Totally, Sweetly, Irrevocably

by Kira Archer

  “Champagne?” a waiter asked, holding out a tray with several full glasses.

  Gina reached for one and stopped, her jaw dropping.

  “What?” Rick asked, and then burst out laughing.

  “Oh, hell no,” the waiter said. Gina’s would-be mugger thrust the tray full of drinks at her and held up his hands. “No way am I gettin’ mixed up with you two again. I didn’t do nothin’!” He stormed off, ripping off his jacket as he went. “Just workin’, not doin’ nothin’, cops gotta come down here and get all up in my business. Nope. Ain’t happenin’ this time. I’m outta here,” he muttered all the way out the door.

  Rick took the drinks from her and took her hand. Jared, now holding the tray, promptly took a glass and chugged it down.

  “Well, we’re all dressed up and it looks like we’ve effectively ruined this party. Shall we go find another one to crash?” Rick asked.

  Gina took his arm. “If we hurry, I think there’s a Policeman’s Ball going on. If you’d like to accompany me.”

  Rick’s gaze searched hers, and she smiled up at him. “I’d be honored to take you to the ball, miss.”

  “The honor is mine, Officer.”

  Epilogue

  Gina held still while Nat pinned the jeweled gold filigree pin in her hair. She’d opted against a veil, not wanting anything to take away from the stunning gorgeousness that was her dress. The embellished champagne lace that created the top portion and cap sleeves of her gown glimmered in the light of the sun streaming through the window of Mrs. Bogetti’s apartment. An overskirt of pleated chiffon covered an exquisite fitted lace gown that flowed to the floor. Gina had never felt so beautiful in her whole life. She couldn’t wait for Rick to see her. She’d kept the gown a closely guarded secret for months. No small feat when you’re living with a cop whose instincts leaned toward the nosy side.

  “Do you think he’ll like it?” she asked.

  Nat’s smile lit up the room. “Oh, honey. That man would love anything as long as you were wearing it. But this…he’ll either want to tear it off you the second he sees you or never let you take it off.”

  Gina laughed, some of the tension that had had her stomach in knots for days dissipating.

  “Are you nervous?” Nat asked.

  “A little. I never really pictured myself getting married. But Rick…”

  Nat laughed. “Yeah, they have a way of worming their way into your heart and setting up camp, don’t they?”

  “Yeah. The bastards.”

  They laughed, and Nat reached over to carefully give her a hug, being mindful of her hair. And makeup. And dress. Oy. If Gina got through the ceremony intact and presentable, it would be a miracle. She’d already had the strap break on her shoe, a dropped tube of lipstick that had nearly created a last-second dress disaster, and an unfortunate incident in the bathroom involving a garter, a toilet, and a wet bridesmaid that Gina was trying very hard to forget about. One more thing went wrong and she’d run screaming from the building.

  There was a knock at the door, and Jared poked his head in. When he saw her, his smile dropped from his face and he whistled. “Wow, Gene,” he said, coming into the room. “You clean up nice.”

  Coming from Jared, that was a mega-sized compliment. “Thanks. And you are looking less like an overgrown fungus today.”

  Nat shook her head. “You two kill me.”

  Jared smiled and smoothed his hands down the lapels of his suit. “I do look pretty amazing, don’t I? I’ve got my eye on that bridesmaid. No way she’ll be able to resist this.”

  Gina snorted. “I wouldn’t bet on it. Wait, which one?”

  He shrugged. “Any of them.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You are such a disease, Crew.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, but you love me.”

  She shoved him off, though she was laughing. “Dream on.”

  “Well, you better love me. I’m about to save your ass.”

  Dread filled her, making her stomach twist into a pretzel. “Why?”

  “Your minister called in sick.”

  “What?” Gina dropped down to the sofa behind her. “That does it. I’m cursed. I decided to get married and hell froze over and set off some chain reaction that is turning everything into a disaster.”

  “Wow, dramatic much?” Jared asked.

  She glared at him, and his grin grew wider. “Unless you’ve got something useful to say…”

  “I told you you’ll love me. Would I say that if I couldn’t fix this?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “I can marry you,” Jared said, with the look of someone who had just rescued a puppy from a burning building.

  “Um, thanks. But I’ve already got a groom.”

  “No. I mean I can marry the two of you. I’m an ordained minister.”

  Nat and Gina both looked at him like he’d suddenly sprouted an extra arm and started slapping himself with it.

  “Explain,” Nat said.

  He shrugged. “It was one of those internet things. I…won’t go into the details of why I needed to become a minister, but let’s just say I was in a bit of a sticky situation and that was my get-out-of-jail-free card. Either way, I’m still an ordained minister with the legal power to perform weddings.”

  “It’ll really be legal?”

  “Under the broadly worded laws of our fair state, any minister of any religion can perform weddings. So yes. Totally legal. So…what do you say?”

  Gina stood up and gave him a hug. He froze for a second, obviously surprised, before wrapping his arms around her. “Thank you,” she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. “Now let’s get this show going before something else goes wrong.”

  “After you.” He held the door open for the ladies and they headed for the roof.

  Gina waited at the door while the others filed through and hurried to take their places. Her mom held her hand, beaming with pride. The music started up, the door opened, and Gina started the walk she’d never in a million years thought she’d take.

  The rooftop had been transformed into an oasis of lush beauty. White twinkle lights created a canopy above their heads, and every available surface was covered with deep purple cloth and white flowers. An archway of white, purple, and yellow flowers was set up at the end of the white carpet aisle. On either side of her, the people she loved most stood and watched her walk up the aisle. Toward the man who mattered more to her than anyone else in the world.

  Rick stood beside Jared, his gaze glued to her. The smile that lit his face when he finally caught a glimpse of her would stay ingrained in her memory forever. She had never imagined someone could look at her with such love. It filled her heart to overflowing.

  When she reached him, he took her hand and pulled her close. “You take my breath away,” he whispered, giving her a gentle kiss on her temple.

  “Hey now, you two. We haven’t gotten to that part yet,” Jared said, making the crowd laugh.

  Gina shot him a warning look but knew it wasn’t at all threatening. She was too happy to really give it the oomph it needed. He winked at her and held out his arms like he was Moses about to part the Red Sea.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony. As I have only done this one other time before and don’t remember what else I’m supposed to say, let’s get right to it.”

  Everyone laughed, and Gina shook her head. Jared was a piece of work but God help her, she loved him like the brother she never wanted.

  “Vows?” he asked, looking at her.

  She took a deep breath and looked into the eyes of the man she loved. “Rick, my whole life I thought I had everything figured out. I knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it. And then you came along and turned my world upside down.” The smile he gave her made her heart skip a beat, and she squeezed his hand tighter. “I promise to always have your back. And to try to show you every day h
ow much you mean to me. I promise to support you in all your endeavors, like you’ve supported me, and at least attempt to understand your opinions, even when you are dead wrong, as you often are.”

  Rick laughed, and the sound made her heart sing. “I promise to make you chocolate chip pancakes whenever you want. And to bandage your wounds. And to always keep my hair a ridiculous shade of color so you can pick me out of a crowd even when you are old and senile. I love you more than I thought possible. And I promise to keep loving you until my dying breath and long after.”

  She slipped his ring on his finger and beamed up at him, so full of love and happiness she thought she’d burst from it.

  “Gina,” he said, his thumb rubbing across her hand, “you are wonderfully wild and crazy and my life hasn’t been the same from the moment I met you. I don’t think I was truly alive until the day you walked into my life. And I know life wouldn’t be worth living without you in it. I promise to always have your back. Even when you are doing something borderline illegal and most likely insane.”

  That surprised a laugh out of her, and a couple of tears. He wiped them away as he smiled.

  “I promise to support you in all your endeavors, even when they are harebrained and guaranteed to get us arrested. I won’t promise not to try to talk you out of them…but on the good chance I can’t change your mind, I’ll be there for you, no matter what. I promise to love you, and protect you, and do my best to make you happy every day of your life. I also promise to keep you safe from Alejandro and the rest of his cartel for as long as I live. After that, you’re on your own.”

  She laughed and squeezed his hand. “Deal.”

  “I promise to love you every day of this life and into the next, and to show you how much you mean to me for as long as the universe allows.”

  He slipped her ring on her finger and enclosed her hands in his. Then they looked at Jared.

  He wiped what Gina thought might actually be a real tear away and cleared his throat. “Damn, you guys.” He blew out a breath. “Okay. So, by the power vested in me by the internet guys, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  They didn’t need any prompting. Rick pulled her close. “Mrs. Boyd.”

  She reached up to caress his cheek. “Mr. Boyd.”

  His lips met hers, and their audience cheered.

  Gina barely heard them. She was lost in her husband, her heart overflowing with a love and happiness she had never dreamed possible. She’d never have guessed that Rick would be such a perfect match for her. His steadfastness, far from being boring and predictable, brought the calm security she needed in her life. He was her haven, her safe place. He was everything she never knew she was missing.

  But hey, what did she know? Looked like even girls who had never dreamed of a happily ever after sometimes got one.

  Did you love this Lovestruck? Check out more of our satisfying titles here!

  Acknowledgments

  Just saying thank you never seems like enough, but I need to send out a huge, heartfelt thank-you to my incredible support system. Erin, my absolutely amazing editor, who not only helps turn these stories into books I’m proud to publish but never blinks when I send “okay it’s just going to be a little bit later” emails when I’m already a little late. Your calm assurance we’ll get things done is more helpful than you will ever know.

  The truly inspiring team at Entangled, who create beautiful covers, set up marketing and promo, and tirelessly work to make sure we release the best book possible. Thank you all, so much!

  Sarah, I apparently can no longer function without my creepy twin so I am more thankful than you know that you continue to answer my emails. Also, it’s nice not to be alone in the deadline-induced sleep-deprived panic haze. And thank you for letting me borrow Alejandro and his cartel! I’m still not eating your jalapeño crazy lady chips, though.

  And to my family, I really couldn’t do this without you. My sweet kids, thank you for your understanding and support and still loving me even when it’s dinnertime and I’m still in my pajamas and maybe haven’t showered yet. And especially to my husband, who picks up all the slack I drop, makes sure the kids eat more than cereal, and takes my turn with the car pool so I can work and has never posted all the videos he’s been collecting of me snoring on the couch when I close my eyes for just a second. I love you all, more than anything.

  About the Author

  Kira Archer resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kiddos, and far too many animals in the house. She tends to laugh at inappropriate moments, break all the rules she gives her kids (but only when they aren’t looking), and would rather be reading a book than doing almost anything else. She has odd, eclectic tastes in just about everything and often lets her imagination run away with her. She loves a vast variety of genres and writes in quite a few. If you love historical romances, check out her alter ego, Michelle McLean.

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