Page 137 of Crashed

Storm looked at her father and nodded. “Ms. Bella talked to us about it a couple of months ago.” She took his hand. “I love her, a lot, Dad. But I always knew you’d come for me. I told her no. But I’m glad my brothers and sisters are gonna have them. They all need somebody to love them like you love me.”

Javon pulled her to him and kissed her forehead.

Sebastien left notlong after. His wife was due in three weeks and he hadn’t wanted to miss the wedding, so he’d only flown out that morning and was hopping back on a privately chartered plane that would have him back in California in a matter of hours.

As for Zach and Abby, their newborn, a one-month-old little girl with Abby’s red hair and what might just be Zach’s blue eyes, they’d watched the wedding on Zoom, just as Marin had.

Over the next hour, the rest of the guests trickled away.

Within the next half hour, Isabel found herself whisked away in a sleek black BMW Z4, a gift to the both of them, Travis had told her—apparently, he’d done next to nothing with his money over the past thirteen years and now he wanted to indulge a little. Or a lot.

The car pulled up in front of a pretty little Cape Cod-styled cottage and he turned the engine off. When she opened the door, he slid her a look. “You wait.”

“Orders from the husband already?” she teased.

He grinned. “Maybe.”

Climbing out, he went around and opened the door, then offered his hand.

She let him help her out, then gasped as he swept her up into his arms and carried her up the steps to the door.

In the past month since she’d told him they were getting married, he’d filled out more, putting on weight and regaining muscle. He was still lean, but no longer had thattoo-hardlook to him. The shadows were gone from his eyes.

At the door, he managed to punch the code on the pad and open it without much trouble and then he carried his bride over the threshold.

Isabel gasped as lights switched on low, and the flicker of illusory candlelight came to life.

“Travis ... it’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful.” He finally lowered her to the ground. “I know we’re holding off on the honeymoon until next summer, but I think we deserved a night. Right?”

“Absolutely.” She curled her arms around his next and pressed her lips to his. At that moment, music began to play from somewhere and she laughed, delighted by this romantic streak.

“I adore you, Isabel Barnes,” he murmured against her mouth.

“And I, you, Travis Barnes.” She combed her fingers through his hair as he started to spin her around in a slow, lazy circle. “You know ... the years without you sucked, but ... this was worth waiting for.”

“I would have waited a thousand years for you. Ten thousand.”

“How about you spend those years with me instead?”

He kissed her and spun her around the room again. “Deal.”

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