“Thank God,” she whispered. “Okay, this is what we are going to do.”
They quickly salvaged what they could, thankful that most of the pieces hadn’t been in this room, and worked to move everything outside to their Plan B station. They would need the outdoor heaters and make sure any leftover snow didn’t stand in the way, but they would make this work. The couple had originally wanted an outdoor wedding in February anyway, but their parents had wanted something a little more formal.
Well, by hell or literal high water, Arianna was going to give them a formal outdoor wedding.
She just needed to tell the bride.
No big deal.
Or, rather, a huge big deal.
Harper came back in, drenched, and a fire in his eyes. “Someone fucked with the system, Ari.”
She met his gaze, and her jaw tightened. “I don’t have time to think about who could do that, but I have a feeling we both know.” She cursed under her breath. “I need to deal with this.”
“Then we’re going to deal with whoever did this, together.”
With that, he strode off, and Arianna’s anger slapped at her again. He kept saying we needed to fix this, and yet this was her problem. She was the one who needed to confront the person who kept sabotaging her plans, and even bring in the police if needed.
And yet, Harper was the one who kept saving the day. Some small part of her felt like she couldn’t be enough; couldn’t quite do everything on her own, if he was the one who constantly fixed things for her.
How could she stand on her own two feet if Harper was always there to catch her?
She let that thought fade from her mind and went back to work. It wouldn’t help anyone for her to second and third guess herself at this point.
She went out front to make the call to the bride and groom when she noticed a familiar car parked out on the street.
Dread filled her, but everything clicked into place as soon as she saw it.
Damn the man. Damn him and everything he stood for.
Her phone clutched in her hand, she faced her father, her pulse beating so hard in her temple she could feel it on her teeth.
“I knew you were cruel, but I never knew you were petty,” she said once he came toward her.
He smiled indulgently, and she wanted to slap it off his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She held up her hand, not in the mood. “You know what, I don’t care. I don’t care why you’re here, and I sure as hell don’t care why you feel the need to try to ruin people’s days. I’m going to call the police once I call the bride and groom because I’m done with you.”
“I don’t know why calling the police would be my problem. You’re the one who can’t seem to plan a wedding on your own without some sort of mishap. Why don’t you come back to King’s Weddings, Arianna? Come back to your old position, and we’ll discuss the Justin situation.”
She tilted her head; honestly stunned the man who had raised her—if what he did could be called raising—thought he had a foot to stand on.
“No. No. No. No.” Each word got louder so she was almost shouting. “I’m done. I told you I was done before when I walked out, and, apparently, seeing the back of me wasn’t good enough for you. I’m done. For real. I want nothing to do with King’s Weddings. Nothing to do with your precious Justin. Nothing to do with you. And if you come near my work or me again, I’m calling the police. In fact, I’m calling now anyway because you had to have broken some laws at this point, and I’ve been too busy trying to fix things to worry about that. But no more. Get off this property, and stay out of my life. I’m done.”
“You heard her, King. Go.”
She clenched her jaw as Harper stood beside her.
Of course, he was here.
Of course, her best friend was here to see her make a fool of herself and see her father try to break her one more time. Why wouldn’t he be? It’s not like Harper thought she could take care of herself.
Clearly not.
“Arianna,” her father began, but she held up her hand once again.
“Go. Now.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else but when he looked at Harper, his features paled ever so slightly, and he turned abruptly, walking away.
She knew it wouldn’t be the last time she saw him, not with how their lives would intersect, but him leaving for now would have to be enough. And she hadn’t been lying about calling the cops either.
“Are you okay, Ari?” Harper reached for her arm, and she turned to get out of his reach. She ignored the look of hurt on his face. She had to if she was going to tell him what she’d needed to tell him for far too long.
“Why did you have to do that?” she asked, her voice scratchy. She would not cry. Not now. “I was doing fine on my own. Why did you have to come here and save the day? Again.”
Harper’s eyes narrowed, a hint of temper flaring within the deep depths. “What the hell? He was hassling you. Of course, I helped.”
“Of course.” She let out a breath. “I didn’t need your help, Harper. I’m always grateful that you’re there. Always. But you never let me fail on my own. You never let me succeed on my own. Everything I do now is because you’ve done it with me or even for me in some cases. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t breathe with you around sometimes, and it’s because I’m so worried that something is going to get messed up, and I’m not going to be strong enough to fix it.”
Harper’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re angry that I’m helping you? That’s what friends do. That’s what lovers do. That’s what we do.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s what you do. You never let me help you. Everything is about you helping me as if I can’t do it on my own. I’ve never once been able to help you. I could have helped somehow with your new position with Montgomery Inc., but you never gave me the option. Never let me in. I could have done something for you other than warm your bed after you helped me once again with my father fucking up my business.”
“That’s not how we work, and you know it. I know you’re pissed off at your dad, but don’t take it out on me.”
Was that what she was doing? She wasn’t so sure. Not anymore.
“You know what? Fine. I’m done. I need to actually do my job. Thank you for dealing with the sprinklers. I mean it. Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “But I think I can handle everything from here.”
“On your own,” he bit out.
She met his gaze, knowing they were talking about more than just this wedding. “On my own.”
And with that, she left him standing there on the sidewalk as she went to make that call. Her dress swished around her ankles, damp and ruined…much like everything else she had.
Chapter Eight
Harper stood on Arianna’s doorstep two days later, his heart in his hand and his head lowered. He’d been such an idiot, and he knew it. Now, he just had to pray that Ari would take him back.
He didn’t even have to knock on the door before she opened it. He looked up and held back a curse. She had dark circles under eyes and looked exhausted, but her hair was in place as was her perfect suit.
She could work through anything, he thought. She was so fucking strong, and somehow, he’d made her feel like she wasn’t—like he thought she wasn’t. Well, he was going to fix that, damn it.
Only fixing things was how he’d gotten into trouble in the first place.
“Harper,” she croaked.
He wanted to pull her into his arms, hug her close, and tell her she was everything to him. And yet, he couldn’t gain his footing.
“Arianna…I didn’t know if it was okay if I just showed up like this, but I wanted to see you.” Needed to see you.
“You could have used your key.” She moved back as she said it, and he took that as an invitation to go inside. She closed the door behind them and looked up at him, confusion in her gaze. “Of course, I didn’t really leave you an option to
do that, did I?”
“I was afraid you’d change the locks,” he said honestly.
She snorted, but it ended on a silent sob. “Oh, Harper. How did we come to this? You’re my best friend. I never thought we’d end up here.”
“Here being together, or broken?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets so he didn’t reach out and touch her as he wanted.
She pressed her lips together. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I shouldn’t have blamed you for what I did, but not everything I said came out of anger about my father.”
He let out a breath. “I get that. I do. I never once wanted to make you feel like you weren’t strong enough to do anything you put your mind to. I just wanted to be by your side and do what I could to help. I didn’t realize I was stifling you in the process.”
She shook her head and took a step toward him. He wanted to count that as progress, but he wasn’t sure. “I was so afraid I was going to fail, and yet I was more afraid of what I would do when you weren’t there to catch me anymore. I didn’t want to rely on you because I didn’t know what we were. And add in the whole thing with Justin before, and it got a little confused in my mind. He’s gone, though, since he was never a threat to begin with, so to hell with him. But because of all of that, I jumbled up everything in my mind, and it made me act irrationally. I hate being irrational. You know that.”
He quirked a smile at that. “Yeah, that I know.” He took a risk and cupped her face with his hands. She didn’t pull away, and he let out a relieved breath. “Ari, I’m not going away. I know the first night I said it could only be for a night, but I lied. I want you. I want all of you, every day until the end of my days. You’re so fucking strong, so fucking amazing. I’m in awe of everything you do, and the fact that you let me be a small part of that is everything to me. But, baby, I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I’m not leaving. Not now. Not ever. You’re mine, damn it. I just got you the way I want you,” he said with a laugh as tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m not letting you go. And I know that’s the wrong thing to say after you tried to push me away because I was helping too much, but I need you to know that. Selfish of me, I know, but I love you so fucking much, Ari. So. Fucking. Much.”
She closed her eyes and leaned forward, leaving a soft kiss on his chest. “I fell in love with you, too. I don’t know when, though. I keep trying to remember a time when I didn’t love you, and I can’t think of it. It might have been a different kind of love before this, but you’re part of me, Harper. Deep down, you’re part of me. And I don’t want to let you go. And I know I have insecurities when it comes to doing things on my own, but I shouldn’t have thrown them on you.”
He kissed her then, his heart about to burst at the realization that she loved him. That she’d always loved him. “We’re not perfect, but that’s what makes us ideal for each other. You spend your days making everyone’s dreams come true, while I try to make them a home they can live in. I try to build one kind of foundation, while you lead the way for another. We’re a team, baby. And I know I didn’t come to you during the trial phase with Montgomery Inc., but that was because I was trying to make sure I didn’t put too much on your shoulders.” Her eyes flared, and he continued quickly, “But that was wrong. From now on, we’re a team in truth. We’ll both help each other. I promise.” He paused. “I got a promotion yesterday, by the way. Wes and Storm liked my work.”
She pulled back to punch him in the arm. “Of course, they liked your work. You’re freaking talented, and they would be idiots not to want you on their team as another foreman for many jobs to come.” She let out a breath. “I know you don’t want to clip my wings or stifle me, and I’m going to try to do better in letting others help.”
“And I’ll do better in not just jumping in and taking over.”
She laughed then, and he held her closer. “This might take practice.”
He kissed the top of her head. “We’ve got lots of time to practice, baby. Lots of time.” He paused. “Okay, this isn’t me stepping into it, but can you tell me what happened with your dad?”
She pulled away, her eyes going hard. “I called the police like I said and gave them what I could. There wasn’t much evidence on my end, but because I’d filed a complaint and there was just enough to get a warrant to talk to my dad, the officers found things on his computer. It seems my dad actually did something on his own without making others do it for him once in his life. Only this time, it’s going to give him a record. I don’t know what they’re going to charge him with.”
He let out a curse. “Holy hell.”
“Pretty much. I don’t know what happens next with him or King’s Weddings other than I’m not part of it. I’m working with Just for Them, and I’m not changing my plans there. I like these smaller weddings without the scary hoopla and ulcers. It sucks that my grandmother’s legacy might be gone, or at least tarnished, but I can’t look back anymore. Only forward.
“You’re her legacy, too, baby. She’d be proud of you.”
Her eyes filled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She tilted her head up, and he took her mouth once more. He’d fallen in love with his best friend, and damn it, no matter how they’d gotten here, he knew he’d do it again.
Arianna King was his best friend, his lover, and the love of his life.
And he knew exactly what he was going to do next. His woman was a wedding planner, after all.
He went down on one knee, and she gasped. “Arianna? I love you. All of you. I’ve loved you in some way or another since we were children, and I never want to spend another day without you. I want to wake up next to you every morning, go to bed next to you each night. I want to grow old with you and watch our babies grow up, knowing their parents love each other with every ounce of their souls. I know I don’t have a ring, but I have a promise. I have whatever I can bring. Will you marry me, Ari? Will you be my wife and take this next step with me?”
She blinked, tears running down her face. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
He cleared his throat. “I can think of a word that would be good here.”
She laughed and went to her knees in front of him, cupping his face. “I figured you were going to ask to get matching tattoos now or something since that’s what the Montgomerys do and you’re one of them now.”
He laughed with her, leaning his forehead on hers. “Well, we can do that, though I’d rather you answer the question, baby. You’re leaving me hanging.”
She let out a breath and met his eyes. “Yes, Harper. Yes!”
He crushed his mouth to hers, and she moaned into him. He deepened the kiss until they were both panting and ready to take it further. “Do you really want a tattoo? The Montgomerys own a shop, you know. We could make it official. Love, honor, and ink.”
She rolled her eyes and began to strip his shirt over his head. “Maybe later. First, I have another idea how to make it official.”
He groaned and carefully rolled her beneath him on the floor. “I like the way you think.”
And when he took her there, right on her kitchen floor, he counted himself one lucky bastard. He’d fallen for his best friend, and now she was going to be his wife.
Love, honor, and ink indeed.
Want to know more about the Montgomerys? Check out Carrie Ann Ryan’s MONTGOMERY INK series!
A Note from Carrie Ann
Thank you so much for reading LOVE, HONOR, and INK. I do hope if you liked this story, that you would please leave a review. Not only does a review spread the word to other readers, they let us authors know if you’d like to see more stories like this from us. I love hearing from readers and talking to them when I can. If you want to make sure you know what’s coming next from me, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.CarrieAnnRyan.com; follow me on twitter at @CarrieAnnRyan, or like my Facebook page. I also have a Facebook Fan Club where we have trivia, chats, and other goodies. You guys are the reason I get to do what I do and I thank
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Love, Honor, and Ink is a special novella in my Montgomery Ink series. If you’re new to the series you can go back and find out more about my bearded and tattooed family now! If you’re a die hard Montgomery fan already like I am, thank you so much for reading more of one of my favorite worlds!
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About Carrie Ann and her Books
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.
Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.
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Love, Honor, and Ink: (A Montgomery Ink Novella) Page 8