.

Thirty seconds later, we’re jumping, hugging, laughing and crying when there’s a knock at the door.

Harper Higgins works here at the hotel and is also the pastor’s daughter calls through the door. “It’s time.”

“Coming,” we say at the same time, holding hands as we face each other.

“To best friends and soon-to-be sisters.” Arianna hugs me so tight I feel my vertebrae popping. I nod, pulling away but not completely out of the hug. “Let’s go.”

We walk out of the suite, down the hall and into our future, holding hands.

Jack

“Well, best man…”

“No, you’re my best man…”

“This is fucking nuts.” I shake my head, but I’ve never been happier.

“Listen,” Carter says as he finishes knotting his bow tie. “You know, there’s got to be some ground rules. You’re marrying my sister—”

“You’re marrying my fucking daughter. So…”

He waves his hands and turns toward me. “I just…I’m happy for you, man. I’m happy for me.” He slaps his chest. “But, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to take any sort of…” He blows out a breath, thinking before he finishes. “Don’t ever tell me anything about you and Layla’s…you know. Bedroom life.”

I nod. “Fair, and not a fucking word about anything you do with, or to, or even think about with my daughter.”

Carter shoves out his hand. “Deal. Shake on it.”

I grab his hand and we seal that moment but it’s way more. We’ve had some tense moments since we found out the deal, but we’ve mostly handled it like gentlemen, and things are back to solid between us.

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